Attitudes of community health nurses towards postnatal home visitation: a study in the Ashanti Region of Ghana

Abstract

Enhancing maternal and newborn care is a key priority for governments worldwide. World leaders have taken deliberate steps to improve these essential services, with an emphasis on postnatal care, including home visits for mothers and their newborns. However, in the Ashanti Region and across Ghana, challenges surrounding the delivery and effectiveness of postnatal home visits remain a significant concern. This study aimed to assess the attitudes of Community Health Nurses towards postnatal home visitation in selected districts of the Ashanti Region. A quantitative survey approach was used to gather data from 100 CHNs randomly selected from 10 regional districts. Structured questionnaires were used to gather quantitative data from CHNs. Findings from the study were analysed using descriptive and inferential tests. The study results indicated that most of the CHNs were young adults, 35 years of age (79%), with the majority having 3–5 years of work experience. The respondents generally demonstrated a negative attitude towards PNHV as they believed it was an extra workload, time-consuming, and unnecessary. A Pearson chi-square test indicated strong significant association between CHNs’ attitude towards the components of the attitude scale and years of experience as well as their age. In conclusion, the study revealed that even though CHNs are expected, as part of their job description, to embark on home visitation activities, most of them have a negative attitude towards this professional duty. There should be conscientious, novel ways to ignite the interest of these essential service providers to help improve infant and maternal health.