Insights into immunization practices: community health nurses' experiences at Fanteakwa North District child welfare clinics.

backgroundThe foundation of preventive healthcare is immunization, which is also one of the most cost-effective public health interventions. Immunization reduces the prevalence of infectious diseases like measles, polio, and pertussis, which has resulted in significant decreases in childhood morbidity and mortality globally. Despite the significant strides made in global immunization efforts, there remains a crucial gap in understanding the experiences of community health nurses providing immunization services at Child Welfare Clinics (CWCs).

objectiveThe study explored the experiences of community health nurses providing immunization services at the child welfare clinics in Fanteakwa North District. METHODOLOGY: A descriptive design was employed for the qualitative study at the Fanteakwa North District. Purposive sampling was used to select participants for this study. 15 participants partook in the study based on saturation during data collection. The interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, and examined using thematic analysis.

resultsFour main themes with eleven subthemes emerged, providing insight into the daily experiences of Community Health Nurses (CHNs). These included: the core roles and responsibilities of CHNs in delivering immunization services; strategies they use to support vaccination, such as door-to-door campaigns, mobile clinics, and collaboration with community leaders; challenges affecting service delivery, including vaccine shortages and language or cultural barriers; and adaptive measures CHNs employ to manage these challenges, such as maintaining a positive attitude, practicing self-care, and seeking support from colleagues and supervisors.

conclusionThe findings highlight the challenges CHNs face and the strategies they adopt to manage them. They suggest that supportive work environments, access to resources, effective communication, and opportunities for peer and supervisory support may help enhance CHNs’ capacity to deliver immunization services. Similarly, self-care and stress-management practices reported by CHNs indicate areas where workforce well-being could be supported. Further research is needed to explore which interventions are most effective in addressing these challenges.