Factors that may influence South African nurses' decisions to emigrate

Although no accurate statistics about the number of South African nurses working in other countries are available, the Organisation of Economic Cooperation and Development estimated that 35 000 South African nurses were working outside South Africa and/or outside the health care system (Horning, 2005:58). The global shortage of nurses, creating opportunities for South African nurses to work in foreign countries, as well as a variety of factors related to nursing, health care and the general living conditions in South Africa influence nurses’ decisions to emigrate. The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the factors that influence nurses’ decisions to emigrate. Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory was used as a point of departure to establish what motivates the behaviour of nurses to emigrate from South Africa. A quantitative approach was used. The target population comprised all the nurses (n=3 331) on the registers of the South African Nursing Council (SANC) who completed their basic training during 2002. A random sample of 15% (n=501) of the total population of nurses who completed their basic training during 2002 was selected. Data were collected by structured questionnaires. The analysis of the data indicated that nurses’ inadequate remuneration, poor working conditions, excessive workloads, lack of personal growth and career advancement possibilities and inability to meet their safety and security needs were major factors that influenced nurses’ decisions to emigrate. The recommendations include improved remuneration for nurses, enhanced working conditions with adequate supplies and equipment, reduced workloads by employing more nurses, expanded career prospects and improved safety.Health Studie

Post-basic nursing students' perceptions of the emigration of nurses from the Republic of South Africa: research

The emigration of nurses from South Africa to work in overseas countries continues to increase despite efforts to curb this phenomenon. This exploratory descriptive survey attempted to identify nurses' perceptions of their colleagues who have emigrated as well as their own intentions to emigrate should the opportunity arise. Selfcompletion questionnaires were posted to all students registered for under- and postgraduate studies at a distance education institution. The analysis of the data obtained from 453 completed questionnaires indicated that almost all respondents knew nurses who had emigrated, and that approximately 60% of the respondents would emigrate if the opportunity should arise. The major deterrent to their emigration was family ties which kept them in South Africa. The major reasons why they would emigrate related to better remuneration and to the ability to save money quickly for specific reasons. Besides improved remuneration and fringe benefits, employers could help nurses to remain in the Republic of South Africa (RSA) by showing appreciation for their work, by improving facilities and resources and by appointing competent health managers. The South African government could help nurses to remain within the RSA by appointing people in the frozen posts, eliminating corruption within the government and by improving safety and security in the country. Almost all respondents indicated that the government had no right to prevent South African nurses from emigrating to other countries. Die emigrasie van Suid-Afrikaanse verpleegkundiges om in oorsese lande te werk neem toe ten spyte van pogings om die verskynsel te bekamp. 'n Verkennende, beskrywende opname is gedoen ten einde verpleegkundiges se persepsies te verken oor kollegas wat ge?migreer het asook hulle eie voornemens om te emigreer indien die geleentheid sou voorkom. Vraelyste wat die studente self moes voltooi is aan alle studente gepos wat vir voor- of nagraadse studies by 'n afstandsonderriginstelling geregistreer was. Die ontleding van die data wat verkry is vanaf die 453 voltooide vraelyste het aangedui dat bykans alle respondente verpleegkundiges geken het wat reeds ge?migreer het, en dat ongeveer 60% van die respondente sou emigreer indien hulle so 'n geleentheid sou kry. Die belangrikste faktor wat hulle emigrasie teengewerk het was familiebande wat hulle in Suid-Afrika gehou het. Die hoofredes waarom hulle sou emigreer het verband gehou met beter besoldiging en met die vermo? om vinnig geld te spaar vir spesifieke doeleindes. Benewens verbeterde besoldiging en byvoordele kan werkgewers verpleegkundiges help om in RSA te bly deur waardering te toon vir hul werk, deur fasiliteite en bronne te verbeter en deur bevoegde gesondheidsorgbestuurders aan te stel. Die Suid-Afrikaanse regering kan verpleegkundiges help om in die RSA aan te bly deur mense in bevrore poste aan te stel, korrupsie binne die regering uit te roei en die veiligheid en sekuriteit in die land te verbeter. Bykans alle respondente het aangetoon dat die regering nie oor die reg beskik om Suid-Afrikaanse verpleegkundiges te verbied om na ander lande te emigreer nie. Keywords: Emigration of South African nurses, Migration of nurses, Nursing shortage in the RSA (Health SA Gesondheid: interdisciplinary research journal: 2003 8(4): 38-55

Professional nurses' attitudes towards providing termination of pregnancy services in a tertiary hospital in the North West Province of South Africa

The Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act (no 92 of 1996) was implemented during 1997. This study attempted to investigate professional nurses’ attitudes towards rendering termination of pregnancy (TOP) services at a tertiary hospital in the North West Province of South Africa. A quantitative descriptive research design was used to study professional nurses’ attitudes towards providing TOP services. The research results, obtained from questionnaires completed by professional nurses, indicated that most professional nurses’ attitudes included that women should be at least 16 years of age to access these services; women should not be able to access repeated TOPs; nurses would prefer to administer pills rather than to use vacuum aspirations; nurses should work in TOP services by choice only. TOP centers should have better equipment, more resources and more staff members. Nurses working in TOP services would appreciate receiving more support from their families, friends, managers and communities. Some professional nurses experienced guilt, depression, anxiety and religious conflicts as a result of providing TOP services. Despite the legalisation of TOPs, these services remained stigmatised. Professional nurses did not want to work in these services and also did not want to be associated with them.Health Studie

Adolescent mothers' knowledge and perceptions of contraceptives in Tshwane, South Africa: research

This descriptive quantitative survey attempted to identify reasons why adolescent mothers (aged 19 or younger at the birth of their babies) failed to utilise contraceptive, emergency contraceptive and / or termination of pregnancy (TOP) services. The research population comprised all adolescent mothers in the region, the accessible convenience sample consisted of all adolescent mothers who visited Tshwane's Metropolitan Council clinics from 1 January till 31 March 2000, and who were willing to complete questionnaires, designed and tested during a joint World Health Organization and Commonwealth Reproductive Health Workshop in Harare, Zimbabwe, during 1998. During pretesting, 12 questionnaires were completed by adolescent mothers who were excluded from the actual study. This report refers to data (analysed with the Epi-Info program) obtained from 61 completed questionnaires. Only a minority of these 61 adolescent mothers earned sufficient money to sustain themselves and their babies. In spite of these unfavourable financial circumstances, only 23 (37.7%) had used contraceptives prior to conception. None of them used emergency contraceptives and none accessed termination of pregnancy services. Although all these services are available free of charge in the region, these adolescent mothers did not use them. The adolescent mothers required more knowledge about contraceptives, emergency contraceptives and TOP services, and they need to perceive these services as being accessible and safe before they could utilise them effectively. Clinics providing these services should be open over weekends and during evenings so that adolescents can obtain contraceptive services without fear of meeting their mothers, aunts or teachers at these clinics. Reproductive health clinics should also strive towards providing more adolescent-friendly services. Hierdie beskrywende kwantitatiewe opname het gepoog om redes te bepaal waarom adolessente moeders (wat 19 jaar oud of jonger was tydens die geboorte van hulle babas) nie gebruik gemaak het van kontrasepsie (voorbehoedmiddels) of noodkontrasepsie, en / of terminasie van swangerskap (";termination of pregnancy - TOP";) dienste nie. Die navorsingspopulasie het bestaan uit alle adolessente moeders in die streek, die bereikbare gerieflike steekproef het bestaan uit alle adolessente moeders wat die Tshwane Metropolitaanse Raad se klinieke van 1 Januarie tot 31 Maart 2000 besoek het, en wat bereid was om vraelyste te voltooi. Die vraelyste is ontwerp en getoets tydens 'n gesamentlike Wêreld Gesondheids Organisasie en Statebond Voortplantingsgesondheidwerkswinkel in Harare, Zimbabwe, gedurende 1998. Tydens die voortoetsfase is 12 vraelyste voltooi deur adolessente moeders wat nie aan die werklike studie deelgeneem het nie. Hierdie verslag verwys na die data (ontleed met behulp van die Epi-Info program) wat verkry is uit 61 vraelyste wat in die Tshwaneomgewing voltooi is tussen 1 Januarie en 31 Maart 2000. Slegs enkele van hierdie 61 adolessente moeders het inkomstes gehad wat voldoende was om hulleself en hulle babas te onderhou. Ten spyte van die ongunstige finansiële omstandighede, het slegs 23 (37.7%) enige kontrasepsie gebruik voor hulle swangerskappe. Niemand het noodkontrasepsie gebruik nie en ook nie terminasie van swangerskap dienste nie. Alhoewel hierdie dienste gratis beskikbaar is in die Tshwane-omgewing, kon die respondente nie daarin slaag om die dienste te benut nie. Die adolessente moeders benodig meer kennis oor kontrasepsie, noodkontrasepsie en terminasie van swangerskap dienste, asook persepsies dat die dienste bereikbaar en veilig is, alvorens hulle die dienste kan benut. Klinieke wat sodanige dienste verskaf, behoort naweke en saans oop te wees sodat adolessente die klinieke kan bywoon sonder om te vrees dat hulle moeders, tannies of onderwyseresse ook daar sal wees. Reproduktiewe gesondheidsorgklinieke moet ook meer adolessente-vriendelike dienste daarstel. Key words: Adolescent mothers, Contraceptives, Knowledge and utilisation of contraceptives, Emergency contraceptives, Teenage pregnancies, Termination of pregnancy services (Health SA Gesondheid : interdisciplinary research journal: 2003 8(1): 13-25

A profile of nurses who requested the removal of their names from the SAINC's registers during 1996. South African Interim Nursing Council.

Annually a number of nurses request to have their names removed from the registers and rolls of the South African Nursing Council (SANC-currently called the South African Interim Nursing Council or SAINC). Having their names removed from the SAINC's registers/rolls implies that they cannot practise their nursing profession. A total of 1,139 persons requested the removal of their names from SAINC's registers and roles at the beginning of 1996 (statistics supplied by SAINC). Name and address stickers were obtained for all persons who requested the removal of their names from SAINC's registers/rolls. A total of 71 persons supplied permanent addresses in foreign countries and were excluded from the study. The research population consisted of 1,068 persons, from which 20%, or 214 persons, was selected using a table of random numbers to comprise the research sample. Questionnaires, based on literature studies, and on previous studies undertaken by the researcher, were posted to 214 persons. The first part of the questionnaire requested autobiographic information, including the respondents' ages, marital status, qualifications and involvement in further studies. Other sections of the questionnaire endeavoured to obtain information about the reasons why the respondents requested the removal of their names from SAINC's registers and thus by implication why they left nursing; under what conditions they would consider re-entering the nursing profession; and whether they considered doing a re-entry course. Although this research could be regarded as being an exploratory descriptive survey, the research results do provide information which nurse researchers, educators and managers can use

The 2009 rcn interntional nursing research conference: Celebrating 50 years of nursing research: Looking back, moving forward

[No abstract available

Orthopaedic patients’ perceptions about their pre-operative information

A non-experimental, descriptive and quantitative survey was conducted to explore orthopaedic patients’ perceptions about the pre-operative information received when undergoing elective surgery in two hospitals in the KwaZulu-Natal Province. The findings indicate that most patients perceived the pre-operative information to be useful in their preparation for surgery. Aspects that were not addressed during preoperative information sessions included post-operative nutrition, pain medication, ambulation, deep breathing and coughing exercises. The recommendations include that all these aspects should be addressed in future pre-operative education sessions. Further research should be conducted for enhancing the pre-operative information provided to patients scheduled to undergo elective orthopaedic surgery

Student nurses’ perceptions of the development of interpersonal relationships

This survey attempted to investigate: • whether significant differences existed between the first and fourth year students’ perceptions about the espousal of positive interpersonal relationships • student nurses’ perceived role of tutors, preceptors and professional nurses in fostering the development of students nurses’ positive interpersonal relationships • student nurses’ espousal of positive interpersonal relationships with colleagues, patients, friends and relatives of patients

South African nurse managers’ perceptions regarding cost containment in public hospitals

The perceptions of nurse managers regarding cost containment issues in selected public hospitals in the Port Elizabeth metropole of the Eastern Cape were investigated. Results indicated that nurse managers required better preparation for their cost control responsibilities. Although the majority of the nurse managers realised that staffing issues affected cost containment efforts, they were reportedly unable to prevent nurses from leaving their points of duty without due authorisation, curb the rate of absenteeism or reduce the number of resignations. Nurse managers suggested that cost containment efforts would benefit from effective security checks to curb losses of stock and equipment, including wheelchairs, and that more public telephones should be installed in hospitals. Rationalisation of staff and specialised services among the four major hospitals could further enhance cost containment efforts