Information Technology (IT) is revolutionizing every sphere of human interaction. IT has changed the way individuals communicate. In the healthcare system, information technologies are considered the key to addressing challenges to healthcare delivery such as shortages of healthcare professionals, and networking. Therefore, healthcare providers need to possess information technology skills, knowledge, and resources to communicate and manage information effectively and efficiently and also to be able to perform their duties adequately in such an information technology age. Nurses, the largest group of healthcare providers who spend the most time with patients, are also frontline healthcare managers and need to have access to IT and should be computer literate in order to perform their duties quickly and adequately. In South Africa, the health system has been slow in integrating IT into healthcare delivery, particularly in rural and remote areas where such services are most needed. A "digital divide" exists, by which access to computers and the internet remain a privilege, and many nurses are unable to use a computer even after completing the computer literacy courses. This study aims to investigate the challenges faced by professional nurses to access and use information technology in healthcare facilities after being trained. Data was collected through focus group discussions conducted with professional nurses from two regional and four district hospitals. Participants who had received computer training offered by the Department of Health were selected to ensure that issues beyond a lack of training could be explored. Focus group discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. Content analysis was used to identify themes from the transcriptions. Results show that professional nurses had little access to information technology. Reasons given were a lack of hardware and appropriate software, insufficient training and lack of support, irrelevance of the computer courses, and negative attitudes towards computers. Despite previous computer training, the professional nurses interviewed felt they lacked the skills to use computers confidently in their daily activities. The quality of the training was perceived as inadequate and irrelevant with a lack of ongoing support to cement new skills and build confidence. The provision of training workshops for nurses is not sufficient to ensure that IT will be used for healthcare delivery. On-going support an motivation, among others, are needed to encourage nurses to use IT efficiently. / Thesis (M.Med.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2010.

D.Cur. (Psychiatric Nursing Science) / The researcher was involved in the clinical accompaniment of student nurses working with mentally challenged individuals during their psychiatric nursing practical training. In her role as advanced psychiatric nurse educator, she noticed that student nurses experienced working with mentally challenged individuals as a challenging working context. It created intense emotional discomfort for the student nurses, especially during their initial exposure to the relevant individuals. During the student nurses' last day of working with these individuals, they reflected with the advanced psychiatric nurse educator on their emotional growth and enrichment and how this experience had changed their views of life. Ineffective management of emotional discomfort may lead to emotional exhaustion or burnout and reflect negatively on a person's mental health. The main purpose of this research was to explore and describe the experiences of student nurses working with mentally challenged individuals. Subsequently, to develop, describe and write guidelines to operationalise and evaluate a model for the advanced psychiatric nurse educator to facilitate the mental health of student nurses working with mentally challenged individuals. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive, contextual and theory-generating research design was utilised to achieve the abovementioned purpose. The development of the model comprised four steps. Step one consisted of a concept analysis including identification and definition of central concepts in the model. A concept analysis was done by exploring and describing the experiences of student nurses working with mentally challenged individuals. Two focus groups, naive sketches, reflective journals, a reflective letter and field notes were used to explore their experiences. Focus groups were audiotaped as well as videotaped. Verbal consent was given by the student nurses to be videotaped and a letter of consent was signed to give permission for audiotaping of the focus groups. The audio tapes were transcribed verbatim. The video tapes were only used by the transcriber when she could not hear the sound on the audio tapes clearly. An independent coder utilised Tesch's method of open-coding to code and analyse the data. A consensus was reached between the researcher and the independent coder with regard to the themes and catogories represented by the data. During the concept analysis, engagement on a deeper emotional level was identified as the central concept. Step two consisted of the relationship statements of the model. During step three, a model for the facilitation of a process of engagement on a deeper emotional level for student nurses working with mentally challenged individuals was described. The structure of the model clarified the purpose, assumptions and context. The central concepts were defined and the relationship statements between the central and essential concepts were explained. The structure of the model focused on the relationship-, workingand termination phases within the process of engagement on a deeper emotional level. In step four guidelines were described to operationalise the model in practice. The model, as framework of reference for the advanced psychiatric nurse educator, focused on the facilitation of a process of engagement on a deeper emotional level for student nurses working with mentally challenged individuals. The process description of the model differentiated between three phases: the relationship phase, the working phase and the termination phase. Guidelines for the operasionalisation of the model focused on the objective of each phase as well as the strategy of actions for each different phase.

D.Cur. (Nursing Management) / A health maintenance organisation (HMO) that implements managed care is the health care service provider for a mine group. Case management is an integral part of managed care. Case management in a managed care setting within this mine group should be to the holistic benefit of both the client/patient and the service provider. Within the case management environment, nurse case managers (CMs) and their counterparts (professional nurses) should provide and facilitate quality patient care. However, they face many challenges, such as working in isolation from one another. The purpose of the study was to develop a training programme for CMs and professional nurses (PNs) to facilitate quality patient care in a managed care environment for the health care service provider for a mine group. In this study a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, and contextual design was followed. Purposive sampling was conducted from the populations of six CMs (N=6) and thirty PNs (N=30). Focus group discussions with twenty-eight (28) PNs and individual unstructured interviews with four (4) CMs were conducted to describe their experiences in the case management environment. Open coding followed, based on Tesch’s (1990) method of qualitative analysis (De Vos, 1998:343), and a conceptual framework emerged from the data analysis. A programme to facilitate quality patient care in a case management environment of the HMO was described for stakeholders (nurse case-managers and PNs). Recommendations for implementing the programme were described. Adapted phases of the programme development process of Meyer and van Niekerk (2008) were used in developing the programme. The survey list of the Practice Oriented Theory of Dickhoff, James and Wiedenbach (1968:434) formed the basis for developing a conceptual framework for the programme. Principles of case- and problem-based approaches (Scheider, 2010) served as a point of departure to develop the context-specific training programme. Trustworthiness was maintained by using Guba’s (De Vos, 2006:346; Babbie & Mouton, 2001: 276) model criteria, which are credibility, transferability, conformability and dependability. Ethical standards were adhered to throughout the study.

M.Cur. / The cardiothoracic intensive care unit is a dynamic environment which is characterised by a high patient turnover, staff shortages, medication, doctor's and nursing protocols and specialised nursing skills are required of the registered nurse. The registered nurse working in this environment is an independent practitioner and is accountable for her acts and omissions. The registered nurse can only accept accountability if she/he has the ability (knowledge, skills and values), the responsibility and authority to carry out the actions (Bergman, 1982:8). The learner enters the cardiothoracic intensive care unit as part of the clinical teaching she receives at a specific university. Due to staff shortages, the learner is often given the responsibility and authority to carry out actions for which she is accountable, without having the ability (knowledge, skills and values) to act. She may, therefore, not be able to nurse the patient safely and effectively. The unit manager is responsible for creating a learning climate in the unit and utilises an orientation programme to create this climate. An orientation programme introduces new staff members to the philosophy, goals and procedures necessary to work in a particular setting (Brookfield, 1986:64). The adult learner wants to learn that which is task- and problem-orientated in a selfdirective, independent way ida climate that is conducive to learning. The question arises: What must the content of an orientation programme for a certain cardiothoracic intensive care unit of a specific private hospital be and how must it be managed to facilitate safe and effective nursing by learners working in the cardiothoracic intensive care unit? The objective of the study is to explore and describe the content and management of an orientation programme for a specific cardiothoracic intensive care unit in a specific private hospital. A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive contextual study was conducted to explore and describe the content and management of the orientation programme. A contextual framework is described and focus group interviews were conducted with learners and registered nurses. From the results of the conceptual framework and focus group interviews, the content and manageent of the orientation programme was described. Due to the function perspective of the study, an orientatio nprogramme was developed from the results of the study.

Nursing lecturers are faced with the challenge to adapt their teaching styles and attitudes to accommodate the new nursing student that enters the nursing field. These students have expectations and demands which differ highly from past students. Another challenge for lecturers is the demands of a nursing curriculum. The students that commenced with the four year course during 2005 at the Port Elizabeth Nursing Campus experienced negativity with regards to their training. The objectives of the study are to explore and describe the training experiences of the fourth year student nurses of the Port Elizabeth Nursing Campus and to co-construct guidelines to assist nursing lecturers to gauge the understanding of students during their four years of nursing training. The participants used for the study were all fourth year nursing students. They had positive and negative experiences of their training during the four years. The negative experiences related to the demands of the curriculum, lecturers’ poor subject knowledge and insufficient material resources needed for their studies. Regardless of the negativity experienced, students encountered positivity with regards to lecturers’ attitudes. The researcher focused on a qualitative study using an explorative, descriptive, contextual and phenomenological approach. A semi-structured approach was adopted to obtain data. Once consent was obtained from the relevant authorities, four fourth year nursing students were interviewed. The interviews were conducted by an independent role-player within the Department of Health to ensure an unbiased approach. Guba’s model was used to assess trustworthiness and data was analysed. Ethical considerations were ensured throughout the research process. Themes and sub-themes were identified. Based on the research findings, guidelines were co-constructed to assist nursing lecturers to better understand nursing students during their training. The findings of the study will be brought to the attention of nursing lecturers and management personnel of the campus. It was concluded that nursing students need to be consulted on issues concerning their training and development before implementation, and that they be respected and cared for as students based on their human rights.

The study focuses on enrolled nurses' experiences of conversion and altered perceptions of self and others as they progress through a conversion course to first level. The experience involves a cultural transition that requires questioning of traditionally held values and adoption of a critical stance to professional practice. The transition mirrors current tensions within nursing as the prevalent direction of professionalisation in recent years has influenced the need for individual accountability that has implications for the self-regulation of practice. Thirty enrolled nurses participated in the study and were interviewed on three occasions as they progressed through specific parts of a conversion course. A grounded theory approach was utilised and important findings emerged in relation to the nature of learning from practice, the influence of gender and class on perceptions of academic ability and occupational standing and the development of self-agency through critical reflection. The findings challenge predominant scientific values within professional nurse education and support the validity of a situated learning approach for this group of experienced nurses. It is contended that, if opportunities for professional development and education are to be genuinely accessible, the diverse needs influencing learner participation must be considered. The main recommendations include the provision of accessible, experiential learning conversion courses for enrolled nurses and the development of a facilitative approach to professional development within nurse education.

M.Cur. / The Government has committed itself to primary health care as the only way of providing an affordable health service to all the Inhabitants of the Republic of South Africa, namely by a partnership service between the State and the private sector. A team approach In the provision of primary health care is essential to ensure Its success. Eskom has a responsibility towards Its employees to ensure that the occupational health nurse receives the necessary training to enable her to provide an effective health service. Eskom has obtained permission to provide health services In accordance with Section 38A of the Nursing Act, 1978 (Act No 50 of 1978) and has committed Itself to give the occupational health nurse the necessary training for her extended role under Section 38A of the Nursing Act, 1978 (Act No 50 of 1978). Section 38A of the Nursing Act, 1978 (Act No 50 of 1978) authorises the occupational health nurse to do a physical examination, diagnose a physical defect and identify an illness in any person. The keeping of prescribed medicines and the supply and administering thereof by the occupational health nurse, subject to the prescribed conditions, as well as the promotion of family planning, are also authorised by the said Section 38A of the Nursing Act, 1978 (Act No 50 of 1978). An exploratory and descriptive study was done within a contextual framework, with the occupational health nurse, In-service training and the syllabus asthe maln concepts. The occurrence of health problems was thoroughly explored by means of statistics, a literature study and discussions with a panel of experts In Eskom. The learning needs of the occupational health nurses In Eskom were then investigated by means of a questionnaire. It was established that occupational health nurses In Eskom already possess sufficient knowledge In respect of certain health problems. Knowledge of these problems was made a prerequisite In the syllabus for In-service training for Section 38A of the Nursing Act, 1978 (Act No 50 of 1978). A syllabus was designed for the In-service training of the occupational health nurse in Eskom for Section 38A of the Nursing Act, 1978 (Act No 50 of 1978).

The primary objective of this project is the development and implementation of an educational program for the staff nurses for the effective management of Acute Confusion (AC), Delirium among hospitalized patients at Kaiser Hospital in Fontana.

This study employed a heuristic -participant evaluation of the instruction of the web-based Essentials of Critical Care Orientation (ECCO) program using two research questions: (1) How well does the ECCO adhere to Bloom's theory of mastery learning and instruction; and (2) What effect, if any, does this have on the participant RN? Evaluation findings demonstrated that the ECCO is 66 hours of expository instruction with little to no meaningful feedback, correction, or enrichment activity, is not well aligned, and has significant design flaws related to objectives and transfer of instruction and to the processes of instruction. This results in the participant RN being left to his own devices to achieve mastery. Heuristic findings demonstrated the effect on the participant RN - feelings of frustration, resentment, fear, lack of confidence, and apprehension which in sum outweigh feelings of accomplishment and yield a compulsion to leave critical care practice. Discussion includes implications of findings and results, recommendations for the ECCO program improvement, and concludes with suggestions for future research.

Thesis (Master of Nursing)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019 / Nursing is a practice-based discipline, which makes experiential learning an important part of nursing education. The main purpose of experiential learning is to give students an opportunity to transfer theory into practice. It also equips the undergraduate student nurse with the skills and knowledge needed to provide high-quality care based on patients'/clients' needs and to produce competent and confident decision makers who are ready to accept personal and professional accountability. Experiential learning is accomplished by placing the undergraduate nursing students within a clinical learning environment. The success of the nursing programmes depends on appropriate clinical experience. The purpose of this research was to explore and describe the experiences of undergraduate nursing students during experiential learning in healthcare facilities at the Boland Overberg Campus in the Western Cape. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive design was applied. Data collection was done using focus-group interviews to ascertain the undergraduate student nurses' experiences during clinical practice in healthcare facilities in the Boland Overberg area. Thirty-eight undergraduate nursing students from Boland Campus were selected, using purposive sampling. The ethical principles relevant to this study were observed. Colaizzi's method of coding and thematic content analysis were used to interpret the data. The results of this study revealed that students were not satisfied with the clinical learning environment, which was not conducive to their learning. The students were not supported and supervised by the registered nurses in the facilities. This resulted in a lack of theory and practice integration. Furthermore, the results revealed that the students faced challenges during clinical practice. One of the most challenging factors was negative staff attitudes. It was evident that even though being in clinical settings was sometimes very challenging and frightening, there were also joyful moments. Seeing the patient recover gave students satisfaction and a reason to return the next day.