Impact of Neonatal Nurses’ Guidelines on Improving Their Knowledge, Attitude and Practice Toward Kangaroo Mother's Care

Abstract

Kangaroo care is a technique practiced on newborn and seeks to provide restored closeness of the newborn with mother or father by placing the infant in direct skin to skin contact with one of them. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of neonatal nurses' guidelines on improving their knowledge, attitude and practice toward kangaroo mother care. Quasi experimental design was conducted for this study. The study was conducted in the neonate and neonatal intensive care unit in   Mansura university children hospital Egypt. This is a convenient sample of 60 registered nurses who's worked in the mentioned above setting. For data collection an interview questionnaire (pre/post test format) was used to assess nurses knowledge, attitude and practice as regard to kangaroo care promote bonding, it have positive effect on physical wellbeing of infant, it improve breast feeding, kangaroo care should begin within few hours after birth, also all parents should be given relevant information on kangaroo care and nurses should remain with parent support and assistance during kangaroo care. The result of the study showed the effectiveness of neonatal nurses guideline on improving their knowledge and practice toward kangaroo mother care as a means of facilitating parent – infant attachment, and provides valuable insights into the attitudes and practices of neonatal nurses in promoting KMC within the highly specialized NICU environment.  According to this study it is recommended to establish education program for all mothers about the benefits and management of KMC through booklets, posters. Hospital support for the mothers is needed to facilitate and continues early initiation of KMC through allowing the mother to visit her premature infants' all of the time without restrictions.