Daystar University Repository
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- A collection of Class Projects and Student articles showcasing innovative ideas and diverse perspectives from our talented student community at Daystar University
- A collection of conference, workshop, seminar, proceedings, and lecture series showcasing diverse topics and cutting-edge research from faculty and staff of Daystar University.
- An archival collection chronicling the institutional history, academic achievements, and diverse heritage of Daystar University.
- A collection of Publications by faculty and staff showcasing research, academic achievements, and institutional insights of Daystar University.
- A collection of Lectures and Speeches from distinguished speakers across various disciplines of Daystar University.
Recent Submissions
Experiences of African Immigrant Women Living with HIV in the U.K.: Implications for Health Professionals.
(J Immigrant Minority Health, 2009) Ndirangu, Wambui Eunice; Catrin, Evans
In the U.K. immigrant women from Africa constitute an increasingly large proportion of newly diagnosed cases of HIV. A significant minority of these are refugees and asylum seekers. Very little is known about their experiences of living with HIV/AIDS, their psychosocial needs or their views of health care provision. This paper reports the results of a qualitative study that explored these issues by interviewing eight African women living with HIV in the British city of Nottingham. Women’s ability to live positively with HIV was found to be strongly shaped by their migration history, their legal status, their experience of AIDS-related stigma and their Christian faith. Significantly, health services were represented as a safe social space, and were highly valued as a source of advice and support. The findings indicate that non-judgemental, personalised health care plays a key role in encouraging migrant African women to access psychosocial support and appropriate HIV services.
Professional Image of Nursing and Midwifery in East Africa: An Exploratory Analysis.
(BMC Nursing., 2021) Ndirangu, Wambui Eunice; Mohammed, Sarki Ahmed; Mbekenga, Columba; Edwards, Grace
Background: Evidence suggests that there is a negative image of nursing and midwifery that does not promote these professions as attractive career options. Furthermore, there is a paucity of studies documenting how nursing and midwifery is perceived in East Africa and where such studies exist they are country-specific. The aim of this study was to explore views regarding the image of nursing and midwifery among nurses and midwives in three East African countries, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda. Methods: An exploratory descriptive cross-sectional study administered online using Survey Monkey Questionnaires assessed the views and perceptions of nurses and midwives regarding the image of nursing and midwifery professions. Descriptive statistics and Pearson’s Chi square tests were used to analyse the data. The semi-structured questions were analysed using content analysis. Results: A total of 551 participants took part in the study. The majority were females (61.8%), registered nurses/ midwives (45.8%), and aged 30–39 years (34.2%). Most of the respondents were from Kenya (39.7%) and Uganda (32.9%). About two-thirds of the nurses and midwives in this study perceived nursing/midwifery as both trusted and respected professions and expressed having a level of control over how their image was portrayed. Conversely, the nurses and midwives were conscious that the public had mixed responses about the nursing/midwifery professions specifically, some members of the public described nurses/midwives as professionals, knowledgeable and caring, others perceived nurses/midwives to be rude, cruel, unkind, lazy, unkempt, and maids. Conclusion: This study offers an interesting insight about the image of nursing/midwifery in East Africa. Findings from this study will inform policy makers and educators about key concepts that affect the image of nursing and midwifery in East Africa. The findings will be used to design marketing materials to help improve the image of nursing and midwifery in the region and other African countries.
Reorienting Nurturing Care for Early Childhood Development during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kenya: A Review
(International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020) Ndirangu, Wambui Eunice; Shumba, Constance; Maina, Rose; Mbuthia, Gladys; Kimani, Rachel; Mbugua, Stella; Shah, Sweta; Abubakar, Amina; Luchters, Stanley; Shaibu, Sheila
In Kenya, millions of children have limited access to nurturing care. With the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, it is anticipated that vulnerable children will bear the biggest brunt of the direct and indirect impacts of the pandemic. This review aimed to deepen understanding of the e ects of COVID-19 on nurturing care from conception to four years of age, a period where the care of children is often delivered through caregivers or other informal platforms. The review has drawn upon the empirical evidence from previous pandemics and epidemics, and anecdotal and emerging evidence from the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. Multifactorial impacts fall into five key domains: direct health; health and nutrition systems; economic protection; social and child protection; and child development and early learning. The review proposes program and policy strategies to guide the reorientation of nurturing care, prevent the detrimental e ects associated with deteriorating nurturing care environments, and support the optimal development of the youngest and most vulnerable children. These include the provision of cash transfers and essential supplies for vulnerable households and strengthening of community-based platforms for nurturing care. Further research on COVID-19 and the ability of children’s ecology to provide nurturing care is needed, as is further testing of new ideas.
Implementing Routine Provider Initiated HIV Testing in Public Healthcare Facilities in Kenya: A Qualitative Descriptive Study of Nurses’ Experiences.
(AIDS Care., 2011) Ndirangu, Wambui Eunice; Catrin, Evans
Routine 'provider-initiated testing and counselling' (PITC) for HIV has been implemented amidst concern over how consent, confidentiality and counselling (the 3C’s) can be maintained in underresourced health care settings. In Kenya, PITC has been rolled out since 2005, HIV prevalence is 7.1% and over 86% of adults have not been tested. Kenyan nurses are the main cadre implementing PITC but little is known about their experiences of incorporating HIV testing into everyday practice and the challenges faced in maintaining the 3’Cs within their work environments. This study aimed to explore these issues and adopted a qualitative multi-method design using a convenience sampling approach. Two focus group discussions (total n=12) and 13 in-depth individual interviews were For Peer Review Only undertaken with nurses from 11 different public health care facilities in Nairobi and its surrounding areas (including in- and out-patient settings). Data were analysed thematically. Nurses identified a range of personal, client and health system challenges in the everyday application of PITC. These included: (i) the contradictions of normalising a highly stigmatised disease and the difficulty of providing client centred care within a routinised and target oriented work culture; (ii) the challenge of dealing with ethically complex client situations in which the principles of the 3C’s could be difficult to uphold; and, (iii) lack of time, resources, space and recognition within workplace environments (especially in-patient settings) that, likewise, led to problems with maintaining the 3C’s. In-patient nurses in particular identified problems associated with testing in a multi-disciplinary context, suggesting that other health professionals appeared to routinely flout the PITC guidelines. In conclusion, this study shows that the process of translating policy into practice is invariably complex and that more research is needed to explore PITC practices, particularly in in-patient settings. Nurses require supervision and support to negotiate the challenges and to fulfil their roles effectively.
Enhancing Healthcare Quality in Hospitals through Electronic Health Records: A Systematic Review Health Records: A Systematic Review
(Journal of Health Informatics in Developing Countries., 2021) Gatiti, Peter; Mwangi, Joseph; Ndirangu, Wambui Eunice; Mwanzu, Arnold; Ramadhani, Terry
Background: The evolution of information technology has continued to put pressure on healthcare systems to switch from manual to electronic systems. The electronic health record is a leading information technology system that has drawn considerable interest from governments and private health facilities. However, EHR implementation has proved to be a problematic endeavor, especially in developing countries. Objective: This review sought to determine the influence of EHR implementation on healthcare quality in hospitals and identifying applicable lessons for EHR implementers in hospital settings. Methods: Relevant literature was searched in the identified databases, including Scopus, PubMed, CINAHL, PsycInfo, and Cochrane Library. Websites such as the World Health Organization and the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence were searched for policies and guidelines. The study used several terms and their variations to create a search strategy, including electronic health records, hospitals and, healthcare quality. The literature search was constrained to the English language and studies published between 2010 and 2020. The study carried out a narrative synthesis of results from the included studies. Results: Overall, the findings of the systematic review demonstrated that EHR has a significant positive influence on healthcare quality by enhancing patient safety and ensuring effective, efficient, timely, equitable, and patientcentered care. Some of the EHR functionalities that facilitate quality healthcare include, practice management, communication, documentation or data entry, and medication management, decision support functionality, computerized drug prescription, electronic nursing documentation, and electronic management records. EHR implementation is faced with several challenges, which can be grouped into institutional side factors, human resource factors, technological factors, and ethical issues. Conclusion: We established a significant effect of EHR implementation on several healthcare quality indicators, namely patient safety, effective care, efficient care, timely care, equitable and patient-centered care. EHR implementation is faced with challenges emanating from the healthcare institutions, healthcare professionals, technology, and ethical issues. There is a need to devise an effective mechanism that would minimize the challenges that prevent successful EHR implementation in hospitals.