Health education: A neglected aspect of quality paediatric nursing care at University teaching hospital (UTH).

Abstract

The study aimed at bringing to the attention of all health workers, in particular nurses, the importance of health education in paediatric units. It was observed that there were a lot of admissions, re-admissions and long queues in out patient departments of paediatric units. It was also observed that most of the children brought to these institutions suffered from preventable diseases such as diarrhoea, vomiting, malnutrition, malaria and anaemia. All these conditions could be prevented with effective health education to the mothers who bring these children to the hospital. The study was conducted in paediatric unit of the University Teaching Hospital in mid-February. Fifty (50) mothers of the currently admitted children mere interviewed to find out how much health education they received during their stay in the hospital. Literature revealed that effective health education would go a long way in reducing the number of admissions in paediatric units, Examples were cited where effective health education was given and produced desired outcomes. The responses of the interview with the fifty (50) mothers in the study were analysed manually . The results revealed that there was lack of health education in paediatric units and the health education given was ineffective to educate mothers. It was found that all the mothers wanted to know what was wrong with their children but not enough information on the diseases suffered by their children was given.