This study aims at learning about the beliefs, attitudes and social rules which determine the nurse's intention to allow the presence of parents in Neonatal Intensive Care Units. The content of semi-structured interviews conducted with 11 nurses was analyzed by using the Rationalized Action Theory as a theoretical framework. The thematic units enabled the comprehension of the relationship between the nurse's intention and behavior when allowing the presence of parents in Neonatal Intensive Care Units as well as the influence of the nurse's personal beliefs and subjective norms on her behavior.
Attitude; family; newborn
