Neonatal Nurses' Understanding of the Factors That Enhance and Hinder Early Communication Between Preterm Infants and Their Parents: A Narrative Inquiry Study.
Julia Petty, Lisa Whiting, Celia Harding
PMID 40653954WHAT IT FOUND
Nine neonatal nurses viewed bonding activities like skin-to-skin as 'communication' but lacked knowledge of specific linguistic strategies.
They identified masks and parental absence as major barriers to interaction, highlighting a need for speech and language therapy-led education on early language scaffolding.
Key findings
01Nurses defined communication broadly as bonding and care activities, with none reporting training in specific early preverbal communication strategies.
02Face masks and restricted parental access were identified as significant barriers to infant development and parent-infant interaction.
03Nurses valued collaboration with speech and language therapists but noted a lack of resources for supporting families where English is an additional language.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The sample was small (n=9) and drawn from only two units within the same NHS Trust, which may limit the transferability of the findings. All participants were female, reflecting the nursing demographic but limiting perspective diversity. The study did not include nurses from Level 3 intensive care units, so findings may not apply to the most complex clinical settings. Data relies on self-reported experiences and perceptions rather than observed clinical interactions.
Declared interests
No competing interests are declared in the provided text.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the nurses' description of skin-to-skin and feeding as 'communication' as evidence that these activities alone are sufficient for language development. The study shows nurses lack specific training in linguistic scaffolding, so their current practice may not adequately address the language risks associated with preterm birth.