TY - JOUR
T1 - Perspectives of nurses on preparedness for combating COVID-19 crisis in Ghana
T2 - A qualitative inquiry
AU - Iddrisu, Merri
AU - Pwavra, Joyce B.P.
AU - Ohene, Lillian A.
AU - Ani-Amponsah, Mary
AU - Buertey, Abigail Ansere
AU - Aziato, Lydia
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors
PY - 2021/1
Y1 - 2021/1
N2 - Background: COVID-19 has impacted negatively on people physically, psychologically, spiritually, and socioeconomically worldwide. Nurses’ ability to prepare towards case management is imperative because the potential of one coming across the virus at the hospital is inevitable. This study intended to explore and describe nurses’ perspectives on preparation towards fighting COVID 19 in Ghana. Methods: A qualitative exploratory descriptive design was adopted. Nine major health facilities designated for COVID-19 treatment centres in four regions in Ghana were involved in the study. A semi structured interview guide was used to interview twenty-nine nurses via telephone based on data saturation. Ethics approval was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana. Result: data yielded two major themes and four subthemes. The two main themes were 1. Health facilities’ preparation of nurses towards COVID-19, with its subthemes; targeted training, and selection of experienced staff. 2. Nurses’ individual preparedness towards COVID-19 with the subthemes; information sourcing and sharing. Nurses in Ghana prepared for combating COVID-19 by going through training on infection prevention and control, and case management using demonstrations and simulations. Experienced nurses in Ghana volunteered to be at the frontline managing cases. Continuous updates on the virus and its management through information tracking sharing played a key role. Conclusion: Nurses in Ghana need to have more specialty training targeted at diseases of public health importance. Key words: Nurse; preparedness; covid-19.
AB - Background: COVID-19 has impacted negatively on people physically, psychologically, spiritually, and socioeconomically worldwide. Nurses’ ability to prepare towards case management is imperative because the potential of one coming across the virus at the hospital is inevitable. This study intended to explore and describe nurses’ perspectives on preparation towards fighting COVID 19 in Ghana. Methods: A qualitative exploratory descriptive design was adopted. Nine major health facilities designated for COVID-19 treatment centres in four regions in Ghana were involved in the study. A semi structured interview guide was used to interview twenty-nine nurses via telephone based on data saturation. Ethics approval was obtained from the Ethics Review Committee of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana. Result: data yielded two major themes and four subthemes. The two main themes were 1. Health facilities’ preparation of nurses towards COVID-19, with its subthemes; targeted training, and selection of experienced staff. 2. Nurses’ individual preparedness towards COVID-19 with the subthemes; information sourcing and sharing. Nurses in Ghana prepared for combating COVID-19 by going through training on infection prevention and control, and case management using demonstrations and simulations. Experienced nurses in Ghana volunteered to be at the frontline managing cases. Continuous updates on the virus and its management through information tracking sharing played a key role. Conclusion: Nurses in Ghana need to have more specialty training targeted at diseases of public health importance. Key words: Nurse; preparedness; covid-19.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85120454095&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijans.2021.100382
DO - 10.1016/j.ijans.2021.100382
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85120454095
SN - 2214-1391
VL - 15
JO - International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences
JF - International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences
M1 - 100382
ER -