Open Access“Giving us hope”: Parent and neonatal staff views and expectations of a planned family‐centred discharge process (Train‐to‐Home)
Author(s) -
Ingram Jenny,
Redshaw Maggie,
Manns Sarah,
Beasant Lucy,
Johnson Debbie,
Fleming Peter,
Pontin David
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
health expectations
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.314
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1369-7625
pISSN - 1369-6513
DOI - 10.1111/hex.12514
Subject(s) - feeling , nursing , perception , medicine , intervention (counseling) , discharge planning , psychology , social psychology , neuroscience
Background Preparing families and preterm infants for discharge is relatively unstructured in many UK neonatal units ( NNU s). Family‐centred neonatal care and discharge planning are recommended but variable. Design and participants Qualitative interviews with 37 parents of infants in NNU s, and 18 nursing staff and 5 neonatal consultants explored their views of discharge planning and perceptions of a planned family‐centred discharge process (Train‐to‐Home). Train‐to‐Home facilitates communication between staff and parents throughout the neonatal stay, using a laminated train and parent booklets. Results Parents were overwhelmingly positive about Train‐to‐Home. They described being given hope, feeling in control and having something visual to show their baby's progress. They reported positive involvement of fathers and families, how predicted discharge dates helped them prepare for home and ways staff engaged with Train‐to‐Home when communicating with them. Nursing staff reactions were mixed—some were uncertain about when to use it, but found the visual images powerful. Medical staff in all NNU s were positive about the intervention recognizing that it helped in communicating better with parents. Conclusions Using a parent‐centred approach to communication and informing parents about the needs and progress of their preterm infant in hospital is welcomed by parents and many staff. This approach meets the recommended prioritization of family‐centred care for such families. Predicted discharge dates helped parents prepare for home, and the ways staff engaged with Train‐to‐Home when communicating with them helped them feel more confident as well as having something visual to show their baby's progress.