Assessment of the Knowledge and Practice of Nurses about Family Planning Counseling in Health Care Centers – Lattakia

Objective: This study aimed to assess the knowledge and practice of nurses about family planning counseling in health care centers- Lattakia city to identify gaps in nurses' information and practice. Design: This was a purposive analytical study using a structured questionnaire that assessed the demographic characteristics of the nurses, and the nurses' knowledge about family planning counseling, and observation checklist to assess the practice of nurses during family planning counseling sessions. The data were analyzed with the SPSS software version stata 6.0. Settings: This study was conducted at the reproductive health clinics of health care centers, Lattakia. Subjects/participants: All nurses who work in reproductive health clinics in the time of the study (n= 29). Results: The nurses who had a good and medium level of knowledge constituted (62.07%, 37.93%) respectively, none of them had low level. The nurses who had a low and medium level of practice constituted (62.07%, 37.93%) respectively, none of them had a good level. Knowledge and practice about family planning counseling were statically connected. A significant statistical relation was found (P= 0.015). Conclusion: The nurses had a good level of knowledge and a low level of practice about family planning counseling, so they need training programs and a guide on family planning counseling.