Study aim: Considering the alarming rate at which young people abuse tramadol, as evidenced by the numerous media reports on the subject, this qualitative study was conducted to explore the facilitators to the abuse of tramadol by young people.Design and methods: A qualitative exploratory descriptive design was employed in conducting the study. A total of 18 participants were purposively sampled. Data for the study were collected through two focused group discussions and three in‐depth‐interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.Results: The findings of the study revealed four main themes. These themes were initiating factors of abuse; desirable physical effects; desirable psychological effects; and undesirable effects. It was revealed that many young people initially get into tramadol abuse because of peer pressure, curiosity or post‐traumatic addiction. However, they often continue the practice for various physical and psychological gratifications including euphoria, attentiveness, high energy levels, pain relief and improved sexual performance. The study also revealed some unpleasant side effects of tramadol abuse such as severe vomiting, loss of appetite, seizures, emotional aloofness and irritability. Many of the participants in this study also expressed willingness to quit tramadol abuse because of social discrimination and the enormous side effects that come with the abuse of the drug.

Background. The clinical learning environment and clinical rotation experience of students are integral to nursing curriculum and are a crucial component of nursing education which helps transform theoretical knowledge to clinical practical skills. Objective. This study was aimed at assessing the role of the clinical learning environment on undergraduate nursing and midwifery students’ satisfaction with their clinical rotation experience. Method. The study employed a quantitative cross-sectional survey design. Data was collected from a sample of 240 undergraduate nursing and midwifery students of the University for Development Studies, Tamale, Ghana, using a structured questionnaire. Ethical approval was obtained from the University of Cape Coast Ethics Review Board. Descriptive analysis was displayed as frequencies and percentages. Inferentially, Fisher’s exact test, linear regression, and Spearman’s correlation tests were used to test for and quantify associations between independent and dependent variables at . Results. The level of students’ satisfaction with both clinical rotation experience and the clinical learning environment was high (65.6% and 63.5%, respectively). A statistically significant association of the students’ satisfaction with their clinical rotation experience was found. There was a statistically significant relationship between the clinical learning environment (χ² (9, N = 224) = 80.665, ), pedagogical atmosphere in the clinical area (r_s = 0.379, ), the leadership style of the ward manager (r_s = 0.340, ), the premises of nursing in the ward environment (r_s = 0.501, ), and the students’ satisfaction with their clinical rotation experience. Conclusion. These findings provide nurse educators and clinicians with meaningful understanding about areas to prioritise when planning clinical learning opportunities in such a way that skills learning and practice of nursing skills are successful and satisfactory for undergraduate student nurses and midwives.

Background.Efforts to reduce under-five mortality across the globe are being hindered by a disproportionately high rate of neonatal deaths. About a quarter of these neonatal deaths are caused by birth asphyxia. Available evidence shows that effective neonatal resuscitation delivered by providers skilled in and knowledgeable about neonatal resuscitation can significantly reduce neonatal mortality rates.Objectives.This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine knowledge and experience in neonatal resuscitation among midwives in Tamale, and the factors associated with their knowledge on neonatal resuscitation.Methods.This was a cross-sectional study involving all midwives practicing in three large hospitals in Tamale. We developed a questionnaire to collect data on demographic characteristics of participants, and their knowledge and experience in neonatal resuscitation. We used the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 21, to analyse the data. Demographic characteristics of participants were summarized using descriptive statistics. Pearson’s correlation was used to determine associations between knowledge and some selected demographic features, while the one-way ANOVA was conducted to determine differences in level of knowledge based on the demographic features.Results.98.1% of the participants in this study had insufficient knowledge on neonatal resuscitation. Midwives at the Tamale Central Hospital demonstrated a statistically significantly higher level of knowledge(24.67 ± 2.79, p = .014), compared to those at the Tamale Teaching Hospital(22.92 ± 4.56, p = .028)and Tamale West Hospital(21.50 ± 6.24, p = .021). Those who had a first-degree qualification in midwifery and those with a Post-NAC/NAP midwifery certificate had a statistically significantly higher knowledge than those with a diploma in midwifery. Training in neonatal resuscitation was associated with more knowledge in neonatal resuscitation (r(158) = .195, p = .013). In terms of experience, 55% of the participants in this study were not experienced in performing neonatal resuscitation. There were no differences in their level of experience based on their academic qualification, work place, and years of practice as a midwife.Conclusion.Considering the generally low level of knowledge and experience of midwives in neonatal resuscitation as discovered in this study, there is an urgent need for government to provide more opportunities for all practicing midwives to be trained in this important lifesaving skill.

Background. Knowledge of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is recognized as an asset to all clinical nurses. However, many studies in different countries have reported low levels of knowledge of the GCS among nurses. Little is known about this subject in Ghana. Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of Ghanaian nurses about the Glasgow Coma Scale and identify factors associated with their knowledge. Method. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study involving a convenience sample of 115 nurses from a large teaching hospital in Ghana. We collected data using a structured questionnaire and analysed the data using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, independent samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA. Results. A little more than half of the participants (50.4%) had low knowledge of the GCS as a whole. However, with respect to basic theoretical concepts of the GCS, 62.6% of the participants had good knowledge about it, while only 5.2% demonstrated good knowledge on application of the basic knowledge in clinical scenarios. Working in Neurosurgical ward, female gender, and weekly performance of the GCS were associated with higher levels of knowledge. Academic qualification, years of experience as a nurse, and refresher training on GCS were not associated with knowledge. Conclusion. The findings from this study showed that nurses in Ghana have low levels of knowledge about the GCS. A more structured approach to teaching the GCS that is very thorough and done with demonstrations should be implemented to improve nurses’ knowledge on the GCS.

Aim This study assessed the level of satisfaction with the quality of nursing care among hospitalized older adults and the factors associated with it. Design This was a quantitative descriptive cross-sectional survey. Methods We used a validated questionnaire to collect data from a convenience sample of 206 older adults from three government hospitals in Tamale, Ghana. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics, independent sample t test and one-way ANOVA. Results Most of the participants (72.3%) reported moderate levels of satisfaction with the quality of nursing care, while 23.8% reported high levels of satisfaction. The association between gender, religion and level of satisfaction with nursing care was not statistically significant. However, patients differed on levels of satisfaction based on healthcare facility: patients at the Tamale Central Hospital were more satisfied with the quality of nursing care than those at the Tamale Teaching Hospital. There is a need for capacity building and sensitization workshops on the rudiments of geriatric care for nurses in the metropolis to serve as an impetus for improvement in the quality of care.

Background. Although several studies have been conducted on the lived experiences of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) in high income countries, there is no published data on such experiences in Ghana. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of persons with SCI in the Tamale Metropolis of the Northern Region of Ghana. Material and Methods. A qualitative descriptive design involving thirteen participants was conducted at the Tamale Metropolis-Ghana. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit participants, using the Neurosurgical Unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital as an outlet for recruitment of the sample. Data was gathered mainly through face-to-face in-depth interviews. The data was analyzed concurrently with data collection, using thematic content analysis. Ethical approval was obtained for the study from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the research unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital. Results. The three main themes that emerged from the data during analysis were “physical effects,” “psychological effects,” and “social issues.” Conclusion. The findings from the study suggest that SCI is a life threatening condition and that persons with SCI grapple with a myriad of physical symptoms that range from chronic pain and paralysis of lower and/or upper limbs, to bladder and bowel incontinence. These physical symptoms have significant psychological and social effects on the functioning of the affected persons.