Nurses' perspectives on the challenges of sickle cell disease management and associated factors in a teaching hospital in south-western Nigeria

Background: Since the discovery of sickle cell disease (SCD) in the early ۱۹۹۰s, enormous strides have been made to reduce its global spread. More studies have focused on the management of SCD complications, with little or no information on how nurses cope with the care of hospitalized patients. This study aimed to assess the challenges nurses face in managing SCD and associated factors at Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Nigeria. Methods: This cross-sectional survey study was conducted to elicit responses from ۲۱۵ nurses selected through a simple random sampling technique between August and October ۲۰۲۲. A structured, validated questionnaire consisting of ۳۱ items served as an instrument for data collection. Data were analyzed using SPSS. Inferential statistical analyses, including Chi-square test, independent samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA with post hoc multiple comparison tests, were conducted. Results: Among the participants, ۱۶۷ (۷۷.۷%) were female, with a mean age of ۲۴.۳ ± ۰.۹۴ years. The majority, ۸۱ (۳۷.۷%), of the participants were aged between ۳۱ and ۴۰ years. The most significant challenge to SCD management was addiction to opioids and other analgesics, ۱۷۴ (۸۰.۹%), while the least experienced challenge was patient signing out against medical advice ۱۸۰ (۸۳.۷%). The majority of the participants, ۱۹۴ (۹۰.۲%), stated that lack of financial resources to initiate treatment was the most significant factor associated with the challenges experienced in managing these patients. Significant associations were found between challenges of SCD management and the age of the nurses (P = ۰.۰۳۸), years of work experience (P = ۰.۰۱۱), and the level of professional education of the nurses (P = ۰.۰۰۲). Conclusion: The administration of care for patients with SCD is hindered by multiple factors, which necessitates further investigation into the long-term impacts of educational background and job experience of nurses in the delivery of care to patients with SCD.

کلیدواژه ها:

Disease Management ، Nurses ، Anemia ، Sickle Cell