Effect of Tele-nursing Application on Self- Management of Pregnant Women Regarding Minor Discomforts

Abstract

Background: Minor discomforts of pregnancy are a series of commonly experienced symptoms that annoy women throughout pregnancy. Applying tele-nursing in healthcare is increasingly prioritized to reduce maternal mortality, morbidity and improve newborns’ survival especially in remote areas. Aim of the study: To examine the effect of tele-nursing Applications on Self- Management of Pregnant Women Regarding Minor Discomforts. Design A quasi - experimental design was utilized (control & study group). Setting: The study conducted at the Ain Shams University Maternity Hospital's Antenatal Clinic. Sample: 120 pregnant women were enrolled in the study and randomly divided into study and control groups. Tools: Four tools were used for data collection; I) A structured interviewing questionnaire, II) Maternal Knowledge Assessment Questionnaire, III) Maternal reported Self-Care Practice checklist, and IV) Women satisfaction Likert scale, in addition to supportive material (Arabic educational booklet). Results: there was a highly statistically significant improvement in total knowledge and total self-care management scores were observed among study group as compared to control group at post-intervention (p-values < 0.001). Also, (95%) of the study group was satisfied with tele-nursing services, in addition to, there was a statistically significant relation between the studied sample’s total knowledge score and their total practices score at post-intervention (p-values < 0.001). Conclusion:  the current study concluded a positive effect of tele-nursing application on enhancing pregnant women’s knowledge and self-care management regarding minor discomfort. Recommendations: Telenursing should be programmed as a part of antenatal care for pregnant women in different health setting