Ming-Huei Lu
MacKay Children's Hospital, Taiwan
Title: Using Participant Action Research (PAR) to assess special care nursery nurses’ attitudes toward caring for bubble continuous positive airway pressure (BCPAP) patients
Biography
Biography: Ming-Huei Lu
Abstract
Purpose: The Special Care Nursery (SCN) in the study hospital is starting to use BCPAP. The SCN nurses have had little prior BCPAP experience. It is important to understand the attitudes and experiences of the SCN nurses before providing appropriate training. This study used PAR to assess the attitudes of SCN nurses who cared for BCPAP patients.
Method: The PAR method was used because it emphasizes and applies concepts of empowerment, participation, and trust during the study to understand nurses’ needs in exploring their experiences caring for BCPAP patients. Through the use of PAR nurses can be motivated and actively involved in activities to improve their knowledge and skills to care for BCPAP patients. SCN nurses were invited to participate in this study through focus group interviews. The interviews were conducted once in a two-week period. Each interview lasted about one and one half hours. The interview questions assessed the SCN nurses’ experiences and attitudes caring for BCPAP patients, and the resources that were important to relieve the stress of caring for these patients. All interviews were recorded and transcribed immediately after each interview.
Result: Participants considered BCPAP patient care to be complex and stressful because of their lack of training about BCPAP. Participants doubted whether patients were appropriately treated with BCPAP compared with other alternatives, and whether premature infants treated with BCPAP had suitable resources. Participants stated that SCN nurses did not have as much physician oversight as neonatal intensive care nurses. Participants requested more training in BCPAP techniques. Participants suggested that BCPAP patients should be placed in a special unit managed by neonatal physicians instead of placing them in regular pediatric units.
Conclusion: This study identified training needs for SCNs who care for BCPAP patients. Increased cooperation is needed between neonatal intensive care nurses and neonatal physicians to ensure that optimal care is given to BCPAP patients admitted to an SCN. This is important information for quality improvements in the care of BCPAP patients in an SCN.