Nurses’ practice of metabolic monitoring for patients on antipsychotics in Lesotho

Abstract

Background: Severe mental illness is associated with higher physical health morbidities and reduced life expectancy, with an estimated 14.3% of global deaths attributed to mental disorders. Antipsychotic medications (APs) used in treatment contribute to physical health issues, including metabolic and cardiovascular effects.

Aim: The aim of this study was to assess nurses’ practices regarding metabolic monitoring for patients prescribed antipsychotic medications at Mohlomi Hospital in Lesotho.

Setting: The study was conducted at Mohlomi Hospital, the primary psychiatric facility in Lesotho.

Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 44 nurses from Mohlomi Hospital participated in the study. A structured questionnaire assessed nurses’ metabolic monitoring practices.

Results: Most of the respondents were female (n = 30, 75%), and minority were male (n = 10, 25%). The academic qualifications of respondents were distributed as follows: 40% (16) held a nursing assistant certificate and 22.5% (9) held an advanced nursing diploma, among others. The average age of all respondents was 39.05 (s.d. 8.9), with an average of 8 years of experience in psychiatry (s.d. 7.6). The overall rate of nurses’ practices of metabolic monitoring for patients taking antipsychotic medications showed variability, with a mean score of 2.83 (s.d. 0.524). However, only 20% performed ECG tests, 22.5% measured blood pressure, 27.5% tested for glucose abnormalities and 17.5% conducted lipid profile testing.

Conclusion: Results revealed a significant gap in the practice of metabolic monitoring among nurses with various aspects of metabolic monitoring, not being adequately monitored.

Contribution: The study’s findings shall inform policy and guidelines for monitoring patients on antipsychotic medications while guiding future research.