"Thanks, but I´m not too hot." : an observational study of the nurse anesthetists practice, during cesarean sections in Ghana

Abstract: Background: Emergency Cesarean section is the most common major surgical procedure in Africa and anesthesia is required for Cesarean sections. Aim: The aim of the study was to describe the actions of the perioperative team, with the main objective on the nurse anesthetist during a Cesarean section in Ghana. Methods: An ethnographic design with unstructed participant observations was carried out for this qualitative study. This overt descriptive study was carried out during 2 weeks in January 2011 at the Oda Government Hospital in Akim-Oda in Ghana. The content was analyzed through thematic content analysis based on field notes. Results: During 7 observations the writers found that the nurse anesthetists at the work alone without an anesthesiologist. The content analysis identified 5 different categories of the nurse anesthetists practice and the surgical team during a Cesarean section: Work environment, Care and treatment of the patient, Resources, Hygiene, Safety and security. Conclusion: The different treatment of the patient in Ghana and in Sweden was substantial. However; the writers found the working environment for the nurse anesthetist to be functioning, with limited means and resources.