Analyzing Nurses Use of Protective Devices and Challenges Faced During Healthcare Delivery in COVID-19 Units in Bamenda Municipality, Cameroon

Authors

  • Florence Nsuh Luti Mutsu
  • Njong Mom Aloysius
  • Mary Bi Suh Atanga

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.47672/ajhmn.1297

Keywords:

Nurses, COVID-19, protective devices, protective approach, challenges

Abstract

Introduction: Pandemic related crisis has caused enormous negative impacts on health globally and thousands of people suffered from the current COVID-19 pandemic. The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines in the use of protective devices to mitigate the virus has become a challenge both physically and psychologically to nurses and this appears to be the main reason why contamination rate keeps increasing for nurses

Purpose: This study was designed to examine nurses' use of protective devices and challenges faced during healthcare delivery in COVID-19 unit.

Methodology: This was a hospital based descriptive survey and recruited nurses using the convenience sampling technique involved in the care of patients in the COVID-19 treatment unit, in Bamenda Municipality. The study was conducted from January 2022 to February 2022. Data was obtained using a self-administered structured questionnaire analyzed using SPSS version 26.0.

Findings: All the nurses admitted using at least one type of protective devices to reduce the    transmission of COVID-19 during their clinical activities. The findings revealed that personal protective devices including medical masks (96.7%), gloves (78.8%), hand sanitizer (60.5%) and eye protection (48.9%).   Challenges reported by the nurse's included unavailability of hand sanitizer (64.4%), medical masks (60.0%), glove usability or donning (8.9%), eye protection acceptability (44.4%), gown inappropriateness (27.9%) respirator inadequacy (25.5%) and difficulties in doffing of apron (5.5%). Evidently it was concluded that nurses used protective devices during clinical activities in the COVID-19 centers although they indicated a range of challenges faced in using these devices.  

Unique Contribution to Theory, Practice and Policy: This study recommends continues compulsory training sessions be organized to enable nurses use personal protective equipment (PPE) correctly and without been limited.

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Author Biographies

Florence Nsuh Luti Mutsu

Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Bamenda, Cameroon.

Njong Mom Aloysius

Department of Economics, Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, University of Bamenda, Cameroon

Mary Bi Suh Atanga

Department of Nursing and Midwifery, University of Bamenda, Cameroon.

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Published

2022-12-02

How to Cite

Mutsu, F. N. L. ., Aloysius, N. M. ., & Atanga , M. B. S. (2022). Analyzing Nurses Use of Protective Devices and Challenges Faced During Healthcare Delivery in COVID-19 Units in Bamenda Municipality, Cameroon. American Journal of Health, Medicine and Nursing Practice, 7(12), 22–31. https://doi.org/10.47672/ajhmn.1297