Modifications in family centered developmental care and in neonatal intensive care during the COVID-19 pandemic in a hospital in Spain: A qualitative study

Introduction: Family centered developmental care (FCDC) are a philosophy of care in the neonatal care units (NICU), based on the control of sensory stimulation the adequate position and of newborn and the family involvement of cares. Nursing staff are the main providers of this care. Sanitary measure to control of the COVID-19, such as the use of masks, isolation of positive cases and capacity limit, conditioned the implementation of FCDC. Objectives: To understand the meaning of the experience of the nursing staff of a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) on the implementation of the FCDC, under the sanitary measures imposed for the containment of COVID-19. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted from the descriptive phenomenological paradigm in which NICU nurses were recruited. The qualitative data collection was carried out through openended and semi -structured interviews. These were analyzed respectively through a preliminary narrative analysis and a thematic analysis of the informant nurses' narratives and discourses. Results: Three open-ended and 7 semi -structured interviews were conducted from which three main topics emerged: 1) changes in the FCDC derived from the sanitary restrictions implemented for the containment of COVID-19; 2) changes in interpersonal relationships in the context of a pandemic, and 3) transition to normality. Conclusions: The nurses of NICU perceived changes in the implementation of the FCDC due to the containment of COVID-19, that modified the relationship with the parents of NB, accelerating their training as caregivers, and involved the implementation of new measures such as video calls. (c) 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U. on behalf of Sociedad Espanola de Enferme & nacute;a Intensiva y Unidades Coronarias (SEEIUC). This is an open access article under the CC BY -NC -ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/).