The female principal and the acceptance of her authority

M.Ed. (Educational Management)Women and authority therefore form the central theme of this research. The problematic nature of authority as experienced by female principals has led to the researcher addressing this issue and thereby establish guidelines to improve this problem. The value and uniqueness of this study lies in the empirical investigation which will use focus group interviews to identify the essential characteristics of the female principal's authority as experienced by her colleagues. 2 In the ensuing paragraphs, a concise statement of the research problem is given, facilitating the formulation of two queries, which in turn, underscore the specification of the central and specific aims of this research. Further explication of the research design follows, with reference to the nature of the literature and empirical studies conducted and finally to the sequence of this project

Disruptive bodies and peripheral politics: How naked protests disrupt the patriarchal public sphere

On 4 October 2016, three black female students at the University of Witwatersrand (hereafter Wits) in Johannesburg, South Africa staged a naked protest to call for a ceasefire during the peak of the #FeesMustFall (FMF) protests. The FMF movement emerged in late 2015 as a student revolt against costly higher education fees especially for black students in South Africa. Armed police fired rubber bullets, stun grenades, and teargas to stop ongoing FMF protests which shut down university operations as students vowed to protest until all their demands were met. Within this context, the three female students at Wits University stood topless and formed a buffer zone between mostly male protesting students and the police. The method of protest was however mostly received with condemnation by the public and received widespread attention on social media platforms where the focus shifted from the central issues that sparked the naked protest to predominantly body shaming the women and questioning their morality (Ndlovu, 2017:68). This response to the naked protest therefore raised questions around the continuous policing of women's bodies and the patriarchal structure of public space where naked protests are performed. This thesis will use the 2016 naked protest that took place during violent FMF clashes between the police, private security, and students at Wits University as a lens to explore the ways in which naked protests have been used as an empowering tool to challenge men and authorities in violent contexts. It will draw on the 1990 naked protest in Soweto in South Africa, the 2002 naked peace protest in Liberia, and the 2002 anti-oil naked protest in Nigeria to illustrate the trajectory of naked protests in different African societies and the unique ways in which women's nakedness and undress has been perceived with apprehension in these societies. The central question that this thesis intends to explore is why do naked protests by women in African societies trigger apprehension in bystanders and black authoritarian male figures? I argue that it is a powerful form of protest, beyond cultural symbolisms attached to senior black women's bodies, as it subverts patriarchal mores underpinned in public space that delineates when and how black women can be seen in the public domain. I argue that it also provides the space for black women to assert their presence in protest movements and broader society which is typically unappreciated and overlooked. The point is to illustrate how naked protests ultimately undermines patriarchal mores and essentially invalidates colonial ideologies that renders the black female body socially invisible

The role of the emergency nurse within the prehospital environment and the emergency room

Faculty of Health Sciences School of Therapelitics 0009448d [email protected] the role of the Emergency Nurse in South Africa is not clearly defined. Nursing legislation does not effectively guide these nurses to enable them to cope with the high expectations and increasing demands for emergency care. Nor does it provide adequate legislative protection especially with regard to the responsibilities within the prehospital environment. This creates role confusion and conflict, which has a negative impact on the patient who requires emergency care, the advanced nurse practitioner and the emergency team. . The purpose of this research was to explore and describe the role of the South African emergency nurse in the prehospital environment and the emergency room and to formulate an instrument that can be used for policy formation, education, training and evaluation. The purpose was addressed though an action research process where data was collected in four phases that included both qualitative and quantitative methods. The process involved a group of experts who utilized their expert knowledge, skills and attitudes to explore and describe the phenomena being researched. They confirmed that the environment in which emergency nurses worked included the pre-hospital environment and emergency room. The data/roles identified and analysed were weighted to provide a weighting scale by means of a methodology referred to as “ Modelling of Human Judgement”. A competency rating was done to provide a three-point competency rating. The data/roles obtained was developed into a questionnaire and sent to the rest of the emergency nurse population for validation and verification. After validation and verification the information gathered was reduced, organized and with the assistance of a statistician (throughout all the phases) the data was analysed and an instrument developed for use as a policy framework for e.g. a scope of practice and unit standards. The instrument was quantified for educational and evaluation purposes. The instruments can be used to develop high levels of competency to encourage interdependent and autonomous decision-making, which is based on the knowledge of role expectations and sound professional decision making, which in turn is supported by appropriate legislation

Cryptococcal infections over a 15 year period at a tertiary facility & impact of guideline management

Introduction: The aim of this research paper is to determine the incidence, risk factors and clinical outcome of all patients diagnosed and treated for cryptococcosis at our institution. We also aim to compare treatment outcome following introduction of the 2010 Infectious Disease Society of America (IDSA) guidelines. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all patients diagnosed and treated for cryptococcal infection occurring between January 2001 and December 2015. Results: Of 102 patients diagnosed with cryptococcal infection, 97 were eligible for study inclusion. There appears to be an overall increased incidence of cryptococcosis in both transplant and non-transplant cohorts with a peak in 2015 of 6 transplant and 13 non-transplant cases. 38/52 (73%) of identified isolates were C. neoformans, and 14/52 (27%) were C. gattii. Notably, 14/14 (100%) of C. gattii isolates were associated with meningitis, as compared to only 38/64 (59%) C. neoformans associated with meningitis (p: 0.003). It appears that patients presenting with cough are less likely to have meningitis, 17/27 (63%), (p: 0.005). When stratifying for culture positive meningitis lumbar puncture opening pressure, the median in the culture positive cohort was 31.5cmH2 O compared with 15.5cmH2O (p:0.036). Multiple admissions were required prior to diagnosis in the majority of cases with only 18/72 (25%) diagnosed on 1st presentation. Post-guideline mortality has improved from 17.1% to 6.1% (p: 0.046). Conclusion: Cryptococcal infection remains relatively uncommon, but there appears to be an increasing trend in incidence. Overall mortality is relatively low and has improved since introduction of the 2010 IDSA guidelines

Injury surveillance at a level I trauma centre in Johannesburg, South Africa: research

An analysis of 16 357 trauma patients seen over a one year period at the trauma casualty of an academic hospital in Johannesburg was carried out to determine the profile of injuries sustained by victims in the Johannesburg region. A retrospective survey was conducted between January and December 2001 to compile a composite trauma morbidity and mortality profile, and to create baseline data for future comparison. The objectives of the survey were: to describe the frequencies, distribution and categories of injuries; to assess, on admission to the trauma casualty, the severity of injuries according to the TRISS method; and the outcomes and/or placement of patients after initial treatment in the trauma casualty. Guided by a structured checklist, data were collected by reviewing trauma registers and patients' documents. The TRISS method was used to determine injury severity and descriptive statistics were used to present and describe the results. A preview of the survey results indicates that males are a high-risk category for trauma, particularly over weekends, during their nocturnal activities. More than two thirds of all patients sorted in the 16-35 year age group. Injuries to the limbs and head and neck regions accounted for the highest percentage of cases with assault or interpersonal violence a major cause in an estimated 70% of cases. More than 60% of a random sample of 163 patients had sustained serious injuries with an ISS between 16 and 75; the majority however had a survival probability (Ps) of > 50%. This paper describes the methodology and results of the survey in relation to a proposed long-term injury surveillance project. 'n Analise van 16 357 trauma-pasiënte gesien in 'n een-jaar periode in die trauma-ongevalle van 'n akademiese hospitaal in Johannesburg, is uitgevoer ten einde 'n profiel van beserings wat opgedoen is deur slagoffers, in die Johannesburg-area, te bepaal. 'n Retrospektiewe opname is gebruik om 'n omvattende trauma-morbiditeit en mortaliteitsprofiel saam te stel, en om basislyndata vir toekomstige vergelykings te genereer. Die fokus van die opname was gerig op frekwensie, verspreiding en kategorisering van beserings, die ernstigheidsgraad van beserings (ISS), asook die uitkoms en plasing van pasiënte na inisiële behandeling in die trauma-ongevalle. 'n Gestruktureerde kontrolelys is gebruik om data te versamel deur die evaluering van traumaregisters en dokumentasie van pasiënte. Die TRISS-metode is gebruik om te bepaal wat die ernstigheidsgraad van die beserings was. Verder is beskrywende statistiek gebruik om die data aan te bied en te beskryf. Die resultate van die opname dui aan dat mans in die hoërisiko-kategorie vir trauma val, veral tydens naweke en gedurende nagtelike aktiwiteite. Meer as tweederdes van alle pasiënte val in die 16- 35 jaar ouderdomsgroep. Beserings aan die ledemate, kop- en nekarea het in die meeste gevalle voorgekom. In ongeveer 70% van die gevalle was aanranding of interpersoonlike geweld die hoofoorsaak van hierdie beserings. Meer as 60% van 'n ewekansige steekproef van 163 pasiënte het ernstige beserings opgedoen, met 'n ISS van tussen 16 en 75. Die meerderheid het egter 'n oorlewingsmoontlikheid (Ps ) van > 50% gehad. Hierdie artikel beskryf die metodologie en resultate van die opname in die konteks van 'n voorgestelde projek vir die waarneming van langtermynbeserings. (Health SA Gesondheid: interdisciplinary research journal: 2003 8(3): 3-12

Retrospective review of Treponema pallidum PCR and serology results: Are both tests necessary?

There has been a resurgence of syphilis diagnoses in Australia. We investigated whether ourpolymerase chain reaction (PCR) test provides any additional diagnostic information over syphilis serology (chemi-luminescence immunoassay (CMIA),particle agglutination (TPPA) and rapid reagin (RPR) flocculation test). A retrospective audit was conducted of allPCR requests that came through our laboratory from January 2010 to June 2017; data collected included age, gender, site of swab,PCR, syphilis serology and HSV 1 and HSV 2 PCR results. A total of 441PCR tests were performed, with on average three requests forPCR per month in 2011, which increased to 17.2 per month in 2017. There were 323 patients who had bothPCR and syphilis serology performed, with 67% of swabs taken from the genitals.PCR was positive in 61/323 (19%) patients, of which 59/61 (97%) also had positive syphilis serology result (sensitivity 68%, specificity 99%, positive predictive value 97% and negative predictive value 89%). Syphilis serology was positive in 91/323 patients (28%) of which 61 (66%) were alsoPCR positive (sensitivity 97%, specificity 88%, positive predictive value 60% and negative predictive value 99%). The Cohen's Kappa value was 0.74, indicating substantial agreement between the two tests. Our results show most patients with positivePCR results also had positive syphilis serology. Therefore,PCR adds little clinical value over serology for diagnosis of syphilis in certain clinical settings

Delusions of disseminated fungosis

Introduction. Delusional infestation is a rare monosymptomatic hypochondriacal psychosis according to The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th ed.; DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association, 2013). It can be a primary disorder or associated with an underlying psychological or physical disorder. It commonly presents as delusional parasitosis, and less than 1% may be fungi related. We present this case as it is a rare presentation of a rare condition. Case Presentation. Our patient is a 60-year-old Caucasian man who presented with a 7-year history of delusional infestation manifested as a disseminated fungal infection. He had previously been reviewed by multiple physicians for the same with no systemic illness diagnosed. After multiple reviews and thorough investigation we diagnosed him with a likely delusional disorder. As is common with this patient cohort he refused psychiatric review or antipsychotic medication. Conclusion. A delusion of a disseminated fungal infestation is a rare condition. It is exceedingly difficult to treat as these patients often refuse to believe the investigation results and diagnosis. Furthermore, they either refuse or are noncompliant with treatment. Multidisciplinary outpatient evaluation may be the best way to allay patient fears and improve treatment compliance

Identification of Burkholderia pseudomallei by use of the Vitek mass spectrometer

Burkholderia pseudomallei is the causative agent of melioidosis. This condition most often presents as pneumonia and bacteremia, with mortality rates of 9% to 70%. Therefore, early identification of this organism may aid in directing appropriate management. This study aimed to use the Vitek matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight mass spectrometer to create a spectrum for the rapid identification of B. pseudomallei. Spectra from 85 isolate cultures were acquired using the Vitek mass spectrometer research mode. A SuperSpectrum was created using peak matching and subsequently activated for analysis of organism identification. All 85 isolates were correctly identified as B. pseudomallei. A total of 899 spectra were analyzed and demonstrated a specificity of 99.8%. Eighty-one clinical isolates were used, of which 10 were neuromelioidosis, and no discernible spectrum difference was appreciated. Spectrum acquisition from a single spot was only successful in 374/899 (41%) of isolates. This increased to 100% when 3 spots of the same extract were analyzed. The Vitek mass spectrometer can be used for the rapid identification of B. pseudomallei with a high level of specificity