ABSTRACT
Effective usage of patients’ changing gown is of necessity in the hospital environment and is inclusive of the health care provided to the patient. This study assessed the usage of patients’ changing gown. It was a survey research conducted in 2013 at the x-ray departments of University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), and Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUTH) Teaching Hospital, Park Lane both in Enugu. Fourteen research questions for the staff and fifteen research questions for the patients were used to obtain data from 142 respondents using convenient sampling. A total of 110 patients and 32 radiographers were used for the study. Out of the 110 questionnaire distributed to the patients, 100 were duly completed and returned recording 91% return rate. Also out of the 32 questionnaires distributed to the radiographers, 30 were duly completed and returned recording 94% return rate. The data were analyzed using percentage tables. Responses obtained were presented in tables. The demographic characteristics of the patients and staff were first analyzed. Then the data were categorized according to the purpose of study. The analysis showed percentage of the response of the respondents. The findings revealed that there are availability of patients’ changing gowns and the usage of the changing gowns by staff of the hospitals, also it shows that patients’ usage of the changing gowns are affected by factors like the comfort of the changing gowns, neatness of the changing gowns and concerns for privacy and dignity preservation of the patient in the use of the changing gown. This study will enable the radiology department to solve the problem of reluctance of some patients towards the use of changing gowns and also improve on the use of changing gowns.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Title Page ----------ii
Approval Page---------iii
Certification ---------iv
Dedication ----------v
Acknowledgement --------vi
Abstract ----------vii
Table of Contents --------- viii
CHAPTER ONE
1.0 Introduction -------- 1
1.1 Statement of the Problem ------ 4
1.2 Purpose of Study -------- 4
1.3 Specific Objectives------- 4
1.4 Significance of the Study ------ 4
1.5 Scope of study- ------- 5
1.6 Review of related literature------ 6
CHAPTER TWO: THEORETICAL BACKGROUND
2.0 The changing gown------- 13
2.1 Development of the use of changing gowns and reason-- 13
2.1.2 Types of patients changing gowns and application---15
2.1.3 Quality of patients changing gown-----17
2.1.4 Consequences of right and wrong usage of patients changing gown-18
2.2 The Patient---------18
2.2.1 Inpatient---------19
2.2.2 Outpatient---------19
2.3 Care of Patient--------20
2.4 Changing gown and the dignity of patient----20
2.5 Assessment---------22
2.5.1 Purpose of assessment-------23
2.6 Usage----------23
CHAPTER THREE: RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
3.1 Research Design--------24
3.2 Target Population --------24
3.3 Sampling Procedure-------24
3.4 Sample Size--------24
3.5 Source of Data Collection------25
3.6 Method of Data Collection ------25
3.7 Method of Data Analysis------25
CHAPTER FOUR: DATA ANALYSIS AND PRESENTATION
4.0 Data Analysis--------27
4.0 Data Presentation --------27
CHAPTER FIVE: DISCUSSION, SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, RECOMMENDATIONS, AREAS OF FURTHER STUDY, CONCLUSION AND LIMITATIONS OF STUDY
5.1 Discussion---------34
5.2 Summary of Findings-------35
5.3 Recommendations -------36
5.4 Areas of Further Study -------36
5.5 Conclusion--------36
5.6 Limitations of the Study -------37
References
Appendix
INTRODUCTION
The patient is defined as a person who needs the services of a health care provider. The patient is most often ill or injured and in need of treatment by a physician, advanced practice registered nurse or other health care providers. 1He is also ignorant and even apprehensive of the medical investigations and procedures necessary to get him better and so offer a little or no assistance to the treatment process. Since the patient is unaware of the medical environment, he may therefore be apprehensive of not only the diagnostic procedures but also of the diagnostic facilities. This will lead to reassurance and a 2professional guidance of the patient through the diagnostic procedures. This is provided by the health care provider whom the patient depends on to provide the healthcare services to him.
The health care provider is a person or group of persons/profession whose job is to provide the health care services to the patient.
The no of times of a patients’ attendance to the hospital, his perception of the hospital environment, his educational level and his level of awareness may also influence his attitude. Every facility, equipment and accessory in the radiology department may look contaminated and uncomfortable to the eye of an ignorant or an uninformed patient. Therefore effective communication is important so as to gain the patients’ confidence3. This effective communication is the function of the healthcare provider who is directly in contact with the patient and who provides the health care services to the patient.
The hospital gown also known as the patient gown or exam gown is a short-sleeve thigh garment worn by patients in hospital and other medical facilities during health investigation and examinations. The hospital gown is made of fabric that can withstand repeated laundering in hot water, usually cotton and is also easily washed and it is fastened at the back with twill tape ties. The hospital gown is usually made to be simple both in handling and wearing for the patient. There is also a disposable hospital gown which is made of paper or thin plastic ties though it is not usually common in some developing countries of ours and underdeveloped nations. In the radiology department, the dressing gown is known to be a gown which is provided for the patient undergoing radiological examinations in order to cover the patient’s nakedness; this is in a bid to cover the patient who removes all his/her belongings which could produce artifacts on the radiographic image. This patients’ changing gown goes a long way to also protect the dignity of the patient undergoing radiology examinations.
The major quality of every profession is to carry out its duties with utmost responsibility, diligence and effectiveness; therefore pertaining to the health profession, the hallmark of their responsibility is to provide quality a health care service to the patient for which whom needs the services. It must be noted that throughout the world over, there is improvement in the quality of health care being provided to the patient and this is in a bid to maintain the status of the health care profession which deals directly with the human person.
The provision of suitable clean and appropriate changing gown to every patient undergoing radiological investigations is not an exception to these quality health care services.
The patient whom we all know is a person who is in need of health care services and is as well a sensitive person mainly due to the condition of health status which is either as a result of injury, trauma or ill-health situation of the patient. The patient’s reaction whether positive or negative to the use of changing gown will also lead to the reaction whether positive or negative to the radiographer and also to the entire radiological department as a whole and the hospital at large. It is therefore of utmost importance that the radiology department in as much as keeping the radiological equipment and facilities used in the department in order should also consider the patient itself via the patients’ changing gowns which directly has contact with the patient. This is because there have been different reactions shown by patient of various age ranges from the adolescent to the geriatrics and is also dependent on the health condition of the patient. Various reactions whether negative or positive have also been noticed by some patients when they are asked to put on the patients’ changing gown. This may be either that the patient feels uncomfortable wearing this changing gown or the patient feels that the changing gown is been worn by many other patient who also attends to health care services in the hospital or that the changing gown is not clean due mainly because this changing gown which is provided for the patient in as much as it covers the patients’ nakedness, it also serves as a protective wear/mechanism to protect the patient from the contamination of diseases either from the equipments and facilities in the department used for patients’ diagnosis and care or from the hospital personnel who handles many patients with various ailments or even from the hospital environment which in most cases are contaminated or from fellow patients who also came to attend to medical care while some other patients have been found adhering to the instructions and putting on the changing gowns without reluctance or questions.
It is therefore of utmost importance that this changing gown is kept to standard, always kept clean so as to be acceptable to the patient in order to carry out a good radiology examination. This is because a clean and appropriate changing gown also goes a long way to alleviating the ill situation of the patient and therefore when the patient feels comfortable wearing this gown, he will also be comfortable during the diagnostic examinations and thereby improving the level of healthcare services provided to the patient.
The question now is what reasons and why does the patient reacts to the way they do pertaining to the use of changing gowns?
This question and various factors is the keynote that this research is to decide on the usage of patients’ changing gown amongst some government hospitals in Enugu State.
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