Impact Of Neonates’ Admission In Special Newborn Care Unit On Mothers’ Stress Level And Coping Strategies

Abstract

Hospitalization of neonate could be stressfull to the mothers. The investigator aimed to assess the level of stress and coping strategies of mothers of neonates admitted in SNCU at BSMC & H, Bankura adopting descriptive survey design and non-probability convenience sampling to collect data from 110 mothers using standardized PSS:NICU scale and Brief Cope Inventory. Roy’s Adaptation model served as conceptual framework for the study. The result revealed that most of the mothers (80%) had moderate level of stress and mothers showed maximum stress in parental role alterations sub category (mean score 32.27% & SD 4.06) whereas half of the mothers (50%) adopted moderate coping strategies and there was significant negative relationship (r= - 0.24) existing between level of stress and adopted coping strategies of mothers at 0.05 level of significance. There was significant association found between level of stress and mother’s participation in baby’s care, neonate’s age, sex, duration of SNCU admission and KMC given by mother and between adopted coping strategies and mother’s age, educational qualification, mother’s participation in baby’s care, neonate’s age and birth weight. The study findings can be implicated in nursing practice, nursing administration, nursing education and research. Non probability sampling limited the study from generalization. This study can be replicated in large sample size and comparative study between mother and father’s stress and coping strategies can be done in future. It can be concluded that mother’s participation in baby’s care reduces mother’s stress significantly as well as increases adopted coping strategies of mothers