Effect of discharge planning program on stress of preterm infant mothers in NICU

premature and low birth weight infants are one of the high risk population in the community. After discharge، they are more vulnerable than full-term infants and in comparison with full-term born infants need more care. The aim of discharge planning، preparing families for the care of premature infants at home after discharge. a randomized controlled trial study was conducted on 92 mothers of preterm infants (gestational age: 320/7 -366/7 weeks) in neonatal ICU of Tabriz Alzahra hospital in 2013. Discharge planning was done for intervention group and mothers of control group received routine and usual cares. discharge planning program Includes two group training sessions with practical training and lectures، and videotape training for mothers of premature infants. Maternal stress was measured in both admission and discharge time in two groups by using Parental stress scale. Data analysis was performed using the T-test and X2 test. There was not any meaningful difference about rate of stress between 2 groups before the intervention. However، after implementation of discharge planing، maternal stress was lower in intervention group than in control group (p≤0. 001) Implementation of discharge planning reduces stress levels of mothers of premature infants. Its implementation could facilitate to return infants from acute care units to family