To access this work you must either be on the Smith College campus OR have valid Smith login credentials.

On Campus users: To access this work if you are on campus please Select the Download button.

Off Campus users: To access this work from off campus, please select the Off-Campus button and enter your Smith username and password when prompted.

Non-Smith users: You may request this item through Interlibrary Loan at your own library.

Publication Date

2022-6

First Advisor

James Drisko

Second Advisor

Peggy O'Neill

Third Advisor

Jean LaTerz

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy

Department

School for Social Work

Keywords

neonatal care, women of color, NICU experiences, motherhood

Abstract

This study explored the experiences of mothers who identify as women of color and who had a preterm infant in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). The study sample consisted of 17 self-identified women of color who had a preterm infant in the NICU and resided in various geographic regions across the United States. Participant ages ranged from 22 to 43 years. The participants were racially and ethnically diverse. Semi-structured, in-depth interviews were conducted as a method for collecting data about mothers’ overall NICU experiences, attachment relationship between mothers’ and their infants, gaps in services and supports, and perspectives about what can be improved to help this specific population. Themes and subthemes were constructed from codes created from interview data and analyzed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The findings were as follows: The first theme was Traversing the NICU with the subthemes 1) Transcending, 2) Negotiating, and 3) Surviving. The second theme was Relentless Connecting, Protecting, and Caring with the subthemes 1) Relentless Connecting, 2) Relentless Protecting, and 3) Relentless Caring. The third theme was Moments of Vulnerability and Resilience with the subthemes 1) Moments of Vulnerability and 2) Moments of Resilience. The fourth theme was Language as a Tool to Empower or Disempower with the subthemes 1) Privileging of Certain Western Languages- Especially English and 2) Privileging of How Medical Professionals Express Language. The findings reveal that in the context of the NICU, there is complexity in the experiences of women of colors’ NICU experiences, and interacting identities such as racial, ii ethnic, and cultural identities cannot be separated/ignored from influencing their attachment and overall experiences. The study highlights the importance of understanding diverse perspectives in the context of the NICU.

Rights

©2022 . Mari-Anna Yuko Bergeron Doherty. Access limited to the Smith College community and other researchers while on campus. Smith College community members also may access from off-campus using a Smith College log-in. Other off-campus researchers may request a copy through Interlibrary Loan for personal use.

Language

English

Download

Smith Only:
Off Campus Download

Share

COinS