Making an Impact on Infant Mortality in Guyana: Development of an Innovative Nurse Education Program

Background: With a population of 750,000 people, Guyana had an under-5 mortality rate of 35 out of 1,000 children and an Infant mortality rate (IMR) of 29 per 1,000 live births in 2012 (unicef.org). This places them second highest only to Haiti of the 15 Caribbean Community nations (caricom.org), and 67^th out of 220 countries worldwide (cia.gov). Millennium Development Goal 4, set by the World Health Organization, challenges countries to reduce by 2/3 their under 5 mortality rate by 2015.  While past programs aimed to increase immunizations or pediatrician coverage in the community, few looked at the root of the problem, which is lack of access to quality medical equipment and education of medical professionals. 

Purpose: To address this need, in March 2012 a team of nurse educators, physicians, and respiratory therapists from Nationwide Children’s Hospital developed a year-long Neonatal Intensive Care Nurse Certification program in collaboration with the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and Guyana Help the Kids non-profit. 

Method: Using the Action-Logic Program Development Model, a goal was created to utilize innovative educational and mentoring strategies in a 4-phase program to implement evidence-based neonatal intensive care methods. Implementation of web-based lectures, on-the-ground skills training, and online mentorship yielded an 18% increase in knowledge in the pilot class of 11 students. 

Results: Changes to the program in 2013 based on evaluation of the pilot class yielded a 25% increase in nursing knowledge, which impacted the program outcome of increased use of advanced equipment and evidence-based nursing practice to improve neonatal care in the public sector in Georgetown, Guyana.

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