The aim of this study was to determine the knowledge of critical care nurses regarding ventilator waveforms in order to develop an educational programme on this topic. A quantitative, descriptive, contextual research design was used, and convenience sampling implemented. A survey, using a questionnaire as measuring instrument, was conducted among critical care nurses in selected private hospitals in Gauteng. The response rate was 69%. Cronbach’s alpha indicated that the questionnaire was fairly reliable. The total average percentage achieved by the group of 111 respondents was 40,28%, which is 19.72% below the set competency indicator of 60%. Only 15 respondents achieved a percentage of or above the competency indicator. Results proved that the respondents required intensive training on the topic. A user-friendly education programme in the format of a PowerPoint presentation was developed to address knowledge deficiencies in critical care nurses’ interpretation of ventilator graphics. / Dissertation (MCur (Clinical))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Nursing Science / MCur / unrestricted

The goal of this thesis was to investigate the factors that influence the adoption of big data analytics by public sector employees based on the adapted Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) model. A mixed method of survey and interviews were used to collect data from employees of a Canadian provincial government ministry. The results show that performance expectancy and facilitating conditions have significant positive effects on the adoption intention of big data analytics, while effort expectancy has a significant negative effect on the adoption intention of big data analytics. The result shows that social influence does not have a significant effect on adoption intention. In terms of moderating variables, the results show that gender moderates the effects of effort expectancy, social influence and facilitating condition; data experience moderates the effects of performance expectancy, effort expectancy and facilitating condition; and leadership moderates the effect of social influence. The moderation effects of age on performance expectancy, effort expectancy is significant for only employees in the 40 to 49 age group while the moderation effects of age on social influence is significant for employees that are 40 years and more. Based on the results, implications for public sector organizations planning to implement big data analytics were discussed and suggestions for further research were made. This research contributes to existing studies on the user adoption of big data analytics.

The usability of a software product is dependent on the end-user and the context of use. Having a user-friendly user interface that is appealing and easy to learn and use is essential for improved human productivity. However, this is not always the case. For instance, the computer-based documentation system Siebel used within the elderly care system; is perceived by most nursing assistants as complicated. The goal here is to evaluate the usability of the system's user interface, applying the usability metrics stated in the ISO/IEC-9126-1 standards to quantify the effectiveness, efficiency, and user satisfaction of Siebel’s documentation system. A prototype user interface was developed for comparison with the current system. Likert-scale five-point scale; System Usability Scale (SUS) questionnaires were used to measure User satisfaction. The results mirrored that the participants preferred the newly developed prototype user interface to the existing user interface