Abstract:
Background: The health and survival of newborns depend on the quality of essential care received during the early moments of life. This study examines the knowledge of essential newborn care (ENC) and its associated factors among nurses and midwives at the VRA and Akuse Government Hospitals in the Eastern Region of Ghana.
Methodology: A hospital-based cross-sectional descriptive study design was employed, using structured questionnaires and systemic sampling to collect data. The sample size was reached using Cochran’s formula and the data collected was analyzed using STATA, Version 18.0. Descriptive statistical analysis was carried out. Odds ratios were reported with their 95% confidence interval and the level of statistical significance was set at p-value <0.05 for all tests.
Results: Among the 236 respondents, 161(68.22%) and 186(78.8%) had good knowledge and good practice of ENC, respectively. Education level (p-value<0.001) was significantly associated with strong knowledge of ENC. Respondents with advanced (above 10 years) experience were 2.6 times more likely to have strong knowledge of ENC controlling for all other covariates [AOR=2.587(95% CI=0.43-15.47)].
Conclusion: Nurses and midwives were knowledgeable and had good practice of essential newborn care. On-the-job training, education level and frequency of training opportunities and years of experience were the factors associated with a strong knowledge and practice of ENC.
