Factors Influencing the Utilisation of the Referral System in Selected Primary Health Care Centres Among Nurses in Rivers State

The study investigated the factors influencing the utilisation of the referral system in selected Primary Health Care centres among nurses in Rivers State. Five research objectives guided the study. The study adopted a descriptive survey design which sampled 95 nurses from Primary Health Care centres in Rivers East Senatorial District in Rivers State. The sample size was determined using Cochran Sample size formula while a multi-stage sampling procedure was employed to select respondents for the study. The study utilized a self-structured questionnaire to collect data. The instrument was subjected to face and content validity through thorough screening by senior nurses and experts of Tests and Measurement. The reliability of the instrument was determined by finding the internal consistency of the instrument using Cronbach alpha. Data collected was analysed using descriptive statistics of frequency, percentage and mean, as well as Chi Square for hypotheses testing. The findings of this study showed that there was high level of utilisation of referral system as shown by the grand mean (mean=3.39). It was also revealed that all the four factors (Knowledge, availability of communication and transport facility and attitude) did not have any significant influence on utilisation of referral system. Based on the findings, it was recommended among others that Government through the Hospital Management Board should provide PHC centres with necessary transportation facilities such as functional ambulance and good access roads. This will ease the transfer of patients from referral facility to receiving facility.

Keywords: Utilisation, Referral System, Primary Health Care Centres, Nurses,