Abstract:
Background:- Nurses have independent mandates in the health care team in maintaining
proper oxygen saturation level and recognize best approaches to deliver oxygen for specific
patients.
Objective: To assess knowledge and practices of oxygen therapy and associated factors
among nurses in public hospitals of west shewa zone, Oromia, Ethiopia, 2021
Methods:-An institutional based cross-sectional study design was employed from Sept10 to
October 10/2021 among 418 nurses working in public hospitals of West Shewa Zone .the
study participants were selected by using simple random sampling technique. Data were
collected using structured self-administered questionnaire. The collected data were coded and
entered into Epi-data version 4.6 and then exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Binary
logistic regression model analysis was done. Odds ratio was calculated at 95% CI to measure
an association and p-value < 0.05 was used to declare statistical significance.
Results: Data were obtained from 413 Nurses with response rate of 99%. The overall
knowledge level of the nurses on Oxygen Therapy is 64.9% (95%CI: 60.0-69.5%) while the
overall practice level on Oxygen Therapy is 14% (95%CI: 10.8-17.8%). Nurse who had
masters attainment were 8.17% more likely to be knowledgeable on Oxygen therapy when
compared with Diploma AOR= (8.17, 95% CI; 1.057-5.704). Nurses who had get Training
for procedure of oxygen therapy were 2.3 times more likely to be knowledgeable than nurses
who didn‟t get training on oxygen therapy procedure (AOR=2.294, 95% CI, 1.478-3.563). In
addition, Nurses who are working in hospitals where guideline about oxygen therapy is
available were 7 times more likely practice than nurses who have been working in hospitals
where guideline is not available(AOR=7.192, 95% CI; 3.050-16.985).
Conclusion: This study finding showed that practice of Oxygen therapy is low among nurses
working in Public Hospital in West Shewa Zone. Having Bachelor of Science degree, having
Master degree, availability of oxygen therapy guideline and training on oxygen therapy
procedure are found to be significantly associated with knowledge and practice of nurses
about Oxygen therapy. Therefore, West Shoa zonal health office should increase the
knowledge and practice of nurses on Oxygen therapy through increasing educational status
and training for nurses.
