The experiences of private somatology therapists on their self-management in a private practice

Somatology therapists have a demanding occupation, both physically and emotionally. Long working hours coupled with handling clients on a daily basis, notwithstanding the strain of ensuring high quality client care, are all aspects that place pressure on the therapist. These aspects, in the backdrop of a lack of self-management of a therapist, could result in impaired judgement and substandard performance in the workplace. The purpose of this study included exploring and describing the experiences of private somatology therapists in selfmanagement, from which recommendations for improved self-management within private somatology practices were described. For the purpose of this study, self-management was defined as a method of managing not only the interaction with clients and work stressors, but also the feelings of the therapists, by practising a variety of techniques such as self-discipline. A descriptive, exploratory and contextual qualitative design was followed. The accessible population consisted of therapists (n = 15) practising at six private somatology facilities in the Pretoria North region. Purposeful sampling was followed. Ten individual unstructured interviews as well as a pilot study were conducted in which field notes were taken. Open coding data analysis identified four themes with subthemes. Lincoln and Guba’s model was used to ensure trustworthiness and ethical considerations were followed throughout the process. Informed consent was granted by the private somatology practices and the therapists. One of the themes indicated that self-management strategies should be displayed, in order to gain a sense of control. The study identified that there is a definite need to nurture the therapist within this demanding working environment which we call the somatology practice.Department of HE and Training approved lis

East salt sparingly - sprinkle, don\u27t shake!

The salt-blood pressure hypothesis states that an excessive salt intake leads to an increase in blood pressure in genetically susceptible persons and, if high intake is maintained long term, ultimately leads to sustained hypertension. It is estimated that about 3.3 million South Africans (12.6% and 16.3% of adult men and women, respectively) are hypertensive. However, not all subjects within a particular population respond equally to exposure to high-salt diets. Methods to identify those who are \u27salt sensitive\u27 remain in the research domain; therefore a population approach to the restriction of dietary salt intake is warranted. The message to \u27eat salt sparingly\u27 will not interfere with the current nutritional and legal requirements regarding iodation of table salt. A salt intake as low as 5 g per day would provide an adequate amount of iodine, provided the salt is sufficiently iodated. Dietary factors other than sodium which have been shown to influence blood pressure include potassium, magnesium, calcium and alcohol. The \u27Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension\u27 (DASH) randomised controlled trial found that subjects fed a diet rich in fruit and vegetables for 8 weeks significantly reduced both systolic and diastolic blood pressure, compared with subjects on a typical American control diet. A \u27combination\u27 diet, rich in fruit, vegetables and low-fat dairy products, and with a reduced saturated and total fat intake, resulted in an even greater reduction in blood pressure. Translated into a practical diet, this information suggests a daily diet that includes large amounts of fruit and vegetables, a moderate intake of low-fat dairy products, lean meat and chicken, and a prudent alcohol intake. Salt should be used sparingly, if at all, at the table and in the preparation of meals, and the intake of processed foods high in salt should be limited. This would result in a reduction in intake from an average of around 9 g salt to about 6 g salt per day, which is the current USA recommendation. These blood pressure-related recommendations incorporate many of the various foodbased dietary guidelines, emphasising that the recommendations are congruent and mutually substantiative

Developing non-cognitive skills in part-time students at a South African university: Overcoming negativity and supporting behavioural change

This paper reports on the findings of an intervention aimed at assisting a group of thirty-one part-time students registered for a third year Management Accounting and Finance course to develop a range of non-cognitive skills that have been shown to positively impact academic behaviour. In addition to facilitating the teaching and learning of academic content, lecturers introduced students to academic mindsets, academic behaviours, learning strategies and social skills through role-plays and practical demonstrations. The intervention also strove to influence the context in which students learned in order to positively influence the attitudes of the students towards the course and to motivate them to acquire and practice behaviours that would support their learning. The intervention involved two action research cycles in which the researchers were able to reflect on the effectiveness of the various approaches used to encourage behaviour change and the acquisition of new skills. The findings of the study indicate that the intervention was successful in developing a range of non-cognitive attitudes, strategies and behaviours in students, with most of the cohort reporting positive changes in attitude towards their studies and the belief that academic success was indeed possible

The facilitation of professional values amongst student nurses in the North-West Province: research

The purpose of this study was to formulate guidelines to facilitate the internalisation of professional values in student nurses in order to enable them to become caring registered nurses. To realise this goal, the researcher followed a quantitative, qualitative, descriptive, exploratory and contextual approach. In Phase One of the study, data was collected from the nurse educators through focus group interviews and from the student nurses by means of written narratives. The groups separately described their perceptions about those professional values they deemed important for nursing and how these professional values should be taught to student nurses in order to make them caring registered nurses. Conceptualisation was undertaken in Phase Two. Phase Three focused on document analysis to evaluate whether the identified professional values and teaching strategies were reflected in the college curriculum. Guidelines were formulated in the last phase. These guidelines could be used by the nurse educators to facilitate caring among students as registered nurses. Some of the identified professional values and teaching strategies were indeed reflected in the college curriculum. However, the evaluation of tests and examinations did not seem to confirm that these professional values were taught, nor that the teaching strategies had indeed been used. The guidelines highlighted that the values identified should form part of the college curriculum. Die doel van hierdie studie was om riglyne te formuleer om die internalisering van professionele waardes in studenteverpleegkundiges te fasiliteer wat hulle in staat sal stel om praktisyns wat omgee, te word. Om hierdie doel te bereik, het die navorser 'n kwantitatiewe, kwalitatiewe, verkennende, beskrywende en kontekstualiserende benadering gevolg. In Fase Een van die studie, is data deur middel van fokusgroeponderhoude met verpleegopvoeders en geskrewe verhale/sketse deur studenteverpleegkundiges versamel. Hierdie groepe is afsonderlik gevra om hulle persepsies van die belangrike professionele waardes vir die verpleegberoep te beskryf asook hoe hierdie professionele waardes aan studenteverpleegkundiges onderrig moet word om van hulle praktisyns wat omgee, te maak. Konseptualisering is in Fase Twee onderneem. Fase Drie het gefokus op dokumentanalise om vas te stel of die professionele waardes en onderrigstrategieë wat geïdentifiseer is, in die kollegekurrikulum gereflekteer word. Riglyne wat verpleegopvoeders kan gebruik om "omgee" by studente as verpleegpraktisyns te fasiliteer is in Fase Vier van die studie geformuleer. Sommige van die geïdentifiseerde professionele waardes en onderrigstrategieë word wel in die kurrikulum van die kollege gereflekteer. Nieteenstaande het die evaluering van toetse en eksamenvraestelle nie bevestig dat professionele waardes wel onderrig word nie, of dat die onderrigstrategieë wel toegepas word nie. Die riglyne het aangedui dat die geïdentifiseerde waardes deel van die kollegekurrikulum moet wees. (Health SA Gesondheid: interdisciplinary research journal: 2003 8(3): 26-36

Bemagtiging van Verpleegkundiges - 'n Konseptuele Raamwerk

An increasing awareness of the value of employees is experienced in health services. Empowerment as a strategy can be used constructively to promote a health services. The problem identified was the absence of a acceptable conceptual framework regarding the concept empowerment. Incomplete and divergent definitions of empowerment were also a concern

Perceptions and Experiences of Healthcare Professionals Regarding Type 2 Diabetes Patient Education in Benin City, Nigeria

Background: The prevalence of type 2 diabetes is on the increase globally, characterised by severe complications which pose a burden on individuals, healthcare professionals and society. The study aimed at exploring the perceptions and experiences of healthcare professionals towards type 2 diabetes patient education. Method: The approach utilised was an explorative descriptive qualitative research approach. A multi-disciplinary group of healthcare professionals comprising of nurses, dieticians and social workers, in two health institutions participated in the focus group discussions. The discussions were recorded, transcribed and analysed manually using Tesch (1990) descriptive approach. Results: The identified themes included the composition of patient education on type 2 diabetes, challenges encountered during the practice of patient education and recommendations by the healthcare professionals. Conclusion: The healthcare professionals’ perceived that all healthcare professionals should be involved in patient education. Keywords: Experiences, Healthcare Professionals, Patients, Patient Education, Perception, Type 2 diabetes

Knowledge of iodine nutrition in the South African adult population

OBJECTIVES: To determine the level of knowledge regarding iodine nutrition and its relationship with socio-economic status in the South African population. DESIGN: A cross-sectional population survey collecting questionnaire information on knowledge of iodine nutrition and sociodemographic variables in a multistage, stratified, cluster study sample, representative of the adult South African population. SETTING: Home visits and personal interviews in the language of the respondent. SUBJECTS: Data were collected from one adult in each of the selected 2164 households, and the participation rate was 98%. RESULTS: Only 15.4% of respondents correctly identified iodised salt as the primary dietary source of iodine, 16.2% knew the thyroid gland needs iodine for its functioning, and a mere 3.9% considered brain damage, and 0.8% considered cretinism, as the most important health consequence of iodine deficiency. Compared with respondents from high socio-economic households, respondents from low socio-economic households were considerably less informed about aspects of iodine nutrition covered in this study. CONCLUSIONS: The knowledge level of iodine nutrition is low among South Africans, particularly among the low socio-economic groups. These data suggest that the international emphasis on brain damage resulting from iodine deficiency has not been conveyed successfully to the consumer level in this country

Interlacing of zeros of quasi-orthogonal Meixner polynomials

We consider the interlacing of zeros of polynomials within the sequences of quasi-orthogonal order one Meixner polynomials characterised by −β, c ∈ (0, 1). The interlacing of zeros of quasi-orthogonal Meixner polynomials Mn(x; β, c) with the zeros of their nearest orthogonal counterparts Ml(x; β + k, c), l, n ∈ ℕ, k ∈ {1, 2}, is also discussed.The DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Mathematical and Statistical Sciences (CoE-MaSS) under grant number FA2016/008.http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tqma202018-04-10hj2017Mathematics and Applied Mathematic

'n Model vir bemagtiging van verpleegkundiges : 'n bestuursperspektief

Text in AfrikaansSummaries in Afrikaans and EnglishBemagtiging van verpleegkundiges in gesondheidsdienste in Suid-Afrika bly 'n voortdurende kwessie en die mate waartoe verpleegbestuur verpleegkundiges bemagtig om outonoom op te tree, is onbekend. Wanneer verpleegkundiges bemagtig is, lei dit tot verbeterde pasientsorg deur middel van verhoogde produktiwiteit en werktevredenheid. Die wyse waarop bemagtiging van verpleegkundiges meet geskied is nog nie in SuidAfrika in diepte ondersoek nie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om daardie elemente wat vir die verpleegbestuurder noodsaaklik is om verpleegkundiges te kan bemagtig, te identifiseer. Deur middel van 'n beskrywende, ontdekkende studie wat van 'n vraelys gebruik gemaak het om inligting te bekom, is die nodige elemente gei'soleer. Verpleegbestuurders in gesondheidsdienste in die Gauteng-area het as teikengroep gedien. Definisies van bestuursbemagtiging is geanaliseer ten einde 'n konseptuele raamwerk te ken saamstel. Ses konsepte het die raamwerk vir hierdie studie gevorm, naamlik: • die bydrae van bestuurstrukture tot die bemagtiging van verpleegkundiges; • die rel van magsdeling in die bemagtiging van verpleegkundiges; • deelnemende besluitneming in die bemagtiging van verpleegkundiges; • die verpleegbestuurder se vaardighede en verantwoordelikhede in haar daaglikse taakontwerp en bestuur wat tot die bemagtiging van verpleegkundiges bydra; • motivering- en beloningstrategiee wat tot bemagtiging bydra; en • eienskappe wat kenmerkend van 'n bemagtigende verpleegbestuurder is. Uit die ontleding van die data het die volgende belangrike elemente ender andere na vore gekom: • Daar behoort gedesentraliseerde verspreiding van mag na die laagste moontlike vlak in die gesondheidsdiens plaas te vind; • Die voorstelle van verpleegkundiges behoort erken en indien aanvaarbaar, geimplementeer te word; • Gesag behoort op so n wyse gedelegeer te word dat onafhanklike besluitneming bevorder word; • Verpleegkundiges se take behoort sodanig ontwerp te word dat onafhanklike optrede in die werkplek bevorder word. Die bevindinge van hierdie studie het getoon dat verpleegbestuurders positief ingestel is betreffende die bemagtiging van verpleegkundiges. Hulle beskou dit as deel van hulle bestuursfunksie. 'n Uitdaging waarmee die bestuurder van die toekoms te kampe sal he, is die van 'n omvattende begrip vir personeellede en om van beheer deur middel van streng burokratiese reels, af te sien.Empowerment of nurses in health services in South Africa remains an ongoing issue, but the extent to which nursing management empowers nurses to act autonomously is not known. When nurses are empowered patient care and nursing services improve through enhanced productivity and job satisfaction. The way in which nurses could be empowered by management has yet to be addressed by researchers in South Africa. The aim of the present study was to identify those essential elements through which nurse managers can empower nurses. By making use of a descriptive exploratory study, utilizing a questionnaire to acquire the necessary information, the essential elements were isolated. Nurse managers in health services in the Gauteng region formed the target group. Definitions of empowerment in management were analyzed and from this a conceptual framework regarding empowerment was formulated. Six concepts served as the basis of this study: • the contribution of management structures, towards the empowerment of nurses; • the role of power-sharing in the empowerment of nurses; • participative decision making in the empowerment of nurses; • the management skills and responsibilities of the nurse manager in her daily task design and management that contribute to the empowerment of nurses; • motivation and reward strategies that contribute towards empowerment; • attributes which characterise an empowered nurse manager. From the analysis of. the data the following important elements among others emerged: • Decentralization of the distribution of power to the lowest possible level should take place in the health services; • The suggestions of nurses should be acknowledged and if found acceptable, to be implemented; • Authority should be delegated in such a way that independent decision making by nurses is enhanced; • Nurses' tasks should be designed in a way that promote independent performance in the work place. The findings of this study revealed that nurse managers are favourably disposed towards the empowerment of nurses. They see this as part of their managerial function. A challenge which confronts the manager of the future is that of comprehensively understanding staff members, and setting aside control through bureaucratic behaviour.Health StudiesD. Litt. et Phil