Female Genital Cutting Digital Book and Online Resource: American Nursing‐Midwifery Care Context

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to test the effectiveness of a female genital cutting (FGC) digital book to improve licensed midwives' knowledge and self-efficacy with clinical decision making when caring for women who have undergone FGC. Research Question: This research tested the relationship between the use of the FGC digital book and the level of knowledge and self-efficacy related to FGC. We hypothesized that those midwives who completed the FGC digital book will improve their knowledge and self-efficacy scores. Significance/Background: FGC affects at least 200 million women worldwide. Due to increasing transmigration, care of women with FGC has become a national and global public health and human rights issue. However, caring for pregnant women with FGC, particularly during labor, is a key challenge within the US maternity health care system. This challenge occurs because there is a lack of understanding about the sociocultural aspects of FGC and lack of knowledge of how to manage the clinical complications that are associated with it. The FGC Digital eBook is an electronic version of a traditional print book, which can easily be accessed by any personal laptop, smartphone, or tablet. The eBook highlights clinical controversies that concern FGC in a professional and interactive method. Method(s): A pilot pre-post-test quasi-experimental design was conducted with a convenience sample of midwives. The FGC knowledge scale has 33 close-ended questions with a total score of 33 (lowest) to 99 (highest). The FGC self efficacy scale has 36 closed-ended questions with a total score of 36 (lowest) to 108 (highest). T-test for dependent sample will assess the statistical significance. Result(s): In progress. Discussion(s): The American College of Nurse-Midwives and the International Confederation of Midwives essential competencies highlight the need for midwives to deepen their understanding of FGC to provide competent perinatal care. They emphasize the importance of demonstrating knowledge, skills, and abilities tomanage the complications of various degrees of FGC that may occur during perinatal care including the birth process.