The Effect of Neonatal Training Programs on NICU Nurses’ Knowledge and Practice in the Military and Police Hospitals of Khartoum State, Sudan

Background: Hypothermia in neonates is a life-threatening condition. It happens due to the extrinsic thermal variations that contrast the intrauterine area. Early detection methods such as increased awareness and good nursing care play an important role in the prevention of hypothermia in newborns and reduce the consequences and death resulting from it. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of training programs on nurses’ knowledge and practice with respect to caring for neonates with hypothermia.
Methods: This quasi-experimental study was conducted in the military and police hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan. A total of 47 nurses meeting the study inclusion criteria and agreeing to participate were included. The necessary research data were collected using a structured interview and a checklist pre and three months post intervention. Training program on neonatal hypothermia was offered to nurses which included the definition, causes, signs and symptoms, and treatment and prevention of neonatal hypothermia. Data were analyzed using the SPSS v.20; descriptive and inferential statistics (t-test and chi-squared test) were used with p-values < 0.05 considered as statistically significant.
Results: All participants were female nurses aged 20–30 years, with a mean age of 27.7 ± 5.3 years. A majority of them (40 [85.1%]) had a BSc degree in nursing. Their experiences were varied, but the most common was 1–5 years, followed by 6–10 years (15 [32%] and 14 [29.8%], respectively). Nurses’ knowledge about observing and monitoring temperature pre intervention was 73%, which increased to 94.3% post intervention with a P-value = 0.03. Additionally, nurses’ practice in cases of hypothermia pre intervention was 80.01%, which increased to 82.9% post intervention. Their pre intervention practice around placing the baby under radiant warmer was 72.3%, which changed to 93.6% post intervention with a P-value = 0.006.                            
Conclusion: Implementation of the training program on neonatal hypothermia was very effective and significantly increased nurses’ level of knowledge and practices. We recommend similar training programs should be given to all nurses working in the neonatal intensive care units in Sudan.