The Effect of Supportive Nursing Interventions of Mothers of Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

Objective: This study was conducted to determine the effects of supportive interventions on the stress levels of mothers of infants hospitalized in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Backround: The inability to nurture the healthy baby dreamed of, disease and intensive care processes are situations causing a crisis for parents. The stress experienced by mothers may affect emotional status and the foundation of the mother-ınfant attachment. For this reason, mothers of infants hospitalized in the NICU need support to cope with the stressful events they experience. Design: This study was a prospective, pre-and post-test randomised controlled trial. Methods: The population of the research comprised mothers with neonates admitted to the NICU of a state hospital, abiding by the sample selection criteria and who accepted participation in the research. The research was completed with 85 mothers in two groups of 45 subjects and 40 controls selected at random. Data collection used the Parental Stressor Scale: Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (PSS:NICU), NICU Parent Belief Scale (NICU:PBS), State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI TX-2) and saliva cortisol analysis.