Clinical competency and associated factors among undergraduate nursing students studying in universities of Southern regional state of Ethiopia, 2021.

Background: Clinical practice is the means by which nursing students learn to apply the theory, facilitating integration of theoretical knowledge and practical skill in the clinical setting which becomes arts and science of profession. This correlation of theory and practice, and the building of meaningful experience, take place during clinical practice in the health care service. Even though, nursing students need to have clinical competency during practical setting, there were little available evidences regarding to their competency status in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess magnitude of clinical competency and its predictors among undergraduate nursing students studying in universities of Southern regional state of Ethiopia in 2021 G C. Methods: Multi-centered institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted among 414 undergraduate nursing students studying in eight universities of Southern regional state of Ethiopia in 2021 academic year. Systematic random sampling technique after proportional allocation to each selected university was used to select the study participants. Data were collected using pretested structured questionnaire by face to face interview after written informed consent was obtained from each participant. Data were cleaned, coded and entered into Epidata version 3.01 and analyzed using statistical package for social science (SPSS) software version 26. Descriptive statistic for all variables and bi-variable and multi-variables logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with clinical competency was computed and expressed in odds ratio. The result was presented in the form of text, tables and figures and those variables with P-value of <0.05 in multivariable analysis were declared as statistically significant. Result: From 423 total calculated sample sizes, 414 of them were participated in this study giving a response rate of 97.8%. From those participants, 248 (59.9%) of them has clinical competency [95% CI: (55.18%, 64.62%)]. In multivariable analysis, studying in post basic program [AOR: 5.58], conducive clinical learning environment [AOR: 4.10], good staff-student interaction [AOR: 7.44], satisfaction [AOR: 20.66] and positive attitude towards clinical practice [AOR: 2.49] were factors significantly associated with clinical competency. Conclusion: In this study, the overall magnitude of clinical competency was found to be unsatisfactory (59.9%). Studying in private program, non-conducive clinical learning environment, poor staff-student interaction, low satisfaction and negative attitude towards clinical practice were identified as factors associated with clinical incompetency. Policy makers, universities and teaching health facilities need to work collaboratively to create nurses with clinical competency by focusing on proper screening to select candidates for studying in private program, creating conducive clinical learning environment, integrating students with clinical staffs to facilitate learning and positive attitude change of students towards their profession to increase level of satisfaction.

Health care providers' preparedness and health care protection against the third wave of COVID-19 pandemics in a resource-limited setting in Southwest Ethiopia: a multi-center cross-sectional study.

Introduction: the provision of quality health care during the COVID-19 pandemic depends largely on the health of health care providers. Health care providers as frontline caregivers dealing with infected patients play a significant role in limiting the outbreak of the disease by implementing safety and prevention practices. However, low and middle-income countries experience barriers to preparedness due to limited resources. Methods: an institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 326 health care providers from August 10-25, 2021 in Gurage zonal public hospitals. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. A pretested self -administered structured questionnaire was used as a data collection tool. The data were entered into the Epi-data 3.1 and exported to Statistical package for the social sciences (SPSS) version 25.0 for analysis. Both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were presented. Results: this study showed that 53.1%, of health care providers, had adequate preparation against COVID-19 pandemics. The finding showed that monthly income, occupation, and working experience were found to be significantly associated with health care providers' preparedness. Nearly one-quarter (24.8%), 28.3%, 34.5%, and 39.8% of health care providers had access to facemasks, alcohol sanitizer, glove, and isolation gowns respectively. Conclusion: the levels of health care providers' preparedness and health care protection against the third wave COVID-19 pandemic were found to be low. Based on our findings, the government and other stakeholders should design interventions to increase health care providers' preparedness to respond to the ongoing pandemic and purchase an adequate supply of personal protective equipment to protect the health care providers.

Magnitude of Cognitive Impairment Among Patients With Epilepsy at Health Institutions in Gurage Zone, Ethiopia.

Introduction: Epilepsy is a widespread neurological disorder characterized by recurrent unprovoked seizures; it contributes to 1% of the global burden of diseases and can end in cognitive impairment. Objective: To assess the magnitude and associated factors of cognitive impairment among patients with epilepsy. Method: The study utilized an institution-based cross-sectional study design. All patients with epilepsy whose ages were above 18 years were the source population. The authors performed bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses. Finally, variables with a p-value <.05 were significantly associated. Result: The magnitude of cognitive impairment is 25.6%. Having no family history of epilepsy (AOR=0.12; 95% CI [0.02, 0.61]), polytherapy (AOR=5.14; 95% CI [1.12, 23.62]), and medication-related complaints (AOR=8.24; 95% CI [1.87, 36.38]) were strongly associated with cognitive impairment. Conclusion: Significant numbers of patients were positive for cognitive impairment. Family history, polytherapy, and medication-related complaints were associated factors.

The magnitude of mental distress and associated factors among a school of medicine and college of health sciences students at Debre Markos University, 2021.

INTRODUCTION: Mental distress is a collection of mental health abnormalities characterized by symptoms of anxiety, depression, insomnia, fatigue, irritability, forgetfulness, difficulty in concentrating, and somatic symptoms. It affects society as a whole and no group is immune to mental distress; however, students have a significantly high level of mental distress than their community peers. The study is aimed to assess the magnitude of mental distress and associated factors among a school of medicine and college of health sciences students. OBJECTIVE: To assess the magnitude of mental distress and associated factors among a school of medicine and college of health sciences students at Debre Markos University, 2021. METHODS: Institution-based cross-sectional study design was employed from March 15-29, 2021. A simple random sampling technique was used to select 475 study participants. A binary logistic regression model was used to identify factors associated with mental distress. Variables with a p-value less than 0.25 in the bivariable analysis were entered into multivariable logistic regression analysis and a P-Value of less than 0.05 was considered as having a statistically significant association. RESULT: The magnitude of mental distress among students was found to be 35.4%, 95%CI (31%, 40%). Female sex [AOR = 1.95; 95%CI (1.24-3.06)], financial distress[AOR = 1.64; 95%CI (1.062.54)], feeling of insecurity [AOR = 2.49; 95% CI (1.13-3.54)], lack of interest to department [AOR = 2.00; 95%CI (1.75-4.36)] and cumulative grade point average less than expected [AOR = 2.63; 95%CI (1.59-4.37)]were significant variables with mental distress. CONCLUSION: The magnitude of mental distress was high. Sex, financial distress, feeling of insecurity, lack of interest in the department, and cumulative grade point average less than expected were significant variables with mental distress, so special attention on mental health promotion is required from policymakers, college officials, parents, and other Non-Governmental organizations.

Levels and predictors of anxiety, depression, and stress during COVID-19 pandemic among frontline healthcare providers in Gurage zonal public hospitals, Southwest Ethiopia, 2020: A multicenter cross-sectional study.

INTRODUCTION: The provision of quality health care during the COVID-19 pandemic depends largely on the health of health care providers. However, healthcare providers as the frontline caregivers dealing with infected patients, are more vulnerable to mental health problems. Despite this fact, there is scarce information regarding the mental health impact of COVID-19 among frontline health care providers in South-West Ethiopia. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to determine the levels and predictors of anxiety, depression, and stress during the COVID-19 pandemic among frontline healthcare providers in Gurage zonal public hospitals, Southwest Ethiopia, 2020. METHODS: An institutional-based cross-sectional study was conducted among 322 health care providers from November 10-25, 2020 in Gurage zonal health institutions. A simple random sampling technique was used to select the study participants. A pretested self -administered structured questionnaire was used as a data collection technique. The data were entered into the Epi-data version 3.01 and exported to SPSS version 25.0 for analysis. Both descriptive statistics and inferential statistics (chi-square tests) were presented Bivariable and Multivariable logistic regression analyses were made to identify variables having a significant association with the dependent variables. RESULTS: The results of this study had shown that the overall prevalence of anxiety, depression and stress among health care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic was 36%, [95% CI = (30.7%- 41.3%)], 25.8% [95% CI = (21.1%- 30.4%)] and 31.4% [95% CI = (26.4%- 36.0%)] respectively. Age, Adjusted Odds Ratio [AOR = 7.9], Educational status, [AOR = 3.2], low monthly income [AOR = 1.87], and presence of infected family members [AOR = 3.3] were statistically associated with anxiety. Besides this, gender, [AOR = 1.9], masters [AOR = 10.8], and degree holder [AOR = 2.2], living with spouse [AOR = 5.8], and family [AOR = 3.9], being pharmacists [AOR = 4.5], and physician [AOR = (0.19)], were found to be statistically significant predictors of depression among health care providers. Our study finding also showed that working at general [AOR = 4.8], and referral hospitals [AOR = 3.2], and low monthly income [AOR = 2.3] were found to be statistically significant predictors of stress among health care providers. CONCLUSION: Based on our finding significant numbers of healthcare providers were suffered from anxiety, depression, and stress during the COVID-19 outbreak. So, the Government and other stakeholders should be involved and closely work and monitor the mental wellbeing of health care providers.

Knowledge, Attitude, and Practices of Parents About Immunization of Infants and Its Associated Factors in Wadla Woreda, North East Ethiopia, 2019.

INTRODUCTION: Improving infant immunization coverage and timeliness is a key health policy objective in many developing countries such as Ethiopia. Despite this, full immunization coverage in Ethiopia becomes low with the concurrent significant burden of vaccine-preventable diseases among infants. A previously published study acknowledged that parental knowledge, attitude, and practice towards infant immunization are vital issues to improve coverage and influence uptake. OBJECTIVE: To assess parents' knowledge, attitude, practice, and its associated factors regarding immunization of infants at Wadla Woreda, North East Ethiopia, 2019. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A community-based cross-sectional study was employed among 418 parents from March to April 2019 in Wadla Woreda, North East Ethiopia. A stratified sampling technique was used to approach the study subjects. An interviewer-administered structured questionnaire was used. The collected data were cleaned, coded, and entered in EPI-Info 7.2 and transferred to SPSS version 25.0 for analysis. Binary logistic regression analyses were performed to identify variables having a significant association with parental knowledge, attitude, and practice. Variables with a p-value of ≤0.05 and AOR with 95% CI were declared as having a statistically significant association during multivariable logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: In this study, 65.1%, 57.3%, and 55.3% of the parents had good knowledge, a favorable attitude, and good practice towards infant immunization, respectively. Parent's educational status (AOR=5.330), urban residency (AOR=2.788), favorable attitude (AOR=4.308) and got immunization service two-three times (AOR=3.227) and four-five times (AOR=2.254) were statistically associated with knowledge of parents. Parents who attend primary school [AOR=0.451) and secondary school [AOR=0.320), parents who were mothers of the child [AOR=3.813), and respondents who had good knowledge about infant immunization (AOR= 4.592) were significantly associated with a favorable parental attitude. Infant immunization practice was significantly associated with parental education who attend primary school (AOR=2.513), secondary school (AOR=2.546) and higher education (AOR=11.988), parents who had good knowledge of infant immunization (AOR= 4.206), and short waiting time (AOR=3.881). CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION: Parental KAP towards infant immunization was found to be lower than most of the study findings quoted in this study. Improving the knowledge, attitude, and practice of parents about immunization and vaccine-preventable diseases was recommended by providing health education and health promotion interventions.