Epileptic seizure first aid practices of publics in Northwest Ethiopia 2021: Unsafe practices of nearly three-fourths of the community

BACKGROUND

Religious and sociocultural beliefs influence how people with epilepsy (PWE) are treated and cared for. Many communities in Africa and other developing countries, including Ethiopia, believe that epilepsy is caused by evil spirits and should be treated with herbal plants by traditional doctors and religious leaders. The combination of these sociocultural beliefs and the level of community awareness of epilepsy affect first aid practices in the management of epileptic seizures.

OBJECTIVE

This study aimed to assess epileptic seizure first aid practice of public and its associated factors in Northwest Ethiopia, south Gondar zone, Amhara, Ethiopia 2021.

METHODS

A community-based cross-sectional study was conducted using a previously adapted standard questionnaire. A multistage cluster sampling technique was applied. A total of 756 participants were approached and 741 respondents completed the questionnaire with a response rate of 98.02%. Data were entered into Epi data version 4.4.2 and then exported to Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 24 for analysis. Descriptive and analytical statistical procedures and bivariable and multivariable binary logistic regressions with odds ratios and 95% confidence interval (CI) were employed. The level of significance of the association was determined at p < 0.05.

RESULTS

Overall, 71.7% (95%CI: 68.3, 74.9) of the south Gondar community had unsafe practice measures in managing patients with seizure episodes. Individuals who were illiterate [adjusted odd ratio (AOR) = 1.99, 95%CI: 1.00.3.97] and participants who did not take training related to epilepsy (AOR = 2.07, 95%CI: 1.35, 3.17) and had poor knowledge about (AOR = 1.51, 95%CI: 1.06, 2.14) and a negative attitude toward epilepsy (AOR = 2.20, 95%CI: 1.50, 3.22) had unsafe practices compared to their counterparts. Conversely, participants who reached secondary education had safe practice measures (AOR = 0.4, 95%CI: 0.26, 0.63) in the management of epileptic seizures.

CONCLUSIONS

In this study, large numbers of the south Gondar community had unsafe practice measures in managing people with epileptic seizure episodes. Greater emphasis should be laid on individuals who were illiterate, in the provision of health education and/or training for the community to help them to acquire good knowledge about epilepsy and develop a positive attitude toward epilepsy.

Nurses' perspectives of recognising and responding to unsafe practice by their peers: A national cross-sectional survey

AIMS

This study aimed to identify behaviours and cues that nurses recognise as indications of unsafe practice, perceived factors that contribute to unsafe practice and actions nurses take in response.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional survey.

METHODS

National cross-sectional survey of a random sample of registered nurses (n = 231) in New Zealand, in 2017-2018. The STROBE Checklist was used to report this study.

RESULTS

Nurses reported a high rate of episodes of unsafe practices and recognised a range of behaviours and cues that alerted them to the potential for unsafe practice. Several organisational issues were perceived to contribute to unsafe practice occurring. The reporting of episodes of unsafe practice and perceived organisational support was low for nurses compared with managers.

CONCLUSION

Failure to recognise and respond to unsafe practice may indicate a tolerance for substandard practice by individual nurses, or by the organisation. Nurses who recognise unsafe practice must be supported by the organisation.

Common risky behaviours checklist: a tool to assist nurse supervisors to assess unsafe practice

AIM

To describe the development of the Common Risky Behaviour Checklist, a tool to aid nurse supervisors in determining when a nurse may be questionably fit to perform, particularly in cases of substance abuse.

BACKGROUND

A significant number of nurses may have substance use disorders that could manifest as unsafe performance at work, and nurse supervisors lack the tools to assess a nurse's fitness to perform at work.

METHOD

Job analysis techniques were used to identify the critical impairment behaviours for the tool. Job analysis is a legally defensible, multi-stage process used in the organisational psychology field to develop work performance assessments.

RESULTS

A screening tool was developed for nurse supervisors to assess when a nurse may be questionably fit to perform.

CONCLUSION

The development of this checklist is one of several needed advancements in order to address the issue of fitness to perform and patient safety.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT

The Common Risky Behaviour Checklist offers nurse managers assistance in protecting patient safety by providing a quick (one-page), systematic, behaviour-based method to collect information that can inform urgent decisions, trigger performance corrections and can complement formal organisational documentation processes in cases of unsafe practice due to substance abuse.