The aims of this study were to assess mothers' knowledge and practices about care of their premature infants, design and implement an educational program based on actual mothers' needs assessment, and evaluate the effect of the program on mothers' knowledge and practice about care of their premature infants after discharge from the Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). This study was a quasi experimental study. It was conducted at the NICUs in Benha Children Hospital, Benha University Hospital, and Benha Teaching Hospital. The study sample was composed of one hundred (100) of mothers and their premature infants who met the required criteria. The study sample had been divided into two identical groups, (50 mothers and their premature infants for study group and 50 mothers and their premature infants for control group). The tools used for data collection as the following; the first tool Interview questionnaire sheet which was designed to collect socio-demographic data about mothers and their premature infants, mothers’ knowledge about concept and needs of premature infants, causes of premature delivery, as well as premature care. The second tool maternal observational checklists regarding hygienic care of premature infants, third tool maternal confidence scale, fourth tool bonding behavioral scale. These tools were applied pre and post program. Fifth tool Infants' follow-up monitoring form followed by a discharge guiding booklet that was prepared by the researcher in a simple Arabic language according to mothers needs for caring of their premature infants after discharge. The actual field work was carried out at the second week of January 2010 up to the second week of September 2010 for data collection and discharge guide program implementation. The researcher was interviewed the studied mothers individually and began assessment (pretest) for both study and control group. It has been applied in 8 sessions for study group. In the light of the study findings it can be concluded that, discharge guide program was effective in improving mothers' knowledge and practices in the study group compared to mothers in the control group regarding care of their premature infants post discharge program. The results of the study proved the effect of discharge guiding program in improving mothers' knowledge and practices for study group compared with control group and the study recommends the nurse should play a key role in the health teaching and counseling mothers both in urban and rural areas, provide information for mothers about care of their premature infants through training, demonstration, re-demonstration, evaluation, and follow-up for mothers' practices during the educational program. The study also recommends on the application of the pre-discharge guiding program to be used for all neonatal intensive care units and further researches study should be conducted in the same field. |
