Publication:

Nurse led intervention on the self-management of glaucoma among patients at federal medical center Idi Aba, Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria

Background The damaging and insidious nature of glaucoma make it spread gradually without being noticed but causes serious harm. In support to this, failure to have adequate knowledge leads to late detection and poses management problem in preventing blindness from glaucoma among glaucoma patients. This study tends to fill such gap by assessing the effect of nurse-led intervention on the self-management of glaucoma among glaucoma patients at Federal Medical Center Idi Aba Abeokuta, Ogun State, Nigeria.

Methods The study utilized one group pre-test, posttest quasi experimental research design with 97 glaucoma patients. Two research instruments were used to collect data. Data were collected over six weeks in three phases. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the data for the research questions.

Results Mean score of knowledge level of participants on glaucoma increased from 8.13±3.14 (pre intervention) to 15.91±1.68 (post intervention). Pre intervention knowledge mean score level of participants on glaucoma self-management increased from 9.28±3.76 to post intervention mean score of 18.12±1.09; pre intervention skills' mean score of participants on the effective eye drop instillation increased from 4.23±0.88 to 8.47±0.53 at post intervention mean score.

Conclusions The training package enhanced the general knowledge and self-management of glaucoma, as well as skills in eye drop instillation. It is therefore recommended that there is need for nurses to provide clear and detailed instructions on how glaucoma medication must be effectively instilled.