A Study to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Simulation on Newborn Care Among III Year B.Sc. Nursing Students of SDM Institute of Nursing Sciences, Sattur, Dharwad, Karnataka

Abstract

Background of the Study: Essential newborn care is a critical skill for professional nurses, who must understand and follow various steps in the care provided for a newborn after delivery and which extended till the discharge of mother and baby, to assure the newborn safety. This care is mainly divided into two: immediate care and ongoing care. The care which is provided immediately after birth within 24 hours is immediate care and the care provided throughout the hospital stay is ongoing care. Thus, this helps to reduce the neonatal mortality and morbidity and also to find the congenital anomalies.
Statement of the Problem: A study to evaluate the effectiveness of simulation on newborn care among III-year B.Sc. Nursing students of SDM Institute of Nursing Sciences, Dharwad.
Objectives
• To assess the existing knowledge level regarding essential newborn care using a structured questionnaire.
• To assess the existing practice skills regarding essential newborn care using an objective-structured clinical examination (OSCE) checklist.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of simulation on knowledge and practice skills regarding essential newborn care among III Year B.Sc. Nursing students.
Methods: Pre-experimental one–group pre-test and post-test research design was used to conduct the study. Thirty III Year B.Sc. Nursing students were selected as sample by using non-probability convenient sampling technique, and data were collected through structured knowledge questionnaire and practice checklist by using OSCE.
Results: Data were evaluated by using inferential and descriptive statistics. The results of the study show that, during pre-test, III Year B.Sc. Nursing students had inadequate knowledge and practice skills regarding the newborn care. The mean pre-test knowledge score was 8.33 with a standard deviation (SD) of 2.36, and the mean pre-test practice skill score was 6.43 with an SD of 1.51. After conducting the simulation on the seventh day, the post-test was conducted, and the mean post-test knowledge score was 25.1 with an SD of 3.94, and the mean post-test practice skill score was 18.33 and an SD of 1.57.
Conclusion: The findings of the study showed that 90% of the III Year B.Sc. Nursing students had inadequate knowledge and lack of skill during pre-test. After conducting simulation on newborn care, 80% of III Year B.Sc. Nursing students gained adequate knowledge about newborn care and 83.33% developed proper skill in practice and were able to perform standard newborn care procedure.