ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The quality of maternal healthcare training is the most optimal degree of health in the delivery of effective, efficient and quality healthcare in midwifery discipline. Student accoucheurs studying at the Free State School of Nursing are faced with resistance, discrimination, rejection and unacceptability by pregnant women during their clinical placement at the Free State maternal healthcare institutions. This results in poor quality of training of student accoucheurs in maternal healthcare. Considerable studies have been conducted on males in midwifery nursing, but no guidelines have been developed to facilitate student accoucheurs' acceptance and improvement of the quality of training in maternal healthcare, hence the purpose of this study. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A descriptive, explorative qualitative design was used in this study. Qualitative focused group discussions (n = 32) were conducted through purposeful sampling method. Data was analysed thematically. FINDINGS: Three main categories emerged: student accoucheurs' related factors with social interactions and relations as a theme; maternal healthcare users' related factors with transcultural diversity and socio-economic status as themes; nurse training institutions and maternal healthcare institutions service providers-related factors with gender inequality in the work place as a theme. Ultimately, the guidelines to facilitate acceptance and improvement of quality training of student accoucheurs in maternal healthcare institutions were developed and recommended for implementation. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The paper developed guidelines to facilitate acceptance and improvement of quality training of student accoucheurs in Free State maternal healthcare institutions.
Subject(s)
Maternal Health Services , Midwifery , Students, Nursing , Attitude of Health Personnel , Female , Humans , Pregnancy , Qualitative ResearchABSTRACT
PURPOSE: The purpose of this paper is to explore the influence of peer mentoring on critical care nursing students' learning outcomes in critical care units. DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH: A qualitative exploratory research design was used to conduct the study. Ten critical care nursing students were recruited from critical care units in the five private and two public hospitals. Descriptions of their experiences were gained through individual face-to-face interviews. FINDINGS: The study reinforces peer mentoring as a vital strategy in helping the critical care nursing students to attain their learning outcomes. However, peer mentoring was not consistent in all hospitals and there were no structured support systems to ensure that peer mentoring was formalized. Making peer mentoring a vital component in the registered nurses core competencies would enable efficiency and guarantee the viability of peer mentoring. RESEARCH LIMITATIONS/IMPLICATIONS: Mentors for the critical care nursing students were not included in the study. PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS: The study identified a need for incorporating a formalized mentorship programme into the core competencies of all qualified critical care nurses, the unit mentor to familiarise themselves with the prescribed learning objectives of the critical care nursing student and an allocation of supernumerary time for the critical care nursing student and mentors to allow for formal mentoring responsibilities to take place. ORIGINALITY/VALUE: The study reinforces peer mentoring as a vital strategy in helping the critical care nursing students to attain their learning outcomes and conscietises registered nurses of their responsibility as mentors.
ABSTRACT
AIM: The aim of the study was to investigate the challenges experienced by midwives during the implementation of the Basic Antenatal Care programme. BACKGROUND: The National Department of Health recommended that all primary health care facilities in South Africa start to implement the Basic Antenatal Care programme by the end of 2008. In her work as coordinator of the Maternal Child and Women's Health programme for the eThekwini Municipality, the researcher observed the slow progress in implementation of the programme in the eThekwini district. METHOD: A descriptive qualitative design using questionnaires was used to assess the challenges being experienced by midwives during the implementation of the programme. RESULTS: The challenges identified included: shortage of staff, lack of cooperation from referral hospitals, lack of in-service training, problems with transportation of specimens to laboratories, lack of material resources, unavailability of Basic Antenatal Care programme guidelines and lack of management support. CONCLUSION: The challenges were the possible cause of the slow progress in the implementation of the programme. IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT: The successful implementation of the new programme is dependent on support and guidance offered by the nurse manager to the staff at operational level. The manager should monitor and develop strategies to address and overcome challenges that hinder implementation of the Basic Antenatal Care programme.
