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An investigation into the scope of practice of a registered critical care nurse in a private hospital

Thesis (MCur)--University of Stellenbosch, 2005. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The critical care nurse works in an environment where patient need often
shifts the parameters within which she or he practices. It is expected of a
skilled critical care nurse to be able to make independent decisions and take
action regarding patient care based on her or his knowledge and skills without
discounting the parameters of her or his scope of practice. Practice
experience has indicated that the critical care nurse is often uncertain about
whether her or his clinical activities are protected by the regulations provided
by the Nursing Council. This is more specifically true in the private hospital
industry where medical advice or assistance is not always easily available.
This situation led to the following research question:
Do the available professional and legal guidelines provide an appropriate
foundation to guide the practice of the registered critical care nurse in the
private hospital sector critical care environment?
A non-experimental descriptive study with a qualitative orientation was
conducted in 19 private hospitals in the Western Cape. Through nonprobability,
random sampling, 71 registered critical care nurses were included
in the study. A questionnaire was designed and validated to collect the data.
Quantitative data was analysed through Excel® while qualitative data was
analysed thematically.
It was found that the legal and professional guidelines in place at present do
provide a foundation for the clinical activities of critical care nursing in the
private hospital sector. It is suggested that it is rather the critical care nurses’
interpretation of the Scope of Practice (No.R.2598 of 30/11/1984 as amended)
that limits their practice as opposed to the wording of the regulations.
It is recommended that critical care nurses must determine nursing care
parameters based on patient need, using the regulations as a foundation for
critical, analytical and reflective practice rather than as a set of rules to be
followed.
Key words: Scope of practice, critical care practice, ICU nursing care, private
hospital nursing practice. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die kritiekesorgverpleegkundige werk in ‘n omgewing waar pasiëntebehoeftes
gereeld die parameters waarin sy of hy praktiseer, verskuif. Dit word van ’n
bekwame kritiekesorgverpleegkundige verwag dat sy of hy onafhanklike
besluite en aksies met betrekking tot pasiëntesorg, gebaseer op haar of sy
kennis en vaardighede, sal neem sonder om die parameters van haar of sy
bestek van praktyk te oorskry. Praktykondervinding het getoon dat die
kritiekesorgverpleegkundige dikwels onseker is oor watter van haar of sy
optredes deur die Regulasies, soos deur die Raad op Verpleging
gespesifiseer word, beskerm word. Dit is nog meer spesifiek van toepassing
in die privaathospitaal-industrie waar geneeskundige advies en bystand nie
altyd maklik beskikbaar is nie. Die situasie het tot die volgende
navorsingsvraag aanleiding gegee:
Voorsien die beskikbare professionele en wetlike riglyne ’n geskikte grondslag
om die praktyk van ’n geregistreerde kritiekesorgverpleegkundige in die
privaatsektor- kritiekesorgomgewing te rig?
’n Nie-eksperimentele, beskrywende studie met ’n kwalitatiewe oriëntasie is in
19 hospitale in die Wes-Kaap onderneem. Deur nie-waarskynlikheids-,
toevallige steekproefneming is 71 geregistreerde kritiekesorgverpleegkundiges
in die studie ingesluit. ’n Vraelys is ontwerp en gevalideer
om inligting in te samel. Kwantitatiewe data is deur middel van Excel ontleed
terwyl kwalitatiewe data tematies ontleed is.
Daar is gevind dat die wetlike en professionele riglyne wat tans beskikbaar is,
‘n grondslag bied vir die kliniese aktiwiteite van kritiekesorgverpleegkundiges
in die privaathospitaal.. Dit word voorgestel dat dit die kritiekesorgverpleegkundige
se interpretasie van die Bestek van Praktyk (No.R.2598 of
30/11/1984 soos aangepas) is wat hulle praktyk beperk, eerder as die
bewoording van die regulasie self.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/16595
Date10 1900
CreatorsBell, Janet
ContributorsWelmann, E.B., University of Stellenbosch. Faculty of Health Sciences. Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Nursing Science.
PublisherStellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Formatxiii, 184, [26] leaves : ill.
RightsUniversity of Stellenbosch

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