Impact of Nursing Challenges on Public Health: COPD in Africa

This report investigates the challenges faced by nurses in caring for patients with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) within the context of the Africa Health Organisation (AHO). It examines the impact of these challenges on public health. The report includes an introduction, rationale, res...Read More

Evidence in Public Health

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................3
RATIONALE...................................................................................................................................3
RESEARCH QUESTION................................................................................................................4
SEARCH STRATEGY....................................................................................................................5
MAIN FINDINGS...........................................................................................................................8
RECOMMENDATIONS.................................................................................................................9
CONCLUSION..............................................................................................................................10
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................1

INTRODUCTION
The selected topic is “The nurse's challenge of caring for
patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in Africa”. It include different issues faced
by nursing staff while providing care facilities of people suffering from chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) in Africa. However, there are various kinds of challenges facing by
nurses at the time of dealing with people having COPD in order to improve public health (Allen-
Scott, Hatfield and McIntyre, 2014). The present report is based on Africa Health Organisation
(AHO) which provide different medical services and facilities to people in order to make the
healthy along with improving overall public health. This assignment will focus on health
problem of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases and challenges of nursing staff faced while
dealing patients having COPD. It will also include PICO format and used search strategy
including database, inclusion as well as exclusion criteria. The main findings along with types of
evidence and their relevance to improve future practices is given below.
RATIONALE
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) can be described as a medical condition
of an individual in which they get suffering from a group lung problems that block airflow and
create difficulty to breathe. It can be considered as an umbrella term which is used to described
progressive disease including emphysema, chronic bronchitis and refractory asthma. It is
necessary to analyse nursing challenges while providing care to patients with COPD impacts

negatively on results of treatment procedures that become responsible for reduced public health
in Africa. The present study is based on Africa Health Organisation which provides medical
services and treatment facilities of needy people in respect of solving their health issues
respectively. They have different effective equipments, machines, applications and well
experienced staff members contributing for improving overall public health in Africa.
Considering nursing staff dealing with patients of chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, it is
necessary to evaluate overall issues and challenges faced by them so that appropriate actions can
be taken to overcome with the same (Blair, Morse and Tsai, 2017). However, it will provide
support to improve patients outcomes and perfection in performance of nurses which facilitate to
make sure about increased public health in Africa. In addition top this, it is observed that the
problems of COPD may convert into complicated situation of not treated at correct time in
proper manner then it is essential for management of selected organisation to focus on problems
of staff to overcome with them for gaining better outcomes of medication process. It is beneficial
for goodwill of organisation as well as health of public living in Africa.
At the other hand, the investigation regarding issues faced by nurses is important to
determine the factors which contribute to create emergency conditions of patients and reducer
outputs of treatments. It is significant to identify these factors in order to remove them from
work practices which helps to reduce chance of occurring risky situations and people get
appropriate medical services to get rid off COPD (Brownson
and et. al., 2017). However, COPD can be considered the third leading cause of death at global
level. Moreover, determining nursing issues become an opportunity of management of
organisation to evaluate ways of improving quality of healthcare services which is beneficial for
their goodwill as well as improving patient outcomes. In addition to this, it has been analysed
that challenges of nursing staff impacts negatively on their performance which affects on health
of sick individuals with COPD. Meanwhile, it is significant to sort out overall issues of nurses
which provide support to them for handling people in more effective as well as efficient manner
in terms of achieving better outcomes of clinical practices. Basically, the problems improvement
in clinical practices and treatments procedures are responsible for creating better outcomes which
results into overall increase in public health by making society disease free. Considering issues
faced by nurses, it is favourable to evaluate areas of boosting up effectiveness of different types
of medications and treatments activities which render help to reduce risk factors of medical

condition of people. In addition to this, analysis of nursing issues are required to increase
efficiency of them and their improved outcomes regarding specific treatment process for patient
with COPD. It will provide support to make people healthy and gain better public healthy
through making society well-being (Brownson, Colditz and Proctor, 2017).
RESEARCH QUESTION
The research question is:
“How nurse's challenge of caring for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary
diseases impacts on public health in Africa?”
PICO Format
P Patient or population The target population include patients suffering from chronic
obstructive pulmonary (COPD) disease and nursing staff
dealing with them on regular basis for providing treatment in
order to evaluate number of challenges or issues faced by
them. Nurses handling people with COPD face several issues
that impacts negatively on their performance which are
required to be determined and take actions to overcome with
the same.
I Intervention or exposure It is required to analyse conditions of patients with COPD and
respective complications along with problems of nursing staff
associated with. It is necessary to determine these issues to
analyse ways of improving outcomes of medications and other
clinical practices (Chircop, Bassett and Taylor, 2015).
However, the evaluate of problems facilitate to solve them
which increase performance of nursing as well as patients
outcomes respectively.
C Comparison The main alternative of analysing nursing issues is to sort out
them along with boosting up quality of clinical practices in
context of improving overall public health.
O Outcome The determined challenges can be overcome by taking suitable
actions which are favourable for nursing staff to conduct their

clinical practices in m ore effective as well as efficient manner,
it will provide support to reduce risk of occurring
complications in COPD and facilitate to improve patients
outcomes which results into overall improvements in public
health.
SEARCH STRATEGY
The types of investigation basically consist two types of categoiri8es such as qualitative
and quantitative. However, qualitative method is a types of research is also refers as a
exploratory research (DeJong and Blanchette, 2014). Moreover, It is utilise to acquire knowledge
about fundamental opinions, motivations and reasons. It facilitates insights in issues and assists
to improve thoughts as well as hypotheses for potential quantitative research. This also helpful to
uncover the trends into ideas as well as opinions and drive deeper into issues. It utilise both
structure and semi structure techniques. Some are individual interview, observation, group
discussion, observations and so on. Herein, the sample size is generally small and respondents
are chosen to complete provided quota. In contrary to this, quantitative research include utilise to
quantify the issues through producing numerical data which can be transformed into functional
statistics (Gull and et. Al., 2016). This is generally applied to measure behaviours, attitudes and
other variables as well as conclude outcomes from large sample. It usage measurable data in
order to develop facts and show patterns in research. This involves many types of surveys such
as mobile surveys, online surveys, paper surveys and so on, telephonic interview, systematic
observations, face to face interview, online polls, websites interceptors and many more. The
present report has been use qualitative method of research in order to analyse challenges faced
by nurses dealing with patients with COPD in African Health Organisation (AHO).
At the other hand, research design refers to frame work of methods and approaches which
are used to conduct overall investigation in more effective as well as efficient manner. It consist
several methods such as descriptive, exploratory and experimental in which most suitable one
can be adopted by researcher to make appropriate conclusions. However, exploratory research
requires the researcher to effectively explore the information and search various aspects to
acquire useful data relating to the research. They are required to be flexible and deducing to

access and analyse effective research information. Various methods are primary and secondary
methods which include interviews, internet, focus groups and so on (Hessami, 2014). Moreover,
descriptive research is a method which is used to describe a particular idea and phenomenon. It
uses various techniques to describe aspects which are essential for the research. However, it
follows quite a rigid approach and exploratory research lays down basis for descriptive research.
In addition to this, experimental research can be considered as primary approaches which are
used for investigating casual or cause and effect relationships or to effectively study relationships
between variables. This is a traditional type of research which is quantitative. Two or more
variables are compared effectively using this approach and is quite a viable design in case
accurate and numerical results are required. Furthermore, the selected investigation has been
utilise descriptive research design in order to observe thoroughly and gain deep description about
challenges of nursing staff in respect of handling patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary
diseases (COPD).
Primary research method can be considered as new research which can carried out to
answer the specific issues and problems and it involves questionnaire, examination, survey and
interviews with individual and small groups. This is usually conduct for connect with customers
and potential buyers who are willing to purchase such goods and services. It is designed to meet
with unique and specific needs of customers. This is fundamental investigation which is
conducted by researcher in order to collect and gather appropriate data and information in better
manner. It is provide a lot of specific results or outcomes while conducting this research by an
investigation (Leeman and et.al., 2014). Moreover, secondary research method is the type of
research which has already been complied, collected, gathered and published by others. This
includes reports and studies by government bodies, other businesses and trade corporations in the
industry. For small businesses with limited budgets, there are various investigation which is
typically secondary because this can be obtained rapid and more affordable than primary method
of research. This type of study is easy to find through use of internet search by researching
marketing journals and it is usually free or lower in cost. It includes books, magazines,
newspaper and many more. The given investigation preferred to utilise secondary sources like
journals and article to analyse present challenges of nursing staff while dealing with patients
COPD. Additionally, the qualitative interviews were also carried out in terms of gaining desired
information which is considered as primary source of data collection.

The sampling can be described as criteria to select group of respondents to take their views about
their problem of challenges faced by nurse while treating COPD patients to make them healthy.
Sampling can be divided into two categories like random and non-random sampling with their
subparts as well. The selected investigation considered random sampling in order to collect
respondents to gather information about issues faced by nurses while handling people suffering
from COPD (Lu and et.al., 2017). The criteria of inclusion consist to select participants from 18
years to 48 years old and nursing staff only working for patients having problem of chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). In contrary to this, it has been analysed that exclusion
include avoiding nursing staff working in other wards for people having another health problems.
Moreover, it involves to exclude older people and patients with serious condition of chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease. Additionally, it is necessary to select comfortable individuals by
taking their permission for involving them in investigation to make accurate conclusions about
given topic. Furthermore, nursing staff is selected who were working in longer shifts in respect
of providing care to people having COPD.
MAIN FINDINGS
Considering analysis of several secondary sources of information, it has been founded
that nursing staff face extra workload between two shifts and work for longer working hours. It
will impact on their mental and physical health as they did not take proper rest between two
working shifts which impacts negatively on their performance while dealing with patients with
COPD. However, overall study has been done by analysing secondary resources by evaluating
different sources like books, journals and articles which recently published with authenticate
information which is valid in order to make appropriate findings regarding selected issue of
public health (National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2018). Moreover, it
is observed that interaction between nurses and patients also become barrier to provide better
care services to treat the problem of COPD in Africa for increasing public health. At the other
hand, it is also analysed by studying an article that the nurse have problem of less nursing staff
due to which extra burden of work should be tackle by them. However, it will be responsible for
increasing chances of occurring complicated situations of people having chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease. It is determine that management of African Health Organisation is required
to be focus on additional work load of nurses which impacts negatively on their performance and
results inappropriate outcomes of medications.

At the other hand, several articles have been studied with their respective themes in
respect of making appropriate conclusions regarding selected topic. It include themes like “The
nurse′s challenge of caring for patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in primary
health care” through which problem of improper interaction between patient and nurse is an issue
which affects the quality of care accordingly (Sommers, Gawande and Baicker, 2017). However,
‘Nurses’ Perspectives on Compassionate Care for Patients with Exacerbated Chronic Obstructive
Pulmonary Disease’ helps to know that interventions should be prepared at different levels
according to unique needs of every individual. Having perception to use same actions for all
patients with COPD is not always appropriate then it is necessary to an effective plan to make
them healthy. Meanwhile, one more theme of an article i.e. “Managing Severe COPD:
Addressing the Challenges with Latest Trends and Treatment Options” shows that over all
challenges faced by nurses at the time of handling people suffering from COPD can be
categorised into two categories including patient- nurse relation and available resources. It has
been analysed that nursing staff is required to make people confortable and establish strong bond
with which helps to conduct treatment activities more effectively. Additionally, management and
authorities of health care organisation like AHO should ensure availability of overall required
equipment, machines, medicines and other resources for providing proper treatment to needy
person immediately.
In addition to this, the above discussion shows evidence about various nursing challenges
which are generally faced by them while providing care to individuals with COPD. It will
provide support evaluate overall problems of nurses which can be sort out in future by taking
more effective as well as efficient action (Stanhope and Lancaster, 2015). However, it will
provide support to carrying out overall clinical practices at the time of providing care to patient
suffering from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease in order to make them disease free in
appropriate manner. Meanwhile, it is favourable for nurses to analyse their issues and
management will solve their problems due to which they can perform their in properly in future
time by gaining better outcomes for patient of COPD. Moreover, it consist to make an accurate
strategy in hospitals to improve management by scheduling shift of working for nurses to reduce
their work load in future which effects positively their performance in terms of increasing patient
outcomes. Additionally, administration will ensure availability of desired machines and other
materials at work place which are essential to conduct treatment process for treating COPD in

correct way. Furthermore, authorities of healthcare organisations facilitate to conduct inspection
of overall infrastructure to make sure about appropriate work place for nursing staff for working
effectively.
RECOMMENDATIONS
Through considering above discussion, it has been recommended that recent journals and articles
are required to be used for conducting investigation in appropriate manner through making
accurate conclusion about specific topic. It is necessary to study authentic information from
different sources which are favourable to analyse nursing challenges at work place which impact
negatively on their performance that facilitate improper care of people suffering from chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease (Thornicroft and et. al., 2016). However, it is necessary to
conduct proper survey and conduct personal interviews to gather desired information actual
problems which were faced by nurse due which their work and health of people get suffered. In
addition to this, it is suggested to provide appropriate time and cost while carrying out overall
investigation in order to make valid and reliable outcomes. Appropriate results of research are
helpful to apply in practical life which provides support to boost up public health in society.
At the other hand, it is necessary to consult with senior researchers who have already
carried out several investigations on same topic which is beneficial to selected correct research
design and methods (Zardo, Collie and Livingstone, 2014). Meanwhile, it is necessary to follow
overall regulations and legislation at the time of carrying out research which is supportive to
make investigation and its results more valid and reliable. Moreover, it is suggested to follow
desired ethical considerations while involving respondents in investigation and using
authenticate information as well. It is important to take care of safety and dignity of an individual
to particular concern whose personal data will be utilised in research. It is necessary to make sure
privacy of data by maintaining confidentiality which mandatory in legal manner. It is
recommended to use proper sources of information to gather required data in respect of gaining
accurate results.
CONCLUSION
From the above report, it has been concluded that nursing staff suffer by various challenges
at work pace which impact on their performance. It is necessary to evaluate these issues and put
efforts to solve them in order to provide proper care to patients with chronic obstructive

pulmonary disease to make them disease free. However, it is observed that nurse patient relation,
unavailability of resources, additional working hours and insufficient time between shifts to rest
impacts negatively on working of nurses. These problems should be overcome by taking correct
actions which facilitate to give appropriate care for patients with COPD to make them healthy
and improve overall public health.

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
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