Effectiveness of the helping babies breathe educational intervention on the knowledge and skills of nurses working in rural hospitals of Pakistan

Background Birth asphyxia remains one of the leading causes of neonatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries. The Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) program is an evidence-based neonatal resuscitation educational intervention designed to improve healthcare professionals’ competencies in essential newborn care and resuscitation practices. Objective To evaluate the effectiveness of the HBB educational intervention on the knowledge and skills of nurses working in rural hospitals of Pakistan. Methods A quasi-experimental single-group pre and post intervention study was conducted among 40 nurses working in the headquarters hospitals of Thatta and Sujawal districts, Pakistan. Participants were recruited from neonatal and maternity-related units. Data were collected using structured questionnaires and skills assessment checklists before and after implementation of the HBB educational intervention. The intervention included competency-based theoretical and practical neonatal resuscitation training. Data were analyzed using IBM SPSS Statistics version 26. Paired-samples t-tests were used to compare pre and post intervention scores, with statistical significance set at p ≤ 0.05. Results Among the participants, 52.5% were aged 26–35 years and the majority were female (92.5%). Most participants held a diploma in nursing (62.5%) and had less than five years of professional experience (67.5%). Significant improvements were observed in participants’ knowledge and practical skills following the HBB intervention. The overall mean knowledge score increased from 0.26 ± 0.12 before the intervention to 0.80 ± 0.10 after the intervention (p < 0.001). Similarly, the overall mean skills score improved from 0.29 ± 0.14 pre-intervention to 0.81 ± 0.11 post-intervention (p < 0.001). Conclusion The HBB educational intervention was effective in improving the knowledge and neonatal resuscitation skills of nurses working in rural hospitals of Pakistan. Incorporating HBB training into routine nursing education and hospital-based continuing professional development programs may contribute to improved neonatal care and reduction in birth asphyxia-related neonatal complications.