Development of Preterm with Low Birth Weight Care System Continued in Kalasin Hospital

Abstract

This study was participatory action research. It aimed to develop a continuing care system for preterm with low birth weight. It was divided into four steps: planning, action, observation, and reflection. The study duration was from September 2018 to July 2019. The target groups selected from purposive sampling were 1) System users who were registered nurses accounted for 12 persons 2) The service recipients consisted of 30 mothers who delivered low birth weight preterm infants and 30 low birth weight preterm infants. The research instruments consisted of 1) a continuing care program, 2) a history record of mothers and low birth weight preterm infants, 3) a maternal knowledge assessment, 4) a maternal behavioral observation before and after receiving the program, and 5) satisfaction questionnaire. The analysis of quantitative data used statistics, percentages, mean, and standard deviation. The analysis of qualitative data used content analysis. The findings were

1. The problems of the department of pediatrics were the low birth weight of the preterm infant, mothers are not prepared to have knowledge and skills to care for preterm infants, and no continuity of patient discharge planning. 2. A continuing care system for low birth weight preterm infants consisted of 1) preparation of a care manual of low birth weight preterm infants and 2) nurses planning together with parents for holistic and continuing nursing care starting at collecting information, assessing problems, and coordinating with the interdisciplinary team. 3. The evaluation results found that the mother's knowledge of caring for low birth weight preterm infants after the experiment was higher than before the experiment ( = 29.45, S.D. = 1.38). Overall, nurses can follow the system at the highest level ( = 2.92; S.D. = 0.26). Nurses had satisfaction scores and agreed with the continuing care system of low birth weight preterm infants ( =4.38; S.D.= 0.41)