Room for family-centered care – a qualitative evaluation of a neonatal intensive care unit remodeling project

The physical layout of a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) seems to play an important, yet disregarded role in establishing family-centered care (FCC). Based on two focus group interviews this article qualitatively evaluates how a physical layout intervention changed matters for parents and health personnel. Collectively, the participants experienced three interior design layouts: open space design, modified rooms and smaller rooms. Inspired by grounded theory, the article explains how establishing smaller rooms equipped with a parent bed placed next to the sick infant provided “room for family-centered care” in a double sense: it reduced the parents’ burden by providing space for them to come to terms with the situation and to start the bonding process; it allowed professionals to commit to meeting increased demands. The study concludes that smaller rooms enhance FCC in a NICU when personnel are prepared to accept the challenge.