Ubuntu as an Instrument to Foster Holistic Nursing: The Views of South African Student Nurses.

Introduction: Ubuntu is an African philosophy that reflects holistic and comprehensive care among people in the community. Holistic nursing is a philosophy of caring that focuses on holistic healing and humanism. The purpose of the study was to explore the views of the South African final-year student nurses on the ability of Ubuntu to foster holistic nursing. Methods: An exploratory descriptive qualitative method was used. Eight focus group interviews were conducted with final-year student nurses at selected universities. Colaizzi seven steps process of data analysis was utilized. Results: One of the themes that emerged was that Ubuntu can be an instrument to foster holistic nursing Ubuntu and holistic nursing share many common attributes, hence, the teaching and learning of Ubuntu could foster the type of caring embodied by holistic nursing. Discussion: Ubuntu represents an important care philosophy that can foster holistic nursing, especially when the inner driving force of the nurses is primarily to care for patients.

Perceptions of Retired Nurses on Factors Preventing Younger Professional Nurses from Applying the Ethos of Ubuntu in Professional Care.

Introduction: Younger professional nurses are the future of the nursing profession and they receive the baton from older and retired nurses to continue the profession in good light. Ubuntu is an African philosophy that is embedded in caring ethics and it is viewed as a core value of the nursing profession and is highly valued by older nurses. Objective: We explored the perceptions of retired nurses on factors that prevent younger professional nurses from applying the ethos of Ubuntu in professional care. Methods: In this study, we explored the factors that prevent younger professional nurses from applying the ethos of Ubuntu in professional care. In this qualitative explorative study, data were collected during focus group discussions in a workshop held with 40 retired nurses in a province in South Africa. The transcripts were analyzed following the six steps outlined by Braun and Clarke (2006). Results: Based on the perceptions of the retired nurses two main themes emerged as factors that prevent the younger professional nurses from applying the ethos of Ubuntu in their professional practice; 1) Motivation to practice Ubuntu in nursing, 2) Lack of political will to recognize nursing. Conclusion: Retired nurses felt that Ubuntu could be applied in nursing care if these factors are addressed by both nurses and stakeholders.

Between a rock and a hard place: Ethics, nurses' safety, and the right to protest during the COVID-19 pandemic.

AIM: In this paper, we critically discuss the ethics of nurses' choice to strike during the COVID-19 pandemic, considering legal and ethical arguments, overlaying the Ubuntu philosophy, an African ethic. BACKGROUND: The recent unprecedented coronavirus disease pandemic and the increased reports on the absence of personal protective equipment in South Africa places many health workers' lives at risk. Nurses spend most of their time with patients, which exposes them to fatal risks as they work in unsafe environments. RESEARCH METHODS: Exploratory literature review was conducted using Pubmed, CINAHL, Google Scholar and Science Direct) and law cases repository. FINDINGS: Nurses thus may be justified in striking to protect their safety. State healthcare entities are obliged to ensure safety and protect the health of professionals during the pandemic. According to their Code of Practice and Pledge of Service, they are ethically obliged to put patients first, and as a result, they are legally barred from engaging in strike action. CONCLUSION: We conclude that there may be constitutional human rights arguments to support strike action. We also find that ethical principles alone do not provide clear direction to guide nurses in making justified and ethical decisions regarding service provision in an environment threatening to compromise their safety.

Reflections on the Concomitants of the Restrictive Visitation Policy During the COVID-19 Pandemic: An Ubuntu Perspective.

Caregiving is a prominent concept in the Ubuntu philosophy, and caring and visitation of the sick is regarded as an example of Ubuntu. The restrictive visitation policy adopted in the hospitals during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic affected the exhibition of this concept among patients, nurses, and families. The narrative inquiry was used to explore the reflections of the participants on the impact caused by the non-visitation policy experienced during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic in South Africa. The narrative inquiry approach allowed the participants to tell their story as it is unique to them. The study used purposive sampling technique to select five participants for the webinar. Three themes emerged from the narrated stories which are 1) moral anguish of the caregivers; 2) mental health instability, and 3) erosion of trust in health care practitioners (HCPs). The non-visitation hospital policy was intended to reduce the danger of spreading COVID-19 within and outside the hospital; however, the care provided was devoid of the values of Ubuntu such as mutual respect, relational, responsibility, reciprocity, and interconnectedness. In retrospect, a case-by-case application of the policy would reduce the non-desirable effect of the policy on the patients, nurses, and patients' family members.