Parents' experiences of VOICE: A novel support programme in the NICU.
Agnes van den Hoogen, Rian Eijsermans, Henriette D L Ockhuijsen and 6 others
PMID 33124117WHAT IT FOUND
Parents of extreme premature infants described structured NICU meetings as helping them feel involved in care, understand their baby's cues, and gain confidence as parents.
They valued personalized information and emotional support.
Key findings
01Across 11 interviews with 13 parents, parents described parental empowerment through involvement in care, personalized information and communication, transition to a parental role, and emotional support.
02Parents said VOICE meetings helped them express their needs and wishes, participate in infant care, and learn to observe their infant's behaviour.
03Emotional support from staff and other parents helped some parents process feelings, while others preferred discussing emotions with partners or relatives.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The study used convenience sampling from a Dutch tertiary NICU, so the parents' views may not transfer to other units or cultures. Most participants were mothers, and fathers were not well represented, so experiences may differ by parent role. The study explored experiences during NICU admission and did not evaluate the final follow-up meeting or long-term outcomes. Because it is qualitative, it describes what parents said and did not test whether VOICE improves parental or infant outcomes.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that the VOICE programme improves parental or infant outcomes. This study reports parents' experiences of empowerment during NICU admission, not tested effects.