The life stories and experiences of the children admitted to the Institute for Imbecile Children from 1895 to 1913

Background: South African scholarship on intellectual disability has produced a sizeable body of research, yet there are numerous areas where there is a paucity of research. One area in which there is a conspicuous paucity of research is historical studies of people with intellectual disability (PWID). The existing works devoted to the history of PWID in South Africa are primarily focused on the legal provisions and institutions for the protection and care of PWID. Missing from these works are the life stories and experiences of PWID. Objectives: The article offers a study devoted to the life stories and experiences of the children with intellectual disability (CWID) who were admitted to the Institute for Imbecile Children from 1895 to 1913. The institute opened in April 1895 in Makhanda (formerly known as Grahamstown), South Africa. The institute was the first of its kind in the Cape Colony for CWID. Method: The study presents a qualitative investigation of the life stories and experiences of the children that were recorded in the institute's casebook. The entire set of 101 cases contained in the casebook was analysed by adopting a Gadamerian approach to hermeneutics. Results: The examination of the institute's casebook identified several broad themes relating to the children's admittance, daily life at the institute and their routes out of the institute. The study also extols the individuality of each child's life story to provide an awareness and richer appreciation of the humanness and personhood of the children. Conclusion: The article contributes a positive narrative to the identity and the history of South African children with intellectual disability living in the late 19th and early 20th centuries

Ethical Issues that Confront Nurses in Private Hospitals in the Western Cape Metropolitan Area

Background: Nurses are faced daily with a variety of ethical issues which could be as a result of budget cuts; target setting; the shortage of nurses and expertise. Objectives: The objectives of the study were to identify ethical issues related to patient care; to describe ethical issues related to patient diversity; rights and human dignity. To describe ethical issues related to caring in nursing and to the workplace environment.Method: A quantitative explorative descriptive research design was applied. A stratified sample of (n = 142/5) was drawn from all nurses and caregivers (N = 2990) working in a selected group of eight private hospitals. Self-administered questionnaires were used to collect the data. Statistical tests were applied to determine statistical relationships between variables.Results: Results included (95) of respondents provided safe and committed care to their patients; (99) loved to care for their patients and (93) believed in the Nurses' Pledge of Service. Fifty percent (50) of the respondents indicated verbal abuse from patients and only (59) experienced openness and transparency in the work environment. Analysis further identified that the caregivers did not respect the noble tradition of the profession and experienced the most verbal abuse. Conclusion: This study has identified ethical issues which may give rise to conflict within the workplace environment if not adequately addressed by management. The study further showed that the use of caregivers not regulated in nursing practice may pose as a threat to the safety of the patient