Nurses Perceived Role in Oral HealthCare Delivery to Psychiatric Patients

HATTON COMPETITION (SENIOR CATEGORY: CLINICAL) Objective: To assess nurses perceived role in the oral health care delivery to psychiatric patients a tertiary health institutionin Nigeria. Materials and Methods: A questionnaire-based cross-sectional survey of all cadres of nurses (n=136) at the Federal Psychiatric Hospital, Benin-City, Nigeria was conducted between December, 2010 and January, 2011. Results: Two-thirds 92 (67.6%) of the respondents reported that psychiatric in-patients in comparison to the general population have higher occurrence of oral and dental problems. Commonly cited reasons for the poor oral health of patients included; sedation for long periods, lack of care by family, psychopathological symptoms, poor access to dentists and the lack of oral hygiene advice. The oral health complaints received by the respondents included toothache, pain from the gums, inability to close the mouth etc. Majority (91.4%) of respondents claimed to be presently involved with oral care of psychiatric in- patients but oral care delivery is however bedeviled with lot of barriers like uncooperativeness of patients and lack of oral care materials. Conclusion: Oral complaints received are frequent and numerate with limited palliative action rendered. Attaching of dentist to psychiatric hospitals and regular training of psychiatric nurses on oral care delivery are recommended to comprehensively cater for oral health problems of psychiatric in-patients.