Patient aggression experienced by professional nurses in acute psychiatric ward: South Africa.

Background: Aggression of patients in hospital wards has become an endemic problem and professional nurses are particularly at high risk. Aim: This article presents the types of patient aggression experienced by professional nurses working in an acute psychiatric ward in Vhembe District, South Africa. Setting: Vhembe District, South Africa. Methods: A qualitative approach using exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used. Four hospitals were purposively selected and 10 professional nurses were conveniently sampled to participate in the study. Individual interviews were used to collect data, which were then analysed through Tesch Open Coding Method. Measures to ensure trustworthiness and ethical considerations were adhered to throughout the study. Results: This study shed some light on the professional nurses' lived experiences regarding the types of aggression from patients in an acute psychiatric ward in Vhembe District. The types of aggression are physical aggression, destructive behaviour and verbal aggression. Conclusion: The findings show that the types of aggression to which professional nurses are exposed are overwhelming and the consequences are shocking. As a result, the health of professional nurses is compromised. Therefore, this study recommends further studies to determine the kind of support needed by professional nurses working in an acute psychiatric ward and to investigate the impact of aggression from patients in acute psychiatric ward with regard to the quality of care. Contribution: This article contributes to the body of knowledge regarding patients' aggression in acute wards in Vhembe District, South Africa.

The Roles of Obstetrics Training Skills and Utilisation of Maternity Unit Protocols in Reducing Perinatal Mortality in Limpopo Province, South Africa.

Perinatal mortality has been associated with poor maternal health during pregnancy and intrapartum periods. This study was conducted to determine the effects of obstetrics training programmes and the utilization of maternal unit protocols in the management of obstetric complications in reducing neonatal mortality rate in selected public hospitals in the Vhembe district of Limpopo province, South Africa. A quantitative, descriptive design was used and a non-probability purposive sampling method was used to select midwives with a minimum of two (2) years of working experience in maternity wards of selected public hospitals. A total of 105 completed questionnaires were analysed using SPSS version 23. Most of the respondents were within the age group of 40-59 years (74.3%) and with professional experience of more than 10 years (76.8%). More than half (63.8%) had qualified as midwives at a diploma level. Only 44.8% indicated that the protocols were always utilised, even though the majority (70.5%) believed that the protocols are helpful in managing obstetrics complications. The obstetric skills are helpful in reducing neonatal mortality, however, utilisation of the protocols is not encouraging in the studied health facilities. We recommend that efforts should be geared towards the enforcement of the protocol's use, and all midwives should be encouraged to undergo the trainings.