Advanced Nursing Roles in Caring for Extremely Low Gestational Age Newborns through Family-Integrated Care
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.64767/trcn.2026.280112Keywords:
quality of life, preterm infants, advanced nursing roles, neonatal intensive care unitAbstract
Extremely low gestational age newborns (ELGANs), defined as infants born before 28 weeks of gestation, represent a physiologically fragile population at high risk for severe complications affecting long-term quality of life. This academic article, based on a literature review, aims to explain the definition, incidence, and physiology of ELGANs, as well as identify advanced nursing roles in caring for this group, according to the Family-Integrated Care (FICare) concept of building parental confidence in infant care. This concept encompasses ten key dimensions: 1) respiratory management, 2) thermal homeostasis management, 3) fluid and parenteral nutrition management, 4) promoting nutrition and gut immunity, 5) maintaining skin integrity and prevention of pressure injuries, 6) neuroprotective care and intraventricular hemorrhage prevention, 7) vital sign monitoring, 8) infection prevention and control, 9) hyperbilirubinemia management, and 10) psychosocial support for parents and families. The implementation of comprehensive care across these ten dimensions not only improves survival rates but also reduces disability and promotes sustainable quality of life for infants, while alleviating the burden on families. Recommendations include the systematic synthesis of evidence to develop clinical practice guidelines and further research to test the effectiveness of this approach within the Thai context.
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