Job satisfaction and attitudes towards nursing care among nurses working at Mzuzu Central Hospital in Mzuzu, Malawi

BackgroundJob satisfaction is a major determinant of performance at the workplace. Studies have shown that job dissatisfaction can intensify emotional exhaustion, and this can influence nurses to perceive their work as tiresome and repetitive, leading to frustration and discouragement. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between job satisfaction and attitude towards nursing care at Mzuzu Central Hospital in Mzuzu, Malawi.MethodsThis was a descriptive correlational study. Eighty-nine nurses were selected using simple random sampling. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. Data were analysed using Stata (version 12). Frequencies, means, and standard deviations were used to summarise sociodemographic data and also to determine job satisfaction and attitudes towards nursing care among the  participants. Independent t-tests were used to determine if differences in  professional qualifications, job title, work experience, or the clinical setting in which the nurses worked were associated with differences in job satisfaction and attitude. Pearson's product-moment correlation was used to determine the relationship between job satisfaction and attitude in the study sample.ResultsThe nurses who participated in this study generally had positive attitudes towards nursing care and were moderately satisfied with their jobs. There was a significant variation in attitude depending on the amount of time a nurse worked at a particular post (P = 0.0308), as well as the amount of time a nurse had worked at the hospital (P = 0.0012). There was a significant positive relationship between job satisfaction and attitude (r = 0.226, P = 0.033).ConclusionsThe nurses in the study sample were moderately satisified with their work and generally had positive attitudes towards nursing care. There was a positive  correlation between attitude towards nursing care and job satisfaction. Addressing factors which dissatisfy nurses can promote nurses’ attitudes and likely improve performance and patient care

Access barriers to maternal healthcare services in selected hard-to-reach areas of Zambia: a mixed methods design

Introduction: poor access to maternal health services is a one of the major contributing factors to maternal deaths in low-resource settings, and understanding access barriers to maternal services is an important step for targeting interventions aimed at promoting institutional delivery and improving maternal health. This study explored access barriers to maternal and antenatal services in Kaputa and Ngabwe; two of Zambia´s rural and hard-to-reach districts. Methods: a concurrent mixed methods approach was therefore, undertaken to exploring three access dimensions, namely availability, affordability and acceptability, in the two districts. Structured interviews were conducted among 190 eligible women in both districts, while key informant interviews, in-depth interviews and focus group discussions were conducted for the qualitative component. Results: the study found that respondents were happy with facilities´ opening and closing times in both districts. By comparison, however, women in Ngabwe spent significantly more time traveling to facilities than those in Kaputa, with bad roads and transport challenges cited as factors affecting service use. The requirement to have a traditional birth attendant (TBA) accompany a woman when going to deliver from the facility, and paying these TBAs, was a notable access barrier. Generally, services seemed to be more acceptable in Kaputa than in Ngabwe, though both districts complained about long queues, being delivered by male health workers and having delivery rooms next to male wards. Conclusion: based on the indicators of access used in this study, maternal health services seemed to be more accessible in Kaputa compared to Ngabwe

Implementing evidence based practice nursing using the PDSA model: process, lessons and implications

Evidence Based Practice (EBP) is recognised as a problem-solving approach to clinical practice that integrates the most relevant evidence with clinical expertise and patient preferences and values, to answer clinical questions and aid decision making. Although the value of EBP is widely accepted, it is not standard in healthcare systems globally. Similarly in Zambia EBP is not a standard and nursing care is mainly routine and characterized by poor quality. An Evidence Based Practice Pilot Project was conducted in University Teaching Hospital. The project utilized a quality improvement approach including modified experience-based co-design, rapid reviews of evidence and practical implementation of evidence. It was implemented through a five phased process using the Plan Do Study Act (PDSA) Model. It focused on four “hacks” subdivided in 12 areas of implementation. From the four “hacks”, and the subsequent 12 areas of implementation, the project met set target for improvement in eight out of 12. The four where set targets were not met included; awareness of rights and responsibilities by patients, explaining patient’s condition to at least one relative, completing nursing care plans and regular multi-disciplinary team meetings. The eight areas where set targets were met included; display of patients’ rights, educational materials and hand washing guidelines. Others were orientation and mentorship for junior nurses and students, use of task allocation, and use of hand washing soap and decontamination buckets. Implementers of EBP should take stock of the enablers and detractors and put appropriate measures to sustain the former and minimise the later

Towards a competency-based doctoral curriculum at the University of Zambia: lessons from practice

We describe a collaborative, iterative, and participatory process that we undertook to develop and adopt a competency-based doctoral curriculum framework at the University of Zambia. There needs to be more than the traditional unstructured apprenticeship of PhD training in a knowledge-based economy where PhD graduates are expected to contribute to industry problem-solving. The lack of industry-driven competencies and, to some extent, limited skills possessed by PhD graduates relative to the demands of employers has led to the misclassification of doctoral degrees as mere paper certificates. Further, under traditional PhD training without specific core competencies, it has led to criticisms of such PhD studies as a waste of resources. The calls to rethink doctoral development in broader employment contexts led many countries to redesign their PhD programs. Training has increasingly introduced industrial linkages and industry-defined research projects to increase the attractiveness of doctoral students. Whereas developed countries have made significant reforms towards competency-based PhD training, little or nothing has been done in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. This against the demands that Africa needs more than 100,000 PhDs in the next decade to spur economic development. Against this background, the University of Zambia has developed an industry-driven structured competency-based PhD curriculum framework. The framework will guide and support the development of standardized program-specific PhD curricula, delivery, and assessment of competencies at the University of Zambia, ensuring that doctoral students acquire skills and demonstrate core competencies that are transferable and applicable in industry settings. This framework focuses on the development of specific competencies that are necessary for successful PhD completion. The competencies are divided into three main categories: research, teaching, and professional development. Each category is then broken down into ten core competencies from which respective doctoral programs will develop sub-competencies. It is from these core competencies and sub-competencies that learning outcomes, assessment methods, and teaching activities are developed. It is envisioned that this new competency-based doctoral curriculum framework will be a helpful tool in training a cadre of professionals and researchers who benefit the industry and contribute to economic and societal development

Development of a mobile application for detection of adolescent mental health problems and feasibility assessment with primary health care workers

INTRODUCTION : There has been a sharp increase in the use of digital health interventions in global health, particularly mobile health applications, in recent years. The extreme shortage of health care providers trained in mental health screening and intervention in low- and middle-income countries raises questions about the applicability of mobile applications to deliver these services due to their accessibility and availability. This exploratory paper describes the development and feasibility assessment of a mobile screening application for the detection of mental disorders among adolescents in Zambia and South Africa. METHODS : Eighty-two health care workers (HCW) working in primary care evaluated the acceptability and practicality of the mobile screening application after receiving brief training. The evaluation included questions from the Mobile Application Rating Scale (MARS) as well as open-ended questions. RESULTS : The acceptability of the screening app was high and study participants were positive about using the app in routine care. Problems with internet connectivity, and time and staff constraints were perceived as the main barriers to regular use. CONCLUSION : HCW in primary care were able and willing to use a mobile screening app for the detection of mental health problems among treatment-seeking adolescents. Implementation in clinical practice needs to be further evaluated.Erasmus + Capacity Building.https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/imhn20hj2023Psychiatr

Knowledge, attitude and practices towards infection prevention and control among undergraduate pharmacy students in Zambia : findings and implications

Background: Infection prevention and control (IPC) measures are critical in preventing the risk of acquiring and transmitting nosocomial infections. In Zambia, there is little information concerning IPC practices among pharmacy students who are exposed to potentially infectious areas both in public and private healthcare settings. Therefore, this study assessed the knowledge, attitude and practices of undergraduate pharmacy students towards infection prevention and control at the University of Zambia. Materials and methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 290 undergraduate pharmacy students at the University of Zambia using a structured questionnaire from August 2022 to October 2022. Data analysis was performed using SPSS version 25.0 and statistical significance was set at a 95% confidence level. Results: Of the 290 participants, 166(57.2%) were female and the majority were aged between 18 and 23 years. Overall, 252(86.9%) had good knowledge, 167(57.6%) had positive attitudes, and 248(85.5%) had good practices towards IPC measures. These results indicate lower attitude scores compared to knowledge and practices. Having good knowledge of IPC was associated with being a Christian by religion compared to other religions (OR= 5.314, 95% CI: 1.141-24.745). There was no association between sociodemographics and attitude and practice concerning IPC. Conclusion: This study found that pharmacy students had good knowledge, positive attitudes, and good practices towards IPC measures. Consequently, more emphasis is needed to improve the student’s knowledge, attitudes, and practices towards IPC, especially in areas where gaps were identified. Additionally, there is a need to improve curricula on IPC measures in the training of pharmacy programs

Development of a mobile application for detection of adolescent mental health problems and feasibility assessment with primary health care workers

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