| Abstrakt: |
Nurses’ attitudes about breastfeeding may play a role in their ability to support and promote it. Orientation for labor and delivery (L&D) nurses includes the initial placement of neonate to breast. However, formation of nurses’ attitudes begins in their academic and clinical experiences. Educational interventions that target nursing students’ attitudes about breastfeeding provide an opportunity to not only teach lactation-specific information, but to also diffuse biases and misconceptions prior to delivering patient care as students and more importantly, registered nurses. Senior nursing students in a baccalaureate program were surveyed for attitudes about breastfeeding and perceived readiness to support breastfeeding practices. An educational intervention was implemented and a post-intervention survey was administered. Students’ attitudes toward breastfeeding and perceived readiness to support breastfeeding practices were positively impacted by the educational intervention. Nurses’ ability to promote and support breastfeeding may be dependent upon their attitude toward this healthy behavior. |
