Challenges to sustainability of standardized nursing care plan in selected tertiary health institutions in Nigeria.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the challenges to sustainability of standardized nursing care plan in selected tertiary health institutions in Nigeria. METHODS: Using convergent mixed method design, the qualitative and quantitative data were collected from 427 nurses and nine stakeholders. This was done in one phase with the use of validated questionnaires and in-depth interview guide/key informant interview guide. Data were collected for 5 months and analyzed with SPSS version 25. Qualitative data were analyzed using themes. RESULTS: The explored significant challenges by stakeholders and nurses to sustainability of standardized nursing care plan (SNCP) in all the selected hospitals were inadequate knowledge of standardized nursing languages (SNLs), inadequate staffing, lack of motivation, lack of mandate to use SNLs by the educational system, lack of computers on the wards, weakness of previous training on SNL/SNCP, lack of interest, and high patient load. CONCLUSION: The study concludes that inadequate knowledge of SNLs and inadequate staff could contribute to non sustainability of SNCP. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: Nurses should be continuously trained on standardized nursing languages. Staff motivation and increasing the number of staff on the wards would increase the interest of the nursing staff. This will in turn improve the quality of documentation and patient care.

Perception of Healthcare Workers on the Integration of Electronic Health Records in Primary Health Centers in Nigeria.

The study aim was to assess the perception of healthcare workers in primary healthcare centers toward the integration of EHRs into practice. A descriptive cross-sectional design was used. Out of 10 primary healthcare centers, 120 healthcare workers were selected by simple random sampling, whereas 109 questionnaires were fit for analysis. Data were collected using a questionnaire, and both descriptive and inferential statistics were used for data analyses. The findings revealed that the healthcare workers disagreed on EHR integration. They believed that user resistance, missing funds, and unavailability of knowledgeable support personnel are challenges that are hindering EHR integration. Also, limited training on how to use EHRs and lack of computer literacy were identified as challenges. Based on the literature and findings of this study, EHRs can improve the quality of the given patient care, reduce errors, increase productivity, and enable standardization of care. Therefore, education on EHR implementation and funding are needed to successfully integrate EHRs into primary healthcare centers in Nigeria.

Perception of Nurses in a Federal and State-Owned Hospital in Nigeria Toward Electronic Health Record Integration.

The electronic health record is a growing concept that facilitates the use of standardized documentation, to improve the quality of care given to patients. This study assesses the perceptions and plausible barriers to the proper integration of the electronic health record among nurses in University College Hospital and Adeoyo Maternity Teaching Hospital, both located in Ibadan, Oyo State, in the Western part of Nigeria. The level of association between variables (age, level of academic qualification, and work experience) and nurses' perceptions of electronic health record was also tested. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study that used a simple random sampling technique to recruit 384 nurses, who completed a well-structured questionnaire. Approximately 57.0% of the respondents held poor perceptions of electronic health record integration. Barriers included poor electricity supply, lack of Internet connectivity, and infeasibility of electronic health record integration. An association between level of academic qualification, work experience, and participant perceptions about electronic health record integration was not found (P = .104; P = .027), whereas age was statistically significant (P = .014). Overall, participant perceptions about the integration of electronic health record were poor. Relevant stakeholders would find this result useful and may be required to pay more attention to electronic health records and put the necessary structures that would adequately address the barriers to the integration of electronic health records and train nurses to incorporate the same.

Knowledge, preparedness, and attitude towards COVID-19 among health profession students in Sub-Saharan Africa: A cross-sectional survey.

Objective: We assessed the knowledge, preparedness, and attitude of health profession students towards COVID-19 outbreak in Sub-Saharan Africa. Methods: This cross-sectional study used convenience sampling to recruit participants from institutions under African Forum for Research and Education in Health (AFREhealth). The survey was developed in QuestionPro software covering the participants' socio-demographic characteristics, knowledge, attitude, and preparedness towards the COVID-19 outbreak. Data were analysed and the association between variables was tested. Results: The mean age of the 336 students was 25•75 (±7•88) years. Most (99•7%) knew the cause of COVID-19 which could be transmitted via droplets (97•3%). Several participants vowed to adhere to preventive measures (92•3%) and claimed their curriculum equipped them with skills addressing infectious disease outbreaks (63•6%). Nursing students were better prepared than other students (p=0•001). Students from West African regions were more prepared (p=0•001) and aware they could contract COVID-19 if they cared for infected persons (p=0•001). Conclusion: Students are knowledgeable about COVID-19, adequately prepared to handle epidemics, have a positive attitude towards infection prevention, and their training institutions and government have taken adequate measures to address the COVID-19 outbreak. Funding: AFREhealth.