Effect of Designed Nutritional Guidelines on Nurses’ Performance regarding Feeding of LowBirth-Weight Infants

Document Type : Scientific peer reviewed journal

Authors

1 Nursing Specialist, Tala Technical Secondary School for Nursing, Egypt

2 Pediatric Nursing, Faculty of Nursing – Benha University, Egypt

Abstract

 Background: Low birth weight is one of the most serious challenges in maternal and child
health in both developed and developing countries.
Aim of the study: The study aimed to evaluate the
effect of designed nutritional guidelines on nurses’ performance regarding feeding of low birth weight
infants.
Design: A quasi-experimental design was used in the current study. Settings: This study was
conducted at Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at Benha University Hospital and Benha Specialized Pediatric
Hospital at Benha city.
Sample: A convenient sample of nurses included (80) nurses working in the
previous mentioned settings and a purposive sample(80) of low birth weight infants.
Tools of data
collection:
Three main tools were used, tool I: A structured interviewing questionnaire. tool II:
Observational check lists. tool III: Neonatal medical assessment sheet.
Results: More than half of nurses
had unsatisfactory level of knowledge and more than one third of them had incompetent level of
practices before designed guidelines intervention, while the majority of nurses had satisfactory
knowledge and of them had competent level of practice after designed guidelines intervention.
Conclusion: The designed nutritional guidelines was effective in improving nurses’ knowledge and their
practices level regarding feeding low birth weight infants and improving physiological status of low birth
weight infants.
Recommendations: Provision of continuous designed guidelines in order to update
nurses' knowledge and enhance their practices related to feeding of low birth weight infants.
 

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