Professional's Efforts to Simultaneously Discharge Infants and Mother from Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Iran: A Qualitative Study

Discharge rate of surviving infants from neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) has recently increased dramatically. It is deemed to have a discharge plan with the aim of decreasing rehospitalization, morbidity, and mortality. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the professionals’ efforts toward discharging the infants and their mothers from NICU. This qualitative study used a content analysis approach to define and describe the efforts implemented for discharging the infants and their mothers. Data collection was done through the interviews with twenty nurses, physicians, and mothers in the NICUs of some Iranian University Hospitals. In the present study, two categories and five subcategories were identified namely the process of teaching/training the mothers of high risk infants (mothers’ intrinsic motivation, considering mothers’ learning needs, and enabling trainings) and providing infant discharge criteria (maintaining infant’s health and believed abilities). The results of the study revealed that mothers’ intrinsic motivation and considering their learning needs are essential points in the learning process. Some of the efforts such as enabling trainings are insufficient and must be improved to yield desirable discharge plan.