TY - JOUR
T1 - Infants in drug withdrawal
T2 - A national description of nurse workload, infant acuity, and parental needs
AU - Smith, Jessica G.
AU - Rogowski, Jeannette A.
AU - Schoenauer, Kathryn M.
AU - Lake, Eileen T.
N1 - Funding Information:
This study was conducted during the primary author’s postdoctoral fellowship, which was funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health award number T32NR007104 “Advanced Training in Nursing Outcomes Research” (Aiken, PI). The primary data set was funded through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative grant “Acuity-Adjusted Staffing, Nurse Practice Environments and NICU Outcomes” (Lake, PI).
Funding Information:
This study was conducted during the primary author's postdoctoral fellowship, which was funded by the National Institute of Nursing Research of the National Institutes of Health award number T32NR007104 "Advanced Training in Nursing Outcomes Research" (Aiken, PI). The primary data set was funded through the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Interdisciplinary Nursing Quality Research Initiative grant "Acuity- Adjusted Staffing, Nurse Practice Environments and NICU Outcomes" (Lake, PI).
Publisher Copyright:
Copyright © 2018 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.
PY - 2018
Y1 - 2018
N2 - Infants in drug withdrawal have complex physiological and behavioral states, requiring intensive nursing care. The study objectives were to describe acuity, parental needs, and nurse workload of infants in drug withdrawal compared with other infants. The design was cross-sectional and involved secondary nurse survey data from 6045 staff nurses from a national sample of 104 neonatal intensive care units. Nurses reported the care of 15 233 infants, 361 (2.4%) of whom were in drug withdrawal. Three-fourths of hospitals had at least 1 infant in drug withdrawal. In these hospitals, the mean number of infants in drug withdrawal was 4.7. Infant acuity was significantly higher among infants in drug withdrawal. Parents of infants in drug withdrawal required significantly more care to address complex social situa- tions (51% vs 12%). The number of infants assigned to nurses with at least 1 infant in withdrawal (mean = 2.69) was significantly higher than typical (mean = 2.51). Given infant acuity and parental needs, policies legislating patientto- nurse ratios should permit professional discretion on the number of patients to assign nurses caring for infants in drug withdrawal. Managers and charge nurses should consider the demands of caring for infants in drug withdrawal in assignment decisions and provide support and education.
AB - Infants in drug withdrawal have complex physiological and behavioral states, requiring intensive nursing care. The study objectives were to describe acuity, parental needs, and nurse workload of infants in drug withdrawal compared with other infants. The design was cross-sectional and involved secondary nurse survey data from 6045 staff nurses from a national sample of 104 neonatal intensive care units. Nurses reported the care of 15 233 infants, 361 (2.4%) of whom were in drug withdrawal. Three-fourths of hospitals had at least 1 infant in drug withdrawal. In these hospitals, the mean number of infants in drug withdrawal was 4.7. Infant acuity was significantly higher among infants in drug withdrawal. Parents of infants in drug withdrawal required significantly more care to address complex social situa- tions (51% vs 12%). The number of infants assigned to nurses with at least 1 infant in withdrawal (mean = 2.69) was significantly higher than typical (mean = 2.51). Given infant acuity and parental needs, policies legislating patientto- nurse ratios should permit professional discretion on the number of patients to assign nurses caring for infants in drug withdrawal. Managers and charge nurses should consider the demands of caring for infants in drug withdrawal in assignment decisions and provide support and education.
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U2 - 10.1097/JPN.0000000000000309
DO - 10.1097/JPN.0000000000000309
M3 - Article
C2 - 29373422
AN - SCOPUS:85052473452
SN - 0893-2190
VL - 32
SP - 72
EP - 79
JO - Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing
JF - Journal of Perinatal and Neonatal Nursing
IS - 1
ER -