Background: To strengthen efforts in prevention, proper care and control of tuberculosis (TB) in Ethiopia, the Ethiopian Nurses Association (ENA) trained nurses in the use of patient-centred transformational training methods developed by the International Council of Nurses (ICN).
Objectives: To evaluate the impact of the training course on patient outcomes, changes in practice and the numbers of additional people trained following the training.
Methods: During the TB project period, 115 nurses were trained in the care, prevention and management of TB and multidrug-resistant TB (TB/MDR-TB). The effect of this training was evaluated by telephone, during annual review meetings from 2010 to 2012 and at on-site assessment visits conducted from December 2012 to February 2013. These visits were conducted in 11 health facilities (7 hospitals and 4 health centres), where trained nurses and managers were interviewed using a checklist.
Results: A total of 14 nurses were interviewed. All of them made a schedule and offered training on TB/MDR-TB for health care providers, clients and/or communities. Practical changes and improvements in patient outcomes were observed in the health facilities where nurses had been trained.
Discussion: Results showed that the transformational patient-centred training methods used led to ongoing training provision and practical improvements. In addition, it was found that addressing health care providers and the community at large through awareness-raising by trained nurses has the potential to bring about behavioural change likely to reduce the risk of transmission. Using a variety of methods was found to be a cost-effective and realistic way of evaluating the effect of training.