The purpose of this study was to assess if preterm infants receiving an intervention of intermittent human tactile contact would demonstrate clinical improvement over infants who did not receive the intervention. A quasi-experimental design was used with 26 infants between 28 and 32 weeks gestation. Hands were placed on the infants' heads and lower backs for a total of 36 minutes of tactile contact a day for 10 days. Findings indicated a significant gain in mean body weight for both groups between Day 0 and Day 10. Also, there was a significant decrease in mean hematocrit in the control group between Day 0 and Day 10. On Day 10, experimental infants had a significantly higher mean number of apneic and bradycardic episodes than control infants. There were no significant mean differences between the groups for body weight, body temperature stability, oxygen variance, or hematocrit. Data suggest that gentle human touch may be correlated with desireable outcomes. Further research is necessary.

published_or_final_version / Nursing Studies / Master / Master of Nursing in Advanced Practice

Nurses in neonatal special care nurseries with a philosophy of family centered care involve parents in the care of preterm infants. There is little research describing nurses' perspectives of parental participation in care. Using interview data obtained from one secondary level neonatal special care nursery, this study attempts to understand the meaning parental participation in care has for neonatal nurses and the way that meaning is expressed in various nursing activities. Twelve nurses were interviewed about their reaction to parental participation in various activities such as feeding and bathing their babies. These nurses are all full time staff members in the nursery. Findings of the research are that there are two main nursing perspectives of parental participation in the care of preterm infants in a special care nursery. These two perspectives are labelled the 'our baby' and 'their baby' perspective. The 'our baby' group of subjects maintain a traditional role of control of care. The 'their baby' group are committed to the philosophy of family centered care within certain boundaries. An example of the difference., in the two perspectives was discovered in the area of infant feeding. The 'our baby' nurses thought that parents engaged in this activity increased the workload while the 'their baby' nurses thought that parents decreased workload. The 'our baby' nurses treated most parents in a similar way but the 'their baby' nurses individualized their approach to parents. The 'their baby' nurses' enjoyed spending time with parents but the other group said that there were less parents to deal with when they were working at night. Both groups work side by side with little conflict. Implications for the selection and training of nurses are noted as well as implications for further research. / Education, Faculty of / Curriculum and Pedagogy (EDCP), Department of / Graduate

No description available.

No description available.

Thesis (MCur)--Stellenbosch University, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Nurses are being held responsible and accountable for the quality of nursing care, which includes quality infection control nursing, they provide. This change in accountability has been brought about by the need to reduce the ever escalating costs of health care. During the 1980's, health care services created a demand for high-quality, efficient, cost-effective and competitively priced health services. In order to provide these services, health care organisations are forced to consider new strategies. This is a process that produces outcomes. Quality improvement methods, which include infection control, help organisations to produce these outcomes. Donabedian (1980) defined high-quality care as "that kind of care which is expected to maximise an inclusive measure of patient welfare, after one has taken account of the balance of expected gains and losses that attend the process of care in all its parts" (Grossman, 1998: 43). Quality improvement in infection control relates to the activities employed to improve the performance of a process, and includes the process of planning and control. Management is responsible and accountable for providing resources In order to implement quality infection control nursing care. The purpose of the study was to identify factors influencing the implementation of an effective infection control process in aNICU. An exploratory and descriptive design with a qualitative orientation was implemented. It consisted of a narrative and a literature study by means of which factors have been identified to influence the implementation of an infection control process in a NICU. The case study design, an indepth analysis of a single unit of study, was utilised in this study as part of the data-gathering process. Recommendctions were made on the macro, meso and micro levels, which included quality circles, hand hygiene and antibiotic usage, in-service education, recognition of personnel, mission statement and the infection control manual. The shortage of human and physical resources in nursing is a global problem. In S.A. there has been no previous study to emphasise the importance of an effective infection control process, and therefore no solutions to the problem have been suggested. The Japanese view with regard to quality circles is recommended. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Verpleegkundiges is verantwoordelik en aanspreeklik vir die gehalte van verpleging wat gelewer word, insluitende gehalte infeksiebeheer verpleging. Hierdie verandering in aanspreeklikheid het voortgespruit uit die behoefte om die voortdurende styging in gesondheidskoste te verminder. Gedurende die 1980s, het 'n aanvraag vir hoë gehalte, kosteeffektiewe en kompeterende gesondheidsorgdienste ontstaan. Gesondheidsorg dienste moes nuwe strategieë oorweeg om in hierdie dienste te kan voorsien. Uitkomste word op hierdie proses gebaseer. Om hierdie uitkomste te bereik, behoort organisasies gehalteverbetering metodes, wat infeksie beheer insluit, te implemeteer. Donabedian (1980) definieer hoë gehalte as "that kind of care which is expected to maximise an inclusive measure of patient welfare, after one has taken account of the balance of expected gains and losses that attend the process of care in all its parts" (Grossman, 1998: 43). Gehalteverbetering in infeksiebeheer , verwys na die aktiwitieite wat geimplementeer word om die uitvoer van In proses te verbeter, insluitende beplanning en beheer. Bestuur is verantwoordelik en aanspreeklik vir die voorsiening van hulpbronne, om gehalte infeksiebeheer verpleegsorg te implementeer. Die doel van die studie was om faktore wat die implementering van 'n effektiewe infeksie beheer proses in 'n NICU beinvloed, te identifiseer. In Verkennende en beskrywende ontwerp, met 'n kwalitatiewe orientering, is geimplementeer. Dit het bestaan uit In narratief en In literatuur studie, waardeur faktore wat die implementering van In effektiewe infeksie beheer proses in 'n NICU beinvloed, geidentifiseer word. Die gevallestudie ontwerp, wat 'n in-diepte ondersoek van In enkele eenheid van studie is, is in hierdie studie gebruik as deel van die data-insamelings proses. Aanbevelings is gemaak of makro, meso en mikro vlak, en sluit in gehalte sirkels, handhigiëne en antibiotika gebruik, indiensopleiding, erkenning van personeel, In missieverklarin~ en ten opsigte van die infeksiebeheerhand- leiding in. Die tekort aan menslike en fisiese hulpbronne in verpleging is I n globale probleem. Aangesien daar nog nie voorheen In studie in S.A. gedoen is om die belang van I n effektiewe infeksiebeheerproses te beklemtoon nie, is daar nog nooit oplossings vir die probleem voorgestel nie. Die Japanese siening van gehalte sirkels word aanbeveel.

No description available.

The purpose of the study was to identify factors associated with the delay in the initiation of breastfeeding to premature infants before discharge from hospital. The need for this research is evident in the current practice of feeding premature infants after a nasogastric tube is removed. The study sought to provide answers to delayed initiation of breastfeeding to premature infants before discharge from hospital. Fifty members of staff in the Sick Neonate Unit and 50 mothers of premature infants participated in the study. Self-administered data collection instruments were used to collect data from mothers of premature infants and staff of a Sick Neonate Unit in the hospital. The results showed that sociodemographic factors of staff 15 (f=30%) were 31-40 years old, and young nursing staff have decreased knowledge of breastfeeding as compared to senior and older staff members. Maternal demographic factors 36 (f=73.5%) were single and 13 (f=26.5) were married. Married mothers were more likely to breastfeed with the support of the partner than unmarried mothers. Health service factors staff views towards breastfeeding were 11(f=22.0% staff members were neutral about breastfeeding, and Eighteen (f=36.0%) staff members strongly disagreed to other methods of infant feeding. Maternal breastfeeding knowledge was one of the factors under maternal breastfeeding factors because it showed that 48 mothers (f=98.0%) did not have breastfeeding knowledge. Descriptive statistics were used to analyse data. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Die doel van hierdie studie is die ontwikkeling van 'n ouerleidingsprogram vir moeders wat hul premature babas in 'n kangaroemoedersorgprogram versorg. Die program het ten doel om die moeders in die onmiddelikke versorging, sowel as die toekomstige begeleiding van hut kinders, toe te rus. 'n Literatuuroorsig word gegee van prematuriteit as fenomeen en van kangaroemoedersorg (KMS) as versorgingswyse, met spesifieke verwysing na die toepassing daarvan in Kalafonghospitaal. Die grondslae van ouerteiding word uit die literatuur opgesom en riglyne word ook gestef vir die samestelling van 'n ouerfeidingprogram. Die kwalitatiewe navorsingsmetode word gebruik om die inhoud van die ouerfeidingsprogram te bepaal en om ondersoek in te stel na die mees geskikte aanbiedingswyses. Die verslag word afgesluit met riglyne vir die samestelling van 'n prakties-toepasbare ouerleidingsprogram waarin inhoudsmoontlikhede, idees vir aanbieding en wyses vir die bepaling van gestelde uitkomste uiteengesit word. / The aim of this study is the development of parental guidance for mothers who take care of their premature babies in a programme of Kangaroo Mother Care. The programme aims to equip mothers for immediate and future care of their children. A literature review of prematurity as phenomenon and of kangaroo mother care as care method is presented with specifK: reference to the way it is applied in Kalafong-hospital. The basics of parental care are summated from literature and guidelines are set to design a parental guidance programme. The qualitative research method is put into operation to determine the content of the parental guidance programme and to investigate the most appropriate method of presentation. The report is concluded with guidelines for setting up a practical and applicable parental guidance programme in which subject possibilities, ideas for presentation and means for determining set outcomes are explained. / Educational Studies / M.Ed.(Spesialisering in voorligting)

The HIV/AIDS pandemic is a crisis for the South African government, society and Church. About sixty percent of the HIV population are in Sub Saharan Africa with women being three times more likely to be infected with HIV than their male counterparts. Governmental, societal and Church responses seem to have had little effect in reducing the pandemic as can be seen from the rising prevalence rates. Responses to the HIV/AIDS pandemic lack a gender focus. Some churches have not responded to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. Other Church-based responses have been isolated and simplistic in that they have concentrated on one aspect of the HIV illness. The HIV/AIDS pandemic is a growing crisis to which the Church should respond. The hermeneutical point of departure in this thesis is to express a preferential option for the poor by standing in solidarity with a group of women living on the margins of society. To this end the perspectives of black people, who are materially poor, HIV positive and part of support groups are articulated in the study. The research project suggests that the preferential option for the poor has the potential to contribute to the personal and social transformation of society. Focussing on the deep-seated longing many desire for fullness of life, this thesis explores and describes a gendered Christian response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic that could contribute to the full humanity of people. Full humanity is understood as transformation to wholeness and incorporates unity with God, others, creation and within oneself. A multifaceted, integrated and gendered response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic is suggested by way of a model of full humanity. The South African context of HIV/AIDS, patriarchy and poverty pose a challenge to the way that Christians develop their spirituality. This thesis aims to explore and describe aspects of a fully human spirituality emerging from the South African situation. The study suggests that a clearly integrative and holistic approach that embodies the gender perspective is necessary for churches to adopt in responding to the HIV/AIDS pandemic. / Christian Spirituality, Church History and Missiology / D.Th.(Christian Spirituality)