Health education for preterm infants families during the COVID-19 pandemic from the perspective of Indonesian nurses: A qualitative descriptive study

Abstract

BackgroundBefore the COVID-19 pandemic, Indonesia was the fifth highest country in premature birth rates, and caring for preterm infants requires quite high costs. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Indonesia spent a lot of money to handle COVID-19 cases and improve the economy affected by COVID-19. Meanwhile, the cost of treating preterm infants in hospitals has added to the country's economic burden. Thus, proper discharge planning is needed so that preterm infants can immediately meet the discharge criteria and preterm infants who have been discharged are not readmitted. ObjectiveThis study aims to explore the nurses' perspectives on health education as part of the discharge planning of preterm infants. MethodsThis research is a qualitative descriptive study using focus group discussions (FGD) to obtain data from 17 nurses in the nursery who have experience caring for and conducting health education. Data from the two FGD groups were recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using thematic analysis. ResultsThree themes were obtained that described health education to families of preterm infants from a nurse's perspective, namely (1) the preparation of nurses before conducting education (2) several activities of nurses and mothers when conducting education (3) objectives and evaluation of health education. ConclusionHealth education is necessary for the discharge planning of preterm infants. The purpose of providing nurse education to parents is to improve the confidence of parents in caring for their preterm infant. Education is personalized according to each mother's readiness to learn and the preterm infant's condition. Structured education is needed so families can actively participate in their infant's care while in the hospital as well as at home.