Testing Effect of the National Basic Newborn Resuscitation Educational Program on Midwives’ Knowledge and Skills: Observational Quasiexperimental Study

Abstract

Background: Basic newborn resuscitation is a vital strategy to reduce the incidence of birth asphyxia and the associated outcomes. These outcomes can be improved if the midwives have the knowledge and skills of basic newborn resuscitation. Purpose: We assessed the midwives' knowledge and their quality of skills regarding BNR, as well as the effectiveness of an educational program in improving midwives' knowledge and skills during the process of BNR. Methods: A pretest-posttest design was conducted. The BNR educational program was adapted from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP). It was conducted through three days of workshops, including an overview lecture, interactive video modules, and extensive hands-on teaching of basic resuscitation techniques. Assessments (pre-and post-tests) were performed. Data was analyzed using ttest, one-way ANOVA, relative importance index analysis, and linear regression test. Results:100 midwives attended the workshops. Their mean scores were: knowledge score before the program (M=68.38%, SD= 13.4) and after the program (M=78.72%, SD=10.3), t=6.29, p<0.001. The overall mean prioritization before the program was 2.71(out of 3) and after the program 2.9. The mean quality performance of skills (out of 4 points) before and after the educational program, respectively, were (M=2.2, SD=0.8) and (3.64, SD=0.5). According to multi-variant logistic regression, midwives’ age (years) and weekly to monthly practice of BNR correlated significantly and positively with higher odds of succeeding with a score >= 84% on the knowledge test of post-educational program having been delivered to all the midwives. Conclusion: The study results showed the significant impact of the BNR educational program, followed immediately by the significant improvement in the midwives' knowledge and skills. Implications for Nursing: Midwives and neonatal nurses should be encouraged to upgrade their educational level to ensure their skill retention and expose themselves to BNR. Further, it is essential to understand the factors affecting how midwives and neonatal nurses gain and retain skills using a high-level methodology. Keywords: Basic newborn resuscitation (BNR), Midwives, Knowledge, Skills