The impact of an educational intervention on neonatal intensive care unit nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of parental participation in kangaroo mother care

Abstract

Aim The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of the education interventions on NICU nurses’ knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of parental participation in kangaroo mother care (KMC) in NICU. Method A quasi-experimental pretest/posttest nonequivalent group design was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the education interventions on NICU nurses’ knowledge, attitudes and perceptions of parental participation in KMC delivered in the neonatal intensive care units at three hospitals. 160 nurses participated in the study, with a division of 80 in the educational group, and 80 in the non-educational group. Results The results showed that the educational group was statistically different in knowledge post-intervention (t = -2.819, df = 79, p≤0.001). The pre-intervention mean attitude for the educational group was 19.81 (SD = 4.3). The findings expressed that the educational group was statistically different in attitude in the post-intervention phase (t = -3.66, df = 79, p≤0.001). The results reflect a significant effect in the educational group regarding nurses’ perspectives of parental participation post-intervention (t = 5.496, df = 79, p≤0.001). Conclusion Our findings showed that providing nurses with additional education increased their knowledge, improved their attitudes, and enhanced their perceptions of parental support in NICU. Providing staff with an educational intervention about KMC in NICU can enhance nursing knowledge, attitudes, and perceptions of parental participation in neonate care in the NICU.