الفهرس 
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Abstract
Abortion is one of the neglected problems of health care in developing countries which is a serious concern for many women during their reproductive lives. Globally, 19 million women are estimated to undergo unsafe abortion each year. Age patterns of unsafe abortion are critical for tailoring effective interventions to prevent unsafe abortion and for providing post-abortion care (WHO, 2003).
All nurses have an opportunity to lead from a clinical perspective and can be empowered to influence change in service provision and practice development, ensuring improved services for women undergoing abortion within the legal framework. However, recent advances in abortion methods, particularly medical abortion, have led to the development of innovative nursing roles and a more holistic provision of nursing care. Nurses are now planning, leading, and managing a significant proportion of care for women undergoing medical abortion, under the guidance of a registered medical practitioner. The requirements of the Abortion Act mean that in this guidance, the phrase ‘Nurse led’ means that nurses are taking delegated responsibility from a registered medical practitioner (Royal College of Obstetric and Gynecology, 2004).
The concept of post abortion care was developed to help integrate the treatment of abortion related complications into reproductive health services in the context of an increasingly restrictive political environment (Corbett and Turner 2003).
Post-Abortion Care (PAC) must be Comprehensive services which should include both medical and preventive healthcare which means providing medical services to women suffering from the complications of incomplete and unsafe abortions, but also includes preventing unsafe abortions and unwanted pregnancies from occurring through the provision of information and contraceptives (USAID 2007).
The present study aimed at assessing nurses’ knowledge and practices regarding post abortion care by elaborating nurse’s knowledge about post abortion care and evaluating nurses’ level of practice regarding post abortion care.
A descriptive study design was used to achieve the aim of the study at recovery room in labor unit, inpatient gynecological ward and gynecological clinic in Ain shams University Maternity Hospital and El Mansoura University Hospital.
All available nurses working in recovery room in labor unit, inpatient gynecological ward and gynecological clinic in Ain Shams University Maternity Hospital (70 nurse) and post aborted women provided care through them in morning shift. All available nurses working in the same previous selected area at El Mansoura University Hospital (42 nurse) and post aborted women provided care through them in morning shift. The study started from 1/5 / 2008 and ended in 31/10/2008.
Three tools were used for data collection. First tool was; a structured interviewing questionnaire sheet was developed by the researcher in Arabic language based on literature review, considering aim of the study and data needed to be collected. It consist of two parts; 1st Part include the socio-demographic characteristics of nurses such as age, educational level, place of work, years of experience and training courses about post abortion care. 2nd Part used to assess nurses’ knowledge about abortion and post abortion care it was consisted of 17 statements “such as definition of abortion, causes, signs, symptoms, complications, types of abortion, safe abortion care, health education given to post abortion women, component of post abortion care, danger signs and follow up visits”.
Second tool was, observational chick list that used to assess nurses’ practices regarding post abortion care.
Third tool was; opinionnaire sheet that used to assess women’s satisfaction with knowledge and care they received regarding post abortion care.
Results, the main findings of the present study were:
• 65.4%, 63.2%, 62.2%, and 59.3% of nurses had complete knowledge regarding duration of hospitalization, signs & symptoms of abortion, definition of abortion, and direct post abortion care provided to women respectively.
• 87.5%, 87.8%, 80.4%, 68.4%, and 68.0% of nurses did not follow up women after discharge, did not support family, not counsel for family planning, nutrition, and self-care respectively.
• 27.9% of women were satisfied with care they gave.
• There was statistically significant relation between nurses’ years of experience, receiving training course and their knowledge regarding post abortion care.
• There was statistically significant relation between nurses’ place of work, years of experience, receiving training course and their practice regarding post abortion care.
• There was a positive correlation between nurses’ knowledge and their practice regarding post abortion care.
Based on the results of the present study, it is concluded that:
The findings of the present study cast light on some of the important features about knowledge and practices regarding post abortion care.
Most of nurses had incomplete knowledge regarding post abortion care in addition to limited number of them offer good post abortion care.
Women satisfaction with knowledge and care were limited.
There was a moderate correlation between nurses’ knowledge and practices regarding post abortion care.
Accordingly, the following important recommendations are proposed:
Regular training program to build up nurses’ capacity related to comprehensive post abortion care.
Guidelines for post abortion care including “medical and surgical methods” should be prepared and disseminated on health organization offer post abortion care to improve nurses’ quality of care.
Conduction of awareness secessions at inpatient gynecological ward and developing simple awareness material to improve post abortive women knowledge regarding post abortion care that reflected upon their satisfaction with care.
For further research in this field;
Further researches are still needed to investigate role of multidisciplinary team on improving quality of post abortion care.