Original Research Article
Year: 2021 | Month: March | Volume: 11 | Issue: 3 | Pages: 156-161
Nurses’ Knowledge and Role on Care of Children with Thalassemia
Manohar Singh Chouhan1, Jitendra Pujari2
1Nursing Tutor, Venkteshwar College of Nursing, Umarda, Udaipur.
2Associate Professor cum Vice Principal, Venkteshwar College of Nursing, Umarda, Udaipur.
Corresponding Author: Manohar Singh Chouhan
ABSTRACT
Thalassemia is one of the world wide genetic hemoglobinopathies caused by a defect in the genes responsible for hemoglobin synthesis. Nurses also play a critical role in managing the patient’s quality of life by helping to prevent unnecessary complications and providing treatment. Non - adherence is recognized as a serious problem in chronic diseases especially hemoglobin disorders which may lead to serious or fatal complications. The role of the nurse in promoting adherence is reported as being to clarify and explain both the complications of thalassemia and the effects of non-adherence to the chelation therapy. The present study aims to assess the knowledge and role of nurses on care of children with thalassemia at selected hospital, Udaipur, Rajasthan. A total sample of 98 staff nurses were participated in this study. Self structured knowledge questionnaire and checklist was used for data collection. Results revealed that majority 59.2% of nurses had poor knowledge, 34.7% had average knowledge and only 6.1% had good knowledge whereas role of nurses showed that 96.9% of nurses were incompetent and only 3.1% of nurses were competent in care of children with thalassemia. The study concluded that nurses were lacking knowledge and skills in caring children with thalassemia and needs engagement in continuous training about thalassemia. Study suggests that guidance and support for continuous education and training is required in order to enable nurses to fulfill their potential. Continuous education is necessary to facilitate the nurses to provide enhanced physical, psychological and genetic care to children with thalassemia.
Key words: thalassemia, genetic hemoglobinopathies, nurses, children.