PAPER

Introduction: Natural child birth is the birth without routine medical intervention particularly anesthesia. Natural child birth attempts to minimize the medical intervention particularly use of anesthetic medication and surgeries such as episiotomies, forceps and caesarean section. Benefits of Natural birthing are faster recovery after the birth and less vaginal tearing since the women will push instinctively during the delivery and shorter the pushing time, ability to change the birthing position, decreased risk of needing of risky intervention avoid side effect associated with the epidural and ability to bond and breastfeed the child immediately. Aim of this study: To assess the knowledge of nursing officers before the awareness programme on natural birthing, To assess the effectiveness of awareness programme on knowledge regarding natural birthing among nursing officers and to find out the association between pre-test knowledge with the selected demographic variable. Methodology: A Quantitative research approach was adopted under the study. The study was conducted in selected hospitals of Dehradun. Convenient sampling technique was used to select the sample. The sample compromised of 40 nursing officer. The tools developed and utilized for the study was semi structured knowledge questionnaire regarding natural birthing. It was prepared to determine the knowledge of nursing officers regarding natural birthing in selected hospital of Dehradun. Awareness programme was also prepared to determine its effectiveness. Result: The study revealed that the mean post test-test knowledge score (29) of nursing officers regarding natural birthing were higher than the mean pre-test knowledge (18.02). In pre-test majority of participants 7(17.5%) of nursing officers had below average knowledge, 28(70%) had average knowledge and 5(12.5%) had above average knowledge and in the post-test assessment 4(10%) of nursing officers had average knowledge, 36(90%) had above average level of knowledge regarding natural birthing and no one was in below average of knowledge. Conclusion: The study concludes that the planned nursing intervention is an effective strategy in improving knowledge of nursing officers regarding natural birthing and more educational strategies can be undertaken to enhance the knowledge of nursing officers. The purpose of the present study was to find out the level of knowledge regarding natural birthing in selected hospitals in Dehradun.