Knowledge, Practices, and Barriers to Peak Flow Meter Use among Nurses in a Tertiary Hospital
Afua Wirekowaa Adjei Yeboah *
Directorate of Internal Medicine, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana, Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives, Ghana and Christian Service University, Kumasi, Ghana.
Susana Somuah
Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives, Ghana and Nursing and Midwifery Training College, Koforidua, Ghana.
Rasheed Ofosu-Poku
Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives, Ghana, Christian Service University, Kumasi, Ghana and Ahmadiyya Muslim Mission Hospital, Asokore, Ghana.
John Antwi
Directorate of Internal Medicine, Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital, Kumasi, Ghana, Ghana College of Nurses and Midwives, Ghana and Christian Service University, Kumasi, Ghana.
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Background: Asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) are rising causes of morbidity and mortality in Ghana, yet objective tools for monitoring airflow limitation remain underused. Peak flow meters (PFMs) offer a simple, low-cost method for assessing airway obstruction, but their utilization by nurses has not been well documented.
Objective: To assess nurses’ knowledge, practices, and perceived barriers to PFM utilization in the management of respiratory disorders at Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH), Ghana.
Methods: A descriptive cross-sectional survey was conducted among 335 registered nurses selected through proportionate stratified sampling from medical, surgical, and emergency units of KATH. Data were collected using a pretested structured questionnaire and analyzed with descriptive statistics (SPSS version 26).
Results: Knowledge of PFM use was poor: only 55 nurses (16.4%) correctly identified the PFM as a device for measuring airflow limitation and 28 (8.4%) recognized litres per minute as the standard calibration unit. Practical use was similarly limited, with 93 (27.8%) reporting ever using a PFM to assess a patient and 20 (6.0%) documenting peak flow values after bronchodilator administration. Major barriers included work overload (329, 98.2%), high device cost (315, 94.0%), lack of time to teach patients (305, 91.0%), and administrative unavailability of PFMs (304, 90.7%).
Conclusion: Nurses at KATH demonstrated substantial gaps in both knowledge and practice of PFM use despite acknowledging its clinical importance. Integrating PFM training into pre-service nursing curricula, providing regular in-service education, and ensuring consistent device availability are critical to strengthening respiratory care in Ghana.
Keywords: Peak flow meter, respiratory disorders, nurse knowledge, practice, barriers