Patient and public criticism of care in many South African public hospitals has resulted in negative media reports. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of appointing Quality Assurance Nurse Managers (QANMs) on the provision of quality patient care in selected public hospitals of the Limpopo Province and to make recommendations where appropriate. The study was quantitative, exploratory and descriptive in nature. Data was collected by means of a self-developed questionnaire from 112 respondents, consisting of 10 QANMs and 102 Quality Assurance Team members (QAT). The response rate was 100% for the QANMs and 57% for the QAT members. The study found that most of the ten selected hospitals have a good QA foundation with a vision, mission and goals, QA programme and manual. Moreover, the appointment of the QANMs had a positive impact on the nursing care. Regarding the improvement and change in the provision of nursing care, the majority of the respondents indicated that patients’ complaints about nursing care had declined considerably; the in-service training assisted in improving nursing care, and patients were nursed in totality because of the quality guidelines in the QA manuals. However, the study found that the shortage of equipment, which interferes with the delivery of quality patient care, is a serious problem that hinders the QA programme and needs to be tackled. Recommendations were made for practice and further research. / Health Studies

Thesis (MScMedSc (Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Speech-Language and Hearing Therapy))--University of Stellenbosch, 2007. / Noise is a noxious stimulus with possible negative physiological effects on the infant, especially in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). The present study conducted a detailed noise assessment in a NICU of a state hospital in the Cape Metropole and documented 6 infants’ physiological responses to noise levels. Noise levels ranged from 62.3-66.7dBA (LAeq), which exceed all American and British standards (50dBA -60dBA) for a NICU. Continuous exposure to noise of these levels is potentially harmful to the infants’ auditory system and health stability. The general well-being of the staff working in the NICU may also be compromised. Analysis of the noise events revealed that staff conversations were the largest single contributor to the number of noise events, while the largest single non-human contributor was the alarm noise of the monitors. No significant correlations were found between the heart rates and noise levels and the respiratory rates and the noise levels for any of the participants in either room. The NICU was found to be an extremely reverberant environment, which suggested that the NICU noise levels were largely a result of reverberant noise reinforcements. NICU nursing staff’s most common suggestion for noise abatement strategies was reduction of staff conversation. Results of this study highlight the need for NICU noise abatement to optimise newborn patient care, reduce the risk of acoustic trauma and to improve the neonate’s quality of life, thus enhancing the infant’s physiologic stability, growth and health.

Patient and public criticism of care in many South African public hospitals has resulted in negative media reports. The purpose of the study was to determine the effect of appointing Quality Assurance Nurse Managers (QANMs) on the provision of quality patient care in selected public hospitals of the Limpopo Province and to make recommendations where appropriate. The study was quantitative, exploratory and descriptive in nature. Data was collected by means of a self-developed questionnaire from 112 respondents, consisting of 10 QANMs and 102 Quality Assurance Team members (QAT). The response rate was 100% for the QANMs and 57% for the QAT members. The study found that most of the ten selected hospitals have a good QA foundation with a vision, mission and goals, QA programme and manual. Moreover, the appointment of the QANMs had a positive impact on the nursing care. Regarding the improvement and change in the provision of nursing care, the majority of the respondents indicated that patients’ complaints about nursing care had declined considerably; the in-service training assisted in improving nursing care, and patients were nursed in totality because of the quality guidelines in the QA manuals. However, the study found that the shortage of equipment, which interferes with the delivery of quality patient care, is a serious problem that hinders the QA programme and needs to be tackled. Recommendations were made for practice and further research. / Health Studies

The aim of this study was to develop a Gestalt play therapy based hospital preparation program for children undergoing the surgical procedures of grommet insertion, or grommet insertion and adenoidectomy, at Tygerberg Hospital. Literature was reviewed according to relevant topics, namely otitis media in children, Gestalt play therapy, theories of child development, and children's experience of illness and hospitalisation. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with four subject groups and the data obtained was qualitatively analysed. Research findings were discussed and integrated with reference to the literature. This information was applied in the development of the proposed program. The aim, underlying principles, objectives and components of the program were discussed and guidelines for implementation were provided. The program was implemented and evaluated in a single subject pilot study, which yielded a positive response. Recommendations for both practical implementation in a therapeutic context and further study in a research context were made. OPSOMMING Die doel van hierdie studie was om `n Gestalt spelterapie-gebaseerde hospitaalvoorbereidingsprogram te ontwikkel vir kinders wat die chirurgiese prosedures van ventilasiebuis-plasing of ventilasiebuis-plasing en adenoïdektomie by Tygerberg-hospitaal ondergaan. `n Literatuurstudie is uitgevoer rakende relevante onderwerpe; naamlik, otitis media in kinders, Gestalt spelterapie, kinderontwikkelingsteorieë, en kinders se ervaring van siekte en hospitalisasie. Semi-gestruktureerde onderhoude is met vier subjekgroepe uitgevoer en die data wat verkry is, is kwalitatief geanaliseer. Navorsingsbevindinge is bespreek en geïntegreer met verwysing na die literatuur. Hierdie inligting is toegepas in die ontwikkeling van die voorgestelde program. Die doel, onderliggende beginsels, doelstellings en komponente van die program is bespreek en riglyne vir die implementering daarvan is verskaf. Die program is geïmplimenteer en geëvalueer in `n enkelsubjek loodsstudie, waar `n positiewe respons verkry is. Aanbevelings vir beide praktiese implementering in `n terapeutiese konteks en verdere studie binne navorsingskonteks is gemaak. / Social Work / M.Diac.

Made available in DSpace on 2011-05-04T12:36:24Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2009 / perspectivas teórico-metodológicas da Gestão da Clínica e da Clínica Ampliada, identificando seus princípios, proposições, arranjos institucionais e dispositivos de gestão, além de analisar,sob o olhar dessas abordagens, duas experiências brasileiras de qualificação da assistência hospitalar. Revisão de literatura e estudo de casos compõem a metodologia da pesquisa, sendo as categorias de análise para o estudo das experiências: (1) qualidade da assistência; (2) foco no paciente; (3) adesão profissional. São discutidas a abrangência e escopo das experiências,as dimensões da qualidade nelas consideradas, além dos resultados, dificuldades e limites da implementação de mudanças. Gestão da Clinica e Clínica Ampliada buscam a melhoria da qualidade das práticas em saúde, através de atendimento individualizado, realizado por equipe multiprofissional e interdisciplinar, com um projeto terapêutico personalizado. Destacam a importância da assistência como dimensão central da gestão, colocando o paciente no foco do cuidado. Enfatizam a necessidade da participação do paciente e de seus familiares nas decisões clínicas, e preconizam mecanismos de estratificação de risco e monitoramento da qualidade assistencial. Adicionalmente, sublinham a capacitação, treinamento e valorização dos profissionais como estratégias para se obter adesão aos projetos de mudança e consideram o papel da liderança no sucesso na implementação de mudanças. Na análise de experiências conduzidas pelo Hospital São João Batista (HSJB) - Volta Redonda, RJ e Hospital Geral de Bonsucesso (HGB) Rio de Janeiro, RJ que exemplificam as duas abordagens, este trabalho discute a complexidade da implementação de mudanças na cultura organizacional no que tange à qualidade assistencial, considerando seus êxitos e fatores limitantes. Resultados observados indicam, na experiência do HSJB, aumento e qualificação da assistência, ganhos em eficiência, mudanças na cultura organizacional e no modelo de gestão do hospital, além de avanços na democratização institucional e na legitimidade do hospital junto à população. Na experiência de qualificação da assistência ao infarto agudo do miocárdio (IAM) no setor deemergência do HGB, após a implementação das estratégias facilitadoras da adesão a diretrizes clínicas, houve aumento significativo na utilização de intervenções reconhecidas como cientificamente eficazes, diminuição da iatrogenia, drástica redução da perda de oportunidadede reperfusão miocárdica, além de melhoria no preenchimento do formulário de coleta de dados. Conclui-se que, mesmo considerando a complexidade da implementação de mudanças na cultura organizacional de hospitais e o limite na incorporação de elementos teórico metodológicosem experiências concretas de qualificação da assistência hospitalar, as experiências do HGB e HSJB, embasadas na Gestão da Clínica e Clinica Ampliada, permitem a apreensão dos mecanismos de sua operacionalização, trazem contribuições para pensar a melhoria da qualidade assistencial dos hospitais públicos e endossam a perspectiva de viabilidade de um sistema de saúde mais qualificado. / This work is aimed at systematizing, based on the literature, theoretical and methodological perspectives of Clinical Governance and Extended Clinic, identifying their principles, propositions, institutional arrangements and management devices, and analyzing, under the perspective of those approaches, two Brazilian experiences on hospital care quality improvement. Literature review and cases’ study compose the research methodology, being the categories of analysis applied in the study of experiences: (1) quality of care, (2) focus on the patient, (3) professional adherence. We discuss the comprehensiveness and scope of the experiences, the dimensions of quality considered, in addition to results, difficulties and limitations of implementing changes. Clinical Governance and Extended Clinic search for quality improvement in health care practices, through individualized care, conducted by an interdisciplinary team, with a personalized therapeutic project. They emphasize the importance of health care as a central dimension of management, identifying the patient as the focus of care. They also point out the need of patients and their families’ involvement in clinical decisions, and recommend mechanisms of risk stratification and health care quality monitoring. Additionally they underline the importance of capacitating, training and awarding the professionals as strategies to achieve adherence to the project of change, and consider the role of leadership for a successful implementation of change. In the analysis of the experiences conducted by Hospital São João Batista (HSJB) - Volta Redonda, RJ – e Hospital Geral de Bonsucesso (HGB) – Rio de Janeiro, RJ, that exemplify the two approaches, this work discuss the complexity of the process of implementing changes in the organizational culture regarding care quality, accounting for successes and limiting factors. Results observed indicate, in the HSJB experience, health care increment and improvement, efficiency gains, organizational culture and management model changes, in addition to advances in institutional democratization and in hospital legitimacy in the population. In the acute myocardial infarction care quality improvement experience of HGB emergence room, after the implementation of strategies to facilitate adherence to clinical guidelines, there was significant increase in the use of interventions scientifically recognized as efficacious, reduction of iatrogenic events, drastic reduction in reperfusion loss of opportunity, besides improvement in fulfillment of the form applied in data collection. It is concluded that, even considering the complexity of implementing changes in hospitals’ organizational culture and the limited incorporation of theoretical and methodological elements in concrete experiences of hospital care improvement, the experiences of HGB and HSJB, based on Clinical Governance and Extended Clinic, allow us to capture mechanisms of their operation, bring contributions for consideration of health care quality improvement in public hospitals, and ratify the perspective that is a more qualified health care system is viable.

A lesão nasal decorrente do uso da ventilação não invasiva (VNI) é um evento adverso cada vez mais comum nas unidades de terapia intensiva neonatais (UTIN) e apresenta consequências a curto e longo prazo. Esta lesão pode resultar em sequelas tanto de ordem estética quanto funcional, limitar o uso da VNI em RN que necessita desse suporte ventilatório, causar desconforto e septicemia; podendo aumentar, desta forma, o tempo de internamento na UTIN. Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo avaliar tecnológica e clinicamente os protetores nasais empregados na VNI de RN internados na UTIN. A metodologia consistiu primeiramente em levantar as possíveis causas da lesão nasal e avaliar os fatores de risco associados ao seu desenvolvimento. Em seguida, foi realizado um ensaio clínico randomizado para comparar os efeitos de três tipos de proteção nasal e das prongas novas e esterilizadas sobre a gravidade da lesão nasal. E por fim, foi realizada a caracterização térmica e estrutural dos protetores nasais após serem envelhecidas com temperatura e umidade no interior da incubadora neonatal. As principais causas da lesão foram relacionadas às características do material, a problemas no equipamento, a fatores assistenciais, neonatais e profissionais. Neste estudo, foram constatados como fatores de risco: a idade gestacional, a massa ao nascer, o tempo total de permanência na VNI, a reutilização deste suporte, o tempo da primeira utilização e da reutilização da VNI, bem como o tempo de internação na UTIN. Não foram observadas diferenças significativas na gravidade da lesão quando comparadas as três proteções estudadas, nem quando utilizadas prongas novas e esterilizadas. Quanto à análise dos materiais, foi constatado que a exposição à temperatura e à umidade alterou a percentagem de cristalinidade e a rugosidade das proteções nasais estudadas. / The nasal injury resulting from the use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is an adverse event increasingly common in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) and shows the short and long term consequences. This lesion can result both aesthetic and functional sequelae, limit the use of NIV in newborns who need this ventilatory support, cause discomfort and septicemia, may thereby increase the length of stay in NICU. This research aims to evaluate technological and clinically nasal protectors used with NIV of newborns admitted to the NICU. The methodology consisted primarily in raising the possible causes of nasal injury and assess the risk factors associated with its development. Then, it was conducted a randomized clinical trial to compare the effects of three kind of nasal protector and new and sterilized prongs on the severity of nasal lesions. And finally, it was performed the thermal and structural characterization of nasal protection after being aged with temperature and humidity inside the neonatal incubator. The main causes of injury were related to characteristics of the material, equipment problems, assistive, neonatal and professional factors. In this study, it was found as risk factors: gestational age, weight at birth, the total time stay in the NIV, the reuse of this support, the time of first use and reuse of NIV and the length of stay in the NICU. They were not observed significant differences in lesion severity when compared the three protectors studied, nor when used new and sterilized prongs. The materials analysis indicated that exposure to temperature and humidity changed the percentage of crystallinity and the roughness of the nasal protections studied.

Esta pesquisa resulta do estudo realizado com professores do Atendimento Pedagógico Domiciliar na cidade de Curitiba - PR e suas concepções quanto a utilização de jogos didáticos no ensino e aprendizagem de conceitos científicos das disciplinas de Ciências e Biologia, Física, Matemática e Química. Apresenta os conceitos de Educação Inclusiva e Especial ressaltando o conceito de Atendimento Pedagógico Hospitalar e Domiciliar. Ainda destaca a estratégia da utilização dos jogos didáticos como fator de contribuição para o desenvolvimento de habilidades cognitivas e da autoestima seriamente comprometida em função da doença do aluno atendido por esse programa da Secretaria de Educação do Estado do Paraná. Os jogos foram selecionados na internet sendo que já haviam sido testados e com resultados já registrados. A produção foi artesanal. Para o levantamento de dados foram utilizadas perguntas semiestruturadas por meio de questionário e posterior entrevista com os professores do APD. A metodologia utilizada para a análise de dados foi a de estudo de caso com enfoque qualitativo. Segundo os professores entrevistados, os jogos didáticos confirmaram ser excelente estratégia de ensino e aprendizagem enriquecendo as aulas e proporcionando aos alunos a oportunidade de aquisição do conhecimento de forma leve e divertida. / This research is the result of a study conducted with teachers Pedagogical Household Care in Curitiba - PR and conceptions about the use of educational games in teaching and learning of scientific disciplines of science and biology, physics, mathematics and chemistry concepts. Introduces the concepts of Inclusive Education and Special highlighting the concept of Hospital and Home Teaching Service. Also highlights the strategy of using educational games as a contributing factor for the development of cognitive skills and self-esteem seriously compromised because of the student served by this program the Department of Education of the State of Paraná disease. The games were selected on the internet of which had already been tested and results have already registered. The production was handmade. Semi- structured questions were used by a questionnaire and subsequent interviews with the teachers of the DPA for data collection. The methodology used for the data analysis was a case study with qualitative approach. . According to the interviewed teachers, educational games confirmed to be excellent strategy for teaching and learning enriching classes and giving students the opportunity to acquire the knowledge of light and fun way. / 5000

A lesão nasal decorrente do uso da ventilação não invasiva (VNI) é um evento adverso cada vez mais comum nas unidades de terapia intensiva neonatais (UTIN) e apresenta consequências a curto e longo prazo. Esta lesão pode resultar em sequelas tanto de ordem estética quanto funcional, limitar o uso da VNI em RN que necessita desse suporte ventilatório, causar desconforto e septicemia; podendo aumentar, desta forma, o tempo de internamento na UTIN. Esta pesquisa tem por objetivo avaliar tecnológica e clinicamente os protetores nasais empregados na VNI de RN internados na UTIN. A metodologia consistiu primeiramente em levantar as possíveis causas da lesão nasal e avaliar os fatores de risco associados ao seu desenvolvimento. Em seguida, foi realizado um ensaio clínico randomizado para comparar os efeitos de três tipos de proteção nasal e das prongas novas e esterilizadas sobre a gravidade da lesão nasal. E por fim, foi realizada a caracterização térmica e estrutural dos protetores nasais após serem envelhecidas com temperatura e umidade no interior da incubadora neonatal. As principais causas da lesão foram relacionadas às características do material, a problemas no equipamento, a fatores assistenciais, neonatais e profissionais. Neste estudo, foram constatados como fatores de risco: a idade gestacional, a massa ao nascer, o tempo total de permanência na VNI, a reutilização deste suporte, o tempo da primeira utilização e da reutilização da VNI, bem como o tempo de internação na UTIN. Não foram observadas diferenças significativas na gravidade da lesão quando comparadas as três proteções estudadas, nem quando utilizadas prongas novas e esterilizadas. Quanto à análise dos materiais, foi constatado que a exposição à temperatura e à umidade alterou a percentagem de cristalinidade e a rugosidade das proteções nasais estudadas. / The nasal injury resulting from the use of non-invasive ventilation (NIV) is an adverse event increasingly common in the newborn intensive care unit (NICU) and shows the short and long term consequences. This lesion can result both aesthetic and functional sequelae, limit the use of NIV in newborns who need this ventilatory support, cause discomfort and septicemia, may thereby increase the length of stay in NICU. This research aims to evaluate technological and clinically nasal protectors used with NIV of newborns admitted to the NICU. The methodology consisted primarily in raising the possible causes of nasal injury and assess the risk factors associated with its development. Then, it was conducted a randomized clinical trial to compare the effects of three kind of nasal protector and new and sterilized prongs on the severity of nasal lesions. And finally, it was performed the thermal and structural characterization of nasal protection after being aged with temperature and humidity inside the neonatal incubator. The main causes of injury were related to characteristics of the material, equipment problems, assistive, neonatal and professional factors. In this study, it was found as risk factors: gestational age, weight at birth, the total time stay in the NIV, the reuse of this support, the time of first use and reuse of NIV and the length of stay in the NICU. They were not observed significant differences in lesion severity when compared the three protectors studied, nor when used new and sterilized prongs. The materials analysis indicated that exposure to temperature and humidity changed the percentage of crystallinity and the roughness of the nasal protections studied.

Department of Advanced Nursing Science / MCur

MCur / Department of Advanced Nursing Science / Background: Perinatal and neonatal mortality rates remain high in South Africa especially in rural areas and townships where the majority of poor people live. With regard to perinatal and neonatal mortality, South Africa like many other developing countries has failed to achieve MDG 4 and 5 by 2015 regardless of many efforts by the governments. To achieve the SDG which replaced MDGs for child health, it is necessary for the South African public and private health care to reduce substantially perinatal and new born deaths, particularly in rural areas. There are many factors that contribute to a high perinatal mortality rate in public hospitals in rural areas. To understand these factors, a study was conducted with midwives from selected public hospitals in Limpopo, Vhembe district which experiences the highest perinatal mortality rates in South Africa. Purpose and methodology: The purpose of this research study was to assess factors contributing to high perinatal mortality rates in the selected public hospitals in Vhembe district. A quantitative, descriptive, exploratory and cross-sectional design was used to collect data from the sampled hospitals in the Vhembe district. Hospitals were purposively sampled based on the statistics of monthly deliveries. The target population consisted of all registered midwives who had been working in the maternity units for at least two years. Cochrane's formula was used to determine the sample from the target population for each hospital. A random sample of 110 respondents was selected upon which a questionnaire was administered to each by the researcher. Responses from the close-ended and open-ended questions was grouped and analysed quantitatively by means of Statistical Package for Social Sciences 23.0 (SPSS). Results and findings: Results were presented in frequency tables and graphs revealed that most of the midwives lacked knowledge and skills in a number of key areas needed for them to operate efficiently in the maternity wards. There was also high staff turnover which led to a few midwives being overworked. The utilisation of guidelines and protocols in maternity was left to individual midwives as the hospitals did not evaluate the use of it. Conclusions: Lack of key skills in assisting women in labour, and poor use of guidelines and understaffing were the main contributing factors to high perinatal mortality rates in the selected public hospitals of Vhembe district. Midwife attitudes were not a contributory factor. / NRF