By Azore Opio
Six student nurses of the Higher Institute of Applied Medical Sciences, IAMS, Buea, recently defended their research projects in partial fulfilment for the award of an Associate Degree in Nursing Sciences, AND.
On IAMS premises, the students treated various areas of research ranging from nursing intervention skills, treatment and management of certain medical conditions (pregnancy induced hypertension and diarrhoea) to infectious diseases of global concern like sexually transmitted infections (STIs), HIV/AIDS and malaria.
Eunice Emeaka Atabong, who researched on Factors Associated with the Increase In Ectopic Pregnancy aimed at investigating the factors associated with the increased rate of ectopic pregnancy in St. Elizabeth's General Hospital Shisong.
From her findings, Emeaka concluded that previous spontaneous abortion and previous induced abortion increased the rate of ectopic pregnancy, though factors associated with a large proportion of ectopic pregnancies remain unknown.
Ernest Ngeme Ebako, who researched on Inadequate Management of Diarrhoea in Children (0-5 years) at Home by Mothers in Kumbo, had set out to find out what mothers perceived the cause of diarrhoea to be and their abilities to manage diarrhoea.
Ngeme concluded that most mothers in Kumbo do not have the basic knowledge on home management of diarrhoea.Meanwhile, Catherine Enongene Ngwese, Collette Nkengem Morfaw, Tekum Nungong Bi and Sidonie Ashumanyi, respectively researched on Knowledge, Sexual Attitude, Practice and the Prevalence of STIs among Students, in Buea; Nursing Intervention Skills: Factors Inhibiting Effective Care of Patients in Buea Subdivision; The Management of Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension in Kumba and Kosala; and Perceived Malaria Treatment Failure in Young Children (0-5 years in Mile 16 Bolifamba, Buea).
One of the projects revealed that knowledge on STIs does not prevent an individual from being infected. However, the study concluded that prevention is guaranteed by positive sexual attitude and safe sex.
Another interesting finding was that concluded in the Bolifamba community where 80 percent of infants (0-5 years) do not have access to and make use of insecticide-treated mosquito bed nets.
Yet another finding concluded that nurses do not render effective care to patients because of their meagre pay package. Besides, nurse-patient education was equally found to be ineffective as 60 percent of patients were not informed of tier disease condition and their treatment plans.
These notwithstanding, 80 percent of the nurses interviewed said they just loved the profession.IAMS will use the findings of these researches to build preliminary data for more elaborate research using a larger sample size that would be extended to other communities and vulnerable groups.
IAMS will also ensure that the key research findings and additional knowledge from the projects will be communicated to hospitals and local communities through health education and campaigns and to the scientific community.
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