The role of premarital nurses in promoting health awareness and guidance for those about to get married: an analytical study of training and development needs

Abstract

Premarital counseling is one of the health promotion activities provided by maternal and child health services programs. These services target the young age groups who are about to get married with the aim of guiding, educating and preparing them to form a healthy family [1]. Premarital counseling is considered one of the most important strategies used to prevent genetic birth defects and many medical and psychosocial problems associated with marriage [2]. Genetic counseling, which is one of the most important components of premarital counseling, focuses on providing prospective couples with accurate knowledge, possible expectations and their proportions, and leaving the decision to the concerned parties between them and the treating physician [2,3]. Premarital counseling includes communication between people, reducing conflict by addressing expectations within the marriage, and medical and genetic counseling. Medical counseling explains basic reproductive health and family planning issues to couples in terms of teaching them the facts related to the male and female reproductive parts, how menstruation, ovulation and fertilization occur, and methods of family planning [4]. Premarital screening is considered the most effective means of prevention that can reduce the birth of affected children, by reducing the marriage of carriers of genetic blood disorders [5]. It is also the most appropriate procedure, as it is generally accepted religiously and rationally.
Nurses play a pivotal role in premarital screening and care. Nurses communicate with clients in both verbal and nonverbal ways, requiring advanced skills in dealing with various aspects of individuals’ lives [6]. Accordingly, the nurse must take into account a range of biological, psychological, social, cultural, spiritual, and environmental factors while providing care [7]. The role of the nurse in this context is complex and diverse, as she interacts with clients in many roles. In addition to being a health care coordinator, an active member of the medical team, a provider of comprehensive care, and a contributor to the promotion of individuals’ health, nurses also act as researchers and promoters of public health [8,9].
Therefore, this study aims to explore and analyze the role of nurses in the premarital department, and to identify attitudes and knowledge related to health screening and counseling provided to those about to get married.