<p>This study gives a brief introductory account of cooperatives with regard to their <font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">history and existence, particularly in South Africa. The research report focuses on <font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">two case studies, where the organisational structures and business operations will <font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">be examined and compared. Finally the report will draw lessons to indicate the <font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">possible social and economic viability of these cooperatives and their place in rural development. Based on the findings and conclusions, a number of r<font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">ecommendations are made on cooperatives in the rural sector.</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></p> <p>&nbsp / </p>

<p>This study gives a brief introductory account of cooperatives with regard to their <font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">history and existence, particularly in South Africa. The research report focuses on <font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">two case studies, where the organisational structures and business operations will <font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">be examined and compared. Finally the report will draw lessons to indicate the <font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">possible social and economic viability of these cooperatives and their place in rural development. Based on the findings and conclusions, a number of r<font size="3" face="Times New Roman"><font size="3" face="Times New Roman">ecommendations are made on cooperatives in the rural sector.</font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></font></p> <p>&nbsp / </p>

Clinical learning experiences form an integral part of the student nurse's training, for it is in the clinical setting that students acquire the knowledge, skills and values necessary for professional practice. The purpose of this research was to explore student nurses experiences during clinical practice. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was utilised, employing the phenomenological method. Unstructured interviews were conducted with student nurses in their final year of the four year nursing programme at a nursing college campus in the Limpopo Province. Tesch's method of data analysis was used. The findings indicate that there are aspects which impact negatively on student nurses' clinical learning experiences, such as lack of teaching and learning support, lack of opportunities for learning, poor theory-practice integration, and poor interpersonal relationships between the students, college tutors and ward staff. Recommendations to enhance the clinical learning experiences of student nurses were made. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

The South African government, in an attempt to accelerate economic growth and development, has identified the SMME sector and entrepreneurs as a vehicle capable of bringing about this change. Unfortunately, this growth has been stifled due to the high failure rate of entrepreneurial businesses in the SMME sector. A possible solution for SMMEs and entrepreneurs is the introduction of mentoring. Mentoring entrepreneurs is the function of nurturing and supporting entrepreneurs by providing them with professional skills development and moral support in an attempt to positively impact on the business's sustainability. The study is the first of its kind in that it relates specifically to entrepreneurship mentors. This study empirically endeavours to determine the basic profile of entrepreneurship mentors in South Africa and their skills sets. The study aims to represent the importance of the skills as represented in the model and to understand the entrepreneurship mentoring environment in South Africa. / Business Management / M. Com. (Business Management)

The objectives of this study were to identify leadership competencies required by health services leaders, determine the role of mentorship in leadership development and, make recommendations for succession planning in the public health sector. A quantitative approach using an exploratory and descriptive design was used, with the intention of conducting a census survey. Respondents were managers in positions 11 and upward. Findings revealed that experience assisted managers in improving the technical competencies of human resources, financial and strategic planning, but not that of leadership skills and behaviour, and communication and relationship management, which required development in the form of mentorship. It is recommended that leadership development for future leaders be embedded in succession planning, based on policy guidelines. Limitations of this study were that a response rate of 30% was achieved and due to the narrow geographical coverage, the findings could not be generalised. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

The purpose of the study was to explore the perceptions of professional nurses on student mentorship. A qualitative, explorative, hermeneutic phenomenological research was conducted to determine the meaning of mentoring as perceived by professional nurses and to identify the successes and challenges encountered by professional nurses with regard to student mentorship during clinical practice. A face-to-face semi-structured interviews were done to collect data from operational managers (n=16) who were managing all unit activities, student mentoring included. Each interview lasted for ± 45 minutes. A hermeneutic data analysis (hermeneutic circle) was followed for data analysis. Four (4) themes and 15 sub-themes emerged from data collected from operational managers. The findings revealed that mentoring was perceived as a valuable phenomenon to apply in the preparation of student nurses for future professional role. In the process of mentoring, the caring attitude is revealed. Factors found to drive mentoring process successful was amongst other commitment, interest and partnership which guarantee the mutual efforts to the process. Though it is beneficial to mentor, mentee and the organisation as according to findings, challenges were also seen impacting on this process limiting its intentions / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

This diploma thesis is focused on the influence of teaching students of the Faculty of Health and Social Studies of the University of South Bohemia in Czech Budejovice on a mentor nurse´s attitude to nursing care provision. In the first chapter of the theoretical section the term nurse is introduced, and it is dealt with her duties, roles, attitudes, it is explained who a mentor nurse is and what topics a pilot certified course contains. The next four chapters are focused on a supervisor´s personality, supervision issues, teachers and their non-traditional roles and the didactic skills of a mentor. The description of a mentor´s didactic skills is divided into education, student diagnostics, teaching goals and classroom practices. The sixth part deals with student clinical practice mentors, their role in clinical practice, assessment and feedback and mentorship as an advancement of nurses´ work. The seventh chapter of the theoretical section introduces the issue of communication as an integral part of nursing practice teaching and in the last section we have focused on the issue of evidence-based nursing. The aim of this thesis was to investigate the impact of nursing practice teaching on a mentor nurse´s attitude to nursing care provision and students´ evaluation of a mentor nurse´s achievements in nursing care provision. The outcomes of the quantitative research, conducted by using a questionnaire method, confirm the hypothesis 1 suggesting that students regard mentor nurses´ nursing procedures as standards for their future practice. We can also confirm the hypothesis 3 suggesting that students believe that a mentor nurse considers the correct information registration into nursing documentation as necessary, and also the hypothesis 2 suggesting that students believe that a mentor nurse can communicate more effectively than other staff nurses was confirmed. Mentor nurses´ attitudes to nursing care provision were identified by using qualitative investigation by asking research questions. Out of the six nurses interviewed, four mentor nurses consider mentorship as knowledge contribution to the field of communication with people, four mentor nurses consider mentorship as stimulation for improving their own expertise, four mentor nurses would be willing to introduce new knowledge into practice and provide nursing care in accordance with the EBN. The knowledge gained form this research work may serve as a suggestion and aid for students planning to carry out clinical nursing practice at a clinic, for nurses who have been working or have been preparing to work as clinic mentor nurses, and certainly for all of those who wish to learn more on this issue and to understand the mentor nurse job.

Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att öka kunskapen gällande introduktionsprogrammets betydelse för företag, för att i förlängningen möjliggöra för företag att effektivisera sitt HR-arbete.   Metodik och teoretisk referensram: En kvalitativ fallstudie med en induktiv ansats. Det empiriska materialet har samlats in genom intervjuer och fokusgrupper på tre företag inom industribranschen. vår teoretiska referensram innefattar introduktionsprogram, personalomsättning och mentorskap.   Slutsats: Inom introduktionsprogrammet finns det vissa komponenter som är mer avgörande än andra. Vilka är: struktur, upplärning, information, sociala och informella aspekter samt uppföljning. I förlängningen kan denna kunskap användas av företag och möjliggöra att de kan effektivisera sitt HR-arbete.   Vilken betydelse introduktionsprogrammet har för ett företag påverkas av förutsättningar, behov och problem inom det specifika företaget. Vissa faktorer påverkar samt har en påverkan på introduktionsprogrammet. Faktorerna kan förbättras med ett introduktionsprogram men också påverkas negativt. I förlängningen påverkar introduktionsprogrammet företags förmåga att bland annat behålla och utveckla personal, vilket kan skapa möjligheter för konkurrensfördelar och ökad lönsamhet. / Purpose: The purpose of this field study is to examine what importance an onboarding program has for businesses. By extension, businesses can develop their HR-processes in line with the findings of this study.   Methodology and theoretical reference framework: A qualitative case study within the industrial field with an inductive approach. Three different organizations within the industrial field are examined in the study. The empirical material was collected through unstructured interviews and focus groups. The theoretical reference framework includes Onboarding program, Turnover rate and Mentorship.   Conclusion: The study highlights crucial components of an onboarding program which are: structure, on the job training, information, social and informal aspects and follow-up. This knowledge can be used to make HR-processes more efficient. The findings of this paper are that the onboarding program will have a long term impact on businesses.   The importance of an onboarding program depends on the business. Advantages such as a decreased turnover rate and a motivated workforce can be earned by develop and implement an effective onboarding program within the organization.

Background: previous studies have revealed that newly hired nurses experience stress and anxiety when entering a new clinical setting. Failure to support and prepare these nurses may affect their ability to deliver the required level of nursing care. Preceptorship is a time limited, organised clinical instructional programme, which promotes staff development, improves nursing education, reduces nursing shortages, promotes staff retention and decreases staff turnover. Little evidence expounds about how newly hired nurses perceive preceptorship. The impact of preceptorship on the clinical nursing care of newly hired experienced nurses has not been investigated or verified globally neither has it been investigated from a Saudi context. Aims and Objectives: the study aimed to explore the nature of preceptorship and its impact on clinical nursing care as perceived by the nurses who had taken part in a preceptorship programme in Saudi Arabia. The study elicited the participants' understanding and expectations of the preceptorship programme in an attempt to identify those factors that may be directly related to the success or failure of the programme. Furthermore, it aimed to examine the role of preceptorship in developing the clinical practice of newly hired experienced nurses. Methodology: a qualitative design based on the principles of naturalistic inquiry underpinned this study. Thirty national and international nurses of five different grades across wards in one Saudi hospital were first purposively and subsequently convenience sampled to take part in the study. Most participants were of international origin, possessing various levels of experience and education. Preceptees were younger and less experienced than other programme stakeholders. Data were generated using tape-recorded semi-structured individual and focus groups interviews. This action was also supported by a review of the hospital's preceptorship policy documents. All the interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed concurrently using thematic analysis based on a constant comparative method. Findings and discussion: Six themes were derived from the interview data to generate an account of participants' experiences. Social learning theory was used as an explanatory framework for understanding the study's findings. Thus, preceptorship was seen as an important supportive, learning process, although inconsistencies were highlighted related to the participants' understanding and expectations of the programme. The duration of preceptorship was also contested with some needing longer than allocated. Hence, confusion arose regarding when preceptorship should begin and end due to ambiguities within the preceptorship policy documentation. Furthermore, participants perceived preceptorship had a mixed impact on clinical nursing care depending on preceptee/preceptor preparation and workload. Surprisingly recruitment was found to have the biggest impact on the success or failure of the preceptorship programme an unexpected and new finding highlighted by this study. Conclusion: preceptorship is important for the integration of newly hired experienced nurses into their new roles. The meaning of preceptorship as applied to each hospital needs to be defined and articulated clearly and concisely. In order to meet the objectives of preceptorship, policy documentation needs to be clearer, and recruitment processes need to be reviewed in order to match both preceptee experience and qualifications with organisational requirements.

When US veterans return home from serving their country reintegrating into civilian society is difficult. Adjustment is often associated with mental health stress and personal instability. One of the biggest predictors of successful reintegration is homeownership. The research is in partnership with Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity. The research seeks to explore the challenges veterans face when seeking homeownership.