Thesis (M. Sc.) Nursing Sciences)) -- University of Limpopo, 2016

Thesis (Master of Nursing)--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2019 / In the fight against the human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS), one of the aspects to be taken into consideration is the self-esteem of pregnant women. Professional nurses in maternity settings need to support pregnant women, with a focus on providing balanced care to meet all of the women’s needs and build their self-esteem. Self-esteem reflects one’s subjective emotional evaluation of one’s worth. A decrease in the self-esteem of the individual with HIV/AIDS infections is common and professional nurses should advise patients on the appropriate ways to deal with HIV/AIDS. A supportive environment for HIV/AIDS women could enhance their self-esteem. The researcher overheard HIV/AIDS positive patients in a maternity unit express their feelings of worthlessness and wondered how he could support them to have self-worth. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the role of professional nurses in promoting a healthy self-esteem in hospitalised, pregnant women with HIV/AIDS in a maternity unit in a public hospital in Cape Town. The study was qualitative in nature, departing from assumptions of the theoretical framework of Eric Erikson. An exploratory, descriptive, contextual, qualitative design was followed when the semi-structured interviews were conducted. The accessible population comprised of 15 professional nurses working at the maternity unit. Purposive sampling was used to obtain a sample of 11 professional nurses (participants) working in a maternity unit who met the eligibility criteria. Individual interviews were conducted with eight participants as a starting point until data saturation was reached. After obtaining permission from the necessary authorities, the researcher visited the manager of the unit. Two pilot individual interviews were conducted to determine whether the research questions were understood. The researcher explained the purpose and information on the information sheet and obtained informed consent. Interviews lasted 45 minutes were conducted in a private room and recorded. The researcher used an interview schedule and made field notes while conducting the interviews. Data triangulation of the interviews and field notes ware done. Thematic analysis coding was applied to analyse data. Trustworthiness was ensured through credibility, transferability, dependability and conformability. The following ethical principles of privacy, the right to withdraw and anonymity were followed. The findings indicated HIV/AIDS-related stigma as the main cause of a poor self-esteem among pregnant women with HIV/AIDS. Participants furthermore felt that there is a need for training and skills development of professional nurses to enable them to understand how to support HIV/AIDS pregnant women and enhance their self-esteem. It was concluded that professional nurses should support pregnant women with HIV/AIDS places a socio-economic burden on societies and has set the world into spending millions on healthcare settings in an attempt to curb the disease.

MCur / Department of Advanced Nursing Science

Thesis (PhD. (Nursing Science)) --University of Limpopo, 2019 / The ability of professional nurses to support and motivate people living with HIV and AIDS to disclose to sexual partner continue to be a challenge based on the social, economic, psychological and ethical circumstances that surround the process to do so. A qualitative research study using semi-structured interviews with a schedule guide whereby probing questions were used to elicit more data. Two focus groups with 6 professional nurses were also conducted to explore and describe professional nurse’s knowledge and practices as they support People Living With HIV and AIDS (PLWHA) to disclose their positive status to sexual partners. The interviews were carried out in five (5) district hospitals of Limpopo Province, South Africa. Dickoff, James, and Wiedenbach (1968) practice theory guided the study. Study findings revealed that professional nurses do understand the concept but however it is difficult for them to translate and link learning and understanding in the clinical area. Social, economic, psychological and ethical dilemmas pose a challenge for professional nurses to support individuals to disclose to sexual partners. Professional nurses refer individuals with challenges to psychologists and social workers, but however, they do not receive referral back on the outcome. The absence of support groups and link with community-based groups to support PLHWA reduce efforts to improve knowledge on benefits of disclosure to communities led by PLHWA including reduction of stigma and discrimination associated with the diagnosis. The study therefore, recommends a training programme that links the South African Nursing Council statutes, including that of World Health Organization and Department of Health with teaching and learning methods that clarify and simulate real clinical situation to enhance the translation of this policy in the real-life situation. The training programme further suggests a link with community base structures led by PLWHA to enhance disclosure of HIV positive status to a sexual partner, reduction of stigma and discrimination associated with the diagnosis and reduce the incidence of HIV among people living with HIV. Key words: People living with HIV infection, Professional nurses, disclosure of HIV to sexual partners

Thesis (M. A. (Nursing)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / A master’s program in nursing is an essential tool to prepare students to manage and offer health care services to the public professionally and successfully. However, there has been low enrolment of professional nurses into masters studies of nursing in a higher educational institution. Therefore the study aimed to develop recruitment strategies for professional nurses into Master studies of Nursing at a higher educational institution. METHODS The qualitative research method was used to develop recruitment strategies of professional nurses in Mankweng Hospital into a Master's Studies at the University of Limpopo. The population were professional nurses with honours equivalent and those with honours degree.Semi-structured interviews were conducted from eighteen professional nurses who were purposely selected to participate in the study. Tech`s coding method of data analysis was used to analyze audio-recorded data. RESULTS The results indicated that lack of study leaves, shortage of nurses, lack of information about requirements for enrolling into masters, lack of recognition for postgraduates and financial instability contributed to most professional nurses not registering for master's studies. CONCLUSION The study concludes that the institution of higher learning should develop recruitment strategies for master's studies in nursing. Findings revealed lack of recruitment strategies, information about the masters degree, and scholarship as well as employer related factors such as lack of study leaves as challenges for recruiting nurses into a masters studies. Such strategies vi include the increase of funding scholarships by the universities that can facilitate the postgraduate uptake and allocation of study leaves for professional nurses by the Department of Health.

Thesis (Ph.D. (Nursing Science)) -- University of Limpopo, 2022 / The purpose of this study was to develop a training programme to facilitate the implementation of the 6 Ministerial Priorities by Professional Nurses in the Health Care facilities in Limpopo Province. The purpose of the training programme was to capacitate the Professional Nurses to enable them to facilitate the implementation of the 6 Ministerial Priorities in the Health Care facilities of Limpopo to improve the provision of quality service. The study was conducted in three phases, namely, qualitative, quantitative and development of a training programme. Phenomenological semi structured one-to-one interviews were conducted to explore the perceptions of Professional Nurses on the implementation of the 6 Ministerial Priorities in the public hospitals in Limpopo Province. Interviews were conducted until saturation was reached. Themes and sub-themes were coded manually. The results of the qualitative phase were used to develop a questionnaire for the quantitative phase. Self-administered quantitative questionnaires were given to Professional Nurses to describe their experiences, knowledge and perceptions on the implementation of the 6 Ministerial Priorities in the Health Care facilities of Limpopo. The results that emerged from the integration of qualitative and quantitative results revealed that 6 Ministerial Priorities were not implemented effectively in the Health Care facilities due to challenges such as shortage of Professional Nurses and cleaners, shortage of cleaning material, linen and patients clothing. Shortage of medication, lack of in-service training on the 6 Ministerial Priorities and lack of orientation programme for the newly appointed Professional Nurses. These challenges affected the implementation of 6 Ministerial Priorities negatively thus compromising the provision of quality patient care. The training programme was developed for Professional Nurses to capacitate them on the facilitation of the implementation of the 6 Ministerial Priorities to improve quality care.

The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the professional nurse's perception of working in remote rural clinics in Limpopo Province. The research design was qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual. The research population was the professional nurses working in remote rural clinics in Limpopo Province. Purposive sampling was used and data collected by means of tape-recorded in-depth semi-structured individual interviews. The study revealed that the professional nurses perceived working in the remote rural clinics both positively and negatively and had concerns. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Human resources are the most important assets of any health system. In recent years it has been increasingly recognised that improving the performance of health personnel should be at the core of any sustainable solution to health system performance. However, it is widely acknowledged that health systems are not producing the desired output of health interventions due to factors such as insufficient skilled and experienced health personnel, demotivated health personnel, lack of management skills, poor working conditions and environment, and inadequate remuneration. This study explores the factors that affect performance of nurses in Namibia with the aim of providing a management framework for improving the performance of professional nurses. The study followed a quantitative research approach using an explorative descriptive design. A survey method using questionnaires was applied. The reaction to the study was positive as a response rate of 75.8% was obtained. Data analysis included identifying and comparing existence or absence of factors using the SSPS package. The target population included all professional nurses in Oshana, Otjozondjupa and Khomas regions. Baseline results revealed various factors which affect performance. The study revealed that hospitals currently have deficiencies in human resource management aspects such as recognition of employees who perform well, working conditions, implementation of performance appraisal systems, feedback on performance outcomes and management skills. These aspects are strongly associated with level of performance of health personnel. Based on the results, a management framework was proposed. The framework consists of activities for enhancing the nursing profession; strengthening knowledge and expertise, including management skills; improving performance; and generating knowledge through research. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil.(Health Studies)

The main purpose of this quantitative, descriptive, non-experimental study was to explore the perceptions of nurses in supervisory roles (NSRs) regarding competence of novice professional nurses (NPNs) in health education. The study’s conceptual frameworks were the objectives of the Regulation R.425 programme and the scope of practice of professional nurses. The study sought to reveal whether the NPNs were competent in health education and in identifying barriers to health education, and to make recommendations. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection from the professional nurses in supervisory roles. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 program. The results revealed that NPNs were competent in health education, however, paid less attention to family involvement and patients’ level of education (a barrier to health education). The study recommended assessment of the level of education of patients and involvement of family members when giving health education / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

The main purpose of this quantitative, descriptive, non-experimental study was to explore the perceptions of nurses in supervisory roles (NSRs) regarding competence of novice professional nurses (NPNs) in health education. The study’s conceptual frameworks were the objectives of the Regulation R.425 programme and the scope of practice of professional nurses. The study sought to reveal whether the NPNs were competent in health education and in identifying barriers to health education, and to make recommendations. A structured questionnaire was used for data collection from the professional nurses in supervisory roles. The data was analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21.0 program. The results revealed that NPNs were competent in health education, however, paid less attention to family involvement and patients’ level of education (a barrier to health education). The study recommended assessment of the level of education of patients and involvement of family members when giving health education / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)