A Phenomenological Study on The Understanding of Adolescent Decision-Making About Reproductive Health by School Nurses in Ijebu Ode Local Government of Nigeria

Abstract

This study examined the understanding of adolescent decision-making in their reproductive health making by school nurses. School nurses are expected to provide guidance to the adolescents in reproductive health to help them make informed decisions. Adolescence is a transitional stage imbued with a lot of intrigues and risks. These risks, sometimes, if not well managed may disrupt the process of growth and development of adolescents. The school nurses need to understand how the adolescents make their decision as this will enable them to discharge their professional duties effectively. The study adopted an exploratory, descriptive, and contextual qualitative design aimed at revealing what school nurses understand about how adolescents make decisions in reproductive health. The setting of the study was Ijebu Ode Local Government of Nigeria. The semi-structured interviews were conducted on the school nurses, school teachers, and the school health coordinator, while focus group discussion was used with school-based adolescents. Data analysis employed inductive content analysis. The subthemes that described the understanding of adolescent reproductive health decision-making by school nurses were inadequate knowledge of the concept of adolescence, and lack of adequate knowledge of reproductive health. The study concluded that school nurses would require an intervention programme in this direction.