Development of Prenatal Educational Library in the Somali Language for Family Healthcare

Abstract

The purpose of the project was to develop a library of culturally sensitive, and language specific prenatal educational materials for Somali women at Family HealthCare (FHC). The educational materials were provided in both written and DVD form. The assumption being that culturally sensitive, prenatal education is necessary to promote knowledge and understanding in patients and increase engagement of healthcare providers. Prior to language specific resources, Somali women typically refused written informational resources. Somali women when offered culturally sensitive education materials readily accepted the information. The resources used were acquired from various governments and non-profit organization websites. In the course of the project, a library was developed which included educational materials from various government websites, non-profit organizations, Mayo Clinic and the MedlinePlus website. The beginnings of a prenatal education library at FHC was established by access to and selection of appropriate resources from MedlinePlus. The Cass County Public Health nurse will maintain and store the educational resources.