Due to the rapid rise in the number and length of time that infants who use day care centers, infant disease occurrences and accidents at day care centers have been increasing. However, most day care centers have no health professionals available on-...
Due to the rapid rise in the number and length of time that infants who use day care centers, infant disease occurrences and accidents at day care centers have been increasing. However, most day care centers have no health professionals available on-site and health management has become the responsibility of day care teachers. Moreover, many day care centers face lack of training on health management for infants in the teachers’ training courses or in the in-service education.
The purpose of this study was to develop an infant health management education program, applying instructional designs based on the Dick and Carey model (2008), and to examine the effects of the education program in the levels of the knowledge on infant health management, self-efficacy, and CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) performance competence.
The infant health management education program was composed of three domains: infant health observation, infant health problems, and first aid. Educational media modules developed in this study included didactic materials, videos, and power point slides for the infant health management education. For criterion-referenced test items for the infant health management education program, the knowledge of infant health management measure and self-efficacy scale were developed. To evaluate the teachers’ CPR skills, the Infant 1-Rescuer CPR skill checklist by the Korean Association of Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation was used.
To test the effects of the infant health management education program, 40 day care teachers participated in the infant health management education program for nine hours over three sessions. The levels of knowledge and self-efficacy on the infant health management of the experimental group were compared with 40 study participants in the control group receiving no education. CPR performance competence in the experimental group was assessed pre and post education.
After the education program, levels of both the knowledge on infant health management (t=10.87, p<.001) and self efficacy of the experimental group teachers were significantly higher than those of the control group teachers (t=6.80, p<.001). Also, the teachers in the experimental group showed statistically significant improvement in the CPR performance competence (t=-22.97, p<.001).
The data indicated that the health management education program developed in the present study is effective in increasing knowledge and skills for infant health management. In the current situation, where there are not enough health education management programs for day care teachers, the infant health management education program can be utilized as training materials for in-service education. Enhancing abilities of day care teachers to manage health related issues may help promote infant health.