Maintenance of Cold Chain during Immunisation: Voices of Learner Nurses

Abstract

Maintenance of cold chain is integral for vaccine potency maintenance. Most vaccines are temperature-sensitive, hence cold chain maintenance is essential. Cold chain is crucial to keep the potency of vaccines. Improper vaccine storage and handling affect the quality of administered vaccines as lost potency of vaccines cannot be replaced. Nurses must maintain cold chain to maintain their lifespan until administration to clients. Learner nurses at a public university in Limpopo province, South Africa share their experiences on cold chain maintenance during immunisation. The objectives were to explore and describe the maintenance of cold chains during immunisation in clinical areas as voiced by learner nurses. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive, and contextual research design was used. A non-probability purposive sampling method was used to select participants. Data was collected through a semi-structured interview, using an interview guide. Data was analysed using Tesch’s open coding method. Measures were taken to ensure trustworthiness and that ethical issues were adhered to. The findings of the study revealed a shortage of resources and a lack of knowledge and skills. The study recommends the provision of adequate resources, involvement of nurses in determining training needs, in-service training, and provision of a backup system for power interruptions.