Dignity: the cornerstone of nursing care among hospitalized mothers of infants in neonatal intensive care unit

One of the most important areas of nursing care delivery is "dignity." Because of the increase in hospitalized infants in neonatal intensive care units in recent years, this has led to an increased focus on "family care and maternal dignity." Given the importance of understanding the phenomenon of maternal dignity in order to improve cooperation in the care of their infants and promote family-centered care, this study aims to describe the lived experience of hospitalized mothers of infants within the context of dignity. This is a descriptive phenomenological qualitative research study. Twenty mothers were invited to participate in this study using purposeful sampling. The data were generated through individual, semistructured interviews and field notes were developed during the interviews. Data were analyzed using the Colaizzi method. Findings of the study were presented in 3 themes: "privacy," "respecting individual identity," and "authority," and 7 additional subthemes. Mothers in this study needed to take care of their infants in an environment where their personal privacy is preserved, their individual identity is respected, and they have sufficient authority in obtaining medical decisions. It is essential that healthcare teams and policy makers of health organizations provide an appropriate supportive environment in terms of promoting mothers' dignity in different dimensions and subsequently improving family-centered care.