UNINTENDED PREGNANCY AND FAMILY PLANNING COUNSELING GUIDELINE ON MATERNITY NURSES' PERFORMANCE: CLINICAL BASED STUDY

Abstract

Background: An unintended pregnancy is a substantial matter closely attached to public soundness, because of its adverse correlation with health outcome for both mothers and their own babies. Maternity nurses are responsible and play a key role in educating women on family planning to decline unintended pregnancy rate. The aim of the study was to design and implement a guideline for nurses regarding unintended pregnancy and family planning counseling. Subject and methods: Two research designs were used in the current study: A cross sectional design used to collect data about unintended pregnancy from women and a quasi-experimental design employed to assess the efficiency of the guideline regarding unintended pregnancy and family planning counseling among all on job nurses in family planning clinics in all MCH centers in Port Said. The data was collected using a structured interview schedule sheet for women and an observational checklist for nurses. Results: More than 30% of the studied women were exposed to unintended pregnancy and almost half of them did not use contraception. A statistically significant improvement was found in knowledge and practice of nurses in all tested elements about the unintended pregnancy and family planning counseling in the post-intervention (P<0.001). Conclusion: The underlying reasons of unintended pregnancy were the use of no contraceptives and/or the failure of the method used for contraception. In addition, the implementation of a guideline on unintended pregnancy and family planning counseling has a positive effect on nurses' related knowledge and practices. Recommendations: It is recommended that the current guideline should be replicated in similar settings. Further research is recommended using different designs to evaluate the consequences of unintended pregnancy on pregnancy outcome.