The infant born prior to the completion of term gestation faces many challenges in order to merely survive in the extrauterine environment. A preterm birth is also a time of extreme crisis for the family. There is a great need for the refinement of nursing practice models for neonatal intensive care nursing, to assure that the holistic nursing care needs of the infant and family are met. This article describes a new middle range theory of health promotion for preterm infants based on Levine's conservation model of nursing that can be used to guide neonatal nursing practice.
Designing nursing care delivery systems in acute inpatient settings with an emphasis on consistency of nursing caregivers could improve health outcomes, increase organizational effectiveness, and enhance satisfaction of nursing staff, patients, and families.
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