Purpose
To investigate the perception and barriers of Kangaroo-Mother Care (KMC) among nurses in Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU).
Methods
Participants were 131 nurses working in NICU who completed self-report questionnaires which included information regarding perception, barriers, and practice of KMC. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS 18.0 program for descriptive statistics, t-test, ANOVA, and Pearson correlation coefficients.
Results
Of the participants, 33.6% reported the practice of KMC in their NICU, with 75.6% wanting to receive training in KMC and 31.3% having received KMC education. Most of the participants agreed that KMC enhances attachment, parental confidence, and effective breast feeding but they reported a negative perception in providing KMC for premature infants weighing less than 1,000 grams or intubated premature infants. Major barriers to practicing KMC were safety of infants, possible work overload for nurses, as well as absence of consistent guidelines. Barriers to KMC among nurses who received the KMC training were lower than nurses who did not receive the KMC training (t=-2.11, p=.037).
Conclusion
Education program and standardized clinical practice protocol should be developed to foster the positive perception and to reduce nurse barriers to KMC.

Citations

• Developmentally Supportive Care Among Neonatal Intensive Care Unit Nurses in South Korea
  Han Na Lee, Ji Hyeon Park, Haeryun Cho
  Advances in Neonatal Care.2023; 23(3): E60.     CrossRef
• Barriers to and enablers of kangaroo mother care
  Soon Min Lee
  Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics.2020; 63(11): 431.     CrossRef
• Effects of Positioning Education Program through Oral Explanations or Brochures for Parents of Premature Infants with Brain Lesions and the Satisfaction Level of Physical Therapy at Discharge
  Hye-Young Lee, Dong-Yeon Kang
  The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy.2017; 29(5): 259.     CrossRef