Preterm Infant Care Practice among Nurses in Neonatal Care Units of Selected Hospitals of Nepal: A Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction. Preterm infants (PTIs) are vulnerable to morbidity, disability, and mortality. They require meticulous care for survival and development in neonatal care units (NCUs). PTI care in NCUs is a collaborative and team effort among different health professionals. However, nurses have a key role for quality care. This study aimed to assess nurses’ PTI care practices across different hospitals in Nepal. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted in NCUs of six randomly selected public hospitals in Nepal. After obtaining ethical approval, structured observation was completed among 40 NCU nurses using a practice checklist. After observation, a self-report questionnaire was administered among 102 nurses. Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analysis. Results. The observation and self-reported mean infant care practices were 73.7% and 70.7%, respectively. The overall practice median score and the interquartile range (IQR) were 4.0 (3.5–4.3) with the highest score of (4.5 [4.1–4.7]) for daily supportive care and the lowest score of (2.8 [2.1–3.5]) for pain management. The care practice was strongly associated with the nurse-infant ratio (adjusted odd ratio (aOR) = 18.52, confidence interval (CI) = 5.83–58.77, and p=<0.001) and training status (aOR = 4.95, CI = 1.59–15.39, and p=0.006). Conclusion. Nurses have adequate practice of thermal care, safe oxygen administration, nutritional care, and infection prevention in NCUs, whereas lacking is found regarding developmental supportive care components (sleep promotion and a supportive sensory environment), parental support, and pain management practices. Consideration of the proper nurse-infant ratio and continued professional development opportunities are essential for practice enhancement in NCUs. These findings might be useful to identify the gaps in PTI care practice in NCUs.