The assessment of relationship between spiritual health and perception of communication with nurse in mothers with premature newborn.

With the birth of a premature newborn, mothers experience new relationships, especially with nurses. The stress caused by the hospitalization of a premature newborn can negatively affect the health of the mother and then the health of the newborn. Therefore, a recent study was conducted to assess the relationship between spiritual health and perception of the communication with the nurse, in mothers with premature newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care units of hospitals in Bushehr province in 2022.

The current research is a cross-sectional descriptive-analytical study. The statistical population of this study was 218 mothers of premature newborns admitted to the neonatal intensive care units. Data gathering was done by convenience sampling and by using a demographic form of mother and newborn, spiritual health questionnaire (Palutzian & Ellison) with two dimensions, religious health and existential health and perception of communication with a nurse (Reid et al) questionnaire.

54% of mothers had average spiritual health and 46% of them had high spiritual health. The mean and standard deviation of perception of communication with the nurse was 62.41±10.42. The result of linear regression showed that the mother's existential health can be a positive predictor for the perception of communication with the nurses (=β0.437 ؛ P>0.001). Also, no significant relationship was between the mother's religious health and perception of communication with the nurse (=β0.085 ؛ P=0.001).

Since existential health as a part of spiritual health can be a positive predictor perception of the communication with the nurse, it is suggested that the hospitals have programs for the parents of premature newborns, specifically the mothers, to improve their spiritual health, especially the existential health. By increasing optimal interactions with the nurse, it will reduce stress and increase participation in the care of the newborn.