(1074) Caregiving Experiences of NICU Nurses Surrounding Substance-exposed Pregnancies: The Influence of Healthcare Culture

A culture of patient satisfaction dominates the current healthcare climate where patient satisfaction metrics are viewed as indicators of unit success. In the NICU, where patient satisfaction is measured by proxy, complications may arise when nurses perceive differences in meeting the needs of infants and parents. When an infant requires care in the NICU following a substance-exposed pregnancy, nurses report additional difficulty meeting needs when tensions with parents are increased and they perceive that their assessments and recommendations are ignored by some providers. As a result, frustration among nurses ignites between caregiving ideals, professional autonomy, and expected organizational outcomes. As a part of the Quadruple Aim to meet the need for high-value care, strategies to improve nurse’s experience of care are necessary.