Demographic Characteristics

CHAPTER FIVE 5.0 DISCUSSION

In this chapter discusses the study finding on demographic characteristics, knowledge, practice, and challenges faces among nurses who care critically ill patients in the ward at Mnazi Mmoja Hospital

5.1 Demographic characteristics

In this study it was found that majority of participants were female 134 (77.9%) with the male to female ratio 1:3.5. Majority of participants 58.7% had working experience from one to five years. This is similar to study done in Singapore by Chua et al which demonstrates that 75% were female and 25% male with the sex ratio of (1:4) and 46.7% had working experience from three to five years. Enrolment of a lot of female is probably due to dominance of female in the nursing professional

However, in this study nurses fail to confirm patent airway of patient, only (19.9%) know to confirm patent air way while (Allen, 2004) confirms that an obstructed airway kills more quickly than abnormal breathing and circulatory problem. Half of participants know to assess circulation by checking pulse rate as well rhythm, but only 29.1% reported to know all parameters used to assess peripheral perfusion. This is contrary to the study of Copper et al (2011) which revealed that participants responded correctly to the first three questions relating to circulation like assessment of capillary refill, hypoxia and hypovolemic shock. These show knowledge gap on initial assessment of ABCD for nurses at Mnazi Mmoja

In this study the observer stayed for a long in the ward as a participant observer so as to make them feel comfortable. Implications for nursing knowledge and practice.

The study gave an opportunity to the nurses to evaluate themselves in the area of knowledge and practices related to the initial assessment of critically ill patients, thus might improve the efforts of the health institution’s administration and health care providers towards the establishment of team work to induce change with the aim of improving care of critically ill patients

This study demonstrated that nurses have low knowledge related to the initial assessment of critically ill patients in ward and could be related to lack of ongoing training, hence risk quality of care to such patients. Thus in order to remove knowledge gap in-service training programs should be met. Area of emphasis in these programs should include patient assessment and observation (ABCD), basic anatomy and physiology and cardiopulmonary