• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.251-261
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• 2004

Purpose: To investigate the degree and sources of stress which fathers of infants in NICU experience. Method: Eighty-five fathers of NICU infants at 5 university hospitals in Seoul volunteered to complete the Parental Stressor Scale for NICU (PSS: NICU) from September 1, to October 15, 2002. Result: Total perceived stress was 3.50±0.76. The highest score were in Parental Role Alteration (3.76±0.83) and Appearance and Behavior (3.65±1.04). The total perceived stress score (PSS), correlated significantly with method (t=3.50, p=.01), and route (F=5.30, p=.00) of feeding. Light & Sound correlated significantly with birth weight (F=3.39, p=.02), medical diagnosis(F=2.30, p=.03), plan of operation(t=2.50, p=.01), operation (t=3.80, p=.02), method (F=4.90, p=.003), and route (F=4.70, p=.00) of feeding. Infant Appearance and Behavior correlated significantly with birth weight (F=5.12, p=.01), plan of operation (t=2.50, p=.01), method (F=3.50, p=.01), and route (F=7.80, p=.00) of feeding. Parental Role Alteration correlated significantly with care of incubator (t=-.68, p=.03), method of feeding (F=2.80, p=.04) and education level of father (F=3.00, p=.05). Conclusion: Father with NICU infants were concerned mostly with parental role alteration and infant appearance. Nursing intervention should include fathers of NICU infants.

• Child Health Nursing Research
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.190-198
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the paternal stress and nursing support as perceived by fathers of high risk infants admitted to Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICU). Methods: The study participants included 88 fathers of high risk infants in NICUs. Their parental stress and nursing support were measured using a self-report questionnaire. Results: The parental stress level of the fathers was 3.57 of a possible 5. Among the parental stress items, 'Relationship with infant and parental role' had the highest scores. The perceived nursing support level was a relatively high, 3.90 on a 5-point scale. The lowest score was for the item 'showed concern about my well-being.' The parental stress was lower in fathers with low income, higher in fathers in nuclear families and when the infants' condition was serious. Conclusion: The findings indicate that fathers of high risk infants experience intense parental stress. Thus when designing care to provide support for these fathers and their infants, it is necessary to encourage the fathers' engagement, provide information on how to respond to the baby, and include supportive care to the fathers.