FONSECA, Simone Alves da; SILVEIRA, Aline Oliveira; FRANZOI, Mariana André Honorato y MOTTA, Elainne. Family centered-care at the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU): nurses' experiences. Enfermería (Montevideo)[online]. 2020, vol. 9, n. 2, pp. 170-190. Epub 01-Dic-2020. ISSN 1688-8375. https://doi. org/10.22235/ech. v9i2. 1908.

Introduction: Family-Centered Care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit is a practice based on scientific evidence to provide wellness and relief from suffering. This practice must be constant in an environment where family members accompany their preterm or risky newborns; and the nurse, due to a strong relationship of proximity with the patients, assumes the role of assisting these families in most cases. Main objective: to understand the experience of nurses in the development of the family-centered care of hospitalized newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Specific objectives: to describe the Nursing care offered to families during the hospitalization of newborns in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit; and to describe the nurses' perception about the care taken with families during the hospitalization of neonates in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. Methods: a cross-sectional research study with a qualitative and interpretive approach. Ten nurses working in the NICU participated. In-depth interviews were conducted. Data analysis followed the steps of the Narrative Research method and had Symbolic Interactionism as its theoretical reference. Results: the categories referring to the background, conditions, actions and outcomes perceived in the care process for newborns and their families were identified in the narratives. Conclusion: the nurses understand the importance of family presence for the recovery of newborns and for the development of parenthood; however, there are still some conceptual limitations regarding the understanding of the meaning of family-centered care and to consolidate this approach in the practice.