Thesis (MCur)--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Background: In her clinical practice as nursing manager the researcher was concerned about incomplete and inaccurate documentation of patients diagnosed with tuberculosis (TB) which were compromising the management of these patients. The primary care nurses endorsed these concerns. Goals and Objective: The goal of this study was to audit nursing documentation according to the phases of the nursing process and the discharge planning of patients diagnosed with TB discharged from TB hospitals in the Western Cape. The objectives for the study were to determine whether the patients were adequately assessed and diagnosed, whether nursing care plans were formulated based on the assessment and whether they were implemented and evaluated according to the nursing process - including the discharged planning. Ethics approval was obtained from the Committee of Human Research Science at Stellenbosch University and permission was also obtained from the respective institutions. Methodology: A descriptive design with a quantitative approach was applied for the purpose of this study. The total population for the study was N=1768. A systematic random sample of 12% from each hospital was drawn: n=214, hospital A (n=142) and hospital B (n=72). Criteria included:  all adult patients older than 18 years  patients who were discharged between 01 January 2007 and 31st December 2007  all discharged patients from the two hospitals specializing in patients diagnosed with TB. Instrumentation: An audit instrument based on the objectives of the study was approved as the data collection tool. Guided by the proposed study a 10% (n=21) of the number of discharged patient files were drawn for the purpose of a pilot study. Reliability and validity was ensured through the use of experts in the field of nursing, research methodology and statistics. A pilot study was also conducted to support the reliability and validity of the study. Data collection: The researcher collected the data personally with the support of five trained field workers who only assisted at hospital B and was reluctant to assist at the second hospital. Data analysis: Data was analysed with the support of a statistician and expressed in frequencies and tables. Results: All phases of the nursing process showed a low compliance. Results showed that only n=90(42%) of the registered professional nurses checked and signed the initial assessment, furthermore only n=53(34%) showed that a recording was made of all referral documentation to the patient’s follow-up clinic. Recommendations: Recommendations based on the scientific evidence obtained from the study include the implementation of a quality assurance programme namely standardisation, auditing, case management of patients, education and training, rewarding of staff and further research. Conclusion: In conclusion guided by the research question “Are the audited discharged patient files at hospitals specialising in the management of patients with TB in the WCDoH compliant?” The researcher concludes that the discharged patient files are not compliant. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Agtergrond: In haar kliniese praktyk as verpleegbestuurder is die navorser besorgd oor die onvolledige en onakkurate dokumentasie van pasiënte wat met tuberkulose (TB) gediagnoseer is en wat dus die versorging van hierdie pasiënte in gevaar stel. Hierdie besorgdhede is deur die primêre sorg verpleegsters bevestig. Doel en Doelwitte: Die doel van die studie is om die verpleegdokumente te ouditeer volgens die fases van die vepleegproses, asook die ontslagbeplanning van die pasiënte gediagnoseer met TB van die hospitale in die Wes-Kaap. Die doelwitte is om te bepaal of die pasiënte korrek geassesseer en gediagnoseer is en of verpleegsorgplanne opgestel is, wat gebaseer is op die assessering en versorgingsplanne wat geïmplementeer en geëvalueer is volgens die verpleegproses, insluitende die ontslagbeplanning. Etiese goedgekeuring is toegestaan deur die Komitee vir Menslike Navorsingswetenskap van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch en toestemming is ook ontvang van die onderskeie instansies. Metodologie: ’n Beskrywende ontwerp met ’n kwantitatiewe benadering is toegepas vir die doel van die studie. Die totale bevolking vir die studie is N=1786. ’n Sistematiese ewekansige geselekteerde steekproef van 12% van elke hospitaal is geneem: n=214, hospitaal A (n=142) en hospitaal B (n=72). Die kriteria sluit in:  alle volwasse pasiënte ouer as 18 jaar  pasiënte wat gedurende die periode 01 Januarie 2007 tot 31 Desember 2007 ontslaan is  alle ontslag pasiënte van die twee hospitale wat spesialiseer in pasiënte wat gediagnoseer is met TB. Instrumentasie: ‘n Ouditinstrument gebaseer op die doelwitte is goedgekeur as die dataversamelingsinstrument. Na aanleiding van die voorgestelde studie is 10% (n=21) van die aantal ontslag pasiëntlêers getrek vir die doel van die loodsondersoek. Betroubaarheid en geldigheid is verseker deur gebruik te maak van deskundiges in die verplegingsveld, die navorsingsmetodologie en statistiek. Die loodsondersoek is ook uitgevoer om die betroubaarhied en geldigheid van die studie te rugsteun. Dataversameling: Die navorser het die data persoonlik gekollekteer met die bystand van vyf opgeleide veldwerkers wat slegs hulp verleen het by hospital B en wat teësinnig was om hulp te verleen by die tweede hospitaal. Data-analise: Data is geanaliseer met die hulp van ’n statistikus en is uitgedruk in frekwensies en tabelle. Resultate: Alle fases van die verpleegproses het nie voldoen aan die vereistes nie. Resultate dui daarop dat slegs n=90 (42%) van die geregistreerde professionele verpleegsters die aanvanklike assessering nagegaan en onderteken het, vervolgens het slegs n=53 (34%) getoon dat ’n opname gemaak was van alle verwysde dokumentasie van die pasiënt se opvolgbesoek aan die kliniek. Aanbevelings: Aanbevelings is gebaseer op die wetenskaplike bewys wat verkry is van die studie vir die implementering van ’n gehalte versekeringsprogram, naamlik standardisering, ouditering, gevallebestuur van pasiente, opvoeding en opleiding, erkenning aan die personeel, en voortgesette navorsing. Samevatting: Ter afsluiting gelei deur die navorsering’s vraag nl. “Is die geouditeerde verpleegdokumente in hospitale wat spesialiseer in die bestuur van pasiente gediagnoseer met TB in die Weskaap se Department van Gesondheid bygehou?” Die navorser bevestig dat die verpleegdokumente nie bygehou was nie.

Thesis (MBA)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: World Class Manufacturing (WCM) was first introduced into Nampak in 1990, and since then, there have been three attempts by the organisation to re-implement WCM in the organisation. In the last 23 years, 1990-2013, no formal assessment has been done with regard to evaluating whether the introduction of WCM was effective or not in the organisation, according to the goals and objectives set when the projects were initially implemented. The aim of this research report was to evaluate whether the implementation of WCM was effective in the Nampak Plastic Rigids (PRs) clusters and the study focused on only three operations namely; Nampak Tubes, Closures and Megapak. Secondly, the research aimed to establish what elements were required to successfully implement and sustain WCM in an organisation. Through the research it was established that in order to implement and sustain WCM successfully the following elements are required; strategy alignment, strategy implementation or execution, benchmarking, employee involvement, change management and the correct selection of continuous improvement tools and tactics. The three operations selected in the study were then evaluated against these elements through a survey, in order to gauge their alignment against each element. The research found that none of the three operations met the ideal state of 85 per cent in aligning themselves to the six elements. Nampak Tubes was the only operation that came close to the required ideal level of 85 per cent, as the operation had re-implemented WCM in 2011 and as a result, the operations performance in terms of the selected KPIs was better than that of the other two. However, on average none of the three operations reached the 85 per cent ideal range. This was an indication that the PRs were not aligned to the required six elements in their attempt to implement WCM, and despite the three previous attempts, success had not been achieved. The elements could prove complex as regards their comprehension and implementation as guided by the literature review and research, thus leadership should take careful note of the relationship between all of them. The organisational leadership is responsible for ensuring that the WCM strategy is driven centrally and adopted by all the stakeholders in the organisation, as all the elements require a leadership intervention. World Class Manufacturing is more than a concept or a project; it is a philosophy which should be treated as a way of life, if organisations are to be successful in being competitive.

published_or_final_version / Business Administration / Master / Master of Business Administration

published_or_final_version / abstract / Electrical and Electronic Engineering / Master / Master of Philosophy

Whole oysters were processed under a series of pressures from 30,000 to 45,000 psi at different holding times (0, 1, and 2 min) and then stored at <4°C, for 27 d. During the shelf-life study, the quality of oysters was determined by measuring pH, moisture content, and microbial counts including aerobic, anaerobic bacteria and coliform. Descriptive testing was also performed by a trained panel. The pH of high pressure process (HPP) samples decreased slightly from 6.3 to 5.7 during storage while the control dropped to pH 4.4. Moisture content of the control decreased slightly while HPP samples increased slightly. Pressure treatment did not significantly inhibit lipase activity during the shelf-life study. HPP reduced initial microbial load by approximately 2-3 logs and counts remained at a reduced level through the storage study. Descriptive tests showed that HPP treated oysters received higher quality scores than the control during the storage trial. Whole oysters were shucked under pressure of 35,000 psi, 2 min. After shucking, oyster meats were water packed in plastic containers and repressureized. Tests were performed at 45,000 psi, 30 s and 50,000 psi (0 holding time, 10 s). All samples were stored at <40C for 25 d. During the shelf-life study, oyster quality was determined by measuring pH, moisture content, protease, and microbial counts including aerobic, anaerobic bacteria and coliform. The pH of HPP samples decreased slightly from 6.5 to 5.7 during storage while the control I, hand-shucked oysters, dropped to pH 4.3. Pressure treatment seemed to increase protease activity during the shelf-life study. HPP reduced initial microbial load by approximately 2-3 logs and inhibited microbial growth during storage. / Graduation date: 2001

A study has been carried out to investigate the use of "real-time" radiography as a method of automated inspection of through-hole electronic circuit board solder joints. By evaluating five major solder defects it has been found that film radiography employing high contrast film results in a definite distinction between a good solder joint and a defective solder joint. The same five defects were also found to be distinguishable from a good solder joint when evaluated by a real-time radiographic inspection unit using digital image processing. Although the type of defect being investigated was not discernible, the ability to distinguish a good solder joint from a defective solder joint is a major step in the implementation of automated solder joint inspection for military electronics.

No description available.

Objective. Analyze quality improvement (QI) education across US pharmacy programs. Methods. This was a two stage cross-sectional study that inspected each accredited school website for published QI curriculum or related content, and e-mailed a questionnaire to each school asking about QI curriculum or content. T-test and chi square were used for analysis with an alpha a priori set at .05. Results. Sixty responses (47% response rate) revealed the least-covered QI topics: quality dashboards /sentinel systems (30%); six-sigma or other QI methodologies (45%); safety and quality measures (57%); Medicare Star measures and payment incentives (58%); and how to implement changes to improve quality (60%). More private institutions covered Adverse Drug Events than public institutions and required a dedicated QI class; however, required QI projects were more often reported by public institutions. Conclusion. Despite the need for pharmacists to understand QI, it is not covered well in school curricula.

Dissertation submitted in compliance with the requirements for the Masters Degree in Business Administration, Durban University of Technology, 2008. / Increasing competitive pressure from global markets and technological developments has resulted in the continual demand for business improvement philosophies and methodologies to address this challenge. The LSS approach to business improvement has emerged in both the practitioner and academic literature as having a significant role in this area. In 2006, The Valspar Corporation embarked on a LSS initiative as a way to improve the business globally, to achieve sustained profitable growth and to enhance customer value. Valspar (SA) found the implementation of LSS a challenge because the organisation could not afford the appointment of a full-time Black Belt to manage the programme locally. Green Belts were appointed to lead LSS projects part-time. Management wanted to know if they have applied the LSS methodology correctly within the scope of the business, especially since not all organisations were successful in the implementation of LSS. The objective of this study was to determine the critical factors that affect the successful implementation of LSS at Valspar (SA) and to assess the degree to which these critical factors exist at Valspar (SA). In a census, the researcher used the questionnaire to gain information about the current views of employees on the LSS programme at Valspar (SA). The research highlighted the critical success factors for LSS implementation and the results of the evaluation revealed both the positive and negative aspects of the LSS programme at Valspar (SA). / Valspar Corporation / M

In this study, neural networks are developed under conditions of nonnormality as alternatives to standard control charts, and their performance is compared with those of standard ‾x and CUSUM control charts.