TITLE:
Associated Factors with Nursing Skills in Management of Urinary Tract Infections during Pregnancy in Two Healthcare Facilities Selected in Bujumbura-Burundi
AUTHORS:
Jackson Ntakirutimana, Edouard Niyongabo, Alexis Mugisha, Christophe Nzoyihera, Narcisse Nambajimana, Estella Iradukunda, Jerome Niyitunga, Nadia Irakoze
KEYWORDS:
Nursing Skills, Urinary Tract Infection, Pregnancy, Associated Factors, Health
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Nursing,
Vol.15 No.9,
September
24,
2025
ABSTRACT: Background: Urinary tract infection is defined as, a bacterial infection that affects urinary tract, which can present as cystitis (bladder infection) or pyelonephritis (kidney infection). This study is of great importance in ensuring optimal management of urinary tract infections during pregnancy, which contributes to reducing complications and improving maternal and neonatal health, particularly at Van Norman Clinic and District Hospital of Kabezi. It helped to fill existing gaps in nursing practices, while strengthening collaboration between the different stakeholders in the health system. This study promoted the development of nursing skills, particularly in the area of management of urinary tract infections in pregnant, which should have a significant impact on the quality of care provided. It should be noted that the skills of nurses in the management of urinary tract infections in pregnant are influenced by several factors including: level of training, professional experience, and the availability of care protocols. These factors also directly condition the quality of care and the prevention of complications related to urinary tract infections during pregnancy. Methodology: This is a descriptive and analytical study conducted in October 2024 among 60 obstetrics-gynecological nurses using guided interviews and statistical analysis with STATA 17.0. Associations were assessed using bivariate and multivariate analysis. The validity of the results was ensured by rigorous sampling and adherence to ethical considerations. Results: The findings show a higher level of experience (p = 0.010), a high level of education (p = 0.026), and specific training (p = 0.000) significantly improve nursing skills. Regular application of standardized protocols also improves performance (p = 0.001). In contrast, an age between 34 and 41 years (p ≤ 0.021) and a low level of education are associated with a low level of competence (p Conclusion: Nursing skills are influenced by age, level of education, experience, specific training (p = 0.000), and the application of standardized protocols (p = 0.001). Longer experience and a high level of education significantly improve competence, while an age between 34 and 41 years is associated with a low level of competence (p = 0.021). Therefore, nurses may face challenges such as a lack of continuing education, limited access to diagnostic resources, or care protocols that are sometimes unsuitable for specific contexts (Gaitanakis et al., 2018). Strengthening skills through specialized training and integrating nurses into clinical decision-making appear to be essential levers for optimizing the management of UTIs during pregnancy.