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Document Type

Article

Department

School of Nursing and Midwifery, Pakistan, Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Abstract

Introduction. Healthcare settings can serve as hubs for promoting Early Childhood Development (ECD) and responsive caregiving through parenting education programs. Parenting education programs delivered through healthcare professionals, particularly nurses, support parents in becoming responsive and providing nurturing care for their children, resulting in optimal developmental outcomes. The first aim of the study is to assess the effectiveness of a hospital-based parenting education program on mothers' parental confidence, while the second aim is to evaluate the impact of a nursing education program on nurses' self-efficacy and knowledge pertinent to ECD and responsive caregiving.
Methods. A quasi-experimental study was conducted in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at a tertiary healthcare hospital in Karachi, Pakistan. Two interventions were implemented simultaneously, involving 75 mothers and 87 nurses. Mothers in the intervention group received specialized ECD parenting education, including a parenting handbook, one bedside teaching session on newborn care, and four online sessions on child development. Control group mothers received one bedside teaching session and one session on child development in the third week after birth. Nurses received a 10-hour training course on newborn parenting, followed by clinical supervision and evaluation.
Results. The study findings showed a significant improvement in the parental confidence of mothers in the intervention group as compared to the control group (32.00%, p=0.015). Mothers also reported that the education program enhanced their ability and competence by 75-100%. Similarly, the study evaluated nursing efficacy before and after training, yielding substantial results: 95.19% of nurses were satisfied with the training and demonstrated overall significant improvement and increased confidence.
Conclusions. This study highlights the importance of hospital-based early parenting interventions in enhancing parenting confidence. The Parenting Education Program can lead to significant changes in knowledge and efficacy among healthcare nurses as well as parents. Thus, such a parenting education program is substantial and should be incorporated into the healthcare system to support optimal child development.

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