Purpose: Speech and language therapist, who is in a multidisciplinary team in the neonatal intensive care unit, plays an active role in babies' swallowing, nutrition and future communication. Guidance to the therapist within the team is necessary for newborns to access care services and to maximize health outcomes. In order to ensure coordination in neonatal care, it is important for nurses to have information about the roles of the speech and language therapist. For this purpose, the awareness of neonatal intensive care nurses serving in our country about the roles of speech and language therapists was measured. Method: The sample of the study consists of 300 nurses who served in neonatal intensive care units in 22 different cities. The online questionnaire consisting of a total of 16 questions including demographic information, speech and language therapist and awareness of its role in the newborn was answered by the participants. The analysis of the data was done descriptively and statistically. Results: It was determined that 27% of the nurses knew the role of speech and language therapists, 4% worked with a speech and language therapist, and 13% received informational training on the field of speech and language therapists. It was observed that 43% of the nurses related to the roles of speech and language therapists did not have an idea for evaluation, 39% for therapy, 43% for family information, and 49% for follow-up. Among the reasons for not including speech and language therapists in neonatal intensive care units, 85% of the answers given is insufficient awareness. Conclusion: The awareness level of neonatal intensive care nurses about the role of speech and language therapists in our country is low. In order to improve awareness and optimize the neonatal care service, it is recommended to organize in-service trainings and seminars that include the duties and responsibilities of speech and language therapists in this field.
speech and language therapist, neonatal intensive care, neonatal nurse, speech and language therapy, vocational awareness, multidisciplinary team
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