Original Research

Evaluating the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness counselling skills of professional nurses in the North West Province of South Africa

Marguerette-Francoisé Malan, Tinda Rabie, Catherina E. Muller
Health SA Gesondheid | Vol 23 | a1074 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hsag.v23i0.1074 | © 2018 Margie Malan, Tinda Rabie, C. E. Muller | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 23 January 2018 | Published: 10 October 2018

About the author(s)

Marguerette-Francoisé Malan, School of Nursing Science NuMIQ Focus Area, North-West University, South Africa
Tinda Rabie, School of Nursing Science NuMIQ Focus Area, North-West University, South Africa
Catherina E. Muller, School of Nursing Science NuMIQ Focus Area, North-West University, South Africa

Abstract

Background: The Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) strategy provides guidelines for supporting and improving the health system to reduce under-5 children’s mortality rates. This strategy specifically assists professional nurses with the case management of children aged birth–5 years.

Aim: The purpose of this study was to investigate how professional nurses provided counselling to caregivers of under-5 children based on the IMCI strategy in Primary Health Care facilities of one district in the North West Province of South Africa.

Setting: Primary Health Care (PHC) facilities of one district in the North West Province.

Method: A quantitative, descriptive and observational design was used. Counselling provided by the professional nurses was observed and a checklist was completed. This IMCI counselling checklist was based on aspects in the counselling section of the Health Facility Survey, formulated according to the IMCI strategy’s requirements.

Results: Counselling that focused on feeding, administration of medication and counselling skills used during the consultation were good. However, counselling of caregivers of children aged 13 months to 5 years could be improved and the caregivers’ health status should also be addressed.

Conclusion: Counselling provided to caregivers of under-5 children regarding feeding, administering of medication and caregivers’ health status used effective communication skills. However, technicalities of feeding such as lactation and nutritional guidance posed challenges.


Keywords

caregivers of under-5 children; health counselling; integrated management of childhood illness strategy; primary health care facilities; under-5 mortality rate

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