Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Introducing A New Cadre Into Uganda’S Health Care System: Lessons Learnt From The Implementation Process, Gerald M. Amandu, Leana R. Uys, Joseph Mwizerwa, Alex Erejo, Irene A. Cheruto, Margaret Chota

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Uganda introduced Registered Comprehensive Nursing (RCN) and Enrolled Comprehensive Nursing (ECN) training programs in 1994 and 2003 respectively, to create certificate and diploma level cadre of nurses with competencies in general nursing, midwifery, public health, psychiatry, paediatrics and management. This paper is based on an evaluation study undertaken to assess how the programs were implemented including stakeholders’ perceptions about the graduates. Despite being relevant, the implementation process of both programs failed to meet acceptable standards. We conclude that introducing a new cadre of nurses without proper preparation hinders realization of their full potential including their contribution to the healthcare system.

The Lived Experience Of Families With A Mentally Ill Family Member, Moses Wankiiri, Karen B. Drake, Kimberley R. Meyer

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

The study of the lived experience of families with a mentally ill family member involved seven family members who had come to visit their mentally ill relatives in the mental Hospital. The major objective was to explore the lived experience of families with a persistent1 mentally ill family member. The study adopted a qualitative descriptive-phenomenological design, participants were purposively sampled and data was collected using a tape recorder. Colaizzi’s phenomenological approach for data management was then employed. The study revealed that family members held misconceptions about mental illness
and described care as a contractual obligation. They lived in misery as …

Perceived Relative Factors Influencing Nurses’ Practice Of Health Promotion For Women In Calabar, Cross River State, Nigeria, E. Samson-Akpan, O. B. Edet, I. I. Akpabio, Ekaete Asuquo

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Socio-cultural factors negate the health of women. Therefore, health promotion as a focus of nursing practice aimed at capitalizing on the inherent capacities of women to establish health priorities, goals and strategies to improve their health. A descriptive survey with the purpose of ascertaining the influence of culture, social and health policies on nurses’ practice of health promotion was undertaken. Three hypotheses were formulated to guide the study. A sample of one hundred and thirty six nurses participated in the study. A validated questionnaire with a test-retest reliability coefficient (r) of 0.79 was used for data collection. Correlation analysis was …

The Sociodemographic And Health-Related Characteristics Of A Regional Population With Chronic Disease At An Interprofessional Student-Assisted Clinic In Queensland Capricornia Allied Health Partnership, Kerrie-Anne Frakes, Sharon Brownie, Lauren Davies, Mary-Ellen Miller, Zephanie Tyack

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Objective: This paper describes the socio-demographic and health-related characteristics of people with chronic disease attending an inter-professional student-assisted clinic in regional Queensland.

Design: A retrospective review of data collected during the first 10 months of operation of the clinic was conducted.

Setting, participants and outcome measures: Data was collected on up to 378 patients during an intake appointment at the Capricornia Allied Health Partner-ship (CAHP) community-based clinic and compared with normative reference groups where available. Socio-demographic characteristics included age, gender and education level; health-related characteristics included body mass index and hospitalizations in the previous 12months; and risk factors included prescribed …

Prolonged Sexual Abstinence After Childbirth: Gendered Norms And Perceived Family Health Risks. Focus Group Discussions In A Tanzanian Suburb, Columba Mbekenga, Andrea B. Pembe, Elisabeth Darj, Kyllike Christensson, Pia Olsson

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Background: Prolonged sexual abstinence after childbirth is a socio-cultural practice with health implications, and is described in several African countries, including Tanzania. This study explored discourses on prolonged postpartum sexual abstinence in relation to family health after childbirth in low-income suburbs of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Methods: Data for the discourse analysis were collected through focus group discussions with first-time mothers and fathers and their support people in Ilala, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

Results: In this setting, prolonged sexual abstinence intended at promoting child health was the dominant discourse in the period after childbirth. Sexual relations after childbirth involved the …

Preterm Birth A Risk Factor For Postpartum Depression In Pakistani Women, Salima Sulaiman Gulamani, Shahirose Premji, Zeenatkhanu Kanji, Syed Iqbal Azam

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

A Pakistani cohort of 170 mothers of full-term infants and 34 mothers of preterm infants were screened at 6 weeks after delivery to compare the rate of PPD, and examine the contribution of parenting stress and mother-infant interaction to PPD among mothers of preterm infants. Mothers completed the Edinburgh postnatal depression scale, and a general questionnaire. Mothers of preterm infants also completed the parental stress scale and parental bonding questionnaire. The rate of PPD was significantly higher with the adjusted odds increasing by 2.68 (95% Confidence Interval 1.16 - 6.17, p = .015) in mothers of preterm in- fants. Significantly …

Fear Of Hiv Susceptibility Influencing Burden Of Care Among Nurses In South-East Nigeria, Ekaete Asuquo, Prisca Adejumo, Josephine Etowa, Adebayo Adejumo

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

HIV/AIDS currently is a major cause of disability and mortality especially in sub-Saharan Africa. As the population affected by HIV/AIDS increases, so does the burden of this chronic disease and the challenges associated with caring. HIV scourge in Nigeria has been overwhelming since 1992 with debilitating impacts and this study presents the extent of fear of susceptibility and the level of caregivers burden among Nigerian nurses. To direct the study, three special objectives and one hypothesis were raised, which were to determine the extent of fear of susceptibility and perceived seriousness of HIV, to ascertain the percentage of nurses who …

Assessing Nurses’ Capacity For Health Research And Policy Engagement In Nigeria, Ekaete Asuquo, Josephine Etowa, Mildred John, Akon Ndiok, Patience Edoho Samson-Akpan, Olaide Bamidele Edet

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Nurses account for a significant proportion of the health care workforce in most countries. In the African continent, it is estimated that nurses constitute about 80% of the health care professionals, however they are marginally represented in health research investigations and policy/decision-making roles. A descriptive research design was used to obtain data from 120 registered nurses in Calabar municipality, Nigeria. The study aimed at assessing the extent of nurses’ involvement in research and policy development. The findings revealed that only 30(25.0%) of the respondents indicated that they had been involved in research activity. Majority 74(61.7%) utilized research findings and perceived …

Assessing The Relationship Between Caregivers Burden And Availability Of Support For Family Caregivers’ Of Hiv/Aids Patients In Calabar, South East Nigeria, Ekaete Asuquo, Josephine B. Etowa, Prisca Adejumo

School of Nursing & Midwifery, East Africa

Purpose: This study examined the level of burden and the extent of support on family caregivers of people living with AIDS (PLWHA) in Calabar, South East Nigeria.

Methods: A mixed method with cross sectional approach was used. Purposive sampling technique guided the recruitment process and data collection methods included, semi-structured questionnaires and focusing group discussion. 260 respondents participated in the study. The quantitative data were mined with the aid of SPSS and the qualitative data were analysed with the aid of NVivo8 using thematic analysis.

Results: Results indicated high level of burden with limited support to caregivers. A Chi-square value …