Connecting with Adolescent Mothers: Perspectives of Hospital-Based Perinatal Nurses

Abstract

Background: Adolescents are more likely to be dissatisfied with perinatal care than adults. Adolescents’ perspectives of their perinatal care experiences have been explored; however, there are few studies exploring adolescent-friendly inpatient care from nurses’ perspectives. Purpose: To explore adolescent-friendly care from the perspective of hospital-based adolescent-friendly perinatal nurses. Research Questions: (1) How and why do perinatal nurses in inpatient settings adapt their practice when caring for adolescents? (2) What are the individual nursing behaviours and organizational characteristics of adolescent-friendly care in inpatient perinatal settings, from the perspective of perinatal nurses? Methods: I report the qualitative component of a mixed methods study. Open-ended interviews were conducted with twenty-seven purposively-sampled expert nurses. Data were analyzed using Interpretive Description. Findings: Nurses described being mother-friendly to adolescents by being nonjudgmental, forming connections, individualizing care, and employing behavioural strategies that facilitate relationship-building. Implications: These findings will inform the development of interventions to facilitate connections between nurses and adolescent mothers.