Holding On: Parents' Perceptions of Premature Infants' Transfers

To describe parents' perceptions of their infants' transfers within a regional system of perinatal care. Qualitative; grounded theory methodology. Interviews were conducted in an office adjacent to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), in an intermediate care unit (IMCU), and in the homes of parents. Fifteen parents of premature infants were recruited and interviewed during the 3 days before their infants were transferred from a NICU to an IMCU or home. The 15 parents were interviewed again during the 5 days after the initial interview to learn their feelings about the transfer. After consent was obtained, unstructured interviews were recorded and transcribed. Analyses of the data were ongoing, and the second interviews with parents were more focused. Parents identified four phases that described their transfer experience. Within the four phases, four categories were identified to depict parents’experiences further. The core category of holding on reflected the belief that transfer home would become a reality and normal family life eventually would ensue. Nurses in NICUs and IMCUs have a responsibility to educate the parents of infants at high risk. Nurses sensitive to parental perceptions of neonatal transfer can better facilitate a positive transfer experience.