Outcomes of Training Nurses Engaged in a Public Sector Newborn Hearing Screening Program in South India

This study evaluated the outcomes of training nurses engaged in a public sector newborn hearing screening (NHS) program in one urban district in South India. Twenty nurses performing NHS in Corporation Maternity Hospitals (CMH) participated in the training and evaluation. Baseline knowledge and skill of nurses regarding NHS and overall program outcomes were obtained eight months post the initial training. Knowledge was evaluated using questionnaire, skill was evaluated using Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) and agreement between screening results obtained by audiologist and nurse. Records used for documentation of screening were analysed to evaluate program outcomes. A two-day retraining was designed to address the gaps identified. Evaluations were conducted immediately post and three months post retraining following the same procedure as baseline evaluations. Gaps were identified in knowledge and skill as well as in the program outcomes. Immediate post retraining evaluation results showed overall improvement in nurses' knowledge and skill. Three months post retraining, all the nurses achieved benchmark criteria of 75% in knowledge and skill. Program outcomes, such as coverage (95.3%), refer rate (3.2%) and follow up rate (86.1%) improved post retraining. The findings of this study suggests that knowledge and skill of nurses improved with periodic training. Periodic evaluation and monitoring enhanced the overall outcomes of the program.