KNOWLEDGE, PRACTICE AND ASSOCIATED FACTORS TOWARDS NEONATAL RESUSCITATION AMONG NURSES AND MIDWIVES WORKING IN GOVERNMENT HOSPITALS IN WEST SHOA, OROMIA, ETHIOPIA

Abstract

Background: Neonatal resuscitation is a critical intervention for newborns difficulty to breathe or circulate blood. The first month of life is particularly vulnerable, and skilled nurses and midwives can prevent around 30% of preventable newborn deaths. So, it is crucial to assess the knowledge and practical skills of nurses and midwives in neonatal resuscitation to reduce neonatal deaths. Objective: The study aimed to assess knowledge, practice and associated factors towards neonatal resuscitation among nurses and midwives working in government hospitals in West Shoa. Methods: An institutional based cross-sectional study was conducted in West Shoa, from May 1 to July 20, 2023. A total of 235 nurses and midwives who are working in ten governmental hospitals were included. Data were collected using self-administered questionnaire and observation checklist of English version. Data was verified, coded and entered to Epi-data, then exported to Statistical Package for the Social Sciences version 26 Software for analysis. Descriptive statistics such as frequency with percentage distribution for categorized variables was used. Binary logistic regression analysis method was used to identify factors associated with the nurses’ and midwives’ knowledge and practice of neonatal resuscitation. Those variables that had P -value < 0.25 in logistic regression was taken to the multiple logistic regression models to adjust the possible confounder. Variables with p-value<0.05 in the multiple logistic regression analysis was considered statistically significant associations between covariates with knowledge and practice of nurses and midwives towards neonatal resuscitation at a 95% confidence interval. Results: This study was showed that only 40.3% and 27% had good knowledge and good practice on neonatal resuscitation respectively. Factors such as age (AOR=4.936), guidelines availability (AOR=0.178), supportive supervision (AOR=0.382), and in-service training (AOR=0.411) were associated with knowledge, while being female (AOR=0.296), being single (AOR=0.18), and in service training (AOR=0.431) were associated with practice. Conclusion: The knowledge and practice of neonatal intensive care unit nurses and midwives towards neonatal resuscitation are inadequate. Hospital managers should provide neonatal resuscitation guidelines, supportive supervision, and in-service training to reduce neonatal deaths.