Implementing Health Policy Initiatives: An Effective Breastfeeding Teaching Strategy for Prelicensure Nursing Students.

Abstract

Exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months is recommended by all health professional organizations. However, women cite lack of support from health professionals as a barrier to breastfeeding. Foundational nursing education does not prepare students (future nurses) to support breastfeeding women. Therefore, an evidence-based breastfeeding curriculum "toolkit" supporting health policy was developed and implemented. The study was performed to determine the effectiveness of the toolkit education compared with standard education in an associate degree nursing program. A pretest-posttest survey design with intervention and comparison groups was used. Students (N = 102) completed pre- and posttests. A 15-item survey derived from Marzalik's (2004) instrument was used to measure nursing student knowledge about breastfeeding. The mean number of pretest questions correct were statistically the same for the control and intervention groups. Both groups showed growth in their posttest scores, however the intervention group scored significantly higher on the posttest (intervention mean = 12.34, control mean = 10.73, t value (100 df) = -4.12, p < .0001). The toolkit provides a curriculum that demonstrated enhanced student learning about breastfeeding. Use of a reliable intervention like this breastfeeding toolkit is essential in the development of nurses who can provide effective breastfeeding support.