‘All for the well-being of the infant’: nurses’ perceptions of preterm infants’ eye examinations: a phenomenographic study

TL;DR

This study explores how nurses perceive eye exams for preterm infants, highlighting the importance of collaboration and nursing care to protect infant well-being.

Contribution

The study provides new insights into nurses' perceptions of preterm infants' eye exams and emphasizes the role of interprofessional collaboration.

Findings

Nurses feel a strong responsibility during painful eye exams for preterm infants.

Interprofessional collaboration and parental involvement are crucial for favorable outcomes.

Improved nursing care can better protect infants' well-being during exams.

Abstract

Preterm infants are at risk of complications due to their prematurity and Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is one of them. To discover and treat ROP the preterm infants regularly undergo eye examinations. Nurses are responsible for the infants’ care during this painful and stressful procedure.

The aim of this study was to explore nurses’ perceptions of preterm infants’ eye examinations.

Data were collected through semi-structured interviews with 10 nurses experienced in participating in preterm infants’ eye examinations. Data were analysed using a phenomenographic approach.

The results showed several perceptions of the eye examinations, and the analysis resulted in four descriptive categories: Infants are affected by the eye examination; Nurses have comprehensive overall responsibility for the infants; Parents are important to their infants, but they need support to fulfil their parental role, and Collaboration is important for the examination’s favourable outcome. The category Nurses have comprehensive overall responsibility for the infants was regarded as the most comprehensive, covering all the other categories.

Nurses felt a great responsibility during a painful and stressful procedure for preterm infants. Infants’ well-being could be better protected by interprofessional collaboration, improved nursing care and involved parents.

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