Repository logo
 

Faculty of Health Sciences

Permanent URI for this communityhttp://ir-dev.dut.ac.za/handle/10321/11

Browse

Has files: YesSubject: search.filters.subject.Performance

Search Results

Now showing 1 - 4 of 4
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Factors contributing to poor performance of student nurses in anatomy and physiology
    (South African Medical Association NPC, 2020) Mhlongo, X. L.; Masango, T. E.
    Student nurses in South Africa view anatomy and physiology (A&P) as the most complex subject in the nursing curriculum. Objective. To describe the factors contributing toward inconsistent and fluctuating performance among student nurses doing A&P as a subject. Methods. The study adopted a quantitative descriptive design. Census sampling was used to draw a sample size of 114 respondents. A structured self-administered questionnaire with close-ended questions was used to collect data from the six nursing campuses under study. Raw data were captured using Excel spreadsheets, and descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyse data. Results. The key findings were: (i) poor teaching strategies contributed to subject failure; (ii) lack of after-class sessions had an impact on failure; (iii) a shorter study period for examinations contributed to failure; and (iv) a language barrier also played an important role in students’ failure in A&P. Conclusion. Student nurses struggle with and find A&P in nursing programmes challenging and anxiety-provoking. Nurse educators need to come up with innovative teaching strategies that will ensure an integrative approach to link theory to practice and to link sciences throughout curricula. Support programmes are needed to help students enhance performance in A&P. The examination schedules should be adjusted so that student nurses have enough time to study, and nurse educators should engage students in active learning
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    Evaluation of the performance of analytical quality indicators on the quality management system in a medical establishment
    (2022-09-29) Hirjee, Nishani; Mkhize, B. T.; Pillay, P.
    Since laboratory results are used to diagnose, monitor, and evaluate patient outcomes, a medical laboratory is an essential component of health care. It is therefore the responsibility of a medical laboratory to maintain the quality of their analytical procedures and to implement a quality management system to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of their tests. Medical laboratories use quality indicators to monitor and control the quality of their laboratories. Quality indicators identify risks that may lead to errors, which may cause harm to patients. In order to comply with the International Organisation for Standardisation (ISO) quality standard for medical laboratories, quality indicators must be implemented and monitored. To assess a laboratory's competence, medical laboratories use quality indicators from the ISO 15189:2012 checklist. Each year, the laboratory monitors a maximum of three quality indicators covering pre-analysis, analysis, and post-analysis variables. A study that compared the performance of selected analytical quality indicators between three main laboratories and ten peripheral laboratories over a two-year period was designed to assess the quality management system of a medical establishment. Furthermore, the study evaluated quality reports for the selected analytical quality indicators between January 2017 and January 2019. To determine whether the conventional method of choosing only one out of nine quality indicators is sufficient to maintain quality in the laboratory, analytical quality indicators were compared. The study consisted of a retrospective component and a prospective component. The retrospective aspect involved the evaluation of laboratory quality reports over a twoyear period, from January 2017 to January 2019. The prospective aspect consisted of administering a questionnaire to 80 medical technologists in order to assess their knowledge, attitudes, and practices regarding quality indicators. The Institutional Research and Ethics Committee (IREC) of the Durban University of Technology provided ethical clearance. To analyse the data collected, SPSS 26.0 version was used. The analysed data depicted a gender composition amongst the participants, with females predominant in the medical laboratory establishment. The overall ratio of males to females was approximately 3:7. The results revealed that more than half of the participant population had working experience of greater than nine years post – qualification. It was deduced that the pre-selected quality indicator is not sufficient to maintain the quality management of the medical establishment. The study identified a suggested list of analytical quality indicators in this medical establishment where the problem areas can be identified and improved by decreasing analytical errors and improving patient care. The correlation of the level of knowledge has a direct impact on the attitudes and practices of medical technologists on the current use of quality indicators (p<0.001). The levels of knowledge practises and attitudes of medical technologists were assessed and further training was suggested to improve the quality management system. The key findings noted were that the medical technologists in this establishment had adequate knowledge on document control and instrument maintenance. Another key finding was that knowledge directly affects the practises and attitudes. The pre-selected quality indicator is not sufficient to maintain the quality management system of this medical establishment.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    The immediate effect of sham laser and three different spinal manipulative protocols on the throwing speed of baseball players in the KwaZulu-Natal Baseball Union
    (2018) Robson, Michael; Haswell, Garrick David
    Background: ABSTRACT Baseball pitching is a whole body ballistic movement that requires transfer of energy from the lower extremity to the upper extremity via the trunk. Adverse changes can occur within the surrounding ligaments, tendons and muscular tissue of the trunk when immobilization or restricted motion within a joint segment occurs. Improper transfer of energy is thought to cause abnormal stresses on the joints and may lead to injury and/or decreased performance. Spinal manipulation therapy (SMT) was the focus of this study, aimed to improve flexibility and joint mobility (Range of motion), thereby allowing for a more efficient closed kinetic chain movement, which could result in a faster speed of the baseball pitch. Objective: To determine and compare the immediate effect of placebo and SMT of the thoracic and lumbar spines in respects of range of motion (ROM) and the velocity of the pitching participants. Methods: Fourty asymptomatic baseball players were divided randomly into four groups. Group A received thoracic spine manipulation, Group B received lumbar spine manipulation, Group C received combined thoracic and lumbar spine manipulation and Group D received the sham laser intervention as a placebo controlled group. Pre- and post- intervention trunk flexion and lateral flexion ROM and pitching speeds were measured, using a digital inclinometer and a radar gun respectively. A subjective measurement of the participant’s perception of a change in pitching speed post-intervention was also recorded. SPSS version 23 was used to analyse the data. Results: There was a significant increase in pitching speed in the SMT interventions groups (p<0.05). However, between the SMT and placebo groups they were not considered significantly different at 5% (p>0.05). A significant increase in Thoracic RLAT ROM was noticed on the inter-group analysis (p<0.05). There was no correlation seen between subjects’ perception of change in throwing speed post-intervention and the objective results obtained. Conclusion The immediate effect of SMT on baseball pitching speed was inconclusive. The outcome of this study suggests that SMT results in an increase in the average speed of baseball pitching but not at a level of statistical significance.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    An investigation into the effectiveness of core muscle strengthening on cycling performance in asymptomatic cyclists
    (2014-04-08) Wiseman, Kate; Jones, Andrew D.
    Background : Core strengthening may improve athletic ability by providing stability to the trunk, and as a result, stabilising the pelvis. The leverage from which cyclists generate power may be enhanced as a result of a stable pelvis, thereby improving the cyclist’s performance. In the popular, highly competitive sport of cycling, performance enhancement is much sought after. Despite its widespread use, research involving core strengthening in sporting situations is lacking, with studies investigating the effect of a core strengthening programme on cycling performance yet to be investigated. Objectives : To determine the participants’ cycling speed, power, cadence and completion time, and core strength in terms of objective findings, pre- and post- core strengthening intervention, in the whole sample and within the two age strata. To determine the participants’ heart rate in terms of objective findings, and the rate of perceived exertion in terms of subjective findings, pre- and post- core strengthening intervention, in the whole sample and within the two age strata. To determine the participants’ perception of change in speed, power and cadence post- intervention, in the whole sample and within the two age strata. Method : Forty-two asymptomatic cyclists performed two 1.5 km time trials, pre- and post- core strengthening intervention. Core strength assessments were performed pre- and post- intervention, using the Pressure Biofeedback Unit, and the maximum and average speed (km/hr), power (w) and cadence (rpm), and completion time (s) were recorded pre- and post- intervention, using the Computerised Electromagnetic Roller resistance Ergometer (Tacx Trainer). Heart rate and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded pre- and post- intervention, as well as the participant’s perception of change in speed, power, and cadence post- intervention. SPSS version 20 (SPSS Inc) was used to analyse the data, in the whole sample and stratified into two age strata. Results : ll cycling performance indicators, speed, power, cadence and completion time showed a significant improvement post- intervention, in the whole sample, and within the two age strata. Core strength indicators showed a significant improvement post- intervention, in the whole sample and within the two age strata. A significant decrease in rate of perceived exertion and corresponding heart rate measurements post- intervention was observed in the whole sample. Similarly, the younger age strata reflected a significant decrease in rate of perceived exertion, however heart rate measurements were not significant. In contrast, the older age strata showed significant changes in heart rate measurements, with no significance in rate of perceived exertion measurements. The majority of participants experienced an increased perception in all outcomes post- intervention. Conclusions: The results of this study found that core strengthening had a statistically significant effect (p < 0.001) on cycling performance, both in terms of objective and subjective findings. Future studies could address the effect of core strengthening in an endurance setting.