Development of a Breastfeeding Assessment Tool and Evaluation of its Use in Postpartum Ward of Maharaj Nakorn Si Thammarat Hospital

Abstract

     This research aimed to develop a breastfeeding assessment tool for using in the postpartum ward and to examine its quality after being applied in routine work. The study was divided into 2 phases: the instrument development and the instrument quality check. The data were collected from 40 postpartum mothers in their first phase, from 10 registered nurses, and from 450 medical records of mothers in their second phase. The research instruments used in the study were the breastfeeding assessment tool, a registered nurse’s satisfaction questionnaire after applying the instrument in the routine work, and the recording data forms concerning breastfeeding of postpartum mothers. The data were analyzed by using the descriptive statistic of numbers, percentages, mean and standard deviation.

     The developed breastfeeding assessment tool was named “SPEC.N Breastfeeding Assessment Tool”. It has 3 columns: assessment methods, passing criteria, and promoting guidelines. There were 4 assessment topics, namely suckling, positioning, adequate breastfeeding, as well as the comfort of nipple and breast. The instrument was assessed by using open-ended questions. The passing criteria and responses were rated in numbers. The tool was validated by 3 experts, obtaining the IOC of 0.94. The values of objectivity (95%), sensitivity (90.91%), and specificity (93.10%) reached the acceptance criteria. Regarding the registered nurses’ satisfaction assessment, it was found that the satisfaction level was very high with a mean between 4.70 - 4.90, and with a standard deviation between .316 - .422. The success of breastfeeding before discharging was at the 88.67% level. 

     The SPEC.N is a new breastfeeding assessment tool for using in the postpartum ward. This newly developed instrument still requires retesting for sensitivity and specificity before clinical use.