Thesis (MSc (Health and Wellness Sciences))--Cape Peninsula University of Technology, 2018 / Biomedical Laboratory Technologists play a fundamental role in the diagnosis of disease in patients. Their role in South Africa is currently undergoing profound changes with an emphasis placed on a four-year professional degree that will replace the National Diploma in Biomedical Technology at most Universities of Technology and Comprehensive Universities (UJ and NMU) by 2020. Training and competency programs, along with the retention of experienced staff, remain key in providing accurate laboratory results. It is therefore imperative to investigate this field in factors related to training, work experience and job satisfaction. This study aimed to evaluate the perceptions of Medical Technologists and Medical Technicians with regards to salary, interpersonal relationship, continuing professional development (CPD), work ethic and scope of practice within the profession. A mixed methods study was conducted to evaluate salary, career choice happiness and CPD compliance of Medical Technologists and Medical Technicians, as well as their perceptions around interpersonal relationships, work ethic and scope of practice. In sampling, a convenience sample was identified, after which a snowballing method was used. A link to a web-based survey was distributed to a group of Medical Technologists and Medical Technicians who attended the Society of Medical Laboratory Technology of South Africa (SMLTSA) Medical Laboratory Professionals congress. This congress was held in 2015 in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. A sample of 144 Medical Technicians and Medical Technologists was obtained, of which 98.6% were registered with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Only 54.2% were active members of the Society of Medical Laboratory Technologist of South Africa. Age (r = 0.674, p < 0.05) and years worked at current employer (r = 0.533, p < 0.05) proved to have stronger relationships with salary than education (r = 0.195, p < 0.05). Those employed in the public sector earned significantly lower salaries than those in any other sector (p < 0.05), with the exception of those working in independent practice. Both Medical Technologists (44.2%) and Medical Technicians (34.4%) perceived that they did not receive the respect they deserved from Pathologists in their working relationship. In addition, 31.3% of Medical Technicians perceived that their roles were regarded as of lesser value, and that their knowledge, training and attained qualifications were not recognised by the Pathologists. Despite this, this study concluded respondents were generally happy with their career choice, as 71.9% of respondents reported. Findings of this study serve as a strong foundation for additional research on the topic of career happiness versus job satisfaction and retention of staff in medical diagnostic laboratories.

The profession of psychology in South Africa has not always been regulated by a statutory body such as the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Currently, the profession of psychology is regulated by the HPCSA and psychologists and the HPCSA find themselves in a lawful and interminable relationship. The HPCSA’s motto is to protect the public and to guide the profession, but it was questioned whether psychologists actually experience guidance from the HPCSA. In response to this problem, this study aimed to explore the subjective experiences of a group of South African psychologists regarding the HPCSA as well as the ethical code which serves as a guideline for the conduct of psychologists. This study made use of a sequential mixed method design, which comprised of a qualitative phase followed by a quantitative phase. All participants in this study were qualified psychologists. Seven participants took part in the qualitative phase and 74 participants took part in the quantitative phase. The data from the qualitative phase was grouped into broad categories and served as the basis for compiling a questionnaire for the quantitative phase. After collecting the completed questionnaires, the data was read into SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), which was used for the statistical analysis of the data. The data was analysed by means of frequency distributions and mean scores. During the analysis of the data, six themes where identified: five regarding the HPCSA as the regulator of psychology and one regarding the ethical code that guides the conduct of psychologists. The themes include “guidance and mentorship”, “the HPCSA as a watchdog”, “the HPCSA’s motive”, “reverence that psychologists have for the HPCSA”, “the competence of the HPCSA” and “psychologists’ view on the ethical code”. The results indicated that an ambiguous relationship exists between this group of psychologists and the HPCSA, as these two entities seem to function separately. Generally, psychologists who took part in this research have a negative view towards the HPCSA, although they realise the necessity for the HPCSA as a regulating body for psychology. The recognition of this need is a platform for a workable relationship between psychologists and the HPCSA. The participants provided less detail and responded more neutral regarding their views on the ethical code, and it is concerning that quite a number of psychologists indicated that they did not know the code. This study concludes with recommendations for the HPCSA to be more approachable and to provide psychologists with more support. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.

The profession of psychology in South Africa has not always been regulated by a statutory body such as the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Currently, the profession of psychology is regulated by the HPCSA and psychologists and the HPCSA find themselves in a lawful and interminable relationship. The HPCSA’s motto is to protect the public and to guide the profession, but it was questioned whether psychologists actually experience guidance from the HPCSA. In response to this problem, this study aimed to explore the subjective experiences of a group of South African psychologists regarding the HPCSA as well as the ethical code which serves as a guideline for the conduct of psychologists. This study made use of a sequential mixed method design, which comprised of a qualitative phase followed by a quantitative phase. All participants in this study were qualified psychologists. Seven participants took part in the qualitative phase and 74 participants took part in the quantitative phase. The data from the qualitative phase was grouped into broad categories and served as the basis for compiling a questionnaire for the quantitative phase. After collecting the completed questionnaires, the data was read into SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences), which was used for the statistical analysis of the data. The data was analysed by means of frequency distributions and mean scores. During the analysis of the data, six themes where identified: five regarding the HPCSA as the regulator of psychology and one regarding the ethical code that guides the conduct of psychologists. The themes include “guidance and mentorship”, “the HPCSA as a watchdog”, “the HPCSA’s motive”, “reverence that psychologists have for the HPCSA”, “the competence of the HPCSA” and “psychologists’ view on the ethical code”. The results indicated that an ambiguous relationship exists between this group of psychologists and the HPCSA, as these two entities seem to function separately. Generally, psychologists who took part in this research have a negative view towards the HPCSA, although they realise the necessity for the HPCSA as a regulating body for psychology. The recognition of this need is a platform for a workable relationship between psychologists and the HPCSA. The participants provided less detail and responded more neutral regarding their views on the ethical code, and it is concerning that quite a number of psychologists indicated that they did not know the code. This study concludes with recommendations for the HPCSA to be more approachable and to provide psychologists with more support. / Thesis (M.A. (Research Psychology))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2011.