The Impact of a Multi-Modal Childhood Lead Educational Intervention among Undergraduate Nursing Students in the United States

Written by Jenni L. Hoffman, Tsu-Yin Wu, Lydia McBurrows, & Sarah Lally 

doi: https://doi.org/10.13178/jnparr

Abstract

Background: Lead exposure and poisoning pose significant risks to public health. Effec-tive educational intervention is needed to prepare nursing students to take an active role in response to this public health crisis. It is imperative that quality childhood lead poisoning prevention instruction be part of educating nursing students.

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe and evaluate the effectiveness of a multi-modal childhood lead educational intervention. 
Methods: A mixed methods study was implemented with 190 undergraduate community health nursing students from a Midwestern, urban, public university during fall 2019 and winter 2020 semesters. The control group (fall 2019 semester) consisted of students who received the existing curriculum while the intervention group (winter 2020 semester) con-sisted of students who received an additional pediatric lead exposure educational module. Pretest and posttest study surveys were completed. Quantitative and qualitative data un-derwent statistical and thematic analysis, respectively.

Results: Quantitative study results showed that scores increased from the pretest to the posttest for all participants in both the control and intervention groups (general lead expo-sure and poisoning knowledge p < .05; lead exposure knowledge, lead poisoning preven-tion knowledge, and total lead exposure and poisoning knowledgep < .001; and confidence in knowledge p < .001). However, the posttest means were statistically higher for students in the intervention group in the area of general lead exposure and poisoning knowledge (p < .05). Qualitative study results revealed what participants learned, found most helpful, and how they plan to apply and utilize this knowledge in their nursing practice.

Conclusions: This research demonstrates the effectiveness of the lead poisoning preven-tion educational intervention in increasing participants' knowledge of lead poisoning pre-vention and confidence in their knowledge levels. 

Keywords: lead poisoning; curriculum; community health nursing; public health nursing