Background: The bonding process can start to develop as early as the planning of a pregnancy and can affect the relationship between mother and child through childhood. If proper bonding is not established, the child can present symptoms of depression, failure to thrive or delays in social and emotional, language or motor development. Stimulation programs implemented during pregnancy may positively affect the bonding process that act as a protective factor against negative outcomes in childhood, adolescence and adult life, for instance substance abuse, poor social coping skills and academic failure. Objectives: To determine and describe the effectiveness of The Baby Bond comprehensive stimulation program on bonding six weeks post intervention. Method: The researcher employed an experimental, pre-test-post-test randomised control group design in this study. Experimental and control groups randomly received the same pre- and post-test: the Prenatal Attachment Inventory within the third trimester of pregnancy and the Maternal Attachment Inventory six weeks post birth. The Baby Bond sensory stimulation program was added to standard antenatal care for the experimental group and the control group received a general stimulation program and standard antenatal care. The data was analysed with the SPSS program version 22.0 by the Statistical Consultation Services at the North-West University, Potchefstroom campus. SPSS was used to compile descriptive statistics from the experimental and control groups, Mann Whitney test and the effect size. Results: The twelve participants that were included in this study were from a variety of ethnic origins, in stable relationships and their ages ranged from 20-34 years. In the results, no statistical significant changes were found between the two groups with the Mann Whitney test. The pre-intervention variables (mean = 66.45) were not significantly different from the post-intervention measurements (mean = 101.03). A medium practical significant difference was identified between the groups (d=0.52) which can indicate that some changes in bonding did take place when implementing the comprehensive sensory stimulation program: The Baby Bond. Conclusion: The Baby Bond sensory stimulation program did not indicate a significant improved bonding as compared to general antenatal care between the mother and baby at six weeks after birth. However, future research in the optimal time for bonding interventions in larger sample sizes is needed, for more conclusive findings. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Background: The bonding process can start to develop as early as the planning of a pregnancy and can affect the relationship between mother and child through childhood. If proper bonding is not established, the child can present symptoms of depression, failure to thrive or delays in social and emotional, language or motor development. Stimulation programs implemented during pregnancy may positively affect the bonding process that act as a protective factor against negative outcomes in childhood, adolescence and adult life, for instance substance abuse, poor social coping skills and academic failure. Objectives: To determine and describe the effectiveness of The Baby Bond comprehensive stimulation program on bonding six weeks post intervention. Method: The researcher employed an experimental, pre-test-post-test randomised control group design in this study. Experimental and control groups randomly received the same pre- and post-test: the Prenatal Attachment Inventory within the third trimester of pregnancy and the Maternal Attachment Inventory six weeks post birth. The Baby Bond sensory stimulation program was added to standard antenatal care for the experimental group and the control group received a general stimulation program and standard antenatal care. The data was analysed with the SPSS program version 22.0 by the Statistical Consultation Services at the North-West University, Potchefstroom campus. SPSS was used to compile descriptive statistics from the experimental and control groups, Mann Whitney test and the effect size. Results: The twelve participants that were included in this study were from a variety of ethnic origins, in stable relationships and their ages ranged from 20-34 years. In the results, no statistical significant changes were found between the two groups with the Mann Whitney test. The pre-intervention variables (mean = 66.45) were not significantly different from the post-intervention measurements (mean = 101.03). A medium practical significant difference was identified between the groups (d=0.52) which can indicate that some changes in bonding did take place when implementing the comprehensive sensory stimulation program: The Baby Bond. Conclusion: The Baby Bond sensory stimulation program did not indicate a significant improved bonding as compared to general antenatal care between the mother and baby at six weeks after birth. However, future research in the optimal time for bonding interventions in larger sample sizes is needed, for more conclusive findings. / MCur, North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2015

Highly skilled nurses amongst the OR team, are needed in the operating room (OR) to ensure optimal patient safety. Shortages in experienced OR nurses and a stressful working environment prove to have a negative influence on effective safe patient care as well as a negative effect on nurses’ own well-being. The research focused on the effectiveness of sensory stimulation therapy (SST) to strengthen the well-being of nurses in the OR of a private hospital in the North-West Province. SST, better known as Snoezelen™, is a blend of sight, sounds, textures, aromas and motion providing stimulation to the primary senses (Collier, McPherson, et al., 2010:698). The five primary senses are gently stimulated without any intellectual activity needed. A particular aim with SST is to improve the well-being of individuals by setting them at ease. The well-being of OR nurses was studied from a resilience viewpoint assuming that, if exposure to stressors was limited and the individual did have an opportunity to recover, stressors may have a positive, toughening effect. Well-being and resilience was used interchangeably in the study. The objectives of the study were to explore and describe OR nurses‟ needs for SST, to explore and describe OR nurses’ suggestions with regard to the implementation of SST in an OR and to explore and describe the effectiveness of a SST intervention to strengthen the well- being of OR nurses in a private hospital in the North-West Province. An explorative, descriptive quasi-experimental design within a quantitative approach was used. Seventy two participants from two private hospitals in the North-West Province voluntarily participated in the research. A pre-/post-test design was used. One pilot group, one intervention group and one comparison group were identified. Participants from all three the participating groups completed a self administered resilience scale questionnaire before and after the implementation of a SST intervention. Before the intervention 100% participants from the pilot group, 100% participants from the intervention group and 96% participants from the comparison group completed the self administered resilience scale questionnaire. Participants of the intervention group also completed a self report questionnaire from which their needs could be determined and suggestions were made on the implementation of a SST intervention. A 98% response rate was obtained for these self report questionnaires. After the intervention the intervention group’s participants were invited to write narratives regarding their experiences after visiting the SST room. The intervention was implemented for a period of two consecutive months in the OR of one of the private hospitals. After the intervention an 88% response rate from the pilot group, 100% response rate from the intervention group and a 63% response rate from the comparison group, completing self administered resilience scale questionnaires, were obtained. Data was analysed with the assistance of a statistical consultant at the North-West University in Potchefstroom by using STATISTICA (version 10) and SPSS (version 20, release 20.0.0) (StatSoft Inc., 2011, SPSS Inc., 211). Results indicated that there was no statistical difference between the three participating groups regarding their resilience before the intervention. However, after the intervention, the intervention group demonstrated a statistical increase in their resilience levels. Based on these results, as well as on conclusions of relevant literature and the feedback from participants in their written narratives, recommendations were formulated with regard to nursing education, nursing practice and further research. Briefly it means that there should be more consideration for OR nurses’ well-being by means of a SST program providing for their needs. Recommendations included the benefits of a SST room in a hospital environment as well as complete instructions on how to create and to furnish such a room. Attributes of resilience, factors influencing resilience levels and methods to increase resilience levels in the workplace should be included in a regular in-service training program. For future research the researcher recommended further studies in order to determine the resilience levels in various departments of private hospitals. This could mean the successful implementation of a SST room in other departments as well which will eventually lead to the improved well-being of all nursing staff. The researcher is willing to act as a consultant if the need arises for the comparison groups to implement a SST intervention in their different departments. / Thesis (MCur)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.

Highly skilled nurses amongst the OR team, are needed in the operating room (OR) to ensure optimal patient safety. Shortages in experienced OR nurses and a stressful working environment prove to have a negative influence on effective safe patient care as well as a negative effect on nurses’ own well-being. The research focused on the effectiveness of sensory stimulation therapy (SST) to strengthen the well-being of nurses in the OR of a private hospital in the North-West Province. SST, better known as Snoezelen™, is a blend of sight, sounds, textures, aromas and motion providing stimulation to the primary senses (Collier, McPherson, et al., 2010:698). The five primary senses are gently stimulated without any intellectual activity needed. A particular aim with SST is to improve the well-being of individuals by setting them at ease. The well-being of OR nurses was studied from a resilience viewpoint assuming that, if exposure to stressors was limited and the individual did have an opportunity to recover, stressors may have a positive, toughening effect. Well-being and resilience was used interchangeably in the study. The objectives of the study were to explore and describe OR nurses‟ needs for SST, to explore and describe OR nurses’ suggestions with regard to the implementation of SST in an OR and to explore and describe the effectiveness of a SST intervention to strengthen the well- being of OR nurses in a private hospital in the North-West Province. An explorative, descriptive quasi-experimental design within a quantitative approach was used. Seventy two participants from two private hospitals in the North-West Province voluntarily participated in the research. A pre-/post-test design was used. One pilot group, one intervention group and one comparison group were identified. Participants from all three the participating groups completed a self administered resilience scale questionnaire before and after the implementation of a SST intervention. Before the intervention 100% participants from the pilot group, 100% participants from the intervention group and 96% participants from the comparison group completed the self administered resilience scale questionnaire. Participants of the intervention group also completed a self report questionnaire from which their needs could be determined and suggestions were made on the implementation of a SST intervention. A 98% response rate was obtained for these self report questionnaires. After the intervention the intervention group’s participants were invited to write narratives regarding their experiences after visiting the SST room. The intervention was implemented for a period of two consecutive months in the OR of one of the private hospitals. After the intervention an 88% response rate from the pilot group, 100% response rate from the intervention group and a 63% response rate from the comparison group, completing self administered resilience scale questionnaires, were obtained. Data was analysed with the assistance of a statistical consultant at the North-West University in Potchefstroom by using STATISTICA (version 10) and SPSS (version 20, release 20.0.0) (StatSoft Inc., 2011, SPSS Inc., 211). Results indicated that there was no statistical difference between the three participating groups regarding their resilience before the intervention. However, after the intervention, the intervention group demonstrated a statistical increase in their resilience levels. Based on these results, as well as on conclusions of relevant literature and the feedback from participants in their written narratives, recommendations were formulated with regard to nursing education, nursing practice and further research. Briefly it means that there should be more consideration for OR nurses’ well-being by means of a SST program providing for their needs. Recommendations included the benefits of a SST room in a hospital environment as well as complete instructions on how to create and to furnish such a room. Attributes of resilience, factors influencing resilience levels and methods to increase resilience levels in the workplace should be included in a regular in-service training program. For future research the researcher recommended further studies in order to determine the resilience levels in various departments of private hospitals. This could mean the successful implementation of a SST room in other departments as well which will eventually lead to the improved well-being of all nursing staff. The researcher is willing to act as a consultant if the need arises for the comparison groups to implement a SST intervention in their different departments. / Thesis (MCur)--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013.