CHALLENGES FACED BY NURSES IN THE PROVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN MASAKA REGIONAL REFERRAL HOSPITAL, MASAKA CITY- A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51168/5gwz5s43Keywords:
Nurses, Mental health, Challenges, Masaka Regional Referral HospitalAbstract
Background
Globally, mental illness affects over 970 people, with 1 in every 8 people, and is among the leading causes of the global burden of disease. The purpose of the study was to assess the challenges faced by nurses in the provision of mental health in Masaka Regional Referral Hospital, Masaka City.
Methodology
A descriptive cross-sectional study design that utilized quantitative methods of data collection was conducted at Masaka Regional Referral Hospital, in 3 days, 30 nurses were selected using the purposive sampling method.
Results
The majority 16(53%) of the respondents agreed that it is hard to develop a health worker-patient relationship with mentally ill patients due to the aggressive behavior of patients, 22(73%) of the respondents said that patient’s economic status affected their services, 16(53%) of the respondents said that drug stock outs affected the wellness pattern of mentally ill patients, 17(57%) said they were affected psychologically while taking care of mentally ill patients since other people would say that they were behaving like mentally ill patients, 23(77%) mentioned that they had ever been aggressively harassed by mentally ill patients, and 18(60%) said that the facility administration rarely held training for the management of mental illnesses.
Conclusion
Challenges faced by nurses in the provision of mental health services included; difficulty in developing a nurse-patient relationship due to aggressive behavior, drug stock-outs which affected the wellness pattern of patients, and lack of training on management of mental illnesses.
Recommendation
The Ministry of Health and the Management of Masaka Regional Referral Hospital should encourage nurses to practice self-care and prioritize their well-being, resources and workshops on stress management techniques, and provide enough drugs to use during the provision of mental health services.
