An innovative approach to teaching maternal/infant care in Jordan.

A maternal and infant care nursing course is a required component of Jordans 4-year undergraduate nursing curriculum. However cultural and religious beliefs do not allow male nursing students to practice in the female patients wards especially in maternity wards. The teaching of a course on maternal and infant care nursing is described including course development teaching strategies clinical teaching clinical evaluation and course evaluation. In course development the holistic approach is stressed in caring for the childbearing family taking into consideration their cultural beliefs values and practices; the students ability to critically analyze the literature is developed; male nursing students are provided opportunities to explore their health role in the childbearing family; mens health perspectives are addressed; and opportunities are provided for male and female students to address health care issues. 90% of male students showed no interest in assisting deliveries while all female students were hesitant to join male students in a session on physical assessment of the male and female genitalia and the labor and delivery process. A review of teaching strategies led to the use of a combination of theories: behavioral cognitive and motivational paralleling Blooms taxonomies. A problem-based learning approach explored family care problems: infertility high-risk pregnancy altered psychological and physiological adaptation to pregnancy lack of knowledge of safe options for delivery unawareness of physiological postpartum changes potential for enhanced parenting related to expected bonding behavior and caring for a fragile newborn. Clinical teaching was conducted at the university nursing laboratory which was properly equipped. Clinical evaluation considered the courses overall objectives and plan using the Objective Structure Clinical Examination. Course evaluation was satisfactory in terms of student assessment of the teaching strategy and evaluation method. Developing a nursing curriculum raised the issue of the incompatibility of a current Western-based nursing curriculum.