Managing Newborn Unit Without Nurses: A Tragedy Of Our Time

Abstract

A retrospective analysis of records of neonates admitted into Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa during a four month period of industrial dispute affecting all hospital workers except the doctors in the teaching hospitals and research institutions in Nigeria was carried out. The main objective was to determine effect of absence of on outcome and the possible value and risks in using the mothers as the main nursing care providers. Only very ill newborns were admitted. Mothers were trained and used as natural nurses for their babies care. Neonatal mortality rate (NMR) was 250/1000, almost twice the NMR for the unit. The main reasons and respective case fatality rates were: birth asphyxia (60.0%), tetanus (57.1%), low birth weight (28%). Main causes of death were similar to what were previously documented in the unit. Majority of the deaths were preventable. Though the mortality rate was much higher than what was previously recorded in the unit, the effort saved many babies who would have died if they had not been admitted. Better management of industrial dispute would forestall this avoidable tragedy with increase in NMR. A retrospective analysis of records of neonates admitted into Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa during a four month period of industrial dispute affecting all hospital workers except the doctors in the teaching hospitals and research institutions in Nigeria was carried out. The main objective was to determine effect of absence of on outcome and the possible value and risks in using the mothers as the main nursing care providers. Only very ill newborns were admitted. Mothers were trained and used as natural nurses for their babies care. Neonatal mortality rate (NMR) was 250/1000, almost twice the NMR for the unit. The main reasons and respective case fatality rates were: birth asphyxia (60.0%), tetanus (57.1%), low birth weight (28%). Main causes of death were similar to what were previously documented in the unit. Majority of the deaths were preventable. Though the mortality rate was much higher than what was previously recorded in the unit, the effort saved many babies who would have died if they had not been admitted. Better management of industrial dispute would forestall this avoidable tragedy with increase in NMR.