Advanced psychiatric nurse practitioners’ ideas and needs for supervision in private practice in South Africa

Background: Supervision forms an integral part of psychiatric nursing. The value of clinical supervision has been demonstrated widely in research. Despite efforts made toward advanced psychiatric nursing, supervision seems to be non-existent in this field. Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore and describe advanced psychiatric nurse practitioners’ ideas and needs with regard to supervision in private practice in order to contribute to the new efforts made in advanced psychiatric nursing in South Africa. Method: A qualitative, descriptive, exploratory, and contextual design using a phenomenological approach as research method was utilised in this study. A purposive sampling was used. Eight advanced psychiatric nurse practitioners in private practice described their ideas and needs for supervision during phenomenological interviews. Tesch’s method of open coding was utilised to analyse data. After data analysis the findings were recontextualised within literature. Results: The data analysis generated the following themes – that the supervisor should have or possess: (a) professional competencies, (b) personal competencies and (c) specific facilitative communication skills. The findings indicated that there was a need for supervision of advanced psychiatric nurse practitioners in private practice in South Africa. Conclusion: This study indicates that there is need for supervision and competent supervisors in private practice. Supervision can be beneficial with regard to developing a culture of support for advanced psychiatric practitioners in private practice and also psychiatric nurse practitioners

Experiences of parents of an adolescent with intellectual disability in Giyani, Limpopo province, South Africa

Background: Parents of adolescents with intellectual disability experienced stress caused by challenges that come from having such adolescents. Those challenges affected the parents physically and emotionally, depending on the severity of the adolescent’s intellectual disability. Having an adolescent with an intellectual disability becomes a burden if the challenges were not resolved. Aim: This study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of parents of adolescents with intellectual disability in Giyani. Setting: This study was conducted at the participants’ homes in Giyani, Limpopo province, South Africa. Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was utilised. The main question was ‘How is it to have an adolescent with intellectual disability?’ Eight purposively sampled parents participated, and data were collected through in-depth interviews, observations and field notes. Data were analysed by means of thematic coding and an independent coder was consulted. Results: Four themes were identified. The study revealed that parents of adolescents with intellectual disability experienced negative emotional responses. Most parents reported a lack of support from family members and the community. They also reported caring challenges, yet some showed positive coping mechanisms. Conclusion: Parents of adolescents with intellectual disability experienced various challenges in caring for these children. A collaborative approach from relevant stakeholders could have a positive impact in supporting the parents of adolescents with intellectual disabilities

Exploring the needs and resources of children in a haematology-oncology unit

Too often a child’s body is restored to health in the hospital, but the child is sent home with emotional wounds. This study explored the needs of children in a haematology-oncology unit as well as the resources that could be mobilised in order to address these needs by firstly carrying out a literature review. A field study was then conducted in order to prioritise the resources according to their importance for children in a haematology-oncology unit. A definite trend could be found in the way that the children responded to the request to prioritise the resources. The first three resources, as chosen by the children, all concerned the external social environment of the child. It could therefore be concluded that support from parents and other people of significance are most important to the child and should be taken into account when facilitating support for children in a haematology-oncology unit. It could also be concluded that these children do not experience sufficient control in their situation and it could therefore be suggested that children in a haematology-oncology unit should experience more control and power in their situation. Opsomming So dikwels word ‘n kind se liggaam genees in die hospitaal, maar hierdie selfde kind gaan huis toe met emosionele wonde. Die behoeftes van kinders in ‘n hematologie-onkologie eenheid is ondersoek asook die hulpbronne wat gemobiliseer kan word om hierdie behoeftes aan te spreek deur gebruik te maak van ‘n literatuurstudie. Daarna is ‘n veldstudie gedoen om hierdie hulpbronne te prioritiseer volgens die belangrikheid daarvan vir kinders in ‘n hematologieonkologie eenheid. Die manier waarop die kinders die hulpbronne geprioritiseer het, het ‘n definitiewe tendens getoon. Die eerste drie hulpbronne wat deur die kinders gekies is, is al drie hulpbronne wat die eksterne sosiale omgewing van die kind behels. Die gevolgtrekking kan dus gemaak word dat die ondersteuning van ouers en ander persone wat belangrik is vir die kind, van uiterste belang is en in aanmerking geneem behoort te word in die fasilitering van ondersteuning van kinders in ‘n hematologie-onkologie eenheid. Die gevolgtrekking wat gemaak kan word is dat hierdie kinders nie genoeg beheer ervaar in hulle situasie nie en daarom word voorgestel dat kinders in ‘n hematologie-onkologie eenheid meer bemagtig behoort te word gegewe hulle omstandighede

The lived experiences of family members of a sibling with borderline personality disorder in South Africa: A qualitative study

Background: Family members of family members who have a sibling with borderline personality disorder (BPD) experience a considerable burden. Individuals with BPD pose a challenge to their siblings, as BPD affects the person with the disorder and those around them. Purpose: The aim of this article is thus to report on a study that explored and described the family members’ lived experiences of a sibling with BPD. Method: This qualitative study used in-depth phenomenological individual interviews, supported by participant observations and field notes for data collection. Data were analysed using Colaizzis' descriptive phenomenological method of data analysis. Results: Seven participants were interviewed, and three themes emerged from the collected data. The study revealed that participants experienced multiple challenges in understanding, gaining control, and struggling to cope with their own lives. Participants also experienced that interpersonal relationships suffered due to lack of constructive communication and lack of education on the disorder. Lastly, the study revealed that the participants used different mechanisms to cope with having a sibling with BPD. Conclusion: This research illuminated the challenges experienced by family members of a sibling with BPD. These findings provide a basis for recommendations to support the family members who have a sibling with BPD

Young families become mindful of their possibilities through the appreciation of their family life

Young families, as viewed through a multi-generational lens, provide the environment in which children can be nurtured and socialised. The purpose of the research is to explore and describe how the parents and grandparents of young families appreciate their family life. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual multiple case study design was used to conduct the study. Purposive sampling methods were applied to select families according to the sampling criteria, each family representing an individual case study. Appreciative inquiry interviews were conducted with the young parents and available grandparents, during which the participants were asked four open-ended questions. Data collection was enriched by means of reflective letters to participants, collages created by the young parents, and the researcher's field notes and journal inscriptions. The data collected from each individual case study was analysed and then synthesised by means of a cross-case analysis. A cross-case validation report was compiled. The themes and categories that emerged from the data were discussed. The research study concluded that when young families embarked on a journey of discovering their strengths and potential in the larger family system, they creatively envision and discovered the possibilities to transform their destiny in a purposeful and constructive way