A Study to Assess the Effectiveness of Planned Teaching Module on Practice of Episiotomy Care among Post Natal Mothers with Episiotomy in Selected Hospital at Salem.

 

Padmavathi P.*

Dhanvantri College of Nursing, Pallakkapalyam, Namakkal (Dt) - 637303

E-mail:

 

ABSTRACT:

Episiotomy is one the most common surgical procedure in the world. Episiotomy wound care is an important aspect of post natal period. If the episiotomy care is not done properly it leads to complications like infections, discharge from the site, redness, echymosis and approximation of suture line. Midwives have an important role to play in the care of perineal wound following child birth in order to minimize pain, discomfort, to maximize healing and sense of well-being in the post natal mothers. Objectives: To assess the effectiveness of planned teaching module on practice of episiotomy care among post natal mothers with episiotomy. Design: Quasi experimental design was selected for the study. Setting: K.N. Rao Hospital, Salem. Participants: 100 post natal mothers with episiotomy (50 control group and 50 experimental group) fulfilling the inclusion criteria were selected by purposive sampling. Methods: Experimental group mothers received planned teaching module on episiotomy care. Participants completed a semi structured interview questionnaires at   post-test. Collected data was analyzed by using both descriptive and inferential statistics. Results: In control group, the mean score of the sample was 12.02 (SD = 1.94) and the experimental group mean score was 26.9 (SD=2.83) with unpaired ‘t’ value of 22.05. This showed that the planned teaching module was effective in enhancing the practice of the sample regarding episiotomy care. There was a statistically significant association found between the post test practice scores of the sample with their demographic variables. Conclusion: In control group nearly three fourth of the sample had partially adopting practice (72% ) where as in experimental group most of them had fully adopting practice ( 86% ) . The effective patient teaching bridges the gap between the health information and health practice results in altering the patient’s behavior in a desired manner. Enhancing patients’ participation in their own nursing care providing them with necessary information on episiotomy, encouraging self care, teaching and promoting daily assessment of the wound and implementing universal precautions’ to prevent wound infection.

 

KEY WORDS: Effectiveness, Planned teaching module, episiotomy care, postnatal mothers.

 

 


INTRODUCTION:

Background of the study

Episiotomy is one the most common surgical procedure in the world. In the United States its use is estimated at about 62.5% of deliveries, mean while in Europe these figures appear to be around 30%, except for a rate of 56% in Denmark. Episiotomy was seen as a routine intervention in all nalliparous and primiparous deliveries. Midline episiotomy is more widely used in North American, whereas a medio-lateral incision is used in Europe and Latin America.

 

In India, the practice of episiotomy is commonly observed in hospital labour room. The higher birth rates indicate that a large number of episiotomies are being performed every day. In some hospitals there is 100% incidence of episiotomies in primi gravid women.

 

Episiotomy wound is in vicinity of vagina and rectum, which are highly colonized by bacteria, especially the anaerobic bacteria. Thus there is a high chance of infection, which can lead to gaping of wound and rarely necrotizing fasciitis and thereby causing an increase in morbidity and the extent of hospital stay.

 

Episiotomy wound care is an important aspect of post natal period. The area is conducive to the group of the pathogenic organisms, because it is warm, moist and is not well ventilated. If the episiotomy care is not done properly it leads to complications like infections, discharge from the site, redness, echymosis and approximation of suture line.

 

The women should do perineal care after each time she urinates or bowel movement, it helps to reduce the risk of carrying fecal organisms from the rectum to the vagina. Clean the perineal area from front to back to avoid spreading germs. Change the perineal pad when soaked / every 4 hours / after voiding.

 

Cold sitz bath for relieving perineal pain in the postpartum period after an episiotomy was evaluated. It showed that cold sitz bath were significantly more effective in relieving perineal pain. The greatest amount of pain relief was experienced immediately after the cold sitz bath.

 

Midwives have an important role to play in the care of perineal wound following child birth in order to minimize pain, discomfort, to maximize healing and sense of well being in the post natal mothers. The effective patient teaching bridges the gap between the health information and health practice results in altering the patient’s behavior in a desired manner. Enhancing patients’ participation in their own nursing care providing them with necessary information on episiotomy, encouraging self care , teaching and promoting daily assessment of the wound and implementing universal precautions’ to prevent wound infection

 

Objectives:

o    To assess the practice of episiotomy care among control and experimental group of post natal mothers with episiotomy after implementation of planned teaching module.

o    To determine the effectiveness of planned teaching module on practice of episiotomy care among control and experimental group of post natal mothers with episiotomy.

o    To find out the association between post test scores of episiotomy care among control and experimental group of post natal mothers with episiotomy and their demographic variables.

 

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Research approach and research design:

An evaluative approach was used as an appropriate measure to evaluate the effectiveness of planned teaching module on episiotomy care among postnatal mothers.

A posttest only with control group design was selected for the study.

 

Research setting of the study:

The study was conducted at K.N. Rao Hospital, Salem

 

Sample and Sampling technique:

The sample for the study included 100 postnatal mothers with episiotomy (out of which 50 were control group and 50 were experimental group) admitted in K.N. Rao, Hospital, Salem, by non probability purposive sampling technique.

 

Development of tool:

Section A; Demographic variables of sample seize age, religion, education, occupation, family income, type of family, residence and parity.

Section B: Semi structured interview schedule questionnaires regarding episiotomy care.( 30 questions)

 

Plan for data analysis:

The data were analyzed by using both descriptive and inferential statistics.

 

Back ground information of the subjects were described by percentage distribution.

 

Mean, standard deviation, mean percentage and unpaired‘t’ was used to find the relationship between post test scores on episiotomy care among postnatal mothers with episiotomy.

 

Chi –square test was used to find the relationship between demographic variables of postnatal mothers with their post test practice scores of both the groups.

 

RESULTS:

1.       Demographic variables of experimental and control group samples

In Control group: Majority of the postnatal mothers in the age group of 21 -30 years (74%) , 92% were Hindu , 46% had completed their higher secondary education, half of them housewives, all of them were high socio economic status, 74% of them were nuclear family, 80% of them from urban area and 50% of them were multipara.

 

In experimental group: 5% of the postnatal mothers were in the age group of 21 -30 years , 82% were Hindu , 26% had completed their higher secondary education, half of them daily wages, 90%  of them were high socio economic status, 72% of them were nuclear family, 70% of them from urban area and 50% of them were primipara.

 

2.       In control group nearly three fourth of the sample had partially adopting practice (72% ) whereas in experimental group most of them had fully adopting practice ( 86% ) and 14% had partially adopting practice.

 

3.       In control group, the mean score was 12.02 (SD = 1.94) and in experimental group it was 26.9 (SD=2.83) which indicated an improvement in the practice level of the respondents after intervening planned teaching module.

 

 

4.       Unpaired ‘t’ value was computed to evaluate the effectiveness of planned teaching module on episiotomy care. The obtained value was 22.05 which was significant at0.05 levels indicating the effectiveness of planned teaching module.

5.       Chi –square test was computed to determine the association between post test practice scores of the postnatal mothers with their demographic variables in both the groups.

 

DISCUSSION:

Highly significant difference found between control and experimental group posttest practice scores of postnatal mothers regarding episiotomy care.

 

Significant relationship was found between post test practice scores of the samples with their age (χ2 = 0.403), religion (χ2 = 0.594), education (χ2 = 1.93), occupation (χ2 = 1.64), family income (χ2 = 0.58), type of family (χ2 = 0.01), residence (χ2 = 0.77) and parity (χ2 = 0.15).

 

RECOMMENDATIONS:

On the basis of the findings of the study it is recommended that,

1.       An experimental study could be undertaken without the control group

2.       A large scale study in community can be carried out to generalize the findings

3.       Comparative study can be conducted on knowledge and practice of mothers with episiotomy

4.       A similar study can be conducted by using a SIM for educate mothers

5.       A study may be carried out to evaluate the various treatment modalities for episiotomy care.

6.       A similar study may be carried out to evaluate the effectiveness of episiotomy wound healing

 

REFERENCES:

1.        Lede. Robert L et.al. In routine use of episiotomy justified. American journal of obstetrics and gynecology. 2006; volume 174 (5).

2.        World health organization report 1998 on episiotomy delivery.

3.        Grundy L. The role of the midwife in perineal wound care following childbirth. British journal of nursing. 1997; volume 6 (10).

4.        Judith. Effectiveness of perineal care on episiotomy wound healing. The Indian journal nursing and midwifery. 2003; volume 6.

5.        Episiotomy care – free download from Encyclopedia.

 

 

 

Received on 21.11.2011  Modified on 09.12.2011

Accepted on 15.12.2011  © A&V Publication all right reserved

Asian J. Nur. Edu. and Research 1(3): July-Sept. 2011; Page 76-78