Effects of Systematic Discharge Education Program on Anxiety and Parenting Confidence in Mothers of Premature Infants

ABSTRACT

Purpose@#This quasi-experimental single group study aimed to confirm the effects of discharge education using a systematic discharge education program on anxiety and parenting confidence in mothers of premature babies. @*Methods@#This study conducted discharge education for 3 to 5 days prior to the discharge of 29 mothers of premature babies born in the neonatal intensive care unit. Data were collected between April 1, 2021, to June 30, 2021, and were examined. The hypotheses were analyzed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. @*Results@#Discharge education using a systematic discharge education program was effective in increasing the parenting confidence of mothers with premature babies (z=-3.839, p<0.001). However, it was not effective in reducing anxiety (z=-1.712, p=0.087). @*Conclusion@#The effects of the systematic discharge education program development and discharge education systematized discharge nursing education, reduced mothers’ anxiety in raising premature babies at home after discharge, and contributed to improving parenting confidence.