Nurses' knowledge of and attitude to exclusive breastfeeding in Southwest Nigeria

Abstract

Background: The nurse, by virtue of her role as patient / client educator, can greatly influence a mother's decision on exclusive breastfeeding by teaching the mother about breastfeeding during the antenatal period, immediate after delivery, and during the postnatal period. Method: A descriptive comparative study was carried out at the Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital (OAUTH) at Ile-Ife in Osun State, which is a certified baby-friendly hospital, and the Adeoyo State Hospital at Ibadan in Oyo State, which was not a certified baby-friendly hospital at the time of the study. A convenience sampling method was used and the study population of 100 nurses was drawn from registered nurses working in the obstetrics and gynaecology departments of the two hospitals. Results: The results showed that the level of knowledge on exclusive breastfeeding among nurses is high. A comparison of the knowledge among nurses in the two hospitals showed that the mean scores were significantly different, however. Recommendations: The need to encourage continuing education in nursing cannot be overemphasised. Nurses need to realise the importance of acquiring knowledge as a tool for better practice.