The Attitudes and Practices Among Neonatal Nurses Regarding Breastfeeding Support in The Neonatal Intensive Care Unit During Covid-19

Year 2023, Volume: 20 Issue: 1, 195 - 202, 27.04.2023

Derya Suluhan , Nevin İnan Yurdagül , Dilek Yıldız , Fadik Çökelek , Eyyup Sabri Şeyhanlı

https://doi.org/10.35440/hutfd.1201220

Abstract

Objective: Neonatal nurses have a main role which include promote and facilitate breastfeeding in in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). This study was conducted to determine the practices and attitudes of nurses towards breastfeeding support, which has critical importance in breastfeeding for newborns hospitalized in NICU during the Covid-19 pandemics.
Material and method: The study was a cross-sectional descriptive survey design conducted with 252 nurses who were members of the Neonatology Nurses Society. The Data Collection Form, Survey Questionnaire, and the Iowa Infant Feeding Attitude Scale (IIFAS) were used for data collection.
Results: The IIFAS median score of the participants was 70.0 (IQR=9.0). Statistically differences in the IIFAS scores were found according to age (χ2=11.703, p=0.008), education status in nursing (χ2=9.257; p=0.01), and status of attending to international scientific meetings (Z=-2.360; p=0.018). Participants who were age between 26-30 years (n=76, 30.2%), had post-education degree in nursing (n=32, 12.7%), and attended to international scientific meetings (n=47, 18.6) had higher positive attitudes of breastfeeding. The nurses (n=126, 50%) stated that it was difficult to reach mothers in terms of breastfeeding for newborns, and 61.8% of them (n=156) stated that they had difficulty initiating the mother-baby attachment process in the NICU.
Conclusions: Although the attitudes of NICU nurses towards breast milk and breastfeeding were at a moderate level in our study, they struggled to support and maintain the lactation and they implemented to a number of supportive feeding practice in NICUs.

Keywords

Covid-19 pandemics, lactation, attitude, practice, neonatal nurse

Thanks

We would like to thank Turkish Neonatology Nursing Society who give permision for study and supported our work.

Yenidoğan Hemşirelerinin Covid-19 Pandemisi Sırasında Yenidoğan Yoğun Bakım Ünitesinde Emzirme Desteğine Yönelik Tutum ve Uygulamaları

Abstract

Amaç: Yenidoğan hemşireleri, Yenidoğan Yoğun Bakım Ünitesi'nde (YYBB) emzirmeyi teşvik eden ve kolaylaştıran temel role sahiptir. Bu araştırma, Covid-19 pandemisi sırasında YYBÜ'de yatan yenidoğan bebeklerin anne sütü ile beslenmesinde kritik öneme sahip olan emzirme desteğine yönelik hemşirelerin uygulama ve tutumlarını belirlemek amacıyla yapılmıştır.
Materyal ve metod: Neonatoloji Hemşireleri Derneği üyesi 252 hemşire ile gerçekleştirilen araştırma kesitsel tanımlayıcı araştırma desenindedir. Verilerin toplanmasında Veri Toplama Formu, Anket Anketi ve Iowa Bebek Besleme Tutum Ölçeği (IBBTÖ) kullanılmıştır.
Bulgular: Katılımcıların IBBTÖ medyan puanı 70.0 (IQR=9.0) idi. IIFAS puanlarında yaşa (χ2=11.703, p=0.008), hemşirelik eğitim durumuna (χ2=9.257; p=0.01) ve uluslararası bilimsel toplantılara katılma durumuna (Z=-2.360; p=0.008) göre istatistiksel olarak anlamlı farklılık vardı. 26-30 yaş arası (n=76, %30.2), hemşirelik mezunu (n=32, %12.7) ve uluslararası bilimsel toplantılara katılan (n=47, 18.6) katılımcıların emzirmeye yönelik tutumları daha pozitifti. Hemşireler (n=126, %50) yenidoğan emzirme konusunda annelere ulaşmanın zor olduğunu, %61.8'i (n=156) YYBB'de anne-bebek bağlanma sürecini başlatmakta zorlandıklarını ifade etti.
Sonuç: Çalışmamızda YYBB hemşirelerinin anne sütü ve emzirmeye yönelik tutumları orta düzeyde olmasına rağmen emzirmeyi desteklemekte ve sürdürmekte zorlandılar ve YYBB'lerde destekleyici beslenme uygulamalar gerçekleştirdiler.

Keywords

Covid-19 pandemics, lactation, attitude, practice, neonatal nurse

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