Table 3.
Responses within the NiPCAS scale (N = 550).
| Items | Strongly/ Somewhat agreed: N (%) |
Strongly/
Somewhat disagreed: N (%) |
Unsure: N (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organization | |||
| 5. The medical staff support palliative care for dying babies in my Unit (median: 3; Q25, Q75: 3, 4) | 248 (45.00%) |
119 (21.64%) |
183 (33.27%) |
| 8. In my Unit, parents are involved in decisions about their dying baby (median: 3; Q25, Q75: 3, 4) | 303 (55.09%) |
107 (19.45%) |
140 (25.45%) |
| 15. In my Unit, when a diagnosis with a likely poor outcome is made, parents are informed of palliative care options (median: 4; Q25, Q75: 3, 4) | 282 (51.27%) |
133 (24.18%) |
135 (24.55%) |
| 16. In my Unit the team expresses its opinions, values and beliefs about providing care to dying babies (median: 4; Q25, Q75: 3, 4) | 285 (51.82%) |
107 (19.45%) |
158 (28.73%) |
| 19. All members of the healthcare team in my Unit agree with and support palliative care when it is implemented for a dying baby (median: 3; Q25, Q75: 3, 4) | 237 (43.09%) |
113 (20.55%) |
200 (36.36%) |
| Resources | |||
| 6. The physical environment of my Unit is ideal for providing palliative care to dying babies (median: 3; Q25, Q75: 2, 4) | 214 (38.91%) |
160 (29.09%) |
176 (32.00%) |
| 7. My Unit is adequately staffed for providing the needs of dying babies requiring palliative care and their families (median: 3; Q25, Q75: 2, 4) | 194 (35.27%) |
208 (37.82%) |
148 (26.91%) |
| 13. When a baby dies in my Unit, I have sufficient time to spend with the family (median: 2; Q25, Q75: 2, 3) | 123 (22.36%) |
322 (58.55%) |
105 (19.09%) |
| 14. There are policies/guidelines to assist in the delivery of palliative care in my Unit (median: 3; Q25, Q75: 2, 4) | 154 (28.00%) |
195 (35.45%) |
201 (36.55%) |
| 24. When a baby dies in my Unit, counseling is available if I need it (median: 4; Q25, Q75: 3, 4) | 276 (50.18%) |
132 (24.00%) |
142 (25.82%) |
| Work Experience | |||
| 2. I have had experience of providing palliative care to dying babies and their families (median: 3; Q25, Q75: 2, 3.75) | 138 (25.09%) |
223 (40.55%) |
189 (34.36%) |
| 9. My previous experiences of providing palliative care to dying babies have been rewarding (median: 3; Q25, Q75: 2, 4) | 170 (30.91%) |
171 (31.09%) |
209 (38.00%) |
| 11. I am often exposed to death in the neonatal environment (median: 2; Q25, Q75: 2, 4) | 147 (26.73%) |
347 (63.09%) |
56 (10.18%) |
| 18. I have received in-service education that assists me to support and communicate with parents of dying babies (median: 3; Q25, Q75: 2, 4) | 173 (31.45%) |
215 (39.09%) |
162 (29.45%) |
| Beliefs | |||
| 1. Palliative care is as important as curative care in the neonatal environment (median: 4; Q25, Q75: 4, 5) | 433 (78.73%) |
73 (13.27%) |
44 (8.00%) |
| 4. There is support for neonatal palliative care in society (median: 3; Q25, Q75: 2, 4) | 235 (42.73%) |
186 (33.82%) |
129 (23.45%) |
| 10. When babies are dying in my Unit, providing pain relief is a priority for me (median: 4; Q25, Q75: 3.25, 4) | 412 (74.91%) |
78 (14.18%) |
51 (9.27%) |
| 12. Palliative care is necessary in neonatal nursing education (median: 4; Q25, Q75: 3, 4) | 405 (73.64%) |
67 (12.18%) |
78 (14.18%) |
| Barriers | |||
| 3. I feel a sense of personal failure when a baby dies (median: 4; Q25, Q75: 2, 4) | 180 (32.73%) |
330 (60.00%) |
40 (7.27%) |
| 17. Caring for dying babies is traumatic for me (median: 4; Q25, Q75: 2, 4) | 154 (28.00%) |
310 (56.36%) |
86 (15.64%) |
| 20. In my Unit, the staff go beyond what they feel comfortable with in using technological life support (median: 3; Q25, Q75: 2, 4) | 174 (31.64%) |
243 (44.18%) |
133 (24.18%) |
| 21. In my Unit, staff are asked by parents to continue life-extending care beyond what they feel is right (median: 4; Q25, Q75: 2, 4) | 147 (26.73%) |
283 (51.45%) |
120 (21.82%) |
| 22. There is a belief in society that babies should not die, under any circumstances (median: 3; Q25, Q75: 2, 4) | 188 (34.18%) |
217 (39.45%) |
145 (26.36%) |
| 23. Palliative care is against the values of neonatal nursing (median: 2; Q25, Q75: 2, 3) | 332 (60.36%) |
87 (15.82%) |
131 (23.82%) |
| 25. There is a belief in society that babies should not die, under any circumstances (median: 2; Q25, Q75: 2, 4) | 295 (53.64%) |
160 (29.09%) |
95 (17.27%) |
| 26. Curative care is more important than palliative care in the neonatal intensive care environment (median: 4; Q25, Q75: 2, 4) | 143 (26.00%) |
316 (57.45%) |
91 (16.55%) |