Nurses’ beliefs and attitudes regarding an open visiting policy in the neonatal intensive care unit in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia: a cross-sectional study

Open visiting policies (OVPs) in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) are increasingly recognized for their benefits in supporting family-centered care, enhancing parent-infant bonding, and improving neonatal outcomes. However, implementation of OVPs remains inconsistent, particularly in the Middle East, due to concerns about workload, infection control, and professional autonomy. Understanding nurses’ beliefs and attitudes is essential to inform policy decisions and practice. This study aimed to assess the beliefs and attitudes of nurses working in NICUs across four hospitals in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia regarding the implementation of an open visiting policy and to examine the influence of demographic variables on these beliefs and attitudes. A descriptive cross-sectional, correlational study was conducted among 350 NICU nurses in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia using a convenience sampling strategy supplemented by snowball recruitment through professional networks. Data were collected via a structured online questionnaire adapted from the validated Beliefs and Attitudes Toward Visitation in NICU Questionnaire (BAVNIQ). Descriptive statistics and regression analysis were used to analyze the data. The findings revealed that most nurses (80.6%) demonstrated moderate beliefs, and all nurses (100%) demonstrated moderate attitudes toward open visitation, with a Attitudes-toward-open-visitation score (52 items, range 0-208) of 104.64 (SD ± 6.74). While the majority recognized the benefits of open visitation policies (OVPs), 52% of participants did not support their implementation. Regression analysis identified marital status (β = -0.212, p < .001), number of children (β = 0.231, p < .001), and shift type (β = -0.222, p < .001) as significant predictors of nurses’ attitudes (model R2 = 0.18, Adjusted R2 = 0.16, F (7,342) = 10.72). Interestingly, the number of children negatively predicted attitude scores (β = -0.333, p < .001), whereas educational level positively influenced them (β = 0.134, p = .016) (model R 2 = 0.15, Adjusted R 2 = 0.13, F (7,342) = 8.63). Nurses from the four NICUs in the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia have moderately supportive beliefs and attitudes toward OVPs with moderate amounts of variance accounted for by the regression models, but with more consistency being related with personal life circumstances rather than professional variables. Resistance is driven by perceived workload and logistical challenges. To promote successful implementation, targeted interventions, including staff training, policy restructuring, and administrative support, are essential. Future research should include parental opinion and explore qualitative insights into institutional barriers and facilitators.