Parental closeness during infant therapeutic hypothermia: Nurses’ experiences and reflections

To investigate specialist nurses’ experiences of caring for full-term infants requiring intensive care and undergoing therapeutic hypothermia in an adult bed. Eleven semi-structured interviews were conducted with specialist nurses working in the neonatal intensive care unit at a university hospital in Sweden. These interviews were analysed with thematic content analysis. Nurses had a positive attitude towards caring for full-term infants receiving TH in adult beds. They observed benefits for parent-infant bonding, strengthened parental roles, and increased parental involvement. However, they also pointed out challenges, such as ergonomic issues with equipment not designed for this care setting. Specialist nurses were positive about caring for full-term infants undergoing therapeutic hypothermia in adult beds. It seemed to benefit infant- and family-centred care and could, according to the nurses, contribute to increased parental presence. However, there were workplace-related aspects that could complicate the healthcare staff's work.