The lived experience of Jordanian mothers with a preterm infant in the neonatal intensive care unit

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the lived experience of Jordanian Muslim mothers having their preterm infants admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit at a large Jordanian hospital in Amman, the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. Methods: Twenty Muslim mothers participated in audio-taped narrative interviews describing the lived experience of having their preterm infant at the neonatal intensive care unit. Results: Mothers described feeling emotional instability; living with challenges in family relationships and often feeling isolated; experiencing challenges in religious observances; finding strength through spiritual beliefs; and trying to normalize life. Conclusions: Attention should be given to cultural and spiritual dimensions of the lives of mothers with infants in the newborn intensive care unit. Family centered developmentally appropriate interventions should be implemented to promote positive psychosocial outcomes and enrich the family perspective.