Empowering Nurses in Providing Psychological Support and Enhancing Social Adaptation of Children and Families: An Innovative Interventional Approach

Background and Objective: Psychological support and enhancement of social adaptation for children and their families are among the most important roles of nurses in comprehensive care. Empowering nurses through innovative interventions can improve the quality of these supports. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a technology-based educational program to enhance nurses' competencies in providing psychological support and promoting social adaptation in children and families. Methods: This interventional study with a pretest-posttest design and control group was conducted in ۲۰۲۴ in teaching hospitals affiliated with Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. The study population included nurses working in pediatric wards, from whom ۶۰ eligible participants were randomly selected from ۸۰ and equally assigned to intervention and control groups. The intervention group received specialized training over ۸ weeks via an interactive smart application; the training included multimedia content and practical activities related to child developmental psychology, family-centered psychological support skills, effective communication techniques, and strategies to promote social adaptation of children and families. After each session, participants performed practical exercises and had online interaction opportunities with instructors. The control group received routine hospital training and did not have access to the application. Data were collected at two points: one week before the intervention (pretest) and three months after the completion of training (posttest), allowing evaluation of the intervention's sustained effects. The instruments used included the Nurse Psychological Support Questionnaire, measuring the skills and effectiveness of psychological support (Cronbach's a=۰.۸۹), and the Social Adaptation Scale for Children and Families, assessing social adaptation and communication abilities in family and social environments (Cronbach's a=۰.۹۱). Data analysis was performed using paired t-tests for within-group comparisons, independent t-tests for between-group comparisons, and ANCOVA to control for pretest scores. A significance level of p<۰.۰۵ was considered. Results: Findings showed a significant increase in nurses' competencies in providing psychological support and enhancing social adaptation of children and families in the intervention group after the program (p<۰.۰۰۱), while no significant changes were observed in the control group (p>۰.۰۵). ANCOVA confirmed the independent and positive effect of the intervention (p<۰.۰۱). Conclusion: The smart application-based educational program is an effective and practical method for empowering nurses in psychological support and promoting social adaptation among children and families, potentially improving the quality of psychosocial care in clinical settings.

کلیدواژه ها:

Nurse ، Psychological Support ، Social Adaptation ، Children ، Families