Ethical principles applicable to care of Covid-19 - Lesotho

Abstract

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) emerged in 2019 and rapidly became a global pandemic, infecting millions and killing hundreds of thousands. The disease altered, in varying ways, the practices of health care providers, hospitals, clinics, and patients. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the feedback on ethical principles applicable to care of COVID-19 clients from the workshops organized for nurses from the ten districts in the country. Materials and Methods: A pre-test post-test research study was conducted by the Department of Nursing of the National University of Lesotho. The workshops were designed with the purpose of capacitating nurse-midwives; working in hospitals found in the ten districts of Lesotho, with skills to prevent COVID-19, control COVID-19, care and manage COVID-19 patients and to handle all ethical issues that may arise in the care of COVID-19 patients. The total number of participants who were present at all the ten workshops was hundred and seventy three (173). Before starting the workshops, a pre-test questionnaire with sections on COVID-19 general knowledge, nursing process and COVID-19 patient, psychological care of patient with COVID-19 and legal and ethical aspects related to COVID-19 for nurses responsibility were distributed to the participants and collected after thirty minutes. A post-test questionnaire with exactly the same sections was again distributed to the participants after the workshop ended. Results: The response rate for the pre workshop was 100% and response rate for the post workshop was 98%. Regarding the general question asked about COVID-19 having ethical implications to nursing 31 (18.2%) of the participants marked the option “yes” before the workshop and 158 (92.7%) of them marked “yes” after the workshop. Understanding of legal and ethical aspects related to COVID-19 for nurses responsibility was found to have improved after the workshop finished. Conclusion: The present study concluded that feedback from the participants before and after the workshop proved the workshop conducted was successful in improving their Knowledge regarding legal and ethical principles applicable while dealing with COVID-19 clients.