article · PLoS ONE
Nurses delivering haemodialysis face significant difficulties that influence patient care and health outcomes, particularly in resource-constrained settings. This study explored the experiences of nurses working in a haemodialysis unit at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital in Dodoma, Tanzania, using in-depth interviews. The analysis identified three core themes: supportive work environments, challenges in care delivery, and strategies for improvement. Good nurse-patient relationships, financial incentives, and the availability of equipment were found to facilitate effective care. Conversely, major obstacles included high treatment costs, patient non-adherence to dialysis prescriptions, and severe staff shortages. To improve haemodialysis services, the findings point towards several key interventions, including the expansion of dialysis centres, targeted training for nursing staff, and the provision of free health insurance coverage to ease financial burdens.
Haemodialysis care quality directly affects patient survival, especially in low-resource environments. Understanding the first-hand experiences of frontline nurses highlights practical barriers such as equipment deficits, high patient costs, and severe staffing constraints. Addressing these operational challenges helps healthcare managers and policymakers design better support systems and funding mechanisms, ultimately improving the survival and overall well-being of individuals undergoing long-term renal therapy.
The abstract does not indicate a commercialisation pathway or direct product application. Instead, it provides qualitative insights that healthcare administrators, public health planners, and policymakers can apply to improve dialysis service delivery, workforce training, and health insurance financing models in clinical settings.
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BACKGROUND: Caring for patients undergoing hemodialysis is a challenge for nurses. Poor quality of care in hemodialysis is reported to have a significant contribution to the high mortality rate among patients. Improving the health outcomes of the patient requires an in-depth exploration of the perspectives and views of nurses working in the hemodialysis unit. However, there is a paucity of information regarding the perspectives and experiences of nurses working in Hemodialysis units, particularly in resource-constrained countries like Tanzania. This study aimed to explore the perspectives and experiences of nurses caring for patients undergoing hemodialysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: An explorative qualitative study was conducted among nurses working in Hemodialysis units at Benjamin Mkapa Hospital in Dodoma, Tanzania. A purposive sampling method was used to select the participants. Ten in-depth interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide and an audio recorder as the main data collection tools. A thematic analysis approach was used to analyze the data. FINDINGS: Three themes and the associated subthemes emerged from this study. 1) Conducive environments for the provision of nursing care 2) Challenges affecting hemodialysis care, and 3) Strategies for improving hemodialysis care. A good nurse-patient relationship, financial incentives, and availability of equipment facilitate the provision of care among patients. Treatment costs, problems in adhering to dialysis prescriptions, and staff shortages were the challenges affecting hemodialysis care. On the other hand, increasing dialysis centres, training nurses, and free health insurance coverage were strategies for improving hemodialysis care. CONCLUSION: The findings highlighted several key aspects related to the perspectives and experiences of providing nursing care for patients undergoing hemodialysis. The conducive working environment, coupled with financial incentives, is an important factor in improving nurses' care for patients undergoing hemodialysis. However, the high costs related to the utilization of hemodialysis services are the challenge to achieving better outcomes.
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DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0325501
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