Evaluation of a complex couplet care intervention in a neonatal intensive care unit: A mixed methods study protocol

Background: Families with an infant in need of intensive care most often experience a harmful separation
after birth. This is due to a division of medical specialties into neonatal care and maternal care. Therefore,
a couplet care intervention is implemented for mother-infant dyads in a neonatal intensive care unit. This
study protocol provides a comprehensive evaluation of the intervention. The aim is to evaluate the effect
and implementation of a complex couplet care intervention to promote zero separation between mother and
infant.
Methods: The couplet care intervention is a family-centered model of care, where treatment-requiring
mother-infant dyads will be admitted together and receive couplet care by neonatal nurses. The study
adheres to the framework of the Medical Research Council and will use a mixed methods embedded design
DOI: 10.1002/