Correlation of perceived nursing support with stress and self-confidence among the mothers of infants with congenital gastrointestinal anomalies

Hospitalization of infants with congenital anomalies to undergo surgery is extremely stressful for their family members, particularly their parents. The resultant stress can negatively affect parents' self-confidence. The aim of this study was to examine the correlation of perceived nursing support with stress and self-confidence among the mothers of infants with congenital gastrointestinal anomalies. This correlational study was conducted in June–November 2015 on 120 mothers whose infants were hospitalized due to congenital gastrointestinal anomalies in the surgical ward of Tabriz teaching children's hospital, Tabriz, Iran. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, the Nurse Parent Support Tool, the Parental Stress Scale, and the Parenting Confidence Scale. Spearman's correlation analysis was used to assess the correlation of perceived nursing support with stress and self-confidence. Mothers perceived high levels of communicational-informational nursing support and low levels of emotional nursing support. Perceived nursing support had positive correlations with stress (r = 0.22; P = 0.013) and self-confidence (r = 0.35; P < 0.001). Although the mothers of infants with congenital gastrointestinal anomalies receive adequate communicational-informational nursing support, their perceived emotional nursing support is inadequate. Therefore, neonatal care nurses need to provide the mothers with comprehensive support and adopt strategies to alleviate their concern.