Fathers' Needs and Masculinity Dilemmas in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit in Denmark.
Betty Noergaard, Jette Ammentorp, Jesper Fenger-Gron and 3 others
PMID 28749826WHAT IT FOUND
Fathers in a Danish NICU felt left out, afraid to handle small infants, and torn between work and being present.
They wanted nurses to teach childcare, give direct updates, and treat them as equal caregivers.
Key findings
01Fathers felt staff mainly focused on mothers and infants, leaving them out.
02Fathers wanted direct, detailed updates from staff, including blood test values and scheduled rounds, because information passed through partners could be modified.
03Most fathers needed staff guidance to take part in childcare, especially handling very small infants and interpreting their cues.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study included 12 fathers in a Danish level II NICU, so the findings may not apply to other units, countries, or family situations. It reports fathers' experiences and needs, not clinical outcomes, so it cannot show that changes in nurse practice improve care. Some fathers had earlier NICU experience, and recruitment depended on observation and invitations, so the sample may not represent all NICU fathers. Cultural norms about fatherhood, work, and masculinity shaped the accounts, so transfer to other settings needs caution.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read this as evidence that involving fathers or changing staff communication improves infant or family outcomes. It is a small qualitative study of 12 fathers' experiences in a Danish level II NICU, so it describes needs and themes, not tested effects.