Abstract
BACKGROUND: The burden of visual impairment and avoidable blindness has been attributed to the shortage and poor distribution of adequately trained eye care personnel. In the district health system, primary health care (PHC) nurses are the first point of contact for eye care patients. To provide adequate eye care, the nurses in PHC clinics apply their knowledge on basic eye health to ensure best practices and management for patients that present at their clinics. Anecdotal evidence regarding the knowledge and practices of these PHC professionals is scarce. The purpose of this study was to evaluate PHC nurses' knowledge and practices on eye health. METHODS: A quantitative, cross-sectional study was conducted in a rural district of the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. Stratified random sampling was used to select 28 from the 74 PHC clinics in the district. A researcher-administered questionnaire using a 5-point likert scale with options strongly disagree, disagree, neutral, agree and strongly agree, was developed, piloted and finalised for this study. The tool had four sections: demographic information, knowledge of eye health, practices on evaluating visual function and identification and management of presenting eye conditions. Data were collected, captured onto MSXcel, cleaned, coded and analysed descriptively, and for Chi-squared significance at 95%, using R statistical software. RESULTS: From 200 responses, 86.4% (n=172) were females of the African race. Most (93.5%, n=187) had never undergone formal training in eye care. Only 28% (n=56) correctly identified a mature cataract while 28% (n=56) correctly identified signs of glaucoma; the global leading causes of preventable blindness. A total of 94% (n=188) failed to accurately measure visual acuity on a patient. CONCLUSIONS: PHC nurses showed poor knowledge and practices of common eye conditions. There is an urgent need for eye health training for PHC nurses, and the clear management protocols on eye care.