CLINICAL STUDIESEvaluation of a Caregiver Education Program: Home Oxygen Therapy for Infants
Section snippets
Materials and Methods Sample
The study included the primary caregivers of all infants discharged home from an NICU with supplemental oxygen between May 1988 and May 1989. Recruitment of subjects was limited to a tertiary-level, regional NICU that serves southern Alberta, an area with 19,000 live births each year. Recruitment was limited to one center to reduce the number of confounding variables that would have been introduced with the inclusion of level two neonatal units or pediatric services.
Results
The effect of a structured education program on caregiver knowledge level was evaluated. Potential confounding variables were also taken into account and included family and infant characteristics.
Discussion
The posttest scores were significantly higher than the pretest scores. Therefore, the education program was found to be effective in increasing the knowledge of caregivers. The significant difference found between the two test scores could be considered to be due to the education program, because the effects of history and maturation were minimal in the study design. The other educational components (instruction in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and home oxygen delivery) were consistently
Nursing Implications
At least eight implications for the practice of nursing arose from the study:
- 1.
Because the education program did increase parental knowledge, structured, consistent programs should be used for teaching caregivers.
- 2.
Because the pretest was a useful learning tool for parents, it may be beneficial to incorporate a pretest as part of an education program.
- 3.
Reference material should be given to parents to take home; most parents indicated that they would read through the booklet again before the infant
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