Kangaroo Care in the high-technology neonatal unit: Exploring evidence-based practice, policy recommendations and education priorities in Northern Ireland

BackgroundKangaroo Care (KC) in high technology settings is often defined as a form of parental caregiving where the newborn low birthweight or preterm infant is intermittently nursed skin-to-skin against the mother or father's chest. Several studies have considered the benefits associated with KC. Despite these benefits, there are still many neonatal nurses who are hesitant to initiate KC with preterm infants, and lack knowledge about the conditions appropriate for KC.ObjectivesTo investigate the extent of KC practice in Northern Ireland neonatal units using a survey to explore nursing knowledge, barriers and perceptions concerning KC.MethodsSeventy-eight neonatal nurses completed a previously developed Kangaroo Care Questionnaire with four scales relating to knowledge, practice, barriers and perceptions, and an open-ended question. SPSS 22.0 and content analysis were used to summarize the data.ResultsNeonatal nurses had an overall good understanding of KC and its benefits. Knowledge relating to eligibility of infants for KC caused the greatest uncertainty. The majority (70%) of respondents agreed that KC has a positive effect on the parent-infant relationship. Barriers to KC implementation included infant safety concerns and nurses' reluctance to initiate KC.ConclusionsThe single greatest barrier to implementation of KC appears to be uncertainty about the appropriateness of the intervention for a particular baby. Educational interventions that provide neonatal nurses with an extensive knowledge base and highlight the skills necessary to provide KC should be considered. Overall, a context-specific and theoretically grounded practical training package for all neonatal healthcare staff including evidence-based policies may help promote KC in NICUs.