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Faculty of Health Sciences

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    Operationalisation and implementation experiences of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-2019) response guidelines by nurse managers at selected private hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
    (2023-05) Raghunath, Shamintha; Naidoo, Vasanthrie
    ackground The Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic is a complex global public health crisis presenting clinical, organisational and system challenges. In any healthcare organisation, management and leadership are key components and enablers of change for the delivery of health services. The uncertainty of the pandemic, emotional turmoil in the face of death and dying together with unfamiliar directives and the adoption of unaccustomed work practices has posed challenges in the work environment. The challenges of responding to COVID-19 national imperatives, such as response guideline adherence and preparation of vaccination rollouts has demanded meticulous coordination and control by all Nurse Managers. Furthermore, the role and functioning of the Nurse Manager as a change agent, during the pandemic, has undoubtedly determined the effectiveness of the COVID19 risk mitigation strategies at an operational level. Aim of the study The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of Nurse Managers regarding the operationalisation and implementation of the COVID-19 Response Guidelines. Methodology The study was guided by a qualitative research design, using an exploratory, descriptive approach. This approach enabled the researcher to explore the experiences of Nurse Managers regarding the operationalisation and implementation of the COVID-19 Response Guidelines. Data was gathered through individual interviews from the study population based at two hospitals of different private hospital groups in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Data saturation was achieved after interviewing 13 participants. The study was guided by Carl May’s Normalisation Process Theory and Creswell’s six steps of data analysis was utilised for content analysis and themes in this study. Findings Findings revealed three (3) major themes and associated sub-themes. Whilst management and leadership of Nurse Managers were constantly challenged, they appeared to lead by example, often placing themselves at the frontline. This study has revealed that leadership, during the pandemic in the health care sector, moved beyond just the recognition of the leader as a change agent. Their behaviors and approaches led these nurse leaders to effectively improvise and respond to the crises in the field of health care service delivery during disaster management. Furthermore, their shared vision, commitment and resilience ensured effective navigation during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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    Spiritual wellness as a tool against the effects of a pandemic : experiences of some Australian families in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic
    (Otjivanda Presse.Essen, 2023-10-18) Dorasamy, Jirushlan; Bhagwan, Raisuyah
    Based on the mixed feelings as to whether spirituality offers wellness during trouble times, this study explored how families used spiritual wellness as a tool against the COVID-19 pandemic. The objective was to understand the participant’sspiritual wellness in order to find out the impact of the pandemic on their specific aspects of spiritual wellness and then to determine the spiritual pathways they used to manage their challenges during COVID-19, as well as further recommendations made by participants toward enhancing spiritual wellness in the future especially during crisis situations, such as the unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic. The aftermath effect of the pandemic still lingers among many lives today. Therefore, knowing how some used spiritual wellness as a dimension of wellness to overcome the chaos will be a lesson for many to consider. The study followed a qualitative approach (interviews), involving 12 families based in Melbourne, Australia, to examine how the pandemic impacted their spiritual wellness, the pathways of wellness they used as they transitioned through the pandemic, as well as recommendations made by families going forward.. The findings revealed that spiritual wellness was maintained through engaging in virtual spiritual activities, keeping a positive spirit, and being motivation, while practicing yoga and meditation offered optimism, hope, and confidence as well as positive feelings about the future. This attests to the fact that, spirituality can serve as a great source of power that can transcend beyond all situations to generate wellness
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    COVID-19 Pandemic : physical wellness approaches used by Australian families in Melbourne
    (2023-03-21) Bhagwan, Raisuyah; Dorasamy, Jirushlan
    The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected all dimensions of human well-being. Protocols established to mitigate the spread of the epidemic have had significant results on levels of well-being related to physical fitness. This study discusses the disposal practices of several households in Melbourne, Australia, during the Covid-19 pandemic and the transition through the pandemic. The study addressed five potential factors including pre-Covid-19 physical fitness, the overall impact of Covid-19 on physical fitness, the incidence and use pathways of Covid-19 on specific aspects of physical fitness. . A critical analysis of the COVID-19 physical fitness and suggested changes in households for physical fitness in research. According to the results of the study, the epidemic had both positive and negative effects on the physical well-being of the family. They outline the household's strategy for future possibilities to deal with any epidemic. It is expected that appropriate implementation of the suggested strategies will significantly contribute to the physical well-being of individuals and families facing physical well-being challenge
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    Exploring the psychosocial effects of the Coronavirus 2019 (covid-19) pandemic on foreign national critical care nurses employed in Saudi Arabia
    (2022-09-29) Chetty, Krishnavellie; Naidoo, V.; Naranjee, N.
    Globally, the Covid-19 pandemic has confronted Critical Care nurses with an even greater, unprecedented challenge and to a great extent, exposed them to many risk factors. This has a profound psychosocial and psychological impact on their mental health and their well-being (El-Hage et al. 2020: 73). The same study notes that, foreign national Critical Care nurses have to deal with numerous end-of-life decisions, shortage of beds and inadequate supplies such as, shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPEs) and the fear of getting infected or infecting others. In Saudi Arabia, the healthcare nursing workforce is comprised of both Saudi nationals and foreign nationals who are employed as contract workers. The greater proportion of the Critical Care Unit in Saudi Arabia comprises foreign nationals (Almalki et al. 2011a: 304). Although the initial Covid-19 outbreak was under control, there was still risk of viral transmission through the population and the disease continued to end in fatalities (Alshammari et al. 2020: 898). The purpose of this study was to use in-depth interviews to understand the psychological needs of foreign national Critical Care nurses working in extraordinary epidemic situations, and to analyse the main content of their psychological and psychosocial needs through the lens of the ERG theory and to provide a perspective for interventions to alleviate the psychosocial and the psychological stress of foreign national Critical Care nurses at the front-line. Aim of the study The aim of the study was to explore the psychosocial effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on Saudi Arabian foreign national Critical Care nurses. Methodology In the proposed study, a qualitative, exploratory design was followed to explore the psychosocial effects on foreign national Critical Care nurses who nursed Covid-19 patients in the Critical Care Unit. A qualitative explorative phenomenological design was particularly relevant to this study as this approach allowed for engagement and interaction with the foreign national Critical Care nurses through interviews whilst striving for subjectivity. The phenomenological method focuses on the experiences and feelings of participants to find shared patterns rather than individual characteristics of the research subjects. Findings The findings of the study were aligned to Alderfer’s ERG theory and provided evidence that foreign national Critical Care nurses experienced psychosocial factors whilst caring for Covid-19 critically ill patients. Critical Care nurses experienced great stress when they were fighting against Covid-19 with their own needs for health, safety, interpersonal relationships and related knowledge. The findings from the study yielded the following three core needs: namely a need for survival; a need for relationships; and a need for growth and development. Therefore, under the direction of the leaders’ and executive management, the provision of prompt and relevant training for the prevention and control of Covid-19 would help reduce psychological panic and insecurity caused by inadequate knowledge.