ASSESSING NURSES KNOWLEDGE AND PRACTICE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF BURNS AT THE MAMFE DISTRICT HOSPITAL

Abstract

A burn is an injury to the flesh or skin by heat, electricity, chemicals, friction or radiation.

A burn that affects only the superficial skin are known as first degree or superficial burns. When damage penetrates into some of the underlined layers, it is a partial thickness or second degree burn. In a full thickness or third degree burn, the injury extends to all layers of the skin. A forth degree burn additionally involves injury to deeper tissues such as muscles or bones.

The main aim of this study was to assess nurses knowledge on the management of burns in Mamfe District Hospital. It was a cross sectional study conducted among 26 nurses selected through a convenience sampling technique by regularly meeting the participants and administering questionnaires.

At a base line, 18(69.2%) of the participant had worked for a duration between two to ten Years, 6(23.1%) of study participants had worked for more than ten years, 1(3.8%) was of the opinion that burns can be manage by ensuring adequate wound dressing or care with the use of Vaseline gauze as indicated, 4(15.4%) said it can be manage by rehydrating the client with ringers lactate and transfusion if necessary 2(7.7%) of them were of the opinion that  administration of iron supplement to client whose Hb level has dropped and patient teaching should be employed in the management of burns,11(36.6%) of the study participant could not manage burns because they are ignorant on how to go about it.

In conclusion, 88.5% of nurses of Mamfe District Hospital knows what burns are, 65.4% of the nurses of Mamfe District Hospital are well knowledgeable on the management of burns and 36.8% of nurses of Mamfe District Hospital are ignorant in the adequate measures for the management of burns. Nevertheless, 11.6% of them attested to the fact that they lack resources in the adequate management.

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1background To The Study

Burns are potentially devastating injuries with many consequences ranging from physical, functional, and occupational to cosmetic and psychosocial damage. Proper knowledge about burn first aid minimizes the overall impact of the injury. Worldwide, 195,000 deaths occur annually from burns (WHO, 2012).

A meta-analysis done by Othman et al, 2010 demonstrated that the incidence of burns in the East Mediterranean region ranges from 112 to 518 per 100,000 per year; mortality was reported to be from 0.2 to 5.6 per 100,000 per year, with homes being the commonest location of burn injury ranging from 72 to 94 %  (Othman et al, 2010).

The modern-day household is the most common location where burns occur; inhabitants who smoke cigarettes, the presence of electrical appliances, cooking, water heaters, and the presence of chemical products make this the case. Scald and flame burns predominated, and homes were the commonest location with children being the most common age group afflicted, most of which were under 5 years.

Most of these studies on nurse’s management of burns also showed that burns were more common in males. Additionally, mortality was generally low ranging from 4.4 to 9.4%. These findings are consistent with the international data from other countries (Peck MD et al, 2011).  Furthermore, the beneficial effects of cooling the burn wound should not deteriorate the general condition of the patient (like hypothermia in children) (British Burn Association First Aid Position Statement guidelines.

Retrieved 2016). The cost of treating burns represents a major burden on governments and healthcare systems. In 2000, the direct cost for care of children with burns in the USA exceeded 211 million dollars (WHO, 2016). Globally, about 11 million people seek medical treatment and 300,000 die from burns each year. In the developed countries, an estimated 500,000 burns injury receives medical treatment yearly. They resulted in about 3,300 death in 2008. Most burns that lead to burns lead to death occurs in males. The highest incident of fire burns occurs in those within 18-35years old (WHO, 2014).

In developing countries like Cameroon in particular, 700.000 to 800.000 people per year sustain significant burns though very few are looked after in specialist burn units. The highest rate occurs in women 16_35years of age, the higher rate is related to unsafe kitchens and loose-fitting clothing’s typically to Indian women (Herndon, 2010).

1.2 Statement Of Problem.

Burns can leave skin vulnerable to bacterial infection and increased risk of infection which progress rapidly and can cause shock and organ failure. Moreover, burns can damage blood vessels and cause fluid loss. This may result in low blood volume (hypovolemia). Severe blood and fluid loss prevent the heart from pumping enough blood to the body.

Furthermore, the skin helps to control the body temperature so when a large portion of the skin is injured, you lose body heat. This increases your risk of drastic low body temperature (hypothermia; a condition in which the body loses heat faster than it can an individual down who might be the bread winner of his or her family.

All these conditions if not properly managed may lead to dead of the individual which therefore prompted this study on assessing nurse’s knowledge on the management of burns. The researcher was motivated by an incident during internship where cases of burns were brought to the hospital and a young man’s leg was amputated due to burns and coupled with the sociopolitical crisis ,the rate at which burning of houses is taking place in this area.

1.3 Hypothesis

The nurses in Mamfe district hospital do not have adequate knowledge on the management of burns

1.4 Research Objectives

1.4.1 General objectives

The main aim of this study was to assess nurses’ knowledge on the management of burns in Mamfe district hospital.

1.4.2 Specific objectives

1. To assess nurses’ knowledge of burns in Mamfe district hospital.
2. To assess nurses’ practices in the management of burns in the Mamfe district hospital.
3. To find out challenges that these nurses faced in the management of burns in Mamfe district hospital.