13 Page 13-18 © MAT Journals 2021. All Rights Reserved Volume-3, Issue-1 (January-June, 2021) Journal of Nursing Science Practice, Research and Advancements www.matjournals.com Constraints to Use of Nursing Process among Nurses in a Tertiary Healthcare Institution in South-South Nigeria Aminaho Ehianu Maynard Department of Nursing Science, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria *Corresponding Author: aminahomaynardehianu@gmail.com ABSTRACT This study investigated constraints to use of nursing process among nurses in a tertiary healthcare institution in South-South Nigeria. The objectives of the study were to determine whether excessive workloads, poor knowledge of nursing process, unavailability of material for documentation constrains use of nursing process among nurses. Descriptive survey design was used for the study. The research population consisted of 406 nurses in the study setting during the period of study. 162 subjects were sampled using the simple random sampling technique. Structured questionnaire made of two (2) sections was used as the instrument for data collection; Section A contained items on the socio-demographic characteristics of the respondents while section B contained items amenable to the study variables. Data collection was done using direct delivery and retrieval method. Data analysis was done using simple frequency and percentage with the Statistical Product and Service Solutions (SPSS) version 23. Results revealed that excessive workloads, poor knowledge of nursing process, unavailability of material for documentation constrains utilization of nursing process among nurses. Based on the study findings, regular seminars/workshops on the concept of nursing process in hospital and other related health care institutions was recommended. The need for the education department of tertiary health care institutions to teach nursing process in hospitals as well as monitor how effectively nurses implement nursing process was also part of the recommendations. Keywords--Constraints, Use, Nursing Process, Nurses, Tertiary, Healthcare, Institution, South- South, Nigeria INTRODUCTION There is an increasing emphasis on safe and quality healthcare which demand that nurses utilize proven patient care outcome enhancing tools such as the nursing process. Nurses everywhere throughout the world are relied upon to utilize the nursing procedure since it is accepted that the idea takes into account the arrangement of individualized proof based nursing care. As indicated by Toney-Butler and Thayer, nursing process is a deliberate, balanced strategy for arranging and giving individualized nursing care which forms the essential core of practice for the registered nurse to deliver holistic, patient focused care [1]. The standard of practice within the most current scope of nursing include six (6) phases of the nursing process which are assessment, diagnoses, outcome identification, planning, implementing and evaluation [2]. Its aim it to distinguish a client wellbeing status and real or potential health issues or needs to set up plans to meet the recognized need and to convey explicit nursing care to address those issues. The client may be an individual, a family a community or a group. Nursing process has been discovered to be a superior methodology in the administering of care among different models of nursing care delivery like team nursing, primary nursing, progressive patient care, case method/total patient care, functional nursing and nursing case management [3]. Nursing process is comprised of thorough stages which are critical in nursing care and is useful to the patients. It includes cooperation by clients in choice that legitimately influences health [4]. It gives clients fulfillment as immediate care is given. It empowers freedom and concordance and gives the patient a more noteworthy feeling of control and not simply to inactively acknowledge the choices that healthcare service providers make. Its disadvantage to the client/patient lies in the fact that it stresses the patient as it required so much talking in answer assessment question. The nursing process consists of inter-related steps a systematic dynamic way of giving nursing care central to nursing approaches. It promotes humanistic, outcome focused, cost effective are and it is based on the belief that as we plan and deliver care, we must consider the unique values, interest and desire of the consumer (person, family, or community) [5] In Nigeria, the idea of nursing process as a standard logical instrument for guaranteeing quality nursing care is by all accounts on the low side. Studies conducted in some institutions in Nigeria revealed