Evaluation of the Relationship Between Perceived Nursing Support and Parental Stress Among Mothers of Hospitalized Preterm Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Hospitalization of preterm infants in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) is a stressful event for mothers. The present study aimed to evaluate the relationship between perceived nursing support and parental stress among mothers of hospitalized preterm infants.
This descriptive, analytical study was conducted on 100 mothers of neonates, who were hospitalized in the NICU of Valiasr Hospital, Birjand, Iran during 2014 - 2015. Data were collected using a questionnaire of demographic and clinical characteristics, nurse-parent support tool, and parental stressor scale. Data were analyzed using independent sample t test, one-way analysis of variance, Pearson’s correlation test, and univariate or multivariate stepwise linear regression analysis.
The mothers’ parental stress had a significant inverse correlation with the perceived nursing support (r, -0.23; P = 0.02). Among the subscales of perceived nursing support, only the subscale of emotional support was a significant predictor of parental stress and its subscales (P Nursing support plays a pivotal role in alleviating stress among mothers of preterm infants. Therefore, nurses should provide adequate informational and emotional support for these mothers.