Study aimConsidering the alarming rate at which young people abuse tramadol, as evidenced by the numerous media reports on the subject, this qualitative study was conducted to explore the facilitators to the abuse of tramadol by young people.Design and methodsA qualitative exploratory descriptive design was employed in conducting the study. A total of 18 participants were purposively sampled. Data for the study were collected through two focused group discussions and three in‐depth‐interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyse the data.ResultsThe findings of the study revealed four main themes. These themes were initiating factors of abuse; desirable physical effects; desirable psychological effects; and undesirable effects. It was revealed that many young people initially get into tramadol abuse because of peer pressure, curiosity or post‐traumatic addiction. However, they often continue the practice for various physical and psychological gratifications including euphoria, attentiveness, high energy levels, pain relief and improved sexual performance. The study also revealed some unpleasant side effects of tramadol abuse such as severe vomiting, loss of appetite, seizures, emotional aloofness and irritability. Many of the participants in this study also expressed willingness to quit tramadol abuse because of social discrimination and the enormous side effects that come with the abuse of the drug.

Background. Efforts to reduce under-five mortality across the globe are being hindered by a disproportionately high rate of neonatal deaths. About a quarter of these neonatal deaths are caused by birth asphyxia. Available evidence shows that effective neonatal resuscitation delivered by providers skilled in and knowledgeable about neonatal resuscitation can significantly reduce neonatal mortality rates. Objectives. This cross-sectional study was conducted to determine knowledge and experience in neonatal resuscitation among midwives in Tamale, and the factors associated with their knowledge on neonatal resuscitation. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study involving all midwives practicing in three large hospitals in Tamale. We developed a questionnaire to collect data on demographic characteristics of participants, and their knowledge and experience in neonatal resuscitation. We used the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS), version 21, to analyse the data. Demographic characteristics of participants were summarized using descriptive statistics. Pearson's correlation was used to determine associations between knowledge and some selected demographic features, while the one-way ANOVA was conducted to determine differences in level of knowledge based on the demographic features. Results. 98.1% of the participants in this study had insufficient knowledge on neonatal resuscitation. Midwives at the Tamale Central Hospital demonstrated a statistically significantly higher level of knowledge (24.67 ± 2.79, p = .014), compared to those at the Tamale Teaching Hospital (22.92 ± 4.56, p = .028) and Tamale West Hospital (21.50 ± 6.24, p = .021). Those who had a first-degree qualification in midwifery and those with a Post-NAC/NAP midwifery certificate had a statistically significantly higher knowledge than those with a diploma in midwifery. Training in neonatal resuscitation was associated with more knowledge in neonatal resuscitation (r(158) = .195, p = .013). In terms of experience, 55% of the participants in this study were not experienced in performing neonatal resuscitation. There were no differences in their level of experience based on their academic qualification, work place, and years of practice as a midwife. Conclusion. Considering the generally low level of knowledge and experience of midwives in neonatal resuscitation as discovered in this study, there is an urgent need for government to provide more opportunities for all practicing midwives to be trained in this important lifesaving skill.

All aspects of nursing practice are regulated by politics and affected by changes in public policy. For that reason, nurses need to be active in the political process through which they may influence public policies on health. However, nurses’ participation in political activities in many countries is either low or moderate at best. Studies that explore political participation among nurses are rare in Africa. We conducted this study to identify factors that may enhance or hinder nurses’ political participation. Through a cross-sectional survey, we collected data from 225 registered nurses sampled from three hospitals and two nursing training schools in Tamale, Ghana, using a structured questionnaire. We analyzed the data using descriptive statistics and correlations. The most frequently reported barriers to political participation were having little free time, lack of trust in politicians, fear of conflict/confrontation, lack of educational preparation, and lack of access to the right connections. The major facilitators of political participation were identified as availability of free time and money, civic skills, personal interest in politics, self-belief and confidence, and a strong party affiliation. These findings call for integration of political content into the nursing education curriculum and for professional nursing organizations to create opportunities for their members to learn about the political process.

Background Although several studies have been conducted on the lived experiences of persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) in high income countries, there is no published data on such experiences in Ghana. The purpose of this study was to explore the lived experiences of persons with SCI in the Tamale Metropolis of the Northern Region of Ghana. Material and Methods A qualitative descriptive design involving thirteen participants was conducted at the Tamale Metropolis-Ghana. A purposive sampling technique was used to recruit participants, using the Neurosurgical Unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital as an outlet for recruitment of the sample. Data was gathered mainly through face-to-face in-depth interviews. The data was analyzed concurrently with data collection, using thematic content analysis. Ethical approval was obtained for the study from the Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research and the research unit of the Tamale Teaching Hospital. Results The three main themes that emerged from the data during analysis were “physical effects,” “psychological effects,” and “social issues.” Conclusion. The findings from the study suggest that SCI is a life threatening condition and that persons with SCI grapple with a myriad of physical symptoms that range from chronic pain and paralysis of lower and/or upper limbs, to bladder and bowel incontinence. These physical symptoms have significant psychological and social effects on the functioning of the affected persons.

Background. Knowledge of the Glasgow Coma Scale (GCS) is recognized as an asset to all clinical nurses. However, many studies in different countries have reported low levels of knowledge of the GCS among nurses. Little is known about this subject in Ghana. Objectives. The aim of this study was to assess the knowledge of Ghanaian nurses about the Glasgow Coma Scale and identify factors associated with their knowledge. Method. This was a descriptive cross-sectional study involving a convenience sample of 115 nurses from a large teaching hospital in Ghana. We collected data using a structured questionnaire and analysed the data using descriptive statistics, Pearson’s correlation, independent samples t-test, and one-way ANOVA. Results. A little more than half of the participants (50.4%) had low knowledge of the GCS as a whole. However, with respect to basic theoretical concepts of the GCS, 62.6% of the participants had good knowledge about it, while only 5.2% demonstrated good knowledge on application of the basic knowledge in clinical scenarios. Working in Neurosurgical ward, female gender, and weekly performance of the GCS were associated with higher levels of knowledge. Academic qualification, years of experience as a nurse, and refresher training on GCS were not associated with knowledge. Conclusion. The findings from this study showed that nurses in Ghana have low levels of knowledge about the GCS. A more structured approach to teaching the GCS that is very thorough and done with demonstrations should be implemented to improve nurses’ knowledge on the GCS.