A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Nursing) / Management development has been identified as one of the priorities in the Gauteng Health Department [GHD]. The nature of public service management is changing. There is an emphasis on new and more flexible management approaches in the public sector; this requires public service managers to acquire new kinds of skills. Further to this, the changing nature of management in general, caused by globalization increases the need for new kinds of skills amongst managers. This changing framework is facilitated by various new laws, which provide a watershed in the way that human resource development is undertaken in South Africa. It is necessary to ensure that training and development initiatives in the Department are aligned to the new legislative framework. The Employment Equity Act requires representivity in the workplace; there is a need for management skills development programmes to redress past imbalances. The GHD provides several management development programmes for its employees every year. In keeping with current trends and legislation it is necessary to evaluate these programmes to identify strengths and weaknesses in order to improve future management development programmes in the GHD, and ensure that money is well spent. The main goal of this research is to formulate guidelines for the effective implementation of management development programmes in the GHD. The objective of the study is to explore and describe the perceptions of the participants of management development programmes provided by the Department between 1999 and 2001. The researcher used focus groups for data collection and individual interviews for methodological triangulation. The population (N) in this study comprises of all the people who attended management development programme/s purchased by the Department between 1999 and 2001. Three Hundred and forty eight managers attended the programmes between 1999 to 2001 (N = 348).Purposive samples were used for the focus groups and individual interviews. An independent interviewer was used to conduct the interviews in order to ensure objectivity, and anonymity of the participants. Fields notes were taken and the interviews audio-recorded. Written consent was obtained from the participants for the audio recording of the interviews. The data were transcribed verbatim. The Tesch method was employed to analyse the data. The data were grouped and coded. Emerging themes and sub-themes were identified and contextualised through a literature control. Scrutiny of the study by the Ethics Committee of the University of the Witwatersrand ensured ethical rigor. The findings were used to formulate guidelines for future management development programmes in the GHD. The research report was communicated to the GHD. / WHSLYP2017

M.P.H., Faculty of health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, 2011 / Background: The hospital as an organisation employs many people who may be at risk for Injuries on Duty (IOD). Although IOD occur across the hospital and impact on staff morale and quality of care, no formal study has been conducted within the public hospitals in South Africa on the profile of employees who have sustained these injuries. This study was aimed at comprehensively describing the IOD and related factors at Klerksdorp/Tshepong/Potchefstroom (K/T/P) Hospital Complex in order to better understand and plan appropriate preventive strategies. Methodology: The study was based on a cross-sectional design involving retrospective record review obtained from the hospital information system. No primary data was collected. The study setting was K/T/P Hospital complex. All records of employees who sustained IOD during the study period were reviewed. Data was collected on relevant variables such as employee profile, type of IOD during the study period. Descriptive statistics was used to analyse the data. Results: The study found that the total number of IOD during this period was 152. The annual prevalence rate was 2.3% (Klerksdorp-Tshepong Hospital Complex) and 2.8% (Potchefstroom Hospital). . The category of employees who experienced injuries were administration (5.3%), support (18.8%), medical (34.9%), nursing (36.2%), professional (4.6%). The types of the injuries sustained were cut (8.6%), fall (19.7%), minor injuries (9.2%), needle prick (49.3%), patient related (1.3%), splash (11.8%). With regard to PEP costs, Klerksdorp Hospital incurred the highest costs of R31 231 34, followed by Potchefstroom Hospital with R23 714 83 and Tshepong Hospital with R19 305 57 during the study period

Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University, 1959.

Background: Good communication is very important for the safety of patients in emergency situations. Few studies have been conducted regarding communication among health care staff. The aim of the present study was to investigate anesthetist nurses experience of communication among health care staff during a situation of emergency in a hospital ward.Methods: The study is explorative and based on interviews with six anesthetist nurses. A qualitative content analysis was used as an analyses model.Result: The six anesthetist nurses experienced structured communication as of great importance during an emergency situation. Three main categories appeared from the material: i) the importance of the organization ii) communication structure and communication patterns and iii) education and experience with nine subcategories. The most important factor in the organization is the need of a leader with the ability to manage a team, where the team member don´t know each other. Such a team leader delegates and distributes work tasks to the team members for taking care of the patient. According to studies of health care staff should use structure communication; speak directly to each other. One communication model mentioned in the study was “closed loop”. Training, experience and awareness of how to communicate are essential skills for health care staff when working in an emergency situation.In the interviews the study participants gave examples when communication where lacking in a team. Structured communication between health care staff are seen as having major importance in reducing misinterpretations and mistakes leading to less safe patient health care.Conclusions: The experiences of the nurse anesthetists of communication are that communication among health care staff has a significant importance to be able to perform in the best of safe patient care. The nurse anesthetist experienced that communication among health care staff could approve in some of the emergency situations by for example exercise good communication structures.

No description available.

The sound environment in hospitals is complex. While there have been several studies that address the acoustic environment in hospitals, there is a limited amount of research done concerning the effect that noise has on staff. This thesis describes two related studies: 1) analysis of the relationships between acoustics and perceptual staff outcomes using an existing data set collected in real hospitals; 2) development of methodologies to test the relationships between acoustics and hospital staff task performance in a simulated laboratory setting. In the first study it was found that mental health and perception of noisiness were occupational factors that were related to the sound environment using a variety of acoustic metrics. Only a few acoustic metrics were shown to be statistically significant related to dependent variables in a direct correlation (e.g., as the acoustic conditions worsened the dependent variable also decreased). However, almost all acoustic metrics tested had a statistically significant relationship with mental health once subjective job strain was considered as a moderating factor. This means that while the direct impact of sound may not be immediately observable, sound may play a more significant role once subjective job strain is taken into account. In the second study, a new methodology was developed to directly relate staff task performance to noise and beta-tested on a single group of subjects. The methodology development included synthesizing a signal that was acoustically comparable to those heard in real hospitals in order to simulate a realistic noise exposure in a controlled environment. Additionally, objective methods of measuring performance and perception were devised by utilizing task performance scripts already validated in other studies and developing new surveys that could be administered to subjects to garner their perceived task performance and perceptions of the simulation room environment, including noise.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1987. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 61-65).

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Wisconsin--Madison, 1983. / Typescript. eContent provider-neutral record in process. Description based on print version record. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 121-127).

Previous research has shown that early and intensive behavioral interventions are an effective treatment for young children with autism resulting meaningful gains that can maintain over time. For behavioral treatments to be effective, service providers need to be competently trained in behavioral interventions through staff training. The purpose of the current study was to replicate and extend previous research by employing a more rigorous research design, and including measures of teaching units, and staff and child affect measures. The trainee was taught 150 skills. Training methods included descriptions, modeling, practice, and feedback. Results showed that the trainee acquired all skills while maintaining an increasing number of teaching units. Child and staff also maintained favorable affect as training progressed. In addition, staff reported the training as very effective and highly satisfactory. This shows that comprehensive training packages that comprise a large set of skills in real life treatment settings can result in benefits for the staff and children.

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF EDUCATlON in the DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY of the UNIVERSITY OF ZULULAND, 1999. / • To pursue a study pertaining to the educational needs of employees and the needs of their spouses at certain private companies. • To institute certain guidelines, based on the findings of both a literature study and structured interviews, for private companies to realize the educational needs of their employees and their spouses. A basic point of departure is that companies have an educational responsibility towards their employees. Employee education is a universal phenomenon that is valid for all employees. During this study it was found that certain companies acknowledge the need for educating their employees, which they regard as an investment in human capital. Because the company is engaged in the advancement and development of its employees, the spouses and children are not left behind in the development and advancement process. It has become the responsibility of employers to improve human resources because they are future assets of the company. Employees are engaged in empowerment programmes which uplift the labour force with job-related skills as well as life skills. Labour relations in South African companies have greatly improved due to the employers' acceptance of labour rights. The acceptance of labour rights in companies harmonises the relationships between employers and employees. Productivity becomes the joint effort of the employers and employees. Employers' expectations are determined by employees' educational expectations. Employees are in dire need of educational expertise, and on the other hand employers expect a high rate of productivity. Whilst employees' educational needs are visualized by responsible employers, others have been found to be inadequate in designing educational programmes to uplift and inculcate job know-how to serve the employees, educational needs. Employee empowerment programmes are needed to advance job related skills, but are inadequate as empowerment programmes need to address illiteracy, numeracy and financial assistance. The review of the literature has emphasised the importance of the employees' skills education, employees' empowerment and life skills programmes, and role of an employers' educational responsibility in treating and preventing illiteracy and numeracy. The literature studied and interviews conducted have shown that not all employers have responsibility for the education of their employees, their spouses and children. Education of the labour force, their spouses and children involving lay people in running the company programmes and the development of better services in the company, are discussed as ways and means of preventing illiteracy and numeracy. In the light of the findings of this research, the following was recommended: • That educational programmes directed at employees, their spouses and children are essential for the prevention of illiteracy and numeracy, and should be implemented. • That employees' training programmes with regard to job skills and life skills are needed and should be made available • That financial assistance from private companies should be made available for the education of the children of employees.