Laboring Down: A Pretest-Posttest Educational Study

Abstract

<p>The primary aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of an educational video in increasing labor and delivery nurses’ knowledge of laboring down. The secondary study aim was to determine if the educational intervention affected nurses’ anxiety levels when caring for patients who are laboring down. Nurses took an anxiety measure test and a knowledge test before and after watching the educational video. The results of the difference in knowledge pre-intervention to post-intervention achieved statistical significance (<em>t</em> = 3.22, <em>df </em>=14,<em> p</em> = .006). The mean number of correct answers increased from 5.87 (<em>SD</em> = 1.96) pre-intervention to 7.27 (<em>SD</em> = 1.83) post-intervention. The results of the difference in anxiety level pre-intervention to post-intervention did not achieve statistical significance. An educational video on laboring down effectively increased nurses’ knowledge; however, it was not effective in decreasing nurses’ anxiety level when caring for patients who are laboring down.</p>