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Text in English / In Swaziland, family nurse practitioners (FNPs) are professional nurses who have undergone preparation as general nurse, midwife and FNP. These nurses play an important role in the delivery of primary health care (PHC). Family nurse practice is an evolving concept introduced in Swaziland in 1979. It is a means of exploring nursing roles and primary health care services for deployment in under-served areas and to enable nurses to serve as the primary providers of health care services in clinics, health centres and in the outpatient departments of hospitals. Changing responsibilities within the health care setting require different skills and more knowledge. The expansion and extension of the nurses' role, including the techniques of diagnosing and treating, was a priority of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOH&SW) in Swaziland's five-year development plan for 1978-1983. It was regarded as a necessary component for raising the quality and effectiveness of PHC services. Some of the major and urgent challenges that confront FNPs today are the advent of the human immune virus/acquired immuno-deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) scourge and the re-emergence of the tuberculosis epidemic. Both these health problems require proficient diagnosis and case management skills as well as new approaches. If FNPs are to remain relevant and to continue to provide quality services in spite of prevailing challenges, they have to engage in continuing education (CE). The main aim of this study was to investigate the perceptions of the FNP role, CE needs and issues relevant to the current practice of FNPs in Swaziland. A further aim was to establish a structure or framework for a CE programme that would contribute to the strengthening of CE for FNPs and identify enabling factors and barriers in the practice and education ofFNPs. Both quantitative and qualitative research methods were used for data collection. A survey was conducted to collect data from 5 7 FNPs and 11 nurse managers and nurse educators. The transcript from the questionnaires was subjected to quantitative-based content analysis. A total of thirty nurse managers, nurse educators and MOH&SW nurse executives participated in the focus group interviews. The collected data was subjected to qualitativebased content analysis. The findings identified the role of the FNP as manager, clinical practitioner, educator and researcher. The analyses highlighted the CE needs of FNPs, and the question of updating and upgrading the skills of practising FNPs. The identified enabling factors and barriers, although perceived as issues that are peripheral and auxiliary to the curriculum, appeared to have a strong bearing on programme planning. The findings from this study have implications for a structured CE programme for FNPs at the University of Swaziland. / Health Studies / D. Litt et Phil. (Nursing Sciences)

published_or_final_version / abstract / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

published_or_final_version / abstract / Linguistics / Master / Master of Arts in Applied Linguistics

This dissertation evaluated the provision of two different one-to-one educational interventions, randomly assigned, to two separate groups of medical practitioners at a health maintenance organization (HMO), Cigna Healthplan of Tucson, Arizona. A control group received no intervention. Each group consisted of seven physicians and one nurse practitioner. The intervention was aimed at improving the prescribing of the anti-ulcer drugs, cimetidine, ranitidine, and sucralfate. The theoretical basis for the study involved the cognitive principle of vividness, which implies that more vivid information has greater effect on decisions. For this research, the vivid intervention included case scenarios, while the non-vivid intervention included statistical information of the results of a drug use review. Prescribing data, consisting of percentages and cost of inappropriate prescriptions, were collected for one month prior to and for two months after the intervention. Analysis of covariance was employed with the pre-intervention measures of prescribing as the covariate in each test and post-intervention measures as the dependent variables. No differences were found between the two interventions, but the control group was significantly different from the intervention groups. For the first post-intervention month, it was found that the interventions resulted in significantly lower percentages of prescriptions written inappropriately for indication, dose, or duration (P = 0.001). These percentages decreased by 36% for the intervention groups, while increasing by 14% for the control group. Costs of inappropriate prescribing per study prescription and per patient encounter were also significantly lower for the intervention groups than for the control group (P = 0.001 and P = 0.019, respectively). In the second post-intervention month, inappropriate prescribing increased slightly in the intervention groups and were no longer significantly different from the control group. The research demonstrated the effectiveness of a one-to-one educational intervention in improving drug prescribing at an HMO. The lack of differences between the two interventions may have been due to the overall effectiveness of the one-to-one educational discussion, the interpretation of the statistical information as prescribing feedback by the practitioners, or the inadequate presentation of vividness in the case scenarios.

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Nurse educators are faced with the issues of cost containment and documenting the results of continuing professional education (CPE). The results of successful CPE are behavior changes observed in the nursing staff upon returning to the work environment. Continuing professional education requires valid evaluation of instruments to determine its effectiveness, quality, and documentation of behavior changes. The purpose of this study was to establish the validity of four instruments measuring variables of behavior change in nurses after attendance at a CPE program. Cervero's (1985) evaluation model applied to CPE and behavior change was used to guide the study.Data was collected from three different convenience samples and merged for a total of 114 subjects. The four instruments that participants were asked to complete at the CPE programs were: (a) "New Ideas and You" (Brigham et al., 1995); (b) "Social System of the Organization"analysis. "New Ideas and You" (Brigham et al., 1995) (Ryan et al, 1995); (c) "CPE Program and Change" (Ryan et al., 1995); and (d) "The Continuing Professional Education Offering" (Elkins et al., 1995).Findings in this study were revealed through factor outcome to improve the quality of patient care. This end revealed two factors. "Social System of the Organization" (Ryan et al., 1995) resulted in a three factor solution. "CPE Program and Change" (Ryan et al., 1995) resulted in a three factor solution and "Continuing Professional Education Offering" (Elkins et al., 1995) resulted in a three factor solution.Conclusions from this study was that the four instruments have some degree of validity and reliability. The highest obtained factor scores confirmed the concepts identified as subscales in the four instruments.Nurse educators need a valid and reliable method of evaluating CPE to assess the effectiveness and extent of behavior changes in nurses after attendance at workshops, seminars, and other CPE programs. These behavior changes are a result of an increased knowledge base with an ultimateresult has a positive impact on the nursing profession, nursing education, and health care. / School of Nursing

The purpose of this study is to investigate the effects of using verbal analogies in teaching ninth-grade physical science. The experiment is designed to determine if teaching by analogies is more effective than conventional methods of teaching, and to ascertain the effect of analogies on achievement for different ability levels in different subject areas of physical science.

Floorball has gained a lot of popularity recently, mostly owing to its simplicity and affordability. In the Czech Republic, floorball is taught at a majority of school, but its rapid development and lower public awareness might negatively influence a teaching quality of this sport. The thesis aims to analyse possibilities of floorball teaching at secondary schools and assess an attitude of pupils and teachers to it, including an analysis of pupil's knowledge of floorball rules. Considering these findings, floorball teaching model was proposed, practically tested and its benefits was evaluated. 652 pupil's and 19 teacher's questionnaires from 11 secondary school located in Prague was used. Experimental floorball teaching was realized at ZŠ Bohumila Hrabala, where was tested on 2 groups, while other 2 groups were regarded as a control sample. An efficiency of proposed floorball teaching model was evaluated based on a set of proficiency tests that were undertaken in the beginning and at the end of floorball teaching. It was found out that floorball equipment is sufficient at the 64% of examined schools, but dimensions of their gyms are inadequate. Floorball is taught during one tenth of physical education classes on average and a majority of this time is designated to playing matches, which are the...

The nature of reflective practice in teaching and its development is the focus of this research. The research approach is reflexive narrative through systematic self-inquiry using Johns (2010) six dialogical movements. This methodology is new to researching the practice of teaching. The research process involved constructing stories of practice experiences, culminating in the construction of the reflexive narrative charting the entire journey over three years and four months. Creating the stories involved in-depth reflection using the disciplined practice of journaling. Reflection was deepened using reflective models, and dialogue with a range of literature sources also supported the creation of the stories. Central to the study was guided reflection through regular engagement with an established inquiry group, which provided a high level of challenge and support for the research. The reflexive narrative was constructed from 25 stories of practice experience, which represents the journey of being and becoming a reflective teacher and teacher educator. The research presents aspects of the lived experience of teaching which includes foregrounding some of the complexity of classroom practice. The research demonstrates how engaging in in-depth reflective process can transform moment to moment practice within the fast-paced crowded classroom experience. This is achieved through gaining an in-depth understanding of self as a teacher, and of the education system and its policies and practices. As a result of in-depth reflection on practice, aspects of teaching which usually remain hidden are exposed. The research identifies how emotion impacts on teaching in some depth. An understanding of one’s emotional self in practice, and one’s personality preferences are essential in developing desirable practice. The research makes a contribution to knowledge about narrative research in educational practices. The methodology demonstrates a valuable approach to developing teaching practice, and enabling a teacher to identify issues which impact on practice but which have been hidden. Teachers also gain an understanding of the fear and constraints which limit desirable practice and enable one to find ways to work that are liberating rather than limiting.