Educational intervention to increase parental care of preterm neonates at district hospital in Kigali

Background: A preterm neonate usually requires specialised care in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Nurses in the NICU are the primary source of parental education particularly for preterm neonates. Objective: To assess the effectiveness of a preterm infant care educational program on parental knowledge acquisition in the NICU. Methods: A quasi-experimental pre-test post-test design was used. A convenience sample of 53 parents with preterm infants was recruited at a district hospital NICU in 2017 in Kigali. The twohour evidenced-based intervention in the local language of Kinyarwanda included five Global Health Media Project videos and a power-point presentation on the knowledge and skills to improve maternal and neonatal health. Data analysis included descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: The mean correct pre-test knowledge score was 54%, and the mean correct post-test score was 92%, indicating a significant increase (38%) of correct responses after the intervention. Conclusion: An educational intervention was found to be effective in improving parental knowledge in caring for preterm infants in a district hospital NICU in Kigali. This evidenced-based intervention could become routine for neonatal nurses in NICUs throughout Rwanda. Keywords: NICU, educational program, parents, preterm birth, prematurity