Knowledge and practice of immediate newborn care among student nurses in labour room of selected hospital, Sikkim

Abstract

Neonatal period is the most sensitive period and it is the period that has an impact on the child's survival according to GHO data. The proper care of a newborn after birth is vital for the survival of newborn. The present research study assessed the knowledge and the practice of immediate newborn care among 40 nursing students in the labor room of the selected hospital, Gangtok, Sikkim. It was also to find out correlation between the knowledge and their practice. Methods: The investigator adopted a quantitative approach with a descriptive correlational research design. A purposive sampling technique was used for the sample selection. A pre-designed structured knowledge questionnaire and observational checklist on practice were developed and validated. Data was collected after getting ethical clearance and written consent from the participants. Collected data were analyzed using frequency and inferential statistics. Results: Finding shows that 85% (34) of the sample had average knowledge, 12.5% (5) had good knowledge and 2.5% (1) had poor knowledge regarding immediate newborn care. The majority 95% (38) had satisfactory practice and 5% (2) had unsatisfactory practice. Karl Pearson's correlation coefficient was found to be r=0.462, which indicates a moderately positive correlation between knowledge and practice of students regarding immediate newborn care. There is an association between knowledge and practice with religion (p