Professional nurse's knowledge of tuberculosis prophylaxis in people living with HIV at Collins Chabane Municipality, Vhembe District of Limpopo Province

Abstract

Background: Tuberculosis is constantly regarded as a major global health problem. Globally, tuberculosis is regarded as one of the causes of death among people living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus and ranks alongside the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, one of the top infectious diseases. Professional nurses are pivotal in preventing tuberculosis among people living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus, providing tuberculosis prophylaxis, and monitoring adherence. Professional nurses’ knowledge of tuberculosis prophylaxis in people living with the Human immune-deficiency virus is key to preventing tuberculosis among people living with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Purpose of the study: The study sought to assess the knowledge of professional nurses regarding tuberculosis prophylaxis in people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus in Collins Chabane district clinics. Methodology: A quantitative approach and descriptive research design were used on the selected population of professional nurses from 30 Collins Chabane clinics. Non-probability, purposive sampling was employed to sample all 160 professional nurses. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect data, and a pre-test was done with 22 professional nurses at three health centres which were part of the main study. To ensure instrument validity content, face and construct validity were maintained. Statistic Package for Social Science version 26 was used to analyse data; to get frequency and percentages, presented in distribution tables and graphs. The researcher adhered to all the ethical considerations, including permission, informed consent, confidentiality, and anonymity. The study respondents had an average of three years of working experience with people living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus. Only a few have been trained specifically for tuberculosis prophylaxis, which resulted in low knowledge of evaluating Tuberculosis prophylaxis eligibility. Results: This study showed professional nurses’ knowledge about tuberculosis prophylaxis and some areas where they are not knowledgeable. The majority (n=138/86%) of respondents know about tuberculosis prophylaxis, and the minority (n=9/5.6%) show low knowledge of tuberculosis prophylaxis. The majority (n=150/94%) have low knowledge of the tuberculosis screening symptoms combination used to identify who is eligible for Tuberculosis prophylaxis; the majority (n=123/77%) of the study respondents indicated that Tuberculosis prophylaxis reduces the risk of Tuberculosis infection for people living with the Human immunodeficiency virus and the majority of about (n=56/35%) respondents know that all people living with the Human immunodeficiency virus who don’t have active Tuberculosis are eligible. The major barriers to the successful implementation of Tuberculosis prophylaxis revealed by this study were poor professional training of nurses on Tuberculosis prophylaxis (n=47/29%) and the effects of the current cough, which is Covid-19 (38/24%). The study showed several obstacles to the implementation of Tuberculosis prophylaxis. The majority identify a lack of specific training for professional nurses regarding Tuberculosis prophylaxis, Tuberculosis resistance, and lack of clarity on the Tuberculosis guidelines (85%, 44.4%) and 60.6%), respectively. Recommendations: The study recommended in-service training of professional nurses, specifically on Tuberculosis prophylaxis, and the revisions of Tuberculosis treatment guidelines for a better understanding by the health cares