Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare professionals on oral care of pregnant women in Brunei Darussalam.

OBJECTIVE: To examine nationwide the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of healthcare professionals on oral/dental care of pregnant women in Brunei Darussalam. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study conducted using an online survey of eligible healthcare professionals in all Government Maternal and Child Health Care Clinics, Dental Clinics and Obstetrics and Gynecological Clinics in four hospitals covering the whole of Brunei Darussalam. Participants were given seven days to complete the survey. Sub-group analysis using Chi-square test for independence and one-way Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) was used to determine the significant association between domains of oral care practices and demographic factors. P values less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: A total of 346 healthcare professionals participated in this online study. Most participants (94.3%) responded that they perceived oral health to be of high importance. However, less than two thirds of the participants (59.0%) included oral health questions during antenatal health assessments. Moreover, only 16.2% of participants frequently discussed the importance of oral care with their antenatal patients. CONCLUSIONS: In this survey, most healthcare professionals viewed oral health to be of high importance for prenatal/antenatal patients. However, not all put those views into practice with regard to oral care in pregnant women.

Nurses' mental health and coping strategies throughout COVID-19 outbreak: A nationwide qualitative study.

This qualitative exploratory study explored nurses' mental health and coping strategies working with suspected and confirmed COVID-19 patients in Brunei Darussalam. Eleven focus group discussions were conducted between October 2020 and January 2021, involving 75 participants. Three themes emerged: 'COVID-19 roller-coaster transitional journey' explained the different psychological responses of the journey of the nurses from merely hearing about COVID-19 from far to the invasion of the virus and community outbreak in the country; 'Mind my mind and heart' share experiences of the nurses in terms of their mental health and emotional responses; and 'the psychosocial system' described the coping mechanisms of the nurses throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Nurses' mental health and coping strategies during the COVID-19 pandemic influenced how they provided care and performed other tasks, which should not be taken for granted. Nurses employed psychosocial coping methods at the different phases of the COVID-19 pandemic and support from family, friends, the public, and the governmental level. This research is fundamental as a basis for other countries to design psychological interventions during this yet unsettled COVID-19 pandemic.

Competency assessment for community health nurses: a focus group expert panel discussion.

BACKGROUND: General Practice setting in the Primary Health Care Services are the utmost visited by the public. It is important that the nurses' competencies in this area be assessed to ensure provision of safe and quality services. AIM/OBJECTIVE: To explore perceptions and experiences of competencies assessment tool for community health nurses working at the General Practice setting in the Primary Health Care Services. METHODS: An exploratory qualitative study utilizing focus group discussions were conducted on purposive sample of 12 officers with expertise in competency assessment and community health nursing from higher nursing education institutions, the Nursing Training and Development Centre, the Nursing Board and the Community Health Nursing Services in Brunei Darussalam. The existing competencies assessment tool was revised, the participants were divided into two groups of expert panel review team and two focus group discussions were held with each team. The focus group discussions encompassed components and methods of assessment; methods of grading; and overall organization and structure of the revised competency assessment tool. FINDINGS: Four themes emerged: 1) International equivalent core competencies components; 2) Multi-methods approach to assessment; 3) Definitive guidelines as framework for assessment; and 4) Understanding and acceptability of the competency assessment tool. CONCLUSIONS/IMPLICATIONS TO PRACTICE: The expert panel reviews provide practical input that were inculcated in the preliminary developed competencies assessment tool. Identification of eligible assessors were recommended based on standardized criteria, and socialization and training held to set direction and guidance for implementing the utilization of the competencies assessment tool. Further studies are deemed important to critically evaluate and validate the preliminary competencies assessment tool for development of a more robust assessment instrument.

Practice of Postpartum Warming Among Mothers in Brunei.

Introduction: Postpartum warming is widely practiced among women in Asian countries despite unsubstantiated health claims. This study aimed to identify sources of knowledge and explore the practices of postpartum warming among mothers in Brunei. Methods: A cross-sectional study using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted on 124 mothers who had experience in postpartum warming. Results: Coal was commonly used for heat. Main source of knowledge came from family members. Older women had significantly lower intention to perform the practice in future pregnancies. Women who lived in nuclear families practiced it to a significantly higher frequency compared with those living in extended families. Discussion: Women still practice warming to adhere with family expectations and traditions although noticeable changes have been observed as society modernizes. It still poses a risk of carbon monoxide poisoning and fire hazard from burning coal. Future studies should focus on health and safety aspects to provide evidence on the actual health benefits and ameliorate risk factors.

Antenatal education for pregnant women attending maternal and child health clinics in Brunei Darussalam.

BACKGROUND: Antenatal education is an essential component of antenatal care that prepares and facilitates the acquisition of women's skills and confidence required for positive experiences throughout pregnancy, birth and the postnatal period. AIM: To evaluate pregnant women's experiences of education during the antenatal period in Brunei Darussalam. METHODS: A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using a pre-designed instrument to examine the provision of antenatal education among 110 pregnant women attending two major Maternal and Child Health Clinics in Brunei Darussalam. The quantitative data was analysed descriptively whereby the scores of each scale was calculated and reported accordingly. FINDINGS: A majority of participants possess good health knowledge and live a healthy lifestyle. They have a positive perception about baby and postnatal care. However, participants only possess average knowledge about practical health techniques. DISCUSSION: Overall, the majority of women were satisfied with the antenatal education provided in the Maternal and Child Health Clinics in Brunei Darussalam. Good rapport and interactive learning were the two most quoted important characteristics in antenatal education classes. Breastfeeding, which required both practical knowledge and the acquisition of skills was found to be the most interesting antenatal education topic. Antenatal education provided through verbal information was identified as the least interesting to the women. CONCLUSION: This first study, which aimed to evaluate antenatal education in Brunei Darussalam could provide baseline data and guide strategies to engage pregnant women and relevant agencies in antenatal education. Future studies involving a more in-depth exploration of the women's experiences are recommended.