Thesis (M.A. (Philosophy)) --University of Limpopo, 2011 / Refer to document

Since the end of World War II, the number of returning college students aged twenty-five years or older has increased so rapidly in American colleges and universities that college administrators, either through lack of interest and understanding or through failure to function as proactive change agents, have not kept pace with the needs of older student populations. In recent years, as enrollment among traditional younger students has declined, enrollment among mature returning students has grown to the extent that they presently constitute more than a third of all college and university students in the United States. As a result of findings obtained in the study, the following recommendations are offered for consideration; (1) institutions of higher learning should place major emphasis upon development of Services and Programs for Returning Students; (2) colleges and universities should give greater priority to orientation program(s) for returning students; (3) returning students should be given credit for life experience and independent learning; (4) financial resources for returning student services should be standardized as line items in the institution's budget; (5) existing programs should be evaluated in order to determine their effectiveness; and (6) a follow-up study should be conducted in five years to provide statistical data for trend analysis.

In 1996 the South African government legalised the termination of pregnancy (TOP) services, allowing women to choose to terminate unplanned pregnancies at designated facilities. Although TOP services are available, pregnant women continue to use illegal abortion services, with potentially life-risking consequences. The purpose of this study was to identify challenges encountered by women requesting TOP services, and to make recommendations for improved policies and practices, enabling more women in the North West Province (NWP) to access TOP services. This was a non-experimental, exploratory, descriptive and quantitative study. Structured interviews were conducted with 150 women who had used TOP services in phase 1, with 50 women who were unable to access TOP services in phase 2 and with 20 professional nurses providing TOP services in the NWP in phase 3. In phase 1, 96.0% (n=144) of the women needed transport to access TOP services, and 73.2% (n=109) indicated that nurses put women’s names on waiting lists, posing barriers to such access in the NWP. In phase 2, 92.0% (n=46) of these respondents had reportedly requested TOPs for the first time, but 89.0% (n=44) could not access TOP services. In phase 3, only 14 out of 19 designated facilities in the NWP, and only 20 nurses, provided TOP services during the study period. Out of the 20 interviewed nurses, 74.0% (n=14) regarded the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, Act 92 of 1996 (CTOP Act) was being unclear requiring a revision. These professional nurses provided TOP services in NWP, by choice. Unless more facilities and more nurses can provide TOP services to the women of the NWP, these services will continue to remain inaccessible, necessitating the continued utilisation of illegal abortion services, in spite of the TOP Act’s prescriptions. It is also recommended that management will provide sufficient support and training opportunities for professional nurses working in TOP services in the NWP. / Health Studies / (D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies))

Thesis (MPhil (Industrial Psychology. Africa Centre for HIV/AIDS Management))--University of Stellenbosch, 2011. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: “Treatment failure, defaulter rate, patients lost to follow up”. These are the words usually spoken by health care workers at the CCMT clinics in the country. These are words that they try at all times to come with solutions to, without much success. Much as both the health care workers and patients know the importance of taking medication, often medication is not taken as required. Adherence is defined as the degree to which a patient follows a treatment regimen which has been designed in the context of a consultative partnership between the client and the health care worker. This obligation is comprehensive as it tends to examine all factors that can affect adherence. It includes characteristics such as the treatment regimen, the provider behaviour, social and environmental factors that may hinder adherence on the patient. There are several factors that lead to non-adherence to treatment. The factors may be classified as Biomedical, Psychological and Social factors. The major tool that can be used to address such issues is adequate training of all staff members working at the CCMT clinics. The researcher explored training needs and gaps at a CCMT site that will assist to combat problems of non-adherence to treatment. Health care works at an identified site where questioned on the level of training they have received and on what they need to improve their management of patients and adherence. It was realised that some categories of staff at the clinic do not receive training as expected and that others do not receive adequate training that will assist them in adherence counselling. Recommendations made by staff members were that training should be readily available to all staff members and that it should also be rolled out to other departments and sections within the hospital so there is continuum of care of HIV positive patients. Non adherence to antiretroviral treatment is a challenge faced by health care providers as well as patients themselves. It results in treatment failure, a decrease in the quality of life of the patient and an increase in morbidity and mobility. Non-adherence means any reason where the patient is not taking recommended doses, not sticking to the recommended time or not taking it in the recommended way. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Navolging word gedefinieer as die mate waarop die pasiënt die behandeling wat voorgeskryf is in samewerking tussen die pasiënt en die gesondheidsorgwerker, nakom. Hierdie vepligting is omvattend omdat dit geneig is om alle faktore wat die nakoming kan beinvloed, ondersoek. Dit sluit eienskappe in soos die behandeling regimen, die verskaffersgedrag, sosiale en omgewingsfaktore wat ‘n struikelblok kan wees vir die nakoming van die pasiënt. Daar is verskeie faktore wat kan lei tot nie-nakoming van behandeling. Die faktore kan geklassifiseer word as bio-mediese, sielkundige en sosiale faktore. Die belangrike instrument wat gebruik word om sulke sake aan te spreek, is voldoende opleiding van alle personeellede wat by CCMT klinieke werk. Die navorser ondersoek opvoedkundige behoeftes en leemtes by ‘n CCMT perseel, wat sal help om probleme van nie-nakoming van behandeling sal bestry. Gesondheidsorgwerkers by ‘n geïdentifiseerde perseel, was ondervra oor die vlak van opleiding wat hulle ontvang het en wat hulle nodig het vir beter bestuur van pasiënte en nakoming van behandeling deur pasiënte. Daar is gevind dat sommige kategorieë van personeel by die klinkiek nie die opleiding ontvang het wat nodig is nie en dat ander personeellede nie voldoende opleiding ontvang het wat hulle sal help met nakoming van berading nie. Personeellede het aanbeveel dat opleiding geredelik beskikbaar gemaak moet word aan alle personneel en dat dit na ander departemente en afdelings binne die hospitaal uitgebrei moet word om die voortsetting van sorg vir MIV/VIGS-positiewe pasiënte te verseker. Nie-nakoming van antiretrovirale behandeling is ‘n uitdaging vir beide gesondheidsorgwerkers en pasiënte. Dit lei tot die mislukking van behandeling, ‘n afname in die kwaliteit van die pasiënt se lewe en ‘n verhoging in morbiditeit en mobiliteit.

In 1996 the South African government legalised the termination of pregnancy (TOP) services, allowing women to choose to terminate unplanned pregnancies at designated facilities. Although TOP services are available, pregnant women continue to use illegal abortion services, with potentially life-risking consequences. The purpose of this study was to identify challenges encountered by women requesting TOP services, and to make recommendations for improved policies and practices, enabling more women in the North West Province (NWP) to access TOP services. This was a non-experimental, exploratory, descriptive and quantitative study. Structured interviews were conducted with 150 women who had used TOP services in phase 1, with 50 women who were unable to access TOP services in phase 2 and with 20 professional nurses providing TOP services in the NWP in phase 3. In phase 1, 96.0% (n=144) of the women needed transport to access TOP services, and 73.2% (n=109) indicated that nurses put women’s names on waiting lists, posing barriers to such access in the NWP. In phase 2, 92.0% (n=46) of these respondents had reportedly requested TOPs for the first time, but 89.0% (n=44) could not access TOP services. In phase 3, only 14 out of 19 designated facilities in the NWP, and only 20 nurses, provided TOP services during the study period. Out of the 20 interviewed nurses, 74.0% (n=14) regarded the Choice on Termination of Pregnancy Act, Act 92 of 1996 (CTOP Act) was being unclear requiring a revision. These professional nurses provided TOP services in NWP, by choice. Unless more facilities and more nurses can provide TOP services to the women of the NWP, these services will continue to remain inaccessible, necessitating the continued utilisation of illegal abortion services, in spite of the TOP Act’s prescriptions. It is also recommended that management will provide sufficient support and training opportunities for professional nurses working in TOP services in the NWP. / Health Studies / (D. Litt. et Phil. (Health Studies))