UTILIZATION OF LIFE SAVING SKILLS AMONG NURSES AND MIDWIVES AT MURTALA MUHAMMAD SPECIALIST HOSPITAL, KANO

Rajah Amina Suleiman, Dalhatu Adamu, Muhammad Haddad Mahfuz, Rahmat Bashir Jumoke, Aisha Suleiman

Department of Nursing Sciences,

Bayero University, Kano.

Email: adamudalhatu206@gmail.com

ABSTRACT

Maternal morbidity and mortality associated with pregnancy and childbirth is of clinical peril on a global scale. A cross sectional survey design was employed and the study aimed at exploring the level of awareness on Life Saving Skills (LSS), LSS practices been employed, barriers to implementation and strategies to promote effectiveness of LSS practice. A total sample of 154 nurses/midwives were recruited for the study at Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital, Kano. The result showed that 87.0% of the nurses/midwives were aware of LSS, Majority of the nurses/midwives reported numerous challenges  to implementation of LSS some of which include Shortage of skilled birth attendant (93.5%), Attitude of health care provider (79.2%), Inadequate equipment and supplies (81.8%) and Inadequate training for midwives (77.9%);  they also identified some of the strategies to promote effectiveness of LSSsuch as Provision of lifesaving skills equipment (84.4%), Training and retraining of personnel in life saving skills (88.3%), Accessibility of patient to the life saving skills services (97.4%).  The study concluded that there is a high level of awareness on utilization of LSS. Therefore, it is recommended that multilateral collaboration is needed in the study setting to overcome the limiting factors to utilization of LSS.

Keywords: Utilization, Life Saving Skills, Midwives, Nurses