Effect of structured teaching programme on the knowledge and opinion of nursing students towards prevention of mental retardation.

Abstract

Mental retardation is a condition of arrested or incomplete development of mind which is characterised by impairment of skills manifested during the developmental period that contribute to the level of intelligence that is cognitive, language, motor and social abilities (WHO). A quasi experimental study was conducted at College of Nursing, NIMHANS, Bangalore with the objective to assess the effectiveness of structured teaching programme on the level of knowledge & opinion of nursing students towards primary prevention of mental retardation. The 44, 3rd yr BSc nursing students were selected by purposive sampling design. Self administered knowledge questionnaire and opinion scale were used as tools. The knowledge questionnaire consisted of four domains: concept, prenatal, intranatal, postnatal causes and prevention of mental retardation. Opinion scale was prepared as statement. The scale was divided into two domains positive and negatively worded. The interpretation was: higher the score, higher the positive opinion. The score ranging from 30-75 were negative, 76-90 neutral and 91-150 as positive opinion. This study revealed that knowledge score of the subjects were significantly increased at p-value 0.001. Opinion score, analysed using McNamer's chi-square test, indicated that a significant change occurred after structured teaching programme. It is concluded that structured teaching programme seems to be highly effective in improving knowledge and opinion towards primary prevention of mental disorders.