Nursing Research Essay Paper.

Nursing Research

Background of Study

Maastrup et al. (2018) presents the results of a research study that explores the experiences of parents who initiate early skin-to-skin contact for their preterm infants. It acknowledges that skin-to-skin contact has been determined as an important neonatal care activity. However, there are questions as to its true value for preterm infants as its results for babies born to term cannot be generalized for preterm babies.Nursing Research Essay Paper.

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Besides that, it raises concerns about parents’ readiness to use the activity and their experiences in using the activity since preterm babies are typically fragile with unique needs that may raise some fears among the parents, especially with handling them. In gaining knowledge about the fears that parents experience and express, nurses and other medical personnel can implement targeted interventions that would increase the adoption of skin-to-skin contact in neonatal care for extremely preterm infants (Maastrup et al., 2018).Nursing Research Essay Paper.

Anderzén-Carlsson et al. (2014) presents the results of a secondary research study that explores the experiences of parents who use skin-to-skin contact for their newborn infants in neonatal care. It adopts a meta-synthesis approach that synthesizes and interprets qualitative research findings on the same subject. The authors highlight the fact that skin-to-skin contact presents significant benefits for the infants with discernible physiological and psychosocial outcomes.Nursing Research Essay Paper. In conducting the research, the researchers sought to fill a knowledge gap that existed since there was no previous qualitative meta-synthesis on the same research topic. The study is significant to nurses since it helps them support parents to engage in skin-to-skin contact activities with their infants, ensuring that the parents have a positive experience while facilitating the growth of the parents’ self-esteem and ensuring that they are ready to assume full parental care responsibilities (Anderzén-Carlsson et al., 2014).Nursing Research Essay Paper.

How do these two articles support the nurse practice issue you chose?

The PICOT question has been presented as: In newborns, what is the effect of kangaroo care (skin-to-skin contact) to no skin-to-skin contact on parental bonding in infants from birth to six months of age? Maastrup et al. (2018) helps to answer this question by presenting some of the effects of skin-to-skin contact activities in neonatal care to include the physiological and psychosocial benefits. Still, the article makes a distinction from the PICOT question by focusing on preterm infants. Nursing Research Essay Paper.This distinction is important as the results may not be generalizable for all populations of infants since preterm infants are immature and fragile thereby making handling them in skin-to-skin activities a challenge. Overall, the article makes a useful claim in noting that unlike medical personnel who are trained to handle infants, parents do not receive professional training to handle infants thus reducing their confidence in engaging in skin-to-skin contact and could even make the parents feel pressured.Nursing Research Essay Paper.

Anderzén-Carlsson et al. (2014) helps to answer the PICOT question. It explores parental experiences with using skin-to-skin contact as indicators of the effects of applying this care approach. The article notes that parents who engage in the activity report that it is a restorative and energy draining activity. It notes that while it is targeted at the infant, it has significant effects on the parents. As such, it is important to present a supportive environment that would enable the parents perceive the activity as a restorative experience while presenting an environment with obstacles would act to drain the parents of energy.Nursing Research Essay Paper. In addition, the article focuses on the same patient population by simply identifying parents with infants, same as the PICOT question. Overall, the study answers the PICOT question by showing that skin-to-skin contact has significant benefit in improving bonding between parents and their infants, and this is best achieved if the activities are conducted in a supportive environment.Nursing Research Essay Paper.

Method of Study

Maastrup et al. (2018) is presented as a qualitative study that adopts a primary research approach that uses a thematic analysis to coalesce the recurrent themes and codes as presented by a sample of the population of the interest concerning the topic of interest. The methodology made use of interviews with semi-structured interviews being issued to parents to explore their opinions. This research approach directly engages participants thereby allowing the researchers to obtain original data that is current and highly specific to the research needs. Still, this research approach is faulted for being costly and time consuming owing to the processes involved.Nursing Research Essay Paper.

Anderzén-Carlsson et al. (2014) similarly adopts a meta-synthesis methodology that relies on secondary information from previous publications on the same topic. The search for secondary data was conducted in four databases. This research approach does not directly engage the population of interest or other primary sources of information as participants. Instead, it relies on systematic searches conducted on relevant publications. This research approach has the benefit of relying on already existing data and infection from previous research thus allowing the study to proceed speedily and at a lesser cost than if primary research approaches had been adopted. Still, it presents a concern with regards to difficult in acquiring information that is specific to the research needs. Additionally, past publications may not necessarily have the current necessary to make them useful to the study.Nursing Research Essay Paper.

Results of Study

Maastrup et al. (2018) reports that parents’ experiences with skin-to-skin activities in neonatal care are directly related to the process. It is noted that parents who engage in the activities progressively moves through a process that shifts from ambivalence to appreciating the activities as beneficial to both them and their children. It involves parents going through a three-step process beginning with overcoming ambivalence through leveraging personal experience and professional support, moving to proximity that creates parental feelings and inner need to provide care, and ending with the feeling of being useful as a parents. This process has implications for nursing practice as it determines when and how nurses can intervene to support the use of skin-to-skin activities in neonatal care.Nursing Research Essay Paper.

Anderzén-Carlsson et al. (2014) reports that parenting is an unfamiliar experience that is further complicated by engaging in skin-to-skin activities. In addition, it notes that skin-to-skin activities are important health care interventions that are helpful for both the infant and parents. Besides that, it reports that the skin-to-skin activities are influenced by the environment, specifically interactions with other members of the community who include family and friends. The results of the study have implications for nursing practice by highlighting the need for skin-to-skin activities to be included as part of neonatal care packages.Nursing Research Essay Paper.

Ethical Considerations

Maastrup et al. (2018) reports that ethical approval was sought for the study from the relevant ethical review bodies. Besides that, the participants were provided with verbal and written information on the research study to enable them make informed decisions about whether or not to participate. The participation was voluntary with a signed written consent form required before participation. In addition, the participants were assured of confidentiality and anonymity.Nursing Research Essay Paper.

Anderzén-Carlsson et al. (2014) does not present any ethical considerations made in the study. Still, two ethical considerations can be perceived. Firstly, the secondary sources of information are cited and references thereby acknowledging the sources of information. Secondly, the use of the secondary information does not re-identifying participants (or any specific sources of primary information) thereby ensuring their anonymity and confidential while protecting them from distress and damage that could result if they had been identified.Nursing Research Essay Paper.