Educational Needs of Healthcare Providers for Maternal and Newborn Care During Disasters in Iran

Healthcare providers are responsible for providing services to mothers and infants during disasters. The purpose of this study is to determine their educational needs for maternal and newborn care during disasters in Iran.
Materials & Methods This is a cross-sectional study that was conducted in 2017 on 208 healthcare providers (nurses, practical nurses, and midwives) from nine armed forces hospitals in Tehran, Iran who were selected by a census method. The data collection tool was a researcher-made questionnaire with acceptable face validity, content validity, and structure, with a Cronbach’s alpha of 0.94. The data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics in SPSS software, version 16.

The mean score on the educational needs assessment scale was higher in the fields of sexual violence management (4.30±0.01) and information management (4.28±0.01), indicating the high need for education in these areas. The lowest scores were in the fields of postpartum care in newborns (2.19±0.96) and responsiveness (2.98±0.89). In total, the educational needs of healthcare providers were high (3.3±0.43).

The readiness of healthcare providers in Iran to provide maternal and newborn care during disasters is low and needs more attention. Therefore, it is recommended to compile and revise university educational programs and implement continuous education programs based on the results of this study in the proposed areas (especially sexual violence management and information management) in a regular, periodic, and continuous manner.