Hospitalization of a newborn is a stressful experience for parents, reflected in their perception of various needs. The aim of the study was to examine the needs of parents of hospitalized newborns and to compare these needs with how they are perceived by healthcare professionals. The sample included 189 parents whose newborn was treated at the Clinical Department of Neonatology, and 33 healthcare professionals employed at the same department. For the study, we adapted and used the NICU Family Needs Inventory(Ward, 1999), which was completed by both parents and healthcare staff. The results showed that parents rated the need for proximity and reassurance as most important, followed by the need for information, support, and finally comfort. Healthcare professionals assessed the parents’ needs in a similar order: they rated the needs for reassurance and proximity as most important, followed by information, support, and comfort. Furthermore, we found that parents, compared to healthcare professionals, rated the needs for proximity, reassurance, and information as relatively more important. Parents who stayed in the hospital expressed a higher need for support and information; parents whose newborn was hospitalized for a longer period expressed a lower need for proximity; and parents with higher levels of education expressed a lower need for information. Based on the findings, we emphasize the key needs of parents of hospitalized newborns and highlight the importance of healthcare professionals‘ understanding of these needs, which is essential for improving the quality of neonatal care and enhancing parental satisfaction and psychological well-being.
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