The Obstacles against Nurse-Family Communication in Family-Centered Care in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: a Qualitative Study

Communication is one of the key principles in Family-Centered Care (FCC). Studies have shown some drawbacks in communication between families and nurses. Therefore, the present study aimed to recognize the obstacles against nurse-family communication in FCC in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This qualitative study was conducted on 8 staff nurses in 2 NICUs affiliated to Shiraz University of Medical Sciences selected through purposive sampling. The data were collected using 8 deep semi-structured interviews and 3 observations. Then, they were analyzed through inductive content analysis. Data analysis resulted in identification of 3 main categories and 7 subcategories. The first category was organizational factors with 2 subcategories of educational domain (inadequate education, lack of a system for nursing student selection, and poor professionalization) and clinical domain (difficult working conditions, lack of an efficient system for ongoing education and evaluation, and authoritarian management). The second category was familial factors with socio-cultural, psychological, and economic subcategories. The last category was the factors related to nurses with socio-cultural and psycho-physical subcategories. Identification of the obstacles against nurse-family communication helps managers of healthcare systems to plan and eliminate the challenges of effective communication. Besides, elimination of these factors leads to appropriate strategies in NICUs for effective application of FCC.