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Student-teachers at the University of Pretoria are in desperate need of mentoring during their teaching practicum period. This is an essential need as they only get the opportunity to start their teaching practicum when they are in their final year of study. This study forms a part of a larger study that comes from a research project called the Peer Enhanced Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SOTL). The aim of this project is to develop a mentoring intervention programme which will be used to develop student teachers into teachers. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify, explore and understand what the mentoring needs of final year student-teachers in the year 2016 and 2017 at the University of Pretoria were during their first teaching practicum. This study aims to do such, because the participants of this study had a late exposure to teaching practice, and as such when they started their teaching practicum, they experienced feelings of being uncertain, scared, and anxious. The research methodology that this study will utilize is the qualitative research approach using single case study design. Inductive thematic analysis will then be used to analyse the data gathered for this study. The student-teachers in this study were 2016 and 2017 fourth year B. Ed students (n=433) that were studying at the University of Pretoria (Groenkloof campus), in the year 2016 (170), and 2017 (263). The theoretical framework that guided this study is Hudson’s five-factor model of mentoring. The findings of the study revealed that student-teachers at the University of Pretoria need to be mentored, specifically by their mentor lecturers as they embark on their teaching practicum. / Dissertation (MEd)--University of Pretoria, 2019. / Educational Psychology / MEd / Unrestricted

Yes / Background: Recruiting isolated older adults to clinical trials is complex, time-consuming and difficult. Previous studies have suggested querying existing databases to identify appropriate potential participants. We aim to compare recruitment techniques (general practitioner (GP) mail-outs, community engagement and clinician referrals) used in three randomised controlled trial (RCT) studies assessing the feasibility or effectiveness of two preventative interventions in isolated older adults (the Lifestyle Matters and Putting Life In Years interventions). Methods: During the three studies (the Lifestyle Matters feasibility study, the Lifestyle Matters RCT, the Putting Life In Years RCT) data were collected about how participants were recruited. The number of letters sent by GP surgeries for each study was recorded. In the Lifestyle Matters RCT, we qualitatively interviewed participants and intervention facilitators at 6 months post randomisation to seek their thoughts on the recruitment process. Results: Referrals were planned to be the main source of recruitment in the Lifestyle Matters feasibility study, but due to a lack of engagement from district nurses, community engagement was the main source of recruitment. District nurse referrals and community engagement were also utilised in the Lifestyle Matters and Putting Life In Years RCTs; both mechanisms yielded few participants. GP mail-outs were the main source of recruitment in both the RCTs, but of those contacted, recruiting yield was low (< 3%). Facilitators of the Lifestyle Matters intervention questioned whether the most appropriate individuals had been recruited. Participants recommended that direct contact with health professionals would be the most beneficial way to recruit. Conclusions: Recruitment to the Lifestyle Matters RCT did not mirror recruitment to the feasibility study of the same intervention. Direct district nurse referrals were not effective at recruiting participants. The majority of participants were recruited via GP mail-outs, which may have led to isolated individuals not being recruited to the trials. Further research is required into alternative recruitment techniques, including respondent-driven sampling plus mechanisms which will promote health care professionals to recruit vulnerable populations to research. / Medical Research Council (grant number G1001406); Sheffield Health and Social Research Consortium; National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research programme (project number 09/ 3004/01)

Yes / Background: Recruiting isolated older adults to clinical trials is complex, time-consuming and difficult. Previous studies have suggested querying existing databases to identify appropriate potential participants. We aim to compare recruitment techniques (general practitioner (GP) mail-outs, community engagement and clinician referrals) used in three randomised controlled trial (RCT) studies assessing the feasibility or effectiveness of two preventative interventions in isolated older adults (the Lifestyle Matters and Putting Life In Years interventions). Methods: During the three studies (the Lifestyle Matters feasibility study, the Lifestyle Matters RCT, the Putting Life In Years RCT) data were collected about how participants were recruited. The number of letters sent by GP surgeries for each study was recorded. In the Lifestyle Matters RCT, we qualitatively interviewed participants and intervention facilitators at 6 months post randomisation to seek their thoughts on the recruitment process. Results: Referrals were planned to be the main source of recruitment in the Lifestyle Matters feasibility study, but due to a lack of engagement from district nurses, community engagement was the main source of recruitment. District nurse referrals and community engagement were also utilised in the Lifestyle Matters and Putting Life In Years RCTs; both mechanisms yielded few participants. GP mail-outs were the main source of recruitment in both the RCTs, but of those contacted, recruiting yield was low (< 3%). Facilitators of the Lifestyle Matters intervention questioned whether the most appropriate individuals had been recruited. Participants recommended that direct contact with health professionals would be the most beneficial way to recruit. Conclusions: Recruitment to the Lifestyle Matters RCT did not mirror recruitment to the feasibility study of the same intervention. Direct district nurse referrals were not effective at recruiting participants. The majority of participants were recruited via GP mail-outs, which may have led to isolated individuals not being recruited to the trials. Further research is required into alternative recruitment techniques, including respondent-driven sampling plus mechanisms which will promote health care professionals to recruit vulnerable populations to research. / The Lifestyle Matters RCT was funded by the Medical Research Council (grant number G1001406); Sheffield Health and Social Research Consortium; National Institute for Health Research Public Health Research programme (project number 09/ 3004/01)

Study design of a randomized-controlled trial investigating the effects of probiotic supplementation on induction of prediabetes remission to normoglycemia in adults with prediabetes. / BACKGROUND: Patients with prediabetes are at a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) and the current strategies to prevent the progression of prediabetes to T2D are difficult to implement at the population level. Recently, the role of gut microbiota has emerged as a possible link to metabolic disease. The modulation of the gut microbiota in individuals with prediabetes through probiotic supplementation may improve metabolic dysfunction and induce remission of prediabetes to normoglycemia. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this trial is to determine the effect of 900 billion CFU/day of VSL#3®, a multi-strain probiotic supplement for 20 weeks, on induction of drug-free remission to normoglycemia (HbA1c<6.0%) in adults with prediabetes compared to placebo 20 weeks post-randomization. METHODS: In a randomized, triple-blind, controlled multi-centre trial, 568 adults with prediabetes will undergo a 2-week run-in after which they will be randomly allocated to 20 weeks of either 900 billion CFUs of VSL#3® per day or placebo. Prediabetes remission will be measured using HbA1C at week 20 and 32. Change in insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), beta-cell function (HOMA-B), weight, BMI, waist circumference and fecal relative abundance of bacteria will be measured from baseline at week 20 and 32. Exploratory regression analyses will involve a multiple logistic regression model to assess whether the change in relative abundance of the Rosburia genus from baseline at week 20 is an independent predictor of drug-free prediabetes remission at week 20. DISCUSSION: Individuals with prediabetes are at high risk of developing T2D and the induction of prediabetes remission would be important to patients and clinicians. The role of microbiota in metabolic processes presents the potential for therapeutic applications of probiotics. If successful, probiotics would offer a therapeutic option for reversing prediabetes to normoglycemia that is simple, cheap and easy to incorporate into standard clinical care. / Thesis / Master of Science (MSc) / BACKGROUND: Patients with prediabetes are at a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes (T2D) and the current strategies to prevent the progression of prediabetes to T2D are difficult to apply at the population level. Recently, the role of gut bacteria has emerged as a possible link to metabolic disease. Changing the gut microbiota in people with prediabetes through probiotic supplements may improve metabolic function and result in remission of prediabetes to normal glucose control. OBJECTIVES: The primary objective of this study is to determine the effect of VSL#3®, a probiotic supplement, for 20 weeks, on induction of drug-free remission to normal glucose control in adults with prediabetes compared to placebo, 20 weeks after randomization. METHODS: In a randomized, triple-blind, controlled multi-centre trial, 568 adults with prediabetes will be randomly assigned to 20 weeks of either VSL#3® per day or placebo. Prediabetes remission will be measured using HbA1C at week 20 and 32. Change in insulin resistance (HOMA-IR), beta-cell function (HOMA-B), weight, BMI, waist circumference and fecal bacteria will be measured from baseline at week 20 and 32. DISCUSSION: Individuals with prediabetes are at high risk of developing T2D and the induction of prediabetes remission would be important to patients and clinicians. The role of gut bacteria in metabolic health presents the potential for probiotics to be therapy options. If successful, probiotics would be simple, cheap and easy to incorporate into standard clinical care.

Global health is an emerging concern in a rapidly changing world in which health issues transcend international borders. This study developed and validated a new self-report questionnaire to assess self-perceived global health competencies among international medical students and how they are influenced by international clinical experiences. A tool consisted of two scales and four subscales with moderate internal consistency. Comparisons between participants who completed retrospective pretest (after the intervention retrospectively) and those who completed traditional pretest (before the intervention) revealed that those participants who completed the questionnaires retrospectively provided lower pretest scores, suggesting that response-shift bias had occurred. Significant increases in scores after international clinical experience were reported for the majority of global health competency measures in IFMSA group. Linear regression identified participant’s age, gross national income (GNI) of country of medical studies, GNI of the country visited, duration of international clinical experience and years of medical school completed, as significant predictors of global health scores. This study contributes valuable information about the newly developed global health competencies measurement tool.

Nurse academics are constantly facing new challenges from governmental and professional groups calling for the preparation of students to be able to work with increasing complex patient cases at a time of reduction in clinical placements (NMC, 2010a and b). Simulation is a method that has been embraced, by some, for preparing for these challenges, with the potential to escalate student skills and knowledge in a meaningful way (Benner, 1984). The aim of this study was to explore and make explicit the characteristics that make simulation effective within nurse education. An explorative, qualitative case study was chosen to collect spoken data from twenty-four participants through focus groups. Participants included both students undertaking nurse training, and academics involved in the delivery of simulation. Content analysis facilitated exploration of each participant's contribution resulting in the emergence and construction of three themes (Creswell, 2007; Polit and Beck, 2014). 1. The approaches that academics use to integrate simulation into the curriculum; 2. The influences and decisions academics make to deliver simulationbased education, and their impact upon the student learning experience; 3. Evidence for the transference of skills to the realities of clinical practice. A conceptual framework has been developed and presented through the data analysis process (Saldana, 2012), which has culminated in the presentation of a unique model for 'Developing Simulation Practice in Nurse Education' (DSPiNE). The model relates to two key processes derived both during and following simulation activities (1) the preparedness for clinical practice, described as the process whereby the student gains insight into their current practice abilities; and (2) the transference to clinical practice, described as the process whereby the student gains insight into their readiness for future practice requirements. This study concludes that purposeful positive behavioural change could be achieved with the implementation of the DSPiNE model within nurse education.

Thesis (MPH.) --University of Limpopo, 2018 / Background: When pregnant women deliver fresh stillbirths, their expectations and happiness are heartlessly substituted by mourning for their loss. The consequences are psychosocial and physiological. Mothers begin to search for answers while feeling guilt and shame; some accept blame for their babies‟ death. Their experiences are determined by the care they received from healthcare workers during delivery and grieving period. They complain that doctors and nurses care about the fact that the baby has been delivered and do not care about the emotional trauma that the mother is experiencing. Objectives: To identify, explore and describe experiences of women who delivered fresh stillbirths at a public hospital. Methods: A qualitative and descriptive phenomenological study was conducted using an in-depth phenomenological interview technique to collect data. Due to data saturation, nine purposively selected mothers participated. Interviews were conducted in the local language, and field notes were also collected. Interview recordings were transcribed and translated and analysed using open coding thematic analysis. Results: Some women experienced feelings of guilt, sadness, hurt, sense of failure, shock and self-blame. Some needed counselling whereas others were doing fine without it. Some experienced lack of sympathy from healthcare workers. Conclusions: Giving birth to a stillborn baby is a painful experience for women and their families. Healthcare workers should care for such mothers after delivery. Keywords: Stillbirth; postnatal care, phenomenological study design, field notes / AMREF

The Friends for Life program is an evidence-based practice being used in schools to assist children to learn skills to manage anxiety. The Friends for Life program has been used by school districts in British Columbia, Canada, for over 10 years, yet there is little research on how the program is being implemented in schools by teachers. This qualitative case study investigated the implementation practice of the Friends for Life program by teachers in Grades 4 and 5. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 8 teachers from a smaller school district in British Columbia, Canada. The results yielded themes, which described critical factors that helped or hindered teachers in implementing the program with fidelity. A key finding of the study demonstrated teachers were running the program weekly, as per program guidelines. A key factor that was identified as helping teachers to implement the program with fidelity was support of school counselors, district staff, and the building administrator. The implications for social change include providing school administrators with information, which can help them to support teachers to implement the Friends for Life program with fidelity. As a result of these findings the Friends for Life program may consider updating the training materials and program implementation protocols in order to ensure teachers are implementing the program with fidelity and therefore, children are learning the skills they need to manage their anxieties and worries.

Global health is an emerging concern in a rapidly changing world in which health issues transcend international borders. This study developed and validated a new self-report questionnaire to assess self-perceived global health competencies among international medical students and how they are influenced by international clinical experiences. A tool consisted of two scales and four subscales with moderate internal consistency. Comparisons between participants who completed retrospective pretest (after the intervention retrospectively) and those who completed traditional pretest (before the intervention) revealed that those participants who completed the questionnaires retrospectively provided lower pretest scores, suggesting that response-shift bias had occurred. Significant increases in scores after international clinical experience were reported for the majority of global health competency measures in IFMSA group. Linear regression identified participant’s age, gross national income (GNI) of country of medical studies, GNI of the country visited, duration of international clinical experience and years of medical school completed, as significant predictors of global health scores. This study contributes valuable information about the newly developed global health competencies measurement tool.