Effect of Trauma-Informed Care Educational Program on Nurses’ Knowledge and Practices at Pediatric Burn Unit

Abstract

Background: Trauma-informed care includes a range of practices that build a culture of safety, healing, and empowerment. Burns' practices in pediatrics don't fully incorporate traumainformed care (TIC), as the nature, extent, and impacts of trauma are not understood. Nurses are uniquely positioned to provide trauma-informed care, as they care for children in a serious and complex healthcare setting. The study aimed to evaluate the effect of trauma-informed care educational program on nurses' knowledge and practices at the pediatric burn unit. Study design: A quasi-experimental research design using one group (before, immediately after, and 2 months follow-up) was used. Setting: The study carried out at the Pediatric Burn Unit at the Plastic, Reconstructive, and Burn Surgery Center at Mansoura University Hospitals, Egypt. Subjects: A convenience sample of (65) pediatric burn nurses were recruited in the study. Tools: Data were collected using nurses' knowledge structured questionnaire and Nurses' Self-rated competence scale. Results: The study revealed that there was a significant improvement in nurses' knowledge. All nurses showed incompetent score levels of practice before intervention. While the majority of them had a competent level of practice immediately and after two months of intervention. There were highly statistically significant differences in relation to most items of nurses' opinions regarding trauma-informed care before and after the educational intervention. Conclusion: Implementing an educational program about trauma-informed care effectively improved nurses' knowledge and practices about the importance of incorporating both medical and psychological care at the pediatric burn unit. Recommendation: Periodic trauma-informed care training for nurses is needed and should aim to build nurses competence in providing trauma-informed care in different health care sitting.