DEPARTMENT OF MEDICAL-SURGICAL NURSING

This study assessed the practice of infection control measures, influencing factors, barriers, and the relationship between academic level and adherence among undergraduate nursing students in a tertiary institution in Edo State. A descriptive cross-sectional design was adopted, and data were collected from 244 students using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Analysis was done using SPSS version 27, with descriptive and inferential statistics applied. Findings revealed generally good adherence, particularly in hand hygiene (65.6%), proper disposal of sharps (70.5%), and use of personal protective equipment (60.7%). Compliance was lower for equipment disinfection (56.6%) and isolation precautions (53.3%), with a grand mean of 3.47. Factors positively influencing practice included belief in patient safety (72.1%), continuous education (64.8%), and supervision (62.3%). Major barriers reported were overcrowding (61.5%), time constraints (58.2%), workload (57.4%), inadequate PPE (53.3%), and insufficient supervision (52.5%). A Chi-square test revealed a significant association between academic level and adherence (χ² = 6.481, df = 4, p = 0.039), with 300-level students showing higher compliance (68.2%) than 400-level (59.3%) and 500-level (53.3%) students. The study concludes that while nursing students demonstrate commendable infection control practices, gaps remain, highlighting the need for stronger institutional support, continuous education, and resource provision to sustain compliance.

Depression is a prevalent mental health condition that significantly affects academic performance, social functioning, and overall wellbeing among university students. This study investigated the prevalence and factors associated with depression among undergraduate students at the University of Benin, Edo State, Nigeria. A descriptive cross-sectional survey design was employed, and data were collected from a sample of 382 students drawn from the Faculty of Arts through a stratified random sampling technique. A structured self- administered questionnaire incorporating the standardized Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9) was used to assess depression levels, while additional sections captured socio- demographic, academic, and lifestyle variables. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26.0, with descriptive and inferential statistics applied at a significance level of p < 0.05. The results revealed that depression was prevalent among undergraduate students, with varying degrees of severity influenced by socio-demographic, academic, and lifestyle factors. Female students, those with lower socioeconomic status, students living off-campus, and those with high academic workloads were more likely to exhibit depressive symptoms. Furthermore, poor sleep quality, substance use, and lack of social support were significantly
associated with higher depression rates. Academic performance and self-efficacy were inversely related to depressive symptomatology, indicating that academic stress and low motivation contribute substantially to the development of depression. The findings underscore the urgent need for institutional interventions aimed at promoting mental health awareness, early screening, and the integration of counseling and peer support services within the university system. It is recommended that the University of Benin enhance mental health literacy programs, provide academic accommodations for affected students, and strengthen psychosocial support mechanisms to mitigate depression and its consequences among undergraduates.

This study assessed the burden of care as a predictor of quality of life among care givers of hypertensive patients attending a tertiary health facility in Benin City, Edo State. A crosssectional survey was conducted with 195 caregiver-patient pairs with data collected using structured questionnaires, the Zarit Burden Interview (ZBI), and the WHO Quality of Life-BREF (WHOQoL-BREF) instrument that a sessed their demographic characteristics, burden of care among caregivers, health realted quality of life (HRQoL) of caregivers and hypertensive patients, and the factors associated with burden of care among caregivers. The findings revealed that about 56.4% of caregivers experienced a high level of burden, with a mean ZBI score of 44.07 (SD = 6.30), and 13.8% reported severe burden. Moreso, having no formal education (compared to tertiary education) was associated with significantly lower odds of experiencing a higher burden of care (OR = 0.362, 95% CI [0.148, 0.885], p = 0.026). Furthermore, caregivers who desired to continue caregiving (compared to not desiring to continue) were significantly more likely to report a high burden of care (OR = 2.431, 95% CI [1.297, 4.556], p = 0.006). Additionally, multivariate analysis examining the relationship between quality of life domains and the likelihood of experiencing a high burden of care revealed that reporting a low psychological quality of life (compared to high psychological QoL) significantly increased the odds of high burden (OR = 6.474, 95% CI [1.369, 30.616], p = 0.018), and reporting a low environmental quality of life (compared to high environmental QoL) also significantly increased the odds of high burden (OR = 6.168, 95% CI [1.069, 35.596], p = 0.042). However, the study concluded on the need for targeted caregiver education, psychosocial support, and strategies to improve patient adherence to mitigate caregiver burden and enhance their quality of life.

This study assessed the prevalence, awareness, influencing factors, and drug usage patterns of self-medication among undergraduate students at the University of Benin. A cross-sectionalsurvey was conducted with 355 students selected from the Faculty of Art using a multistage sampling technique. A structured questionnaire was used to assess their demographic characteristics, level of awareness regarding risks and consequences of self-medications, prevalence rate of self-medication, and factors influencing self-medication practices. The Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 27.0 was used for data analysis. The findings revealed that 79.7% of respondents engaged in self-medication at least sometimes, with47.9% always practicing it. Pain relievers, such as paracetamol and ibuprofen, were the mostcommonly used drugs (77.2%), followed by antimalarials (61.7%). Despite high awareness ofthe risks—such as drug resistance (xത = 3.52) and adverse health effects from overdosing (xത=3.55), self-medication remains widespread. Factors significantly influencing this practice included easy access to drugs without prescriptions (χ² = 36.731, p = 0.001), long hospital waiting times (χ² = 4.834, p = 0.028), high treatment costs (χ² = 5.159, p = 0.023), and advicefrom non-medical sources (χ² = 9.383, p = 0.002). Hence, the study concluded that self medication is highly prevalent among undergraduate students at the University of Benin, despite a generally high level of awareness about its associated risks and consequences. However, recommendations included the need for regulatory, educational, and healthcare system interventions to promote safe medication practices among undergraduates.

Stress and burnout are increasingly recognized as critical challenges in the nursing profession, particularly among newly qualified nurses who face the pressures of adapting to demanding clinical environments. These challenges can significantly affect nurses’ well-being, job performance, and quality of patient care, underscoring the need for evidence-based interventions. This study aims to explore the experiences of newly qualified nurses regarding stress and burnout at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Benin City. This quantitative descriptive study examined the level of stress and burnout among newly qualified nurses at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital. Using a purposive sampling technique, a total of 149 newly qualified nurses were recruited. Data were collected through a well-structured questionnaire and analyzed using SPSS version 23.0. The findings were presented using descriptive statistics.