Increasing student nurses' knowledge of breastfeeding in baccalaureate education

Nurses are the largest group of health care professionals capable of providing crucial support to new parents (Marzalik, 2004). However, studies show that nurses' knowledge of breastfeeding is inadequate and most nursing programs do not include breastfeeding in their curriculum. Therefore nursing graduates enter the field of maternal child care with little or no ability to assist new mothers. A pilot program was implemented at a major university to evaluate the effect of adding specific breastfeeding content to the nursing curriculum. A pre-post-test method was used to evaluate nursing students who were provided a comprehensive lecture on evidence-based breastfeeding information with audiovisual components and resources. This education pilot showed the inclusion of breastfeeding education significantly increased student knowledge of the benefits and nutritional value of breastfeeding and management of lactation complications.