Assessment of Competency of Metered Dose Inhaler Technique and Associated Factors Among Nurses Working at Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa,Ethiopia,2024

Abstract

Summary Background: Inhaled medications are the cornerstone of asthma therapy. Metered dose inhaler technique is a widely used technique to administer medications like corticosteroids. Meanwhile, the health professionals and patients knowledge and practice towards this metered dose inhaler is quite deficient but arguably understood by policy makers or education expertise. Objectives: this study aimed to assess the competence of metered dose inhaler technique and associated factors among nurses working at Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College from November 2023 to June 2024. Methods: An institution-based cross-sectional study design was used to conduct at Saint Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College from June 1 to 30, 2024, involving quantitative data. The sample size was determined using single population proportion formula, The National Asthma Education and Prevention Programs of America (NAEPP) step criteria for the demonstration of a metered dose inhaler was used to rate the competency of using the inhaler. Data entered into Epi data 3.1 and exported to SPSS version 26 for descriptive and statistical analysis in relation to the study objectives. Analysis performed in two stages: in the first stage a bivariate logistic regression conducted to identify candidate covariates for multivariate analysis at p-value less than or equal to 25 percent then a multivariate logistic regression was performed to see the independent effect of different covariate on the outcome variable. Variables with p-value 0.05 in this stage considered as significant factors. Result: Out of 270 participants only 32.2% of the study participants had an adequate level of competency in the MDI technique. However, the odds of having an adequate level of competency in MDI technique was less likely among nurses with experience <5 years [(AOR=.186, 95% CI: .071–.488)] and nurses didn’t received training on MDI [(AOR=.134, 95% CI: .025-.711)] compared to their counterparts. Conclusion and recommendations: nurses’ competence in MDI techniques was poor, experience and training were found to be significant predictor of their competence. To integrate nurse into the future MDI administration establishing and providing capacity building education and training has to be made by all responsible organizations. Keywords: Metered dose inhaler, Competence, Health Care professionals