Comparisons of Needs, Need Responses, and Need Response Satisfaction of Mothers of Infants in Neonatal Intensive Care Units

Providing nursing care to meet the needs of mothers may be unsuccessful because most nurses perceive and prioritize maternal needs differently from how mothers do. In this study, 140 mothers of infants in each neonatal intensive care unit of three hospitals in southern Thailand were interviewed using questionnaires on maternal needs, need responses, and need response satisfaction. Significant differences in mean total scores and mean subscale scores of needs, need responses, and need response satisfaction were found among the three groups of mothers. Significant differences in mean differences of total needs, need responses, and need response satisfaction were found when comparing mothers in each group. The mean rankings of maternal needs, need responses, and need response satisfaction were identified. This study supported the idea of individualized maternal needs and priorities. In providing effective nursing care to meet the needs and satisfaction of mothers, nurses should be concerned with the needs of individuals, their responses to those needs, and need response satisfaction because the satisfaction of these needs is essential for infant well-being.