Neonatal Thermal Care, Part I: Survey of Temperature Probe Practices

Abstract

Purpose: To determine nurses’ practices regarding skin temperature probes.Design: Data were collected using an anonymous questionnaire, which was returned by mail. Questionnaires were distributed by volunteer neonatal nurses. Items included frequency of probe change, position of probe, use of probes in skin and air servocontrolled incubators and radiant warmers, as well as demographic data.Sample: Eighty-three neonatal nurses.Results: Nurses reported that skin servocontrolled incubators are used widely, but generally only for infants less than 28 weeks gestational age; a high proportion of respondents reported using continuous monitoring of skin temperature in air servocontrol incubators. Although most nurses reported positioning infants to prevent their lying on the probe, 21 percent reported using the same probe site regardless of infant position. Routine changing of the probe cover was reported by a number of nurses. Practices were influenced by individual knowledge, beliefs, and experience as well as by unit protocols, which varied widely.