Parents as pillars for patient safety in a neonatal unit

Abstract

Objective: to learn the parents’ experience as a strategy for assessing the quality of nursing care. Method: in this qualitative, descriptive study at the Neonatal Unit of a hospital in southern Brazil, data were collected by critical incident (CI) interviews of 18 parents whose children had been hospitalized for 20 days or more, and whose discharge was scheduled and planned for. The data subsequently underwent content analysis. Results: data analysis revealed weaknesses in the care provided by the nursing staff as regards administration of medication, use of equipment, monitoring and positioning of babies, skin care and hand hygiene. Conclusion: The parents’ experience revealed elements that enter into evaluation of nursing care, revealing parents to be mainstays of patient safety.