Premature neonate who is born before 37th week of gestation, having one or more
complication and is treated in the neonatal intensive care unit. Neonatal intensive care unit is
a healthcare unit designed for critically or seriously ill neonates who are unable to
communicate their needs or who require deliberate planned observation, and highly skilled
nursing care. The aim of the present study was to assess nursing care provided to premature
neonate at neonatal intensive care unit at Zagazig University Children Hospital. A descriptive
design was utilized in the present study. The study was conducted at Neonatal Intensive Care
Unit at Zagazig University Children Hospital. The study subjects included 22 nurses working
in neonatal intensive care unit. Two tools were used; first a questionnaire sheet for nurse's
characteristics and the second tool was an observational checklist used to assess nurse's
practice. The study results indicated that all of the studied nurses had both satisfactory and
unsatisfactory levels regarding their practice. The study findings concluded that nurses were
incompetent in providing care to premature neonates. The main study recommendations
included, in-service educational program to update nurses' practice should be conducted and
nurse's practice should be adequately supervised by head nurse as well as proper feedback
should be given to nurses to improve quality of care of premature neonates and booklets of
critical procedures for premature neonates should be available at the unit.