Parents' satisfaction with care in the neonatal intensive care unit: The role of sociocultural factors

This study explores factors related to parents' expectations and assessments of care in a newborn intensive care unit (NICU) in Israel. Sixty-three couples, including Moslems, ultraorthodox Jews, and secular or traditional Jews, were interviewed shortly following admission regarding their expectations of the NICU staff and again 2 to 3 weeks following discharge regarding their assessments of the actual care, using both closed and open-ended questions. Mothers' expectations were higher than their assessments of actual care. They were also higher than fathers' expectations in both Jewish groups, but not for Moslem parents. Differences among groups were observed for expectations regarding communication and emotional support from the staff. Differences were also observed regarding parents' assessments of physician, nurse, and social worker behaviors. Implications of the findings for child health care in multicultural environments are discussed.