Objective: To develop a grounded theory explaining how Omani mothers adapt to their infants’ admission to a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

Design: Qualitative study using a constructivist grounded theory approach.

Setting: Secondary healthcare hospital providing neonatal intensive care services in Oman.

Participants: Thirty-five Omani mothers whose newborns were admitted to the NICU for at least 10 days.

Methods: Semi-structured, face-to-face interviews were conducted and analyzed using the constant comparative method in line with constructivist grounded theory.

Results: The core process, From Vulnerability to Resilience, explains mothers’ non-linear movement from initial emotional distress toward adaptation. This process was shaped by five interrelated categories: emotional struggles, coping strategies, family support dynamics, healthcare professional support, and mother-provider interactions. Maternal adaptation was influenced by the dynamic interplay of these factors, with faith-based coping, family involvement, and compassionate, clear communication emerging as key mechanisms facilitating emotional stabilization and role reconstruction. Movement within the process was fluid and context-dependent, with progress supported or disrupted by the infant’s condition and the quality of relational care.

Conclusion: Maternal resilience in the NICU is a dynamic and co-constructed process shaped by culturally grounded coping and relational care. These findings provide a contextually grounded theoretical framework to inform family-centered and culturally responsive neonatal nursing practice in Oman and similar settings.

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