Impact Of The Educational Program On Nurses’ Practices About Enteral Feeding Tube For Premature Neonates In Kirkuk City

Abstract

Background: Nurses who are members of the health care team manage the nutritional needs of new-borns. Those caring for newborns in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) must be well-versed in nutrition and feeding methods, and they must adhere to scientifically validated recommendations when doing their duties.

Objective: This aims to evaluate the impact of the educational program on nurses’ practices about enteral feeding tube for premature neonates in the neonatal intensive care unit.

Methodology: A quasi-experimental design using test-retest approach for study group and control group participants employed in Kirkuk City Hospitals being, evaluated in three periods pre-test, post-test-1, and post-test-2. The educational program being delivered as classroom lectures for participant. Data collection is done by self-administrated questionnaire form, and it was given for nurses to answer after taking their agreement. A non - probability purposive sample selected from nurses who were working at the neonatal intensive care units. The sample was forty nurses, (20) nurses enrolled as a control group and (20) nurses enrolled as a study group.

Results: The findings in this table indicated that there is improvement in the nurses practice related to the insertion of the enteral feeding tube for the premature neonates and initiating continuous enteral feeding in the 1st period of (pretest and Posttest I) than (study group) in the 2nd period (pretest and posttest II) in item (number 1) by suggested sign score of assessment through the relative sufficiency.

Conclusion: The educational program demonstrated a favorite effect on nurses’ practice regarding the insertion of enteral feeding tubes and initiation continuous enteral feeding tube for the premature neonates.