Nursing student competencies in the promotion and detection of pediatric tuberculosis

Abstract

Tuberculosis is one of the leading causes of death in the pediatric population worldwide, even though it is a curable disease, many children with tuberculosis are not diagnosed in a timely manner and as a consequence do not receive the treatment that could save their lives. Therefore, it is essential to have highly trained personnel to generate effective interventions for the promotion and detection of pediatric tuberculosis, which is why the role of the nursing student in social service plays a transcendental role to carry out such interventions. This study focused on identifying the potentialities of students in social service of the Nursing Degree for
the promotion and detection of tuberculosis in children under 10 years of age, the focus of the study was quantitative, under a basic investigation. The study subjects were 38 Nursing Bachelor students carrying out their social service in 4 hospitals and 14 Community Family Health Units in the western area; and to collect data, a structured questionnaire was administered. The synthesized data showed the need to strengthen knowledge related to childhood tuberculosis prevention, it was also identified a need to generate strategies for the promotion and detection of this disease, since only 39% of the students carry them out in a practical field. Therefore, it is extremely important to mediate knowledge about pediatric tuberculosis in future health providers in Nursing.