Perceções de enfermeiros sobre o contributo do modelo touchpoints para os cuidados de enfermagem na transição para a parentalidade

Abstract

The period has a special impact during the neonatal period and is especially relevant for the baby’s development, improves parents-child’s relationships, and is a key moment for family-nurses’ relationships. These features are part of the Touchpoints model’s framework. Touchpoints are predictable moments in child development that unfold upon various dimensions and represent moments of vulnerability for child and family. The 2nd touchpoint (newborn) – one of the most remarkable of this model – overlaps with transition to parenthood, where frequently parents and nurses meet and an opportunity for nurse’s intervention arises. This work aims to understand nurses’ perspectives and experiences, with and without Touchpoints training’s, on Touchpoints model’s contributions for nursing care on transition to parenthood. We explore them about the newborn, nursing practice, professional relationship between nurses and parents, Touchpoints model itself, its Principles and Parent assumptions and nursing education’s contributions. A descriptive qualitative research approach was used for its iterative characteristics and for generating reliable data. It also allowed to describe a phenomenon in a language close to the one's of the participants and to the meanings they attributed to that phenomenon. 38 participants were recruited (nurses with Touchpoints training (Group 1), nurses without it (Group 2) and nurses without Touchpoints training but in teams with peers with it (Group 3)). After informed consent was given, individual in-depth interviews were conducted and later verbatim transcribed. Analysis was conducted and supported by QSR Nvivo 12.0 software. Data show differences within the speeches from the three groups. Group 1 highlighted their change of perspective after Touchpoints training, relating it to the acquired knowledge and stress its applicability to practice. They also underline the 2nd touchpoint’s relevance (upon which we focus this work). Group 2 and 3 reveal to know Touchpoints model, showing how nurses in general seem to acknowledge it. Group 3 pointed out specific characteristics upon their Group 1 co-workers that they relate to Touchpoints training. Findings showed that participants refer Touchpoints model contributes and enhances the nursing care given to newborns and their families, improving parents-professional relationships, and reinforcing the neonatal period’s relevance for child development and transition to parenthood.

Date of Award	7 Oct 2024
Original language	Portuguese
Awarding Institution	Universidade Católica Portuguesa
Supervisor	Maria Raul Xavier (Supervisor) & Isabel Quelhas (Co-Supervisor)