Assessment of barriers to implementation of nursing process among nurses working at a selected Referral Hospital in Rwanda

Abstract

Assessment of Barriers to Implementation of Nursing Process (NP) among nurses working at University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (UTHK). Background: The Nursing Process (NP) is a professional framework adapted globally to guide and help professional nurses to deliver quality patient centered care. Aim of the study: Assessing barriers to implementation of Nursing Process among nurses working at University Teaching Hospital of Kigali (UTHK). Methods: A cross sectional design employing quantitative methods was conducted at UTHK. Data were collected from 142 nurses using a self directed questionnaire. Statistic package for social sciences (SPSS) version 20.0 was used to analyze data using descriptive statistics (frequencies) and inferential statistics (chi-square, Fisher). Results: The majority of nurses (73.2%) implemented NP. Of 142 nurses, one half (43%) did not follow all steps of the process while 56% achieved the total score of the NP implementation. Findings indicated that demographic factors had a significant relationship with NP implementation (sex: p=0.038; marital status: p=0.002; experience: p=0.000). Knowledge and trainings of nurses on the process were significantly associated with its implementation (p=0.000). Institution factors also had a significant association with NP implementation (p= 0.009) and nurses’ perception to NP (p=0.003). Conclusion and recommendations: Knowledge of nurses was not adequate to put NP into practice. Work overload, lack of materials, poor motivation as well as nurses’ perceptions to NP affected its implementation. There is a need to put into practice training on NP for practicing nurses focusing on its benefits and the hospital should consider NP implementation critically by supply all needed resources for the process, motivating nurses and evaluating its progress. Key words: Implementation, Barriers, Nursing Process, Nurse, Nursing Care Plan