Background & Aim: Nowadays in the NICU, family-centered care is the foundation of care, and communication is at the core of family-centered care. This study aimed to compare the perceptions of nurse-mother communication between neonatal intensive care nurses and mothers of hospitalized neonates.

Methods & Materials: This is a cross-sectional study. 70 mothers of hospitalized newborns and 70 nurses working in the NICU ward of university hospitals and social security hospitals in Yazd, were selected by convenience sampling in 2015. The study questionnaires included the mothers’ and nurses’ demographic characteristics questionnaire, “nurses’ perceptions of nurse-mother communication” questionnaire and “mothers’ perceptions of nurse-mother communication” questionnaire. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistical tests and independent t-test on SPSS software version 19.

Results: The mean age for nurses was 33.36±6.99 years and for mothers was 29.77±6.40 years. Mean score and standard deviation of perception of “nurse-mother communication” for nurses was 69±6.92 and for mothers was 57.66±11.99. Independent t-test showed statistically significant differences between mean scores (P<0.001).

Conclusion: Due to difference in nurses’ and mothers’ perceptions of nurse-mother communication, it seems necessary that interventions be designed and implemented to familiarize nurses with mothers’ expectations of quality and way of nurse-mother communication.