Nurses' Level of Knowledge on Management of Preeclampsia / Eclampsia and the associated factors in Northern Tanzania: An Analytical Cross-Sectional Study

BACKGROUND: Preeclampsia/Eclampsia is among the hypertensive disorder of pregnancy. It is accompanied by high blood pressure, protein in the urine, convulsion, and sometimes oliguria. This condition results in higher maternal morbidity and mortality worldwide. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to assess nurses' level of knowledge and factors influencing nurses' knowledge of managing preeclampsia/Eclampsia in Northern Tanzania. METHOD: The study was analytical cross-sectional study design. A total sample of 176 nurses working in the maternity block was enrolled in the study. A census sampling technique was used to get 176 nurses. A closed-ended structured questionnaire was used to collect data. Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 26 was used for data analysis. Knowledge was categoried into low and high knowledge, two, less than 50% had low knowledge and above 50% had high knowledge. Inferential analysis using a logistic regression model was used to establish factors associated with knowledge. RESULTS: The study revealed that more than half of interviewed nurses 129(73.3%) had high knowledge while 47(26.7%) had low knowledge on management of preeclampsia/Eclampsia. After controlling for confounders, factors associated with knowledge were nurse who got On job training on Preeclampsia/Eclampsia management. CONCLUSIONS: Some essential predictors of knowledge were shown among nurses, but generally, knowledge about the management of preeclampsia/eclampsia among nurses was high. Managing women with preeclampsia/eclampsia and their fetuses, there is a great need for advanced strategies to increase knowledge about the management to nurses.