Guidelines to Facilitate the Nursing Accompaniment of Mothers with in a Neonatal Intensive Care Unit

To be the mother of a premature infant in a neonatal intensive care unit can sometimes be overwhelming. The hospital environment and the sound made by the life support apparatus in the unit may be terrifying for persons who are unfamiliar with this environment. An observation of the researcher; who practises in a neonatal intensive care unit; was that mothers were often very distressed after the admission of their infants. It also appeared as if health care practitioners were failing to provide for the needs of these mothers. The objectives of the research on which this article is based were: firstly; to acknowledge and describe the experiences of the mothers with regard to the hospitali- sation of their infants in the neonatal intensive care unit and secondly; to utilise the information obtained to develop guidelines to assist registered nurses accompanying mothers throughout their infants' stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. The conclusion was reached that mothers whose infants are admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit have a need for compassionate accompaniment by registered nurses during the period of hospitalisation of their infants

National Guidelines for Management of Diabetes Mellitus : a Nursing Perspective

Since 1994; the emphasis in the provision of health services in South Africa has shifted from hospital-based care to a community-based comprehensive primary health care system; especially important in the management of chronic diseases; such as Diabetes Mellitus (DM). The incidence of DM is rapidly increasing on a global basis according to the World Health Organization; resulting in the development of evidence-based guidelines for control and management of diabetes mellitus in many countries around the world. The aim of these guidelines is to provide optimal care for patients as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible; facilitate the early detection of the condition and to provide a framework for patient education; essential for self-management and self-monitoring of the condition. Registered nurses play an extremely important role in the management of patients with DM. In this study; the views of registered nurses on the national guidelines for the control and management of DM (Type 2) were explored and described and methods of facilitating the implementation of the national guidelines in practice were identified. A qualitative; exploratory; descriptive and contextual approach was used. Registered nurses who participated in this study had definite positive views on the guidelines; were satisfied with the content of the guidelines and viewed them as an effective contribution to the management of DM; if implemented correctly. However; the participants identified several factors hindering the effective implementation of the guidelines. Recommendations to assist registered nurses in the implementation and utilisation of the national guidelines for the management of DM were constructed

The Relationship Experiences of Professional Nurses with Nurse Managers

This qualitative study was undertaken to explore and describe the experiences of professional nurses in their relationships with nurse managers. Concerns about declining nursing care standards have been expressed in radio newsbulletins; television interviews and newspapers. This decline is thought to come from the pressures brought about by rapid changes in political; socio-economic and technological spheres. It therefore became important to the researcher to acquire knowledge about the manner in which nurses support each other during these times of change. Data were collected by means of individual interviews. Interviews were audiotaped and field notes were taken to provide the researcher with complementary information. Data analysis was done using the data analysis method described by Tesch (in Creswell; 1994:155). Results revealed that professional nurses experience a breakdown in their relationships with nurse managers and that the professional nurses' expectations relating to the work environment are not being met. The experiences manifested in feelings of anger; pain and disillusionment and led to demotivation of the professional nurses. Guidelines were proposed to address the aforementioned experiences