Story by Dennise Akinyi
Nurses from across Kisumu County recently gathered for a symposium aimed at bolstering nursing practices and fostering innovation in patient care. Hosted through a collaborative effort between Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH) and several key healthcare institutions, including Avenue Hospital, Kisumu County Hospital (KCH), Aga Khan Hospital (AKH), Kisumu Specialist Hospital (KSH), Gertrude Children’s Hospital (GCH), and Tayiba Medical Center (TMC), the event showcased cutting-edge approaches in critical areas of healthcare.
A significant portion of the symposium focused on advancements in maternity and neonatal care. JOOTRH’s Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department, led by Faith Odhiambo, presented comprehensive best practices in maternity care, with a strong emphasis on psychosocial support for mothers during antenatal, labour, and postpartum periods.
Ms. Odhiambo highlighted how psychosocial support provides crucial emotional, social, mental, and spiritual assistance, helping pregnant women and new mothers navigate the challenges of pregnancy, childbirth, and the transition to motherhood. This support, she explained, reduces maternal stress and anxiety, improves mental and physical health outcomes, and promotes healthy behaviours, ultimately leading to safer and more positive birth experiences.
The symposium also addressed the profound grief associated with perinatal mortality. The JOOTRH maternity team detailed the compassionate psychosocial support offered to mothers who experience stillbirth, emphasizing the importance of a safe space for processing emotions, validating feelings, and providing ongoing support through counselling, support groups, and follow-up visits.
Another vital presentation from JOOTRH, delivered by Roseline Akinyi, focused on best practices in the new born unit, particularly the use of Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) in managing Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS). Akinyi elaborated on CPAP’s non-invasive nature, explaining how it supports spontaneous breathing and improves oxygenation in premature infants by mimicking lung physiology and preventing alveolar collapse. She detailed the indications for CPAP, its various administration modes, and its significant benefits in reducing intubation rates and complications, while also acknowledging potential challenges.
Beyond direct patient care, the symposium delved into crucial aspects of healthcare operations and nurse well-being. Avenue Hospital’s psychiatric doctor led a candid discussion on mental health challenges for nurses, underscoring the prevalence of emotional breakdowns, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and the pervasive stigma that often prevents nurses from seeking help. Recommendations included therapy, rest, boundary setting, and rediscovering personal passions to combat burnout and promote mental resilience.
Dr. James from Avenue Hospital also spearheaded a session on stock management, outlining the systematic process of ordering, storing, tracking, and controlling medical supplies. Effective inventory management, he stressed, is paramount for patient safety, reducing medication errors, and enhancing overall efficiency in healthcare settings.
Other participating hospitals shared their expertise in various domains:
Tayiba Medical Centre presented on Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH), detailing its definition, causes, symptoms, and comprehensive management strategies, including medical and surgical interventions, and the critical need for psychological support for affected mothers.
Aga Khan Hospital showcased strategies for achieving better patient outcomes through purposeful care, emphasizing urgent alerts for life-threatening conditions, multidisciplinary meetings, critical lab result protocols, and ongoing home care support.
Kisumu County Hospital highlighted key midwifery practices for safe birth delivery, focusing on PPH risk assessment, immediate management, and techniques to prevent complications.
Gertrude Children’s Hospital shared their successful efforts in improving fluid balance monitoring documentation through online charts and targeted training, emphasizing its vital role in detecting patient deterioration.
Kisumu Specialist Hospital introduced the use of structured assessment tools like Early Warning Scores (NEWS2, MEWS, PEWS, Obstetric EWS) and sepsis screening (qSOFA) for early detection of patient deterioration, standardizing communication, and reducing mortality.
The symposium concluded with a proposal to establish a committee comprising representatives from each participating hospital within the next month. This committee will be tasked with planning future events, with the upcoming theme set to focus on nursing updates and innovation, signaling a continued commitment to collaborative progress and excellence in nursing practices across Kisumu County.
