This study explores women teachers’ lives to understand their experiences of teaching in South Africa today. Accountability and a culture of performativity have to come to dominate schooling in South Africa. Since then, teachers have decreased discretion and autonomy over their work. This study examines the claim that educational reforms and initiatives have changed the nature of teachers’ work. This is a qualitative study drawing on autobiographies, journal entries and interviews. This study which was conducted with four women teachers from secondary schools, provides a commentary on their past experiences with the intention of exploring their identity formation, and how it frames the enactment of their personal and professional identities. The study analyses the ways in which women teachers experience the new mode of regulation which has changed the nature of professionalism and teacher identity. It examines the expansion of teachers’ roles and responsibilities and their negotiating a balance between work and family. The findings show that the women teachers bring into schools experiences gleaned from their personal history. A prominent feature in the narratives is the women teachers’ struggle to find a balance between the demands of home and school in the light of the new mode of teacher regulation. This thesis contributes to South African research on women teachers and their negotiation of the relationship between work and home.

The purpose of this study was to determine the awareness and attitudes of dental hygienists in Ohio regarding the Advanced Dental Hygiene Practitioner (ADHP) as an occupation proposed by the American Dental Hygienists’ Association and to determine whether the ADHP could be a viable career option for Ohio dental hygienists. I developed a survey to assess dental hygienists’ awareness, attitudes, and their views regarding the new mid-level dental provider. The study was limited to licensed dental hygienists in Ohio. The study included a simple random sample of 400 of the 4100 dental hygienists in Ohio obtained by a systematic approach, a random start and selection of subjects at a constant interval. The method of data collection was electronic surveys. Fifty-four dental hygienists (13% of the sample) participated in the study. The results show that most of those responding were aware of the ADHP. Also, their attitude regarding the new mid-level dental provider was positive. Attitudes varied more when the respondents provided data on the adoption of legislation for the new provider. There was no consensus among respondents regarding the ADHP as a viable career option. More robust research is needed on the viability of the ADHP in Ohio.

Text in English / In Swaziland, family nurse practitioners (FNPs) are professional nurses who have undergone preparation as general nurse, midwife and FNP. These nurses play an important role in the delivery of primary health care (PHC). Family nurse practice is an evolving concept introduced in Swaziland in 1979. It is a means of exploring nursing roles and primary health care services for deployment in under-served areas and to enable nurses to serve as the primary providers of health care services in clinics, health centres and in the outpatient departments of hospitals. Changing responsibilities within the health care setting require different skills and more knowledge. The expansion and extension of the nurses' role, including the techniques of diagnosing and treating, was a priority of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOH&SW) in Swaziland's five-year development plan for 1978-1983. It was regarded as a necessary component for raising the quality and effectiveness of PHC services. Some of the major and urgent challenges that confront FNPs today are the advent of the human immune virus/acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) scourge and the re-emergence of the tuberculosis epidemic. Both these health problems require proficient diagnosis and case management skills as well as new approaches. If FNPs are to remain relevant and to continue to provide quality services in spite of prevailing challenges, they have to engage in continuing education (CE). The main aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of the FNP role, CE needs and issues relevant to the current practice of FNPs in Swaziland. A further aim was to establish a structure or framework for a CE programme that would contribute to the strengthening of CE for FNPs and identify enabling factors and barriers in the practice and education ofFNPs. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used for data collection. A survey was conducted to collect data from 5 7 FNPs and 11 nurse managers and nurse educators. The transcript from the questionnaires was subjected to quantitative-based content analysis. A total of thirty nurse managers, nurse educators and MOH&SW nurse executives participated in the focus group interviews. The collected data was subjected to qualitativebased content analysis. The findings identified the role of the FNP as manager, clinical practitioner, educator and researcher. The analyses highlighted the CE needs of FNPs, and the question of updating and upgrading the skills of practising FNPs. The identified enabling factors and barriers, although perceived as issues that are peripheral and auxiliary to the curriculum, appeared to have a strong bearing on programme planning. The findings from this study have implications for a structured CE programme for FNPs at the University of Swaziland. / Health Studies / D. Litt et Phil. (Nursing Sciences)

Text in English / In Swaziland, family nurse practitioners (FNPs) are professional nurses who have undergone preparation as general nurse, midwife and FNP. These nurses play an important role in the delivery of primary health care (PHC). Family nurse practice is an evolving concept introduced in Swaziland in 1979. It is a means of exploring nursing roles and primary health care services for deployment in under-served areas and to enable nurses to serve as the primary providers of health care services in clinics, health centres and in the outpatient departments of hospitals. Changing responsibilities within the health care setting require different skills and more knowledge. The expansion and extension of the nurses' role, including the techniques of diagnosing and treating, was a priority of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOH&SW) in Swaziland's five-year development plan for 1978-1983. It was regarded as a necessary component for raising the quality and effectiveness of PHC services. Some of the major and urgent challenges that confront FNPs today are the advent of the human immune virus/acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) scourge and the re-emergence of the tuberculosis epidemic. Both these health problems require proficient diagnosis and case management skills as well as new approaches. If FNPs are to remain relevant and to continue to provide quality services in spite of prevailing challenges, they have to engage in continuing education (CE). The main aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of the FNP role, CE needs and issues relevant to the current practice of FNPs in Swaziland. A further aim was to establish a structure or framework for a CE programme that would contribute to the strengthening of CE for FNPs and identify enabling factors and barriers in the practice and education ofFNPs. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used for data collection. A survey was conducted to collect data from 5 7 FNPs and 11 nurse managers and nurse educators. The transcript from the questionnaires was subjected to quantitative-based content analysis. A total of thirty nurse managers, nurse educators and MOH&SW nurse executives participated in the focus group interviews. The collected data was subjected to qualitativebased content analysis. The findings identified the role of the FNP as manager, clinical practitioner, educator and researcher. The analyses highlighted the CE needs of FNPs, and the question of updating and upgrading the skills of practising FNPs. The identified enabling factors and barriers, although perceived as issues that are peripheral and auxiliary to the curriculum, appeared to have a strong bearing on programme planning. The findings from this study have implications for a structured CE programme for FNPs at the University of Swaziland. / Health Studies / D. Litt et Phil. (Nursing Sciences)

Les iniquités de santé vécues par les communautés autochtones sont des conséquences visibles des déterminants structurels de la santé, tels que le racisme systémique et le colonialisme. En 2021, une enquête auprès des Inuit du Nunavik, a révélé un manque de confiance envers les professionnels de la santé et des services non culturellement sécuritaires. Les infirmières en première ligne sont les piliers du système de soins nordiques. Cette étude avait pour but d’explorer la perspective d’infirmières de première ligne sur la prestation de soins et services promouvant l’équité exerçant auprès des communautés Inuit du Nunavik. Une perspective critique postcoloniale ainsi qu’un devis descriptif interprétatif (Thorne, 2016) ont été utilisés. Le cadre théorique développé par Browne et al. (2018) s’intitulant Key Dimensions of Equity-Oriented Health Care and Strategies to Guide Implementation a guidé cette étude. Au total, 10 infirmières et infirmiers de première ligne exerçant au Nunavik ont participé à des entrevues individuelles semi-structurées. Une analyse thématique des données (Braun et Clarke, 2006) a été effectuée. Les résultats ont permis d’identifier une conception fluide des soins et services promouvant l'équité, passant d’une perspective égalitaire à critique. Cette conception façonne de manière significative la perception du contexte nordique colonial, du système de santé et de l’approche de soins infirmiers. L'un des principaux défis exprimés par les infirmières concerne l'indifférence des systèmes de santé aux priorités des communautés. Des actions locales sont priorisées pour surmonter ce défi. Des pistes d’améliorations, telles que le développement d’une conscience critique sont décrites. / Health inequities experienced by Indigenous communities are visible consequences of structural determinants of health, such as systemic racism and colonialism. In 2021, a survey of Inuit in Nunavik revealed a lack of trust in health care professionals and culturally unsafe services. Primary care nurses (RNs) are the backbone of the northern health care system. The purpose of this study was to explore equity-oriented care and services from the perspectives of primary care RNs working in Nunavik Inuit communities. A critical postcolonial perspective (Anderson et al., 2009) and an interpretive descriptive design (Thorne, 2016) were used. The Key Dimensions of Equity-Oriented Health Care and Strategies to Guide Implementation (Browne et al., 2018) theoretical framework guided the study. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten primary care RNs working in Nunavik. The data was analyzed thematically (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The findings identified a fluid conceptualization of equity-oriented care and services, ranging from egalitarian to critical perspectives. This conception significantly shapes nurses' perceptions of the northern colonial context, the health system, and the nursing care approach. One of the main challenges expressed by nurses is the indifference of health systems to community priorities. Local actions are prioritized to overcome this challenge. Pathways of change, such as the development of critical consciousness, are described.