Developmental care of premature newborns: study on practices in portuguese neonatal units

ABSTRACT Objective: the present and future well-being of hospitalized newborns and their parents are connected to analyze the application frequency of the central practices of developmental care to premature newborns in Portuguese neonatal care units and to identify their relationship with organizational variables. Method: cross-sectional, descriptive-correlational study. Using a non-probabilistic network sampling technique, a sample of 217 nurses from Portuguese neonatal units who answered the Quantum Caring Practice Self-Assessment online questionnaire was obtained, previously translated and validated for Portuguese nurses. Results: the results revealed that for 65.4% of nurses, Developmental Care practices are sometimes performed and 14.3% consider that they are rarely performed. Only 18.9% of the nurses in the study consider that these practices are performed frequently. The most frequent practices were those related to the therapeutic environment and prevention of pain and stress. The least frequent was positioning and skin care. The results also showed that the frequency of developmental care practices differs depending on the geographical location of the units and is higher in units with a higher level of treatment differentiation and that have established a specific program/protocol of developmental care. Conclusion: although feasible, Developmental Care practices are not performed consistently in Portuguese neonatal care units. A global change in team culture, more training, implementation of protocols and organizational investment in this area is needed.