Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The Social Organization of Nurses’ Work with Late Preterm Infants in Non-tertiary Care Settings: Out of the Corners of Nurses’ Eyes

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Late Preterm Infants

  • 558 Accesses

Abstract

Achieving standards of care that meet the needs of late preterm infants (LPI) in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) can be challenging. Most often, the emphasis of care for LPIs is on developing competent feeding skills, although this at-risk population can also experience significant physiological and neurodevelopmental morbidities. The qualitative research reported in this chapter suggests that there is a proliferation of policies, technologies, and safe practice mechanisms being implanted into NICUs. Such strategies create barriers as nurses’ attempt to respond to the needs of LPIs, in particular they impede nurses’ responsiveness to infants’ cues. The findings provide an alternate view to understand how quality and safety initiatives can unfold in ways that override nurses’ professional contributions to the optimal care of infants and their families.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 29.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 37.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    First author Ringham uses the first person “I” throughout this chapter to reference her personal experiences of NICU. We use “our” and “we” to reference the research and analysis on from which this chapter arises.

  2. 2.

    Karen is one of the nurse participants in this research. Karen and the names of the infants described in this chapter are pseudonyms.

  3. 3.

    SINC is a feeding regime, “safe individualized nipple-feeding competence,” that offers a stepwise procedure for introducing oral feeding to some preterm infants in the unit where field observations for this study took place.

References

  1. Sables-Baus S, DeSanto K, Henderson S, Kunz J, Morris A, Shields L, et al. Infant-directed oral feeding for premature and critically ill hospitalized infants: guideline for practice. Chicago, IL: National Association of Neonatal Nurses; 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  2. Stark AR. American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on fetus and newborn levels of neonatal care pediatrics. 2004;114(5):1341–7.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Barfield WD, Papile L, Baley JE, Benitz W, Cummings J, Carlo WA, et al. Levels of neonatal care. Pediatrics. 2012;130(3):587–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. Lasswell SM, Barfield WD, Rochat RW, Blackmon L. Perinatal regionalization for very low-birth-weight and very preterm infants: a meta-analysis. JAMA. 2010;304(9):992–000.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Ohnstad MO, Solberg MT. Patient acuity and nurse staffing challenges in Norwegian neonatal intensive care units. J Nurs Manag. 2017;25(7):569–76.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Sherenian M, Profit J, Schmidt B, Suh S, Xiao R, Zupancic J, et al. Nurse-to-patient ratios and neonatal outcomes: a brief systematic review. Neonatology. 2013;104(3):179.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Pillay T, Nightingale P, Owen S, Kirby D, Spencer A. Neonatal nurse staffing and delivery of clinical care in the SSBC Newborn Network. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2012;97(3):F174–F8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Mullinax C, Lawley M. Assigning patients to nurses in neonatal intensive care. J Oper Res Soc. 2002;53(1):25–35.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Alderdice F, Craig S, Doran J, Jenkins J, McCall E, McGowan JE. Regional follow up of late preterm neonatal intensive care graduates. Nurse Res. 2012;19:37.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Munson M, Saatkamp R, West C. Late preterm infants: steps to success. Neonatal Netw. 2011;30(4):267–70.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Briere C, Lucas R, McGrath JM, Lussier M, Brownell E. Establishing breastfeeding with the late preterm infant in the NICU. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2015;44(1):102–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Swant L, Fairchild R. Placing the bottle or breast in their premature hands: a review of cue-based feeding research. J Neonatal Nurs. 2014;20(3):122–8.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Briere CE, McGrath J, Cong X, Cusson R. State of the science: a contemporary review of feeding readiness in the preterm infant. J Perinat Neonatal Nurs. 2014;28(1):51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Arayici S, Simsek GK, Dizdar EA, Sari F, Canpolat FE, Oguz S, et al. Feeding difficulty in late preterm infants. Arch Dis Child. 2014;99(10):A442(1).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. White A, Parnell K. The transition from tube to full oral feeding (breast or bottle) – a cue-based developmental approach. J Neonatal Nurs. 2013;19(4):189–97.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  16. McClure D. An evidence-based approach to feeding the late preterm infant. South Orange, NJ: Seton Hall University; 2013.

    Google Scholar 

  17. Jones LR. Oral feeding readiness in the neonatal intensive care unit. Neonatal Netw. 2012;31(3):148–55.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. DeMauro SB, Patel PR, Medoff-Cooper B, Posencheg M, Abbasi S. Postdischarge feeding patterns in early- and late-preterm infants. Clin Pediatr. 2011;50(10):957–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. Ludwig SM. Oral feeding and the late preterm infant. Newborn Infant Nurs Rev. 2007;7(2):72–5.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Premji SS, McNeil DA, Scotland J. Regional neonatal oral feeding protocol: changing the ethos of feeding preterm infants. J Perinat Neonatal Nurs. 2004;18(4):371–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Messer LL. Infant-driven feeding vs. scheduled feeding: the effect on hospital length of stay. Minneapolis, MN: Walden University; 2016.

    Google Scholar 

  22. Wellington A, Perlman JM. Infant-driven feeding in premature infants: a quality improvement project. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2015;100:F495–500.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Kish MZ. Improving preterm infant outcomes: implementing an evidence-based oral feeding advancement protocol in the neonatal intensive care unit. Adv Neonatal Care. 2014;14(5):346–53.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Lasby K, Dressler-Mund D. Making the literature palatable at the bedside: reference poster promotes oral feeding best practice. Adv Neonatal Care. 2011;11(1):17–24.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  25. McCain GC, Gartside PS, Greenberg JM, Lott JW. A feeding protocol for healthy preterm infants that shortens time to oral feeding. J Pediatr. 2001;139(3):374–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  26. Pridham K, Steward D, Thoyre S, Brown R, Brown L. Feeding skill performance in premature infants during the first year. Early Hum Dev. 2007;83(5):293–305.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Dodrill P, Donovan T, Cleghorn G, McMahon S, Davies PSW. Attainment of early feeding milestones in preterm neonates. J Perinatol. 2008;28(8):549–55.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Shaker CS, Werner Woida AM. An evidence-based approach to nipple feeding in a level III NICU: nurse autonomy, developmental care, and teamwork. Neonatal Netw. 2007;26(2):77–83.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Thoyre SM, Shaker CS, Pridham KF. The early feeding skills assessment for preterm infants. Neonatal Netw. 2005;24(3):7.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  30. Shaker CS. Cue-based feeding in the NICU: using the infant’s communication as a guide. Neonatal Netw. 2013;32(6):404.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  31. Kirk AT, Alder SC, King JD. Cue-based oral feeding clinical pathway results in earlier attainment of full oral feeding in premature infants. J Perinatol. 2007;27(9):572–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Meier P, Patel AL, Wright K, Engstrom JL. Management of breastfeeding during and after the maternity hospitalization for late preterm infants. Clin Perinatol. 2013;40(4):689–705.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  33. Hayter MA, Anderson L, Claydon J, Magee LA, Liston RM, Lee SK, et al. Variations in early and intermediate neonatal outcomes for inborn infants admitted to a Canadian NICU and born of hypertensive pregnancies. J Obstet Gynaecol Can. 2005;27(1):25.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Viswanathan S, McNelis K, Super D, Einstadter D, Groh-Wargo S, Collin MA. standardized slow enteral feeding protocol and the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis in extremely low birth weight infants. J Parenter Enter Nutr. 2014;39(6):644–54.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. Bingham PM, Ashikaga T, Abbasi S. Prospective study of non-nutritive sucking and feeding skills in premature infants. Arch Dis Child Fetal Neonatal Ed. 2010;95(3):F194–200.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Crowe L, Chang A, Wallace K. Instruments for assessing readiness to commence suck feeds in preterm infants: effects on time to establish full oral feeding and duration of hospitalisation. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2012;4:CD005586.

    Google Scholar 

  37. Fucile S, McFarland DH, Gisel EG, Lau C. Oral and nonoral sensorimotor interventions facilitate suck–swallow–respiration functions and their coordination in preterm infants. Early Hum Dev. 2012;88(6):345–50.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Mizuno K, Ueda A. The maturation and coordination of sucking, swallowing, and respiration in preterm infants. J Pediatr. 2003;142(1):36–40.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Kish MZ. Oral feeding readiness in preterm infants: a concept analysis. Adv Neonatal Care. 2013;13(4):230.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Baker B. Evidence-based practice to improve outcomes for late preterm infants. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2015;44(1):127–34.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Fleischman EK. Innovative application of bar coding technology to breast milk administration. J Perinat Neonatal Nurs. 2013;27(2):145.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Vitoux RR, Lehr J, Chang H. Eliminating clinical workarounds through improved smart pump drug library use. Biomed Instrum Technol. 2015;23(Suppl):PMID:26444046.

    Google Scholar 

  43. Allen D. Inside ‘bed management’: ethnographic insights from the vantage point of UK hospital nurses. Sociol Health Illn. 2015;37(3):370–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Potter P, Wolf L, Boxerman S, Grayson D, Sledge J, Dunagan C, et al. Understanding the cognitive work of nursing in the acute care environment. J Nurs Admin Nurs Admin. 2005;35(7–8):327.

    Google Scholar 

  45. Timmermans S, Epstein S. A world of standards but not a standard world: toward a sociology of standards and standardization. Annu Rev Sociol. 2010;36:69–89.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  46. Star SL, Lampland M, editors. Reckoning with standards. Ithica, NY: Cornell University Press; 2009.

    Google Scholar 

  47. Reay T, Hinings CR. Managing the rivalry of competing institutional logics. Organ Stud. 2009;30(6):629–52.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Willis E, Toffoli L, Henderson J, Couzner L, Hamilton P, Verrall C, et al. Rounding, work intensification and new public management. Nurs Inq. 2015;23:158–68.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Nursing, University of Calgary, Calgary, AB, Canada

    Catherine Ringham & Janet M. Rankin

  2. School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Shahirose Sadrudin Premji

  3. School of Nursing, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC, Canada

    Lenora Marcellus

Authors
  1. Catherine Ringham
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Janet M. Rankin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Shahirose Sadrudin Premji
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Lenora Marcellus
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Catherine Ringham .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Nursing, Faculty of Health, York University, Toronto, ON, Canada

    Shahirose Sadrudin Premji

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer International Publishing AG, part of Springer Nature

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Ringham, C., Rankin, J.M., Premji, S.S., Marcellus, L. (2019). The Social Organization of Nurses’ Work with Late Preterm Infants in Non-tertiary Care Settings: Out of the Corners of Nurses’ Eyes. In: Premji, S. (eds) Late Preterm Infants. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94352-7_5

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-94352-7_5

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-94351-0

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-94352-7

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation