Utilization of integrated blood transfusion guidelines among nurses at a county referral hospital in Kenya

Abstract

Background: Blood transfusion guidelines and policies help to improve the organization of blood transfusion process in hospitals and also act as a guide to the staff. Nurses should have sufficient knowledge of situations, amount and methods of using blood components and possible side effects in order to improve patient’s outcome Purpose: The study aimed at evaluating the utilization of integrated blood transfusion guidelines by nurses at Murang’a County Referral Hospital. Design: A descriptive cross-sectional study where a self-administered questionnaire and an observation check list were used to collect data Methods: The study population was the qualified nurses working in Murang’a County Referral Hospital. All the 160 nurses working in the hospital qualified to participate in the study and they were identified through stratified sampling and systematic random sampling methods where by a target sample of 110 was identified. Results: The study found that nurses’ knowledge (p value 0.039) use of guidelines (p value 0.044) and attitude towards blood transfusion guidelines (p value 0.040) had significant influence on utilization of integrated blood transfusion guidelines Conclusion: The study recommends strategies to improve utilization of integrated blood transfusion guidelines which includes training related to blood transfusion, availability of blood transfusion guidelines in the departments and infrastructures to help maintain quality services.