A program to prevent iron poisoning using public health nurses in a county health department

Despite 50 years of educational and legislative efforts aimed at increasing public awareness of the toxicity of iron, it remains a leading cause of poisoning death in children. The purpose of this study was to educate public health nurses (PHNs) on the prevention of iron poisoning utilizing, a "Train the Trainer" design. Educational programs were based on cognitive and behavioral approaches and consisted of a pretest, lecture, posttest, and evaluation. In addition, a follow-up survey was conducted at 8-months posttraining in order to determine the application of iron poison-prevention principles. Prior to the program, 71% of the PHNs were unable to identify iron as a leading household poison. Sixty percent reported storage habits of medication that predispose children to poisoning. The overall score on the pretest was 56% compared with the mean posttest score of 96%. Of the 45 respondents to the follow-up survey, 87% had used the program information to educate patients on the dangers of iron poisoning. This iron poison prevention program provided a successful educational program for PHNs that was then applied to patient education.