Response to national policy imperatives for nursing education: a Western Cape case study

Since South Africa became a democratic country in 1994, the higher education sector has been faced with the challenge of transformation and restructuring. The Minister of Education in the Education White Paper 3 stated that “the higher education system must be transformed to redress the past inequities, to serve a new social order, to meet pressing national needs and to respond to realities and opportunities” (Department of Education, 1997:2). Higher education institutions were faced with the realities of impending mergers and collaborations across programmes and between universities and technikons. The Council on Higher Education (CHE) submitted a report to the Minister of Education in February 2002 which proposed the establishment of new institutional and organizational forms within regions (Department of Education, 2002: 7-8). The Minister announced changes in higher education based on his assessment of the proposals submitted by the CHE which resulted in the reduction of the number of higher education institutions from 3 6 to 21 (Department of Education, 2002:11-20). There were specific implications for nursing education in the Western Cape. In December 2002 the Minister of Education, Kader Asmal announced that with effect from 2005, the University of the Western Cape (UWC) and a new institution, the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) would be the only enrolling institutions for undergraduate nursing education in the Western Cape. The Cape Higher Education Consortium (CHEC) instead proposed the establishment of a common teaching platform for nursing education in the region to meet the objectives of national and provincial government and to make optimal use of the combined strengths of the three universities and the technikon. This proposal was accepted by the minister and the common teaching platform, a unique form of collaboration, was established in 2005.Department of HE and Training approved lis

A framework for effective collaboration: a case study of collaboration in nursing education in the Western Cape, South Africa

A fundamental purpose of mergers between higher education institutions (HEIs) in 2002 was to enable sharing of scarce resources between more advanced universities and those historically disadvantaged by the apartheid system of the South African Government. A common teaching platform for undergraduate nursing education in the Western Cape was established in 2005, in line with the transformation of the higher education system, as a collaborative initiative between three universities.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Student nurses’ experiences of the common teaching platform for undergraduate nursing in the Western Cape Province, South Africa

The higher education system in South Africa transformed over the last two decades in response to societal changes and the new democratic order since 1994. Nursing education programmes in South Africa’s higher education sector were also affected by these changes. Restructuring in nursing education led to the establishment of a novel undergraduate nursing programme delivery system in the Western Cape, known as a “common teaching platform” (CTP) for undergraduate nursing. The CTP necessitated collaboration between three higher education institutions in the region. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study conducted during 2010 to explore students’ experiences of the CTP. The findings could have significance for strategic decisions regarding the future of undergraduate nursing in the Western Cape. Focus group discussions were conducted with registered undergraduate student nurses (n=81) to explore their CTP experiences and to identify their views on the success of the collaboration. The results of the study revealed students’ positive and negative experiences of the CTP. Students’ negative experiences revolved around unmet expectations of the collaboration, such as increased resources and exposure to the partner institutions. There were different opinions as to whether the collaboration was successful. Recommendations include a review of the management and process of the collaboration between the three institutions; workshops for stakeholders to establish a common understanding of the purpose of the collaboration; and a review of the administrative systems of the universities to ensure access by partners and to improve student access to the resources of all three institutions.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Student nurses' experiences of the common teaching platform for undergraduate nursing in the Western Cape Province, SA

The higher education system in South Africa transformed over the last two decades in response to societal changes and the new democratic order since 1994. Nursing education programmes in South Africa’s higher education sector were also affected by these changes. Restructuring in nursing education led to the establishment of a novel undergraduate nursing programme delivery system in the Western Cape, known as a “common teaching platform” (CTP) for undergraduate nursing. The CTP necessitated collaboration between three higher education institutions in the region. This article reports the findings of a qualitative study conducted during 2010 to explore students’ experiences of the CTP. The findings could have significance for strategic decisions regarding the future of undergraduate nursing in the Western Cape. Focus group discussions were conducted with registered undergraduate student nurses (n=81)to explore their CTP experiences and to identify their views on the success of the collaboration. The results of the study revealed students’ positive and negative experiences of the CTP. Students’ negative experiences revolved around unmet expectations of the collaboration, such as increased resources and exposure to the partner institutions. There were different opinions as to whether the collaboration was successful. Recommendations include a review of the management and process of the collaboration between the three institutions; workshops for stakeholders to establish a common understanding of the purpose of the collaboration; and a review of the administrative systems of the universities to ensure access by partners and to improve student access to the resources of all three institutions.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Perceptions of professional nurses regarding clinical competence of community service practitioners from degree and diploma programmes offered in the Western Cape

In compliance to the national requirements of producing competent learners, the South African Nursing Council requires community service practitioners to have the necessary knowledge, skills, attitudes and values which will enable them to render efficient professional service. The purpose of the study was to compare the perceptions of professional nurses about the clinical competence of community service practitioners (CSPs) who graduated from a nursing degree programme and those who completed a nursing diploma programme in the Western Cape. A quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional design was adopted to make comparisons of how professional nurses’ rated the clinical competence of the CSPs. Five regional hospitals were purposively selected based on them being designated health establishments for community service. Non-probability convenient sampling was employed to select a total of 52 professional nurses who were directly involved in the supervision of CSPs who graduated from degree and diploma programmes. A self-administered questionnaire was used to collect the data, which were analyzed using SPSS version 21. Bivariate analysis was done using contingency tables to compare the associations of clinical competence between the two groups of CSPs as rated by the professional nurses who supervised them. A confidence level of 95% with a 5% level of significance was set, and a p-value of less than 0.05 was interpreted as significant. The results show that professional nurses perceived the CSPs who had completed a diploma nursing programme to be more competent than the nurses with degrees. It is recommended that a longitudinal study be conducted tp see if the rating for clinincal competence between the two groups and the professional nurses’ ratings of the two groups change at all. In conclusion this study suggests that there is no significant difference in clnical competence related to knowledge and skills between the two gropuips of CSPs.Department of HE and Training approved lis

The experiences of undergraduate nursing students working in mental health care settings in the Western Cape, South Africa

The mental health care environment is perceived to be a stressful clinical learning environment for nursing students to work in due to a myriad of factors. These factors include amongst other, the physical environment, the patient population, perceived student unpreparedness and the emotional demands placed on the students which are inherent in the nature of the work. The use of the self as a therapeutic tool in caring for mentally ill patients may also present a challenge for students. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of student nurses working in this challenging environment. A qualitative approach using an exploratory, descriptive design was used. Purposive sampling was employed to select sample of 36 student participants who met the eligibility criteria. Data collection was by means of focus group interviews. Data were analysed by means of Tesch’s method of content analysis. Lazarus’s cognitive transactional model of stress-appraisal-coping was used to structure the themes. The main themes were organisational, sociological, physiological and psychological emotional responses. Each main theme had sub-themes namely: effect of the organisational climate and organisational culture; socio-cultural background and youthful age a detriment; bodily responses and lastly, the compromised self and the self in growth. In conclusion, students’ mental health experience was perceived as mostly negative and coping was problem-focused. A quantitative study to measure student stress, anxiety and depression among student nurses working in mental health care settings and also from other diverse student populations should be conducted.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Experiences of caregivers of asthmatic children regarding implementation of an asthma education programme at a community health centre in Cape Town

This study explored the experiences of caregivers of children with asthma regarding implementation of an asthma education programme at a community health centre in the Western Cape. The study explored the experiences of caregivers living with and helping the young asthmatic child when asthma symptoms first appear; their views and experiences on implementation of the asthma education programme; and their understanding of the expectations of them as caregivers, based on the guidelines provided to them. An exploratory, descriptive, contextual design was employed. Caregivers of children with asthma participated in semi-structured interviews which were guided by use of an interview schedule containing open-ended questions. The sample was derived through purposive sampling of caregivers who attended the health facility. Thematic analysis of the data was conducted. The results showed that caregivers found the education programme useful, and they reported that it was offered at a level that was easy for them to understand. Caregivers suggested that the programme should continue because they learned something new every time they attended the asthma clinic at the community health centre. Practical demonstrations were found to be particularly useful. It was clear that caregivers were aware of what was expected of them and that the education programme has assisted them in their caregiver role, despite the fact that they still experience moments of fear when the child has an asthma attack.Department of HE and Training approved lis

Performance in grade 12 mathematics and science predicts student nurses’ performance in first year science modules at a university in the Western Cape

BACKGROUND: The demand for highly qualified and skilled nurses is increasing in South Africa as well as around the world. Having a background in science can create a significant advantage for students wishing to enrol for an undergraduate nursing qualification because nursing as profession is grounded in scientific evidence. AIM: The aim of this study was to investigate the predictive validity of grade 12 mathematics and science on the academic performance of first year student nurses in science modules. METHOD: A quantitative research method using a cross-sectional predictive design was employed in this study. The participants included first year Bachelor of Nursing students enrolled at a university in the Western Cape, South Africa. Descriptive and inferential statistics were performed to analyse the data by using the IBM Statistical Package for Social Sciences versions 24. Descriptive analysis of all variables was performed as well as the Spearman’s rank correlation test to describe the relationship among the study variables. Standard multiple linear regressions analysis was performed to determine the predictive validity of grade 12 mathematics and science on the academic performance of first year student nurses in science modules. RESULTS: The results of this study showed that grade 12 physical science is not a significant predictor (p > 0.062) of performance in first year science modules. The multiple linear regression revealed that grade 12 mathematics and life science grades explained 37.1% to 38.1% (R2 = 0.381 and adj R2 = 0.371) of the variation in the first year science grade distributions. CONCLUSION: Based on the results of the study it is evident that performance in grade 12 mathematics (β = 2.997) and life science (β = 3.175) subjects is a significant predictor (p < 0.001) of the performance in first year science modules for student nurses at the university identified for this study.DHE

Do nursing students know and practice the Universal Precautions to prevent transmission of infectious agents?c

The aim of the study was therefore to investigate the knowledge and practice of nursing students with regard to the UPs and whether there was any relationship between knowledge of and practice of the UPs.Web of Scienc

A systematic review evaluating the effects of bilateral tubal ligation on menorrhagia and dysmenorrhoea (post-tubal ligation syndrome)

INTRODUCTION: The complaints about the tubal sterilization surgery leading to post-tubal ligation syndrome first surfaced in the 1950s. With the introduction in the 1970s of laparoscopy, which was a less invasive surgery, more women choose tubal ligation as a family planning method, and reports of complaints of tubal-ligation syndrome increased. Changes in menstrual flow, dysmenorrhoea, menorrhagia and change in cycle length after tubal sterilization have been reported in several studies since 1970. The term "post tubal ligation syndrome" has been used to refer to these changes. Often studies have failed to account for the cause in the menstrual changes other than tubal ligation.Objective: The primary objective of this research project was to evaluate the long-term risks associated with female tubal ligation by executing a systematic review. SEARCH STRATEGY: An electronic search of available search engines was used to draw literature relevant to bilateral tubal ligation. SELECTION CRITERIA TYPES OF STUDIES: All randomized controlled, quasi-randomized or clinical controlled trials that mention an experimental and comparison group (own controls were allowed), reporting on long-term risks associated with changes in the menstrual cycle after female sterilization were included in the review. TYPES OF PARTICIPANTS: Women in their reproductive years who had a tubal ligation compared to women who did not have a tubal ligation. TYPES OF INTERVENTION: Tubal sterilization (by macro- or micro-surgery, laparotomy, minilaparotomy or laparoscopy). TYPES OF OUTCOME MEASURES: Outcome measures relevant to post-tubal sterilization long-term risks concentrating on: Dysmenorrhoea, menorrhagia and duration of menstruation period. DATA ANALYSIS: The reviewer extracted the data unto a data collection sheet. Thereafter it was captured onto a computer. Review Manager software program was used for analyses. RESULTS: The results showed that women who have a tubal ligation have an increased risk to experience dysmenorrhoea and menorrhagia after the procedure. They may also be at risk to experience an increase in the duration of their menstruation period