Development of a Assessment Scale for Nurses about the Psychological Distance between Infant in the Incubator and Mother

2019 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 16K20795
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Lifelong developmental nursing
• Research Institution: Aichi Prefectural University
• Principal Investigator: AMAKUSA YURIE 愛知県立大学, 看護学部, 助教 (10757545)
• Project Period (FY): 2016-04-01 – 2020-03-31
• Keywords: 保育器で過ごす子ども / 低出生体重児 / 母親 / 心理的距離 / NICU

Outline of Final Research Achievements

The purpose of this study was to clarify how perceptions and related factors both the mothers and NICU nurses about psychological distance between infant in the incubator and mother, and to develop a scale used by NICU nurses to assess their psychological distance.
First, the literature review clarified the perceptions and thoughts of mothers and NICU nurses, and in addition to the research results of the researchers themselves, 28 scale items were extracted.

Free Research Field

小児看護学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

保育器で過ごす子どもと母親は、適切なアセスメントを受けることで、母子の状況により適した看護援助を受けることができ、母親の抱える複雑な思いや子どもとの未来を踏まえ子どもとの心理的距離を縮めていくことで、愛着形成を分離がもたらす不安や退院後の育児への不安の軽減にもつながると考える。
また、NICU看護師は、保育器の存在を再認識し、子どもが保育器で過ごすことが母親にもたらす影響を考え、母親の言動や行動、思いや子どもの状況や成長発達をより意識することから、アセスメント能力向上といった教育的意義も期待できると考える。