Community Engagement in Home Care Nursing for Needy Patients

Abstract

Home care nursing is relatively new in Malaysia. With the increasing number of chronic and
bedridden patients following stroke and road traffic injuries, the need for extended care to
patients’ home is important. Engaging community like St John Ambulance of Malaysia, Kelantan
(SJAMK) is crucial for its sustainability. This project involved the transfer of knowledge from
academics to SJAMK volunteers through courses, workshops and practice in the field. The
knowledge was later transferred from SJAMK volunteers to patients and their family members
through house to house visits under the supervision of academics. Information about chronic
patients were obtained from the head of the villages, the stroke registry, hospital discharge
notes and public. A total of 30 SJAMK volunteers -14 males and 16 females - were involved with
the knowledge transfer programme. 14 volunteers (47%) had increased knowledge of home
care nursing after the process of knowledge transfer whereas 16 volunteers (53%) still had the
same level of knowledge. A total of 80 chronically ill and bedridden patients were benefitted
from the project. Home care nursing has shown positive results to the volunteers and benefitted
needy patients in Kelantan. As the services progress with the involvement of graduate nurses,
proper regulation is required to improve its professionalism.