Bereavement overload and its effects on, and related coping mechanisms of health care providers and ward administrators at National District Hospital in Bloemfontein, Free State

Background: Patient death is an event that all health care workers will face at some point. Beyond the family, the greatest emotional strain is on people who work directly with the patient and family. Bereavement overload occurs after multiple losses without time for normal grief in between. Aim: To investigate bereavement overload, its effects and related coping mechanisms of personnel working in adult medical wards. Setting: Four adult medical wards at National District Hospital, Bloemfontein. Methods: An analytical cross-sectional study design was performed with the aid of an intervieweradministered questionnaire. The target population included health care providers (13 doctors and 20 nurses), eight final-year medical students, and four administrative staff working in thefour adult medical wards at National District Hospital, during August to October 2016. Results: Half (48.9%) of the 45 participants reported bereavement overload. None of the medical students reported bereavement overload compared to 60.0% of nurses, 75.0% of administrative staff and 53.9% of doctors. Nearly two-thirds (64.5%, n = 29) stated that they suffered from compassion fatigue. The majority of participants (62.2%) used only positive coping mechanisms. The use of negative coping mechanisms correlated directly with a longer duration in the medical field. Conclusion: With a 49% prevalence of bereavement overload, it is important that support systems are in place to prevent the effects of negative coping mechanisms. The desirable outcome is that health care providers, who suffer from bereavement overload, experience compassion satisfaction and become more dedicated to the patients’ well-being without expense to themselves

Section 23(1)(d) of the Labour Relations Act : the potential deprivation of employees' collective labour rights

LLM, North-West University, Mahikeng CampusSection 23(1)(d) of the Labour Relations Act 66 of 1995 is a provision that allows an employer and a trade union that enjoys representivity of the majority of employees at a workplace to enter into a collective agreement and extend it to employees who are members of a minority trade union, and employees who are not part of a trade union at all. This extension is also applicable to employees who are against the collective agreement and who do not agree with its terms. This provision was introduced in the LRA to regulate employment relationships and promote orderly collective bargaining, but it also potentially deprives the members of minority trade unions of certain labour rights. The notion of extending collective agreements to minority employees and non-unionised members is established on the principle of majoritarianism, although this principle has the potential of infringing on the rights of the minority and non-unionised members. This dissertation seeks to examine how section 23(1)(d) of the LRA has the potential to infringe on the labour rights of employees. This dissertation also discusses the findings of the Constitutional Court on section 23(1)(d) of the LRA as a provision that potentially deprives the rights of minority trade unions and non-unionised employees.Master