Nurses’ experiences with the adoption and use of the nursing process in four urban hospitals

Abstract

IntroductionThe nursing process is a systematic, scientific process that guides nursing practice. It is the basis on which nurses can provide holistic care to patients in all settings while enhancing communication and continuity of care. It is therefore the recommended tool for nurses if the quality of care must be improved. However, during the provision of care, nurses the world over are challenged to some extent, especially in low-resource settings. Methods and MaterialsThe objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of nurses with the nursing process in 4 selected urban hospitals in Yaounde-Cameroon. ResultsA qualitative phenomenological research method was adopted, and semi-structured interview guides were used to interview 20 nurses from the 4 hospitals within a period of 4 months running from March 2020 through May 2020. DiscussionThe findings revealed that the nursing process is not effectively utilized despite attempted efforts. The following five themes were retained from the analysis of the data: (1) nurses lack adequate knowledge of the nursing process and are consequently unable to implement it successfully; (2) nurses portray negative attitudes towards the nursing process; (3) staff shortage and difficult work environments hinder the implementation of the nursing process; (4) students are unable to translate the theoretical (academic) nursing process into practice during internships at these hospitals, and (5) lack of the necessary resources impedes adequate implementation. Conclusion and recommendationsThe findings reveal that the nursing process is not adequately implemented in 4 major urban hospitals in Yaounde-Cameroon, for reasons related to knowledge, as well as human and material resources. This reveals the need to improve the acquisition of professional knowledge on the nursing process, improve the working conditions of nurses and provide enough health care financing that will enable nurses to adequately implement the nursing process.