Effect of QR Code Supported Infant Care Training Given to Preterm Newborn Mothers on Motherhood Self-Efficacy and Anxiety

Maternal and child health is an important health indicator of societies. According to the World Health Organisation, almost half of all under-five child deaths are neonatal deaths. In order to reduce these deaths, especially in the neonatal period, it is very important for mothers to learn and correctly apply infant care. In studies conducted with mothers of preterm newborns, it was determined that mothers felt themselves inadequate after taking care responsibilities after discharge, expressed that they needed training for the care of the baby, and preferred to remain bystanders because they were less confident in the care of the baby. However, other studies have reported that preterm and hospitalised infants have a negative impact on the development of the mothering role. Prematurity may increase maternal anxiety and negatively affect perceived maternal self-efficacy. At the same time, the mother's intense anxiety and inadequate perceived maternal self-efficacy negatively affect infant care.

Maternal self-efficacy perception is mothers' beliefs about being successful in their parenting role and is an important mechanism guiding the interactions of preterm newborns and their mothers in the hospital. In order for this mechanism to continue in a healthy way, the nurse should identify the aspects that mothers perceive themselves as adequate or that mothers perceive as negative from birth and observe all their interventions towards the baby. Self-efficacy, which can be gained through learning by observation, can be maximised in the postnatal period by nurses demonstrating the principles they want to teach. Therefore, nurses should clearly show the practices for infant care to mothers and support the perception of maternal self-efficacy.

Today, traditional materials used in the educational process (blackboard, book, etc.) are replaced by smart and portable devices (e-book, smart board, tablet, etc.). In this context, QR codes serve as a bridge between old and new education models. In other words, QR codes increase the effectiveness of mobile education by integrating mobile devices into traditional educational materials. QR codes are a cheap and easy process for delivering information to individuals. When the literature is analysed, it is seen that the interest and motivation in the subject increases when the training sessions offered through the internet and printed learning materials are used together. QR codes are frequently used in educational activities due to their versatility and their ability to enable different learning environments. When the benefits of QR codes are analysed in studies conducted on healthcare professionals, students, and educators in the literature, they can be listed as ease of use and ease of access, adaptability, simplicity of development and potential environmental benefits compared to other access methods. However, studies on the use of QR codes in patient education in the field of nursing are limited.