A basic needs assessment of Kenyan health care practitioners' training and ability in providing resuscitation management for patients in Mbagathi Hospital, Nairobi

Study objective: To determine if health care providers at one district hospital in Nairobi, Kenya, possess the training and confidence necessary to attend to basic needs for patient resuscitation.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Mbagathi District Hospital, Nairobi, Kenya, a 300-bed, government district-level health care facility serving over one million Kenyans.

Subjects: 21 medical officers, clinical officers, medical officer and clinical officer interns, and nurses.

Measurements: An investigator-designed survey, the Self Assessment of Clinical Skills, designed to assess training and level of confidence in addressing basic resuscitation, was administered.

Main results: 80% of respondents have been taught how to maintain a patent airway, but 22% felt less than confident in their ability. Nearly two thirds (62%) of respondents had not been trained to use a pulse oximeter. 100% of respondents felt they would benefit from additional training in airway and pulse oximetry assessment. While 90% reported that they had been taught to treat hypotension and 76% had experience treating hypotension, only 62% felt confident in their ability to treat hypotension. 95% desired additional training in hypotension management. 85% wanted additional training in measuring blood pressure, and every respondent desired additional training in the other circulatory monitoring skills listed on the survey.

Conclusions: Providers of the Mbagathi District Hospital, Nairobi, report a lack of confidence in recognizing basic resuscitation needs, and they desire additional training.