Theses and dissertations (Health Sciences)
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Item Preparedness of bridging programme graduate nurses to assume the role of a newly qualified professional nurse(2023-05-31) Karapan, Selvum; Sokhela, Dudu Gloria; Pillay, Padmini; Coopasami, MarilynnePreparedness of bridging programme graduate nurses to assume the role of a newly qualified professional nurse has been an area of debate between nurse educators and employers in a rapidly changing healthcare environment. Factors such as heavy workloads, staffing shortages and increased patient turnover, can prove to be stressful for the graduate nurse, resulting in a lack of confidence in their ability to effectively carry out their new role in the clinical setting. Purpose of the study The purpose of this study was to explore the preparedness of bridging programme graduate nurses to assume the role of a newly qualified professional nurse. Methodology A quantitative, descriptive survey research design was used for the study. The sample for the study was 95 bridging programme graduate nurses who had graduated from the Private Nursing Education Institution in the year 2020 and were working in the private hospital environment for not more than a year. Data was obtained through a questionnaire on KwikSurvey. Findings The study established that bridging programme graduate nurses that had more than five years of working experience as an enrolled nursing auxiliary and enrolled nurse, had significantly increased patient care and management competencies. While 52.50% (n=50), that had less than one year of experience as an enrolled nursing auxiliary and enrolled nurse significantly reduced their general nursing care activities and management competency. The study also noted that 61% of the respondents did not receive clinical support from the unit manager. This study concluded that graduate nurses that had less than one year of work experience as an enrolled nursing auxiliary and an enrolled nurse significantly lowered their competencies in general and patient care activities. In this study, it was found that the bridging program graduate nurses needed more mentorship and activities that would enhance their general and patient competency because the more mentors they had, the more competent they were. The study further highlighted several challenges during their transition as a newly qualified professional nurse such as shift leading after a month after graduating and having no mentors to guide them in decision making; hence in this study it was noted that newly qualified graduate nurses must be provided with the necessary clinical and managerial assistance to better support them for their new role hence preventing new nurses from experiencing transition shock during their initial stages of transition from a graduate nurse to that of a professional nurse.Item The clinical experience of registered master's chiropractic students in the management of elderly patients during their practicum(2021-05-27) Naidoo, Kimone; Varatharajullu, Desiree; Sibiya, M.N.Background The elderly population is increasing rapidly worldwide. As elderly individuals age, their physiological process changes, which means that elderly patients present differently, as a result of associated comorbidities and challenges in their physical and cognitive function, and thus the management of an elderly patient could present as a challenge. Registered master’s degree chiropractic students complete a theoretical elderly module during the fifth year of their studies, while entering their clinical practicum. The registered master’s degree chiropractic students need to acquire and refine their clinical skills, as well as apply their theoretical knowledge during their clinical practicum. The healthcare system in South Africa has limited knowledge on the management of elderly patients. Therefore, the aim of this study has been to determine the clinical experiences of registered master’s degree chiropractic students during their clinical practicum with respect to the management of elderly patients. Aim of the study The aim of the research study was to explore and discuss the experiences of registered chiropractic master degree students in the management of elderly patients presenting at the Chiropractic Day Clinic at the Durban University of Technology. Method A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study was conducted, using an interpretivist paradigm. The master’s degree chiropractic students, who had been clinically active for four months during their clinical practicum, were interviewed to establish their experiences in the management of elderly patients during their clinical practicum. The interviews were semi-structured and conducted in English, and later transcribed verbatim into a Microsoft® Word document. The transcripts were then analysed using Tesch’s eight steps of thematic analysis to establish the themes, categories and codes. Results Of the twenty-four registered master degree chiropractic students, twelve (50%) participated in the study. There were five overarching themes that emerged from the data: attitudes and opinions towards the management of an elderly patient; important aspects of the management towards an elderly patient; positive aspects of managing an elderly patient; challenges faced during the management of an elderly patient and suggestions to improve a chiropractic clinical practicum. The participants discussed the importance of having practical experience in managing an elderly patient and the significance of elderly patients being interactive with their own management protocols. The participants elaborated that they did have a sufficient basis to manage elderly patients. Many participants mentioned that they needed to be more involved in the management of elderly patients. Most of the participants felt that managing elderly patients was beneficial and they suggested that learning about elderly patients earlier in their studies would be beneficial to their clinical experience of managing elderly patients. Conclusion This is the first South African study that has been conducted on registered master’s degree chiropractic students’ clinical experiences in managing elderly patients during their clinical practical. This study will add to the existing body of literature and enable other registered master’s degree chiropractic students and new graduate chiropractors to have a better understanding of the management of elderly patients.