ABSTRACT
Objective:
To describe the father's experience with his premature child discharge of the Neonatal Intensive-Care Unit and to point out interventions to promote this experience.
Method:
Qualitative research with eight fathers, adopting the Symbolic Interactionism as theoretical reference and thematic narrative research as methodological frame.
Results:
The analysis of data has allowed us to describe the experience of the father from three thematic units: "fatherhood boundaries", "high responsibility for the child" and "social network and support".
Conclusion:
The father feels insecure with the idea of taking care of his child at home because of the lack of professional support and the initial contact with the child in the Neonatal Intensive-Care Unit.
Key words:
Father; Neonatal Intensive-Care Units; Premature; Patient Discharge; Neonatal Nursing