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Background: International literature seems to agree that nurses are the backbone of quality patient care and safety. Moreover, the appropriate training of nurses is vital to providing high quality and safe patient care. South Africa has a dual healthcare system and different categories of nurses. The perceptions of the safety and quality of care of the different categories of nurses are not known in the South African context. Objective: To determine the relationship between the educational background of nurses and their perceptions on the safety and quality of patient care in private surgical units in South Africa. Methods: This study followed a comparative descriptive design. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire as part of an international collaborative study, Nurse Forecasting in Europe (RN4CAST). Hierarchical linear modelling was used to examine the relationships among the variables in the 304 completed and returned questionnaires. Results: Overall, both registered- and enrolled nurses seemed satisfied with the safety and quality of care delivered in their units. Registered nurses (RNs) scored higher in the occurrence of incidents in surgical wards, whilst enrolled nurses (ENs) were of the opinion that current efforts to prevent errors are adequate. Conclusions: This study provides information that RN’s and EN’s have different perceptions in some areas on the quality and safety of patient care. A statistically significant difference was found between RN’s and EN’s perceptions on the prevention of errors in the unit, namely, losing patient information between shifts and patient incidents related to medication errors, pressure ulcers and falls with injury. / Thesis (MCur)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Background: International literature seems to agree that nurses are the backbone of quality patient care and safety. Moreover, the appropriate training of nurses is vital to providing high quality and safe patient care. South Africa has a dual healthcare system and different categories of nurses. The perceptions of the safety and quality of care of the different categories of nurses are not known in the South African context. Objective: To determine the relationship between the educational background of nurses and their perceptions on the safety and quality of patient care in private surgical units in South Africa. Methods: This study followed a comparative descriptive design. Data was collected by means of a questionnaire as part of an international collaborative study, Nurse Forecasting in Europe (RN4CAST). Hierarchical linear modelling was used to examine the relationships among the variables in the 304 completed and returned questionnaires. Results: Overall, both registered- and enrolled nurses seemed satisfied with the safety and quality of care delivered in their units. Registered nurses (RNs) scored higher in the occurrence of incidents in surgical wards, whilst enrolled nurses (ENs) were of the opinion that current efforts to prevent errors are adequate. Conclusions: This study provides information that RN’s and EN’s have different perceptions in some areas on the quality and safety of patient care. A statistically significant difference was found between RN’s and EN’s perceptions on the prevention of errors in the unit, namely, losing patient information between shifts and patient incidents related to medication errors, pressure ulcers and falls with injury. / Thesis (MCur)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

This paper investigates in 2 studies the role of invulnerability in predicting young workers’ intentions to speak up about hazards. I propose a model in which perceptions of hazardous work are related to safety voice intentions via fear of injury, and that higher invulnerability buffers (a) the extent to which potential hazards generate fear of injury and (b) the extent to which fear of injury motivates voice. In Study 1, I randomly assigned participants (n = 115, aged 15-25) to an unsafe or safe scenario. Participants with lower invulnerability reported higher safety voice intentions across all levels of fear of injury. Participants with higher invulnerability reported as high safety voice intentions only when fear of injury was high, and reported much lower safety voice intentions than those with low invulnerability when fear of injury was low. Study 2 replicates this model using field data from young workers (n = 67).

Handover from one healthcare professional is an essential component of patient care. This can be a challenge in community care where staff provide interventions in the patient’s home and do not have the benefit of face-to-face interactions with colleagues. The purpose of this quantitative study was to explore the perceptions of nurses working in community care about handover and their views on using an electronic handover tool as opposed to their current email system. The goal of the study, to assess whether nurses would have a greater understanding of their patients’ needs through standardized reporting as opposed to emailed narratives of time and tasks was studied. Nurses completed a pre, post likert-type survey, and reviewed an electronic handover tool. Both surveys were analyzed by nursing professional designation and age to explore whether either factor influenced opinions. Nurses reported that handover was important and they supported a standardized communication tool as opposed to relying on an email system without structure. / Graduate / 0569 / nmichaudhamilton@gmail.com

The title of the study is integrating road traffic safety education in the teaching and learning of science and technology. The overall goal of this study was to develop a tool for the integration of Traffic Safety Education (TSE) in the teaching and learning of Science and Technology in School. As such, four research questions (stated in 1.2.1 to 1.2.5) were raised on critical aspects of the problem so as to direct the course of the study to provide solutions to the problem. These research questions were formulated into the aims of the study as stated in section 1.3. To attain these aims, a literature study and interviews were conducted. Through interviews and a literature study, it was found (among other things) that: • TSE has great potential for the reduction of road accidents/ collisions, and its teaching in school will prepare our learners to be safe road users. • Science and Technology has tremendous impact on traffic safety, and the three have much in common, which does provide room for them to be integrated in school curricula. • School educators are not adequately equipped to integrate TSE in the different learning areas. Consequently, an integration model called "Multilateral learning area integration model" has been developed for the integration of TSE in the learning areas of natural science and technology (see 7.2 and 7.3for details). Eleven recommendations were made in section 8.4 on the basis of the conclusions (in section 8.3) drawn from the proceedings of interviews and the literature study. These recommendations if implemented accurately, would undoubtedly contribute to solving the problem investigated in the study. This study has therefore made a valuable contribution to laying a solid foundation for Combating the problem of high road accidents/collisions on South African roads. / Thesis (Ph.D. (Education))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2005.

Thesis (MBA)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2008.

The title of this research is: “The nature of safety and security in public secondary schools”. The purpose of this study is, therefore, to determine the nature of safety and security in public secondary schools of Matlosana Area Office’s (AO) area of responsibility, with a view to developing a more comprehensive set of recommendations on how to improve the safety and security policy – to the benefit of educators, learners and visitors to school premises. The study was carried out in the North West Province’s department of Education. An empirical research was conducted to gather data from the respondents regarding the safety and security of educators, learners and visitors in public secondary schools of the Matlosana Area Office’s area of responsibility. The target groups were the AO Manager, the Safety Co-ordinator, the Safety Officer, the School Management Teams, educators, learners, School Governing Bodies and Adopt-a-Cop members. The investigation also analysed the extent to which public secondary schools are complying with the statutory and regulatory frameworks governing safety and security. The study employed a quantitative approach, using a structured questionnaire. In this study, the research is concluded with a presentation of the findings. Amongst others, it was found that some learners carry dangerous objects on school premises, because the Adopt-a-Cop programme is not effectively implemented. Conclusions were drawn on the basis of the findings; and finally, recommendations for further research were suggested. / Thesis (M. Development and Management)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012

Criminality takes many forms; a homicide may be defined as criminal activity, as would identity theft--both acts are criminal, yet the responses garnered are quite different. What makes the response for these two acts different? Perhaps societal reaction and tolerance towards these behaviours. Why is it that popular socio-legal discourse takes the position that societal reaction is the result of the information it receives? The focus of my research was to determine whether language affects perception and whether this impacts police and judicial practice. The focus was on the discourse of legal and popular language used to describe motor vehicle incidents that encompass a criminal component of injury and or fatality. I examined the impact of terminology on public and legal perception, as well as societal reactions and tolerance, which were the underlying issues of examination. However, in order to understand reaction and tolerance, I found it important to study the factors that contributed towards public and legal perception. The method of analysis was to examine the terminology used to depict and deliver the news of such incidents. For the purposes of this investigation vehicular negligence is defined as any act or behaviour that contravenes the British Columbia Motor Vehicle Act or is a Criminal Code of Canada offence related to the operation of a motor vehicle. Under the law, a negligent act does not require mens rea, which literally means to have a guilty mind. Therefore, in order to be considered guilty, a person does not necessarily need to have the mental culpability of forecasting or have the intention of inflicting harm. I restricted my area of focus to the region of British Columbia for two primary reasons. First, British Columbia has a higher than average injury and fatality rate resulting from motor vehicle incidents when compared to other provinces in Canada. Second, the area of focus was limited to this province as the result of my direct personal experiences in this provincial context. The parameters of my case study, as indicated above, included only those incidents of vehicular negligence that resulted in bodily injury and or fatality. The form of negligence assessed was not restricted to a specific type of act; rather it included any act that would be considered negligent behaviour on the roads, including but not limited to, driving in excess of the posted speed limit, impaired driving, carelessness, hit and runs, and so forth. My interest was to examine the ways in which these acts are perceived and addressed in public (media) and legal (court) discourse. Focusing on five randomly selected cases involving vehicular negligence, thematic analysis of face-to-face interviews, discourse analysis, and autoethnography were the primary methodologies used for the investigation. At present, there is no shortage of literature examining the cause and effect of specific behaviours in relation to motor vehicle incidents. The shortcoming, however, is that the focus of the literature is primarily centred on the consequences of drunk driving as it relates to the mismanagement of vehicles and the subsequent legal and civil litigations. Some of the literature also addresses social and health costs related to the severity of vehicle negligent incidents. However, there is a dearth of research examining the role of public and legal perceptions as they pertain to vehicular negligence and the impacts on the way in which vehicular negligent incidents are addressed within the courts. The results of this research indicated that terminology does in fact have an impact on perception, and thus negligent incidents on the roads should be referred using terms that are accurate descriptions. Terms such as accidents construe an incorrect understanding of the implications from these types of acts that are a leading health and safety epidemic globally.