Evaluating the Effectiveness of a Nurse-Led Glaucoma Education Programme at Tertiary Hospitals in Ogun State

Patient education delivered by ophthalmic nurses is a cost-effective strategy for improving glaucoma knowledge and medication adherence, but its effectiveness has been inadequately evaluated in Nigerian tertiary hospital settings. This study evaluates the effectiveness of a structured nurse-led glaucoma education programme on patient knowledge and medication adherence at Federal Medical Centre Abeokuta and Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun State, South West Nigeria. A randomised controlled trial design will be employed. One hundred and twenty newly diagnosed glaucoma patients will be randomised to either the nurse-led education programme or standard care. The intervention group will receive a structured four-session education programme delivered by a trained ophthalmic nurse over three months, covering glaucoma pathophysiology, importance of IOP control, correct eyedrop instillation technique, and lifestyle modifications. Outcomes measured at three and six months will include glaucoma knowledge scores using a validated instrument, medication adherence using the Morisky Medication Adherence Scale, and IOP levels. Intention-to-treat analysis will be applied. Nurse-led education programmes are well-established in diabetes and hypertension management but remain largely unevaluated for glaucoma in West Africa. This study generates randomised evidence that will directly influence ophthalmic nursing practice guidelines in Ogun State and nationally. Recommendations will address training and certification of ophthalmic nurses as patient educators, development of bilingual Yoruba and English education materials, and integration of patient education into glaucoma clinic workflows. Keywords: nurse-led education, glaucoma, patient knowledge, medication adherence, randomised controlled trial