The implementation of a Neonatal Nurse Training Program at the Riley Mother Baby hospital of Kenya

Abstract

The study evaluated the effectiveness of a neonatal nurse-training program in improving knowledge, patient care practices and processes of nurses in a neonatal intensive care unit in a resource-limited setting. The study was a pre-post intervention design assessing a nurse-training program in Kenya. We found a significant improvement in the primary outcome of nursing competency assessed on measures of knowledge and patient care practices post-intervention (p < 0.0001). There was a decrease in the median length of stay post-intervention (p = 0.03). After controlling for birth weight, mortality rate was significantly reduced post-intervention, OR 0.63 (95% CI: 0.42–0.99). In conclusion, a nurse training program, using a modified S.T.A.B.L.E. Program, among nurses in a resource-limited setting can significantly improve nurse competency and the quality of patient care as measured by improvement in knowledge, processes and crucial patient outcomes such as mortality.