Mothers' Voices Related to Caregiving: The Transition of a Technology-Dependent Infant from the NICU to Home
Abstract
Purpose: The transition from the NICU to home is a complicated, challenging process for mothers of infants dependent on lifesaving medical technology, such as feeding tubes, supplemental oxygen, tracheostomies, and mechanical ventilation. The study purpose was to explore how these mothers perceive their transition experiences just prior to and during the first three months after initial NICU discharge. Design: A qualitative, descriptive, longitudinal design was employed. Sample: Nineteen mothers of infants dependent on lifesaving technology were recruited from a large Midwest NICU. Main Outcome Variable: Description of mothers' transition experience. Results: Three themes were identified pretransition: negative emotions, positive cognitive-behavioral efforts, and preparation for life at home. Two posttransition themes were negative and positive transition experiences. Throughout the transition, the mothers expressed heightened anxiety, fear, and stress about life-threatening situations that did not abate over time despite the discharge education received.
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Following the premature infant's return home, mothers often assume the primary caregiving role.
“Following the premature infant's return home, mothers often assume the primary caregiving role, which shifts the focus from their marital relationship to establishing a mother–child bond (Breivold et al. 2019; Lundqvist et al. 2019; Toly et al. 2019; Zamanzadeh et al. 2013).”
From Experiences and Perceptions of Hospital to Home Transitional Care for Parents of Premature Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Meta‐Synthesis (2025) · cites this paper as Toly et al. 2019
Mothers' assumption of primary caregiving shifts focus from marital relationship to establishing mother-child bond.
“Following the premature infant's return home, mothers often assume the primary caregiving role, which shifts the focus from their marital relationship to establishing a mother–child bond (Breivold et al. 2019; Lundqvist et al. 2019; Toly et al. 2019; Zamanzadeh et al. 2013).”
From Experiences and Perceptions of Hospital to Home Transitional Care for Parents of Premature Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Meta‐Synthesis (2025) · cites this paper as Toly et al. 2019
Many parents express doubts about the reliability of internet resources.
“However, many parents express doubts about the reliability of these internet resources (Breivold et al. 2019; Toly et al. 2019; Toral‐López et al. 2016; Zamanzadeh et al. 2013; Sun et al. 2023).”
From Experiences and Perceptions of Hospital to Home Transitional Care for Parents of Premature Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Meta‐Synthesis (2025) · cites this paper as Toly et al. 2019
As time progressed, some parents began to master basic caregiving skills required for their premature infants.
“As time progressed, some parents began to master the basic caregiving skills required for their premature infants (Aydon et al. 2018; Breivold et al. 2019; Toly et al. 2019; Zamanzadeh et al. 2013).”
From Experiences and Perceptions of Hospital to Home Transitional Care for Parents of Premature Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit: A Qualitative Meta‐Synthesis (2025) · cites this paper as Toly et al. 2019
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- Authors
- Toly, V. B., Blanchette, J. E., Alhamed, A., & Musil, C. M.
- Venue
- Neonatal Network
- Publisher
- Springer Publishing Company
- Published
- 2019-03-01
- Volume
- 38
- Issue
- 2
- Pages
- 69-79
- ISSN
- 0730-0832 (ISSN-L)
- 1539-2880
- OpenAlex
- W2922300708
- Cited by
- 17
- References
- 34
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2025: 2 · 2024: 2 · 2023: 3 · 2022: 2 · 2021: 4 · 2020: 1
- FWCI
- 1.82
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Neonatal Network The Journal of Neonatal Nursing (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Pediatrics, Perinatology and Child Health › Infant Development and Preterm Care
- Health Sciences › Health Professions › Speech and Hearing › Adolescent and Pediatric Healthcare
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Clinical Psychology › Family and Disability Support Research
- Keywords
- maternal experience, parental anxiety, parental stress, discharge education, parental preparation, feeding tube, tracheostomy, mechanical ventilation, supplemental oxygen, neonatal discharge
- MeSH terms
- Transitional Care, Adult, Female, Home Care Services, Humans, Infant, Newborn, Intensive Care Units, Neonatal, Life Support Care, Longitudinal Studies, Mothers, Patient Discharge, Social Perception, Biomedical Technology, Nurse's Role, Qualitative Research
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