The Effect of Empowering Mothers of Infants Hospitalized at the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit on Their Participation in Neonatal Care

Mothers’ participation in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is importantin promoting neonatal care and good outcomes for neonates and their mothers. Thepresent study was conducted with the aim of assessing the effect of empoweringmothers of hospitalized neonates on the level of their participation in neonatal care. This quasi-experimental single-group study with before-after designrecruited 59 mothers of neonates hospitalized at the NICU, selected according to thestudy inclusion criteria. Data were collected using educational needs questionnaireand the maternal participation checklist. The questionnaire was completed bymothers and the participation checklist by the researcher before the intervention. Theempowerment program was then implemented over 2 to 4 days. Comparison of participants› checklist scores before and after theimplementation of the empowerment program in 3 domains of care needs, informationneeds, and bonding, and attachment needs, showed significant increases in the level ofmothers› participation. The comparison of checklist participation scores showed thatthe Mean (M) and Standard Deviation (SD) of scores before and after performing themothers› empowerment were respectively 7.61 ± 3.66 and 12.38 ± 1.31 in the carearea, 1.47 ± 0.99 and 3.13 ± 0.66 in the information area, and 4.77 ± 1.42 and 5.70 ±0.59 in the area of attachment and dependency. Implementation of the empowerment program for mothers based ontheir educational needs significantly increased mothers› participation in neonatalcare. This empowerment program could be applied for a broad range of population ofmothers at the intensive care units of neonates.