Implementation of family-integrated neonatal care by healthcare providers in a district hospital of Limpopo province

Abstract

In her thesis, Implementation of family integrated neonatal care by health care providers in a district hospital of Limpopo Province, the promovenda aimed to develop and evaluate the implementation of family-integrated neonatal care through a collaborative action research process with the stakeholders of the hospital. The three-cycle problem-solving action research design guided the implementation of family-integrated neonatal care, a new concept in selected district hospitals of South Africa. Data gathered during situational analysis were used to develop strategies for the implementation in the second cycle. The implementation of the strategies was evaluated in the third cycle. The implementation of the family integrated neonatal care resulted in improved weight gain, reduced length of stay and infections for the neonates, as well as reduced workload for the healthcare providers. The study recommends rollout of the approach to improve the quality of neonatal care to other public hospitals.