title: Effects of a nursing education intervention on parents' knowledge of hydrocephalus and shunts.
abstract: The purpose of this nursing intervention study, which used a pre- and posttest design, was to determine the effect of an education program on parents' knowledge of hydrocephalus and shunt dynamics in a sample of parents of children with hydrocephalus. Study participants were parents of hydrocephalic children treated with an initial shunt or a shunt revision. The convenience sample of 41 subjects was divided into two groups (A or B). Group A participants were parents whose child received an initial shunt. Group B participants were parents whose child was admitted for a shunt revision. The shunt education intervention had three components: a shunt handbook, a preoperative teaching session with the clinical nurse specialist and a subsequent reinforcement teaching session. The pre- and posttest were the same seven multiple choice questions on hydrocephalus and shunts. In both groups, the pretest was given before the shunt education intervention. The posttest was given 2-3 weeks after the patient's surgery. There was a statistically significant change in the scores from the pre- and posttests for Group A (p = 0.0092). The nursing education appeared to have a positive effect upon this group's knowledge of hydrocephalus and shunts.
authors.affiliation: Le Bonheur Children's Medical Center, Memphis, Tennessee 38103.
authors.forename: E A
authors.initials: EA
authors.lastname: Kirk
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: White
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Freeman
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017028:Caregivers / Q000193:education*; D002557:Cerebrospinal Fluid Shunts / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000451:nursing*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004521:Educational Measurement; D006701:Home Nursing / Q000193:education; D006801:Humans; D006849:Hydrocephalus / Q000451:nursing* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D015402:Nursing Education Research; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education*; D015397:Program Evaluation