The Use of Vasopressors by Nurses and Physicians in Nigeria

Authors

  • Abdullahi S. Ibrahim, BNSc, RN, CCRN, PGDPHEP
  • Gabriela A. M. McElligott, RN, MS UCSF
  • Taranjeet S. Rathore, BSN, RN, CCRN, PHN Kaiser Permanente
  • Michael A. Tijerina, MSN, RN-BC, NPD-BC Kaiser Family Foundation, Northern California
  • Mustapha Miko M. Abdullahi, MD, FWACS

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.29173/ijcc74

Keywords:

Vasopressor, Nigeria, Critical Care, Critical Care Nurse, Critical Care Nursing, Sepsis, Septic Shock

Abstract

Background:Supporting hemodynamics using vasopressive agents is common in the treatment of critically ill patients. It is imperative that clinicians administer these agents safely and appropriately. Data related to the awareness, use, selection, and implications of vasopressor use in Nigerian hospitals is lacking from the current literature.

Aim: To assess clinician knowledge and attitudes toward vasopressor use while examining the demographic characteristics of nurses and physicians using vasopressors in Nigerian Hospitals, and to identify barriers affecting early vasopressor use to treat sepsis and septic shock in support of the Surviving Sepsis Campaign-2 guidelines.

Methods: Participants were recruited from an online social media group consisting of nurses and physicians practicing in critical care settings in Nigeria. Survey methodology was used, and responses were collected via Google forms.

Results/Findings: There was little variation in selections regarding indications for vasopressor use between professional groups, with most respondents favoring fluid unresponsive shock patients and low mean arterial pressure (MAP). The majority of respondents indicated the desired outcome from vasopressor treatment were increased MAP, increased systolic blood pressure (SBP) and increased diastolic blood pressure (DBP). Most institutions lack vasopressor guidelines, though just one half of responses agreed that vasopressor use should be reduced once desired outcomes are achieved.

Conclusions: Survey findings suggest that nurses and physicians practicing in Nigerian hospital settings possess moderate knowledge around vasopressor use in the treatment of sepsis and septic shock. Moderate knowledge of vasopressor indications and clinical outcomes does not align with current vasopressor administration practices in critical care settings.

Author Biographies

Abdullahi S. Ibrahim, BNSc, RN, CCRN, PGDPHEP

Abdullahi S Ibrahim is an Assistant Chief Nursing Officer with 18 years of clinical nursing experience. He currently works in the intensive care unit of Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Nigeria. He is a nursing researcher with interests in implementation science, safe patient care, and quality improvement.

Gabriela A. M. McElligott, RN, MS, UCSF

Gabriela McElligott, RN, MS is a new nurse and recent graduate of the University of California San Francisco's master's of science in nursing program. Gabriela works as a transitional care nurse for a network of Federally Qualified Health Centers in the Bay Area of California, and has special interests in community health nursing, health informatics and healthcare quality. 

Taranjeet S. Rathore, BSN, RN, CCRN, PHN, Kaiser Permanente

Taranjeet Rathore BSN, RN, CCRN, PHN is an Intensive Care Unit registered nurse currently practicing at Kaiser Permanente, Santa Clara. Taranjeet graduated from San Jose State University in 2021 with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and minors in Chemistry & Humans System Integration. Taranjeet worked at Mayo Clinic’s Thoracic Vascular Surgical ICU for over a year to train in a high acute ICU post-graduation. Taranjeet is an author and co-author of multiple papers. His interests include promoting awareness about the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workforce and for patient welfare.

Michael A. Tijerina, MSN, RN-BC, NPD-BC, Kaiser Family Foundation, Northern California

Michael Tijerina, MSN, RN-BC, is the regional sepsis program manager and clinical quality consultant for Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California Region in Oakland, CA. He has 20+ years of healthcare experience serving at the medical center, regional, and national levels. His clinical experience includes emergency medicine, intravenous-central line specialty nursing, and inpatient nursing leadership.

Mustapha Miko M. Abdullahi, MD, FWACS

Mustapha Miko Mohammed Abdullahi, MD, FWACS is a consultant anesthetist at Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital and a senior lecturer at Bayero University in Kano State, Nigeria.

Downloads

Published

2024-09-17

How to Cite

Ibrahim, A., McElligott, G., Rathore, T., Tijerina, M., & Abdullahi, M. M. M. (2024). The Use of Vasopressors by Nurses and Physicians in Nigeria. International Journal of Critical Care, 18(2), 27–36. https://doi.org/10.29173/ijcc74

Similar Articles

1 2 3 4 5 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.