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Nurses are the frontiers at all levels of care in the health care industry. However, nurses do not receive due recognition and are viewed as feminine, caring professionals with limited career opportunities. This study was conducted to explore nurses’ perception about the public image of a nurse. Fifty nurses conveniently selected from six different departmental cohort groups of a tertiary hospital were administered a tool to gather baseline information and an open ended question on nurse’s perception about the public image. Data obtained were organized, coded, sorted and themes such as technical skills, professional qualification requirements, intellectual-cognitive skills, emotional skills, interpersonal skills, professional status, professional attitude, extra-professional roles of a nurse, nurse visa-vis medical professionals, angel of mercy and prospectus for nurses identified. There is a wide variation in the perception across different dimensions. The study recommends identification of the nurses’ perception of this public image and the influence on professional behaviours among nurses working in varied settings.

In Uganda, newborn care remains poor since more than 75% of newborn deaths still results from preventable causes if appropriate newborn care practices are implemented. This study explored the knowledge and practices on newborn care among nurses in Kitagata hospital, Sheema Districts. A cross sectional study design was used to assess 40 nurses who were selected by simple random sampling and assessed by questionnaire, data was analyzed by SPSS and results presented by tables and figures. Results revealed that all 40(100%) nurses had ever heard of new born baby care, 40(100%) to identify preterm babies, 36(90%) had ever got extra training on baby care, 39(97.5%) knew hypothermia as a risk in new born babies while only a few 22(55%) knew that newborn babies are also at risk of hypoglycemia, 40(100%) nurses knew high temperatures as danger sign in newborns. 38(95%) of nurses had ever cared for new born baby during their professional nursing practice where 38(100%) suctioned newborn airway and did not touch newborn baby’s cord with bare hands to avoid infections, , 38(100%) of nurses-maintained warmth by attachment of babies to the mothers’ body, 30(78.9%) of nurses maintained premature glucose levels by maintenance fluids and 30(78.9%) ensured that newborn babies are also immunized yet only very few 2(5.3%) of nurses monitored for danger signs while they carried out newborn baby care. The nurse’s knowledge on newborn care were generally fair and so were their practices.

The study was focused on the knowledge, and practices of nurses towards preoperative care of surgical patients at KIU-TH Bushenyi districts.The purpose of the study wasto asses nurse’s knowledge and practices towards preoperative care of surgical patients at KIU -TH Bushenyi district. This study adopted a cross sectional study design using quantitative research approach to collect data and 35 respondents were involved, nurses on surgical, orthopaedic, and accident and emergency wards were involved in the study.According to the study, nurses have good quite good knowledge about preoperative care based on the fact that most of them clearly defined it well. The study found out that the majority of the respondents agreed that the aim of preoperative care is to prepare patients for surgery while the least strongly agreed. Response on whether there is need for nurses to establish good rapport with patients before they go for surgery in order to promote trust between the nurse and the patient showed that the majority of the patients strongly agreed while the least strongly disagreed. A big number of respondents disagreed on developing nursing care plans for the patients, while only a few strongly agreed with it.Few respondents strongly agreed that they alwaysmonitor vital observations prior to surgery while the majority strongly disagreed with it.

In Uganda, hospital acquired pneumonia is the leading infection acquired from hospitals accounting for 33.3% of all hospital acquired infections. The purpose of this study was to explore knowledge and practices of nurses at Ishaka Adventist hospital on prevention of hospital acquired pneumonia. A quantitative cross sectional using a questionnaire assessed 44 nurses from Ishaka Adventist Hospital using convenient sampling method. Data obtained was analyzed using SPSS version 20.0 ad presented in tables and figures. Results of the study found that 41(93%) of nurses had heard about prevention of HAP prevention, 8(44%) of nurses did not know that suctioning catheters for very sick patients are supposed to be used once to prevent HAP, 21(51.2%) of nurses knew recovery position as safer positions for nursing very sick patients in order to prevent developing HAP 30(73.2) of nurses knew cough as early warning sign HAP, 28(68.2%) of nurses knew prophylaxis for Hap prevention 40(97.6%) of nurses knew aseptic techniques as precautions necessary for HAP prevention. 30(75%) of nurses hand washed to patient to prevent HAP, 39(97.5%) never avoided giving their HAP high risk patients PPIs, 35(87.5%) sterilized all instruments used while caring for very sick and other HAP high risk patients to prevent HAP, 36(90%) did not do oral care using salt/chrolohexidine for HAP prevention and 40(100%) of nurses who never practices rotational therapy for very sick and bedridden patients for HAP prevention. In conclusion, the knowledge on HAP prevention was poor as well as HAP prevention practices.