Main Article Content

Nurses’ practice of metabolic monitoring for patients on antipsychotics in Lesotho


Relebohile P. Matete
Libuseng M. Rathobe

Abstract

Background: Severe mental illness is associated with higher physical health morbidities and reduced life expectancy, with an estimated  14.3% of global deaths attributed to mental disorders. Antipsychotic medications (APs) used in treatment contribute to physical health issues, including metabolic and cardiovascular effects.


Aim: The aim of this study was to assess nurses’ practices regarding metabolic  monitoring for patients prescribed antipsychotic medications at Mohlomi Hospital in Lesotho.


Setting: The study was conducted at  Mohlomi Hospital, the primary psychiatric facility in Lesotho.


Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 44 nurses from Mohlomi Hospital  participated in the study. A structured questionnaire assessed nurses’ metabolic monitoring practices.


Results: Most of the respondents  were female (n = 30, 75%), and minority were male (n = 10, 25%). The academic qualifications of respondents were distributed as follows:  40% (16) held a nursing assistant certificate and 22.5% (9) held an advanced nursing diploma, among others. The average age of all  respondents was 39.05 (s.d. 8.9), with an average of 8 years of experience in psychiatry (s.d. 7.6). The overall rate of nurses’ practices of metabolic monitoring for patients taking antipsychotic medications showed variability, with a mean score of 2.83 (s.d. 0.524). However,  only 20% performed ECG tests, 22.5% measured blood pressure, 27.5% tested for glucose abnormalities and 17.5% conducted lipid profile  testing.


Conclusion: Results revealed a significant gap in the practice of metabolic monitoring among nurses with various aspects  of metabolic monitoring, not being adequately monitored.


Contribution: The study’s findings shall inform policy and guidelines  for monitoring patients on antipsychotic medications while guiding future research. 


Journal Identifiers


eISSN: 2078-6786
print ISSN: 1608-9685