Recruitment and retention of nursing students in Kuwait.

This study describes the problems of recruiting and retaining student nurses in Kuwait. Based on a social definition paradigm, a convenience sample of 54 respondents made up of 25 final year high school students, 20 adults from the community and 9 nursing students who dropped out of the program were interviewed. Data were analyzed by comparing the responses of the three groups. Constant comparative analysis yielded one major societal proposition on which the recruitment and retention behaviors are anchored. This proposition states that nursing is a low status and non-respectable profession in Kuwait. Five key defining characteristics of the proposition were also identified. Furthermore, findings also showed that two prominent barriers to recruitment were lack of social support and lack of information about nursing. Similarly, social pressure, poor staff welfare and academic problems were some of the major factors responsible for poor retention of students. Suggestions for improvement include provision of awareness programs, career guidance and innovative policy on staff welfare.

The effects of family reinforcement on compliance of hypertensive Nigerians with antihypertensive therapy

Lack of compliance to drug therapy is a major problem in achieving a reduction in morbidity and mortality in hypertensives. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of family reinforcement on compliance of hypertensive patients to prescribed antihypertensive therapy. Seventy-two non-compliant hypertensives were systematically sampled from 365 non-compliant hypertensive population and randomised into control and experimental groups. The two groups were comparable with respect to drug therapy; demographic and socioeconomic variables. Only the designated significant family members of the experimental group were treated with the family health education package and motivated to be involved in the care of their hypertensive relatives. After 6 months post family reinforcement intervention and follow up the experimental group showed an increase in compliance with respect to drug intake and clinic appointments; a significant fall in blood pressure and an improved perception of hypertension as a disesae compared with the control group. It is suggested that family support is a crucial factor in daily compliance with prescribed regimen in Nigerian hypertensives