Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40000364›Full record

ArticleNursing in critical care2025

The implementation and impact of narrative diaries in neonatal intensive care units: A scoping review.

Gabriele Sorrentino, Kiara Ros Thekkan, Catia Genna, Lucia Aite, Angela Ragni, Francesca Bevilacqua, Immacolata Dall'Oglio, Marco Roberti, Emanuela Tiozzo, Orsola Gawronski

Erratum issuedAbstract readScoping Review
In one paragraph

Article in Nursing in critical care, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. An erratum has been issued. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Gabriele SorrentinoDepartment of Biomedicine and Prevention, University of Rome Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-2938-8953
Kiara Ros ThekkanHealth Professional Development, Continuing Education and Research Unit, Medical Directorate, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-2467-6876
Catia GennaHealth Professional Development, Continuing Education and Research Unit, Medical Directorate, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0002-6778-8598
Lucia AiteUnit of Clinical Psychology, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Angela RagniDepartment of Medical and Surgical Neonatology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Francesca BevilacquaUnit of Clinical Psychology, Department of Neuroscience, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Immacolata Dall'OglioHealth Professional Development, Continuing Education and Research Unit, Medical Directorate, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Marco RobertiClinical Area Fetal Neonatal Sciences and Cardiology, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Emanuela TiozzoHealth Professional Development, Continuing Education and Research Unit, Medical Directorate, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
Orsola GawronskiHealth Professional Development, Continuing Education and Research Unit, Medical Directorate, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital IRCCS, Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-8686-5897

Funding

Italian Ministry of Health
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundPremature birth and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) experience can be challenging for parents, affecting their psychological and emotional well-being. NICU diaries could help to reduce the separation gap and strengthen the bonding process with their infant.

aimTo review the literature on narrative diaries, definitions and use in the NICU. STUDY

designWe conducted a scoping review following the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) methodology. We searched PubMed, Embase, Scopus, PsycINFO, Cinahl, and Grey Literature up to September 2024. Studies reporting on the use or effect of narrative diaries in the NICU were included. A descriptive and thematic analysis was conducted.

resultsOf a total of 526 records, 21 were included. Most studies had a quasi-experimental or qualitative design, including a framework conceptualization. Editorials were common. Mothers (33%), nurses (9%) and fathers (5%) were the most common diarists. Seven studies evaluated the effect of NICU diaries on family post-intensive care syndrome (PICS-F), satisfaction, and family separation. The benefits of NICU diaries for parents included improved communication, empowerment, personal emotional awareness and parental closeness with their newborn, while for staff, they reduced burnout and fostered the humanization of care. Acceptability was high.

conclusionsAcceptability and perceived benefits of NICU diaries were widely reported. Heterogeneity in aims, use, and follow-up was high. Well-designed effective multicentre studies providing evidence of impact on PICS-F and a position statement framing the intervention in NICU are recommended. RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE: This study has shown that NICU diaries have the potential to improve humanization, communication between NICU staff and parents, parents' coping, and closeness to their newborn.

Indexed as

Diaries as TopicIntensive Care Units, NeonatalNarrationParentsFemaleHumansInfant, Newborndiaryjournalnarrationneonatal intensive care unitsparents

Identifiers

PMID40000364
PMCPMC11859878

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.