Management of gestational hypertension disorders in Saudi Arabia by primary care nurses

Abstract

Objective: Failure of health-care providers to have sufficient knowledge and prevention measures of gestational hypertension leads to an increased rate of complications during pregnancy that may lead to the loss of the fetus. The study aims to determine the level of the nurses' knowledge working in primary health-care (PHC) centers regarding gestational hypertension disorders in Riyadh city. Subjects and Methods: A descriptive correlational, nonexperimental study design was conducted at 6 PHC centers using a self-administered questionnaire for nurses (n = 257). Results: Nurses had inadequate knowledge about the essential key items of gestational hypertension disorders. Almost half of the nurses (44%) lacked knowledge about how to assess the fetal condition in case of gestational hypertension, and 57.98% of the sample had difficulty in identifying the signs and symptoms of mild preeclampsia. The majority of the sample (70.42%) had unsatisfactory knowledge about essential drugs for the treatment of preeclampsia; 54.08% of the nurses experienced insufficient knowledge about their role before the administration of magnesium sulfate drugs. In addition, study results show that there was a lack of knowledge on the appropriate management of preeclampsia among the majority study participants (98.83%) with a total knowledge mean score (19.09, 63.63%). Conclusion: Primary care nurses lacked the needed knowledge to identify and provide preventive care to women experiencing gestational hypertension. Furthermore, there was a lack of knowledge in regard to identifying the complications of preeclampsia. The nurses are accountable for the quality of maternity care, and a maternity training program must be considered.