Factors Influencing New-Born Resuscitation Practices Among Nurses And Midwives In The Eastern Region, Ghana.

Abstract

The study explored the factors that influence New-born resuscitation (NR) practices among nurses and midwives in the Eastern Region of Ghana. The focus of the thesis was to describe the attitudes and explain the beliefs and perceptions (subjective norms) of nurses and midwives towards New-born resuscitation. The study sought out to identify the behavioural intentions of nurses and midwives and examined the practices (behaviour) of new-born resuscitation among nurses and midwives. This was a qualitative study and was carried out using face-to-face, in-depth semi-structured interviews. Seventeen nurses and midwives who work in the Neonatal Intensive Care Units and Maternity wards from the Nsawam Government Hospital and the Regional Hospital, Koforidua were interviewed. The study found that good knowledge and understanding of NR had a positive impact on the attitude of nurses and midwives. Also, people of referents and the family had a great influence on NR performance. In addition, culture, and religion, directly and indirectly, impacted practice. On the contrary, traditions from the ward and belief in the archaic ways of managing new-borns with breathing difficulties had adverse impact on NR practice. Also, other factors such as lack of training, shortage of human and material resources, inadequate space, poor supervision, and monitoring were identified as barriers to NR performance among the nurses and midwives. There is the need for regular training, inculcating family centred care in training, monitoring, and provision of the necessary amenities for effective NR which will go a long way to improve the nurse or midwife's behaviours towards NR.