Promoting Maternal Confidence in the NICU

The technological intensive care environment of the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) presents a challenge for nurses to integrate care that supports the development of premature and critically ill term infants while supporting mothers as collaborators in the care of their infant. The purpose of this article is to discuss the attributes of maternal-infant attachment, examine the challenges the NICU environment presents, and propose nursing interventions that facilitate and support the development of maternal confidence in the NICU. These interventions create an environment that facilitates maternal-infant attachment by offering mothers meaningful, positive experiences with their infants.