Nurses’ perceptions of impairment due to substance use in Gauteng Province

Date
2019-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY : Background: Substance-related impairment among healthcare professionals including nurses has been a significant concern locally and internationally as it has public health implications. Impairement renders the practitioner incapable of providing competent, safe and quality care. Patient safety is fundamental in the provision of nursing care. This can be achieved by developing quality monitoring strategies and management of performance to ensure that the health worker’s performance outputs meet the expected standards. This was a deductive study in which conclusions drawn on how nurses’ perceived impairment due to substance-related disorders was based on the information from studies already conducted on the phenomenon. This study was conducted to gain in-depth knowledge and understanding of impairments due to substance-use disorder. Knowledge of this phenomenon could help the profession to understand the scope of the problems related to impaired nursing practice and to suggest measures that could be put in place to minimise the problem. Objectives: The purpose of the study was to explore nurses’ perceptions of impairment due to substance use in selected settings in Gauteng Province and to explore their opinions on measures that may be taken to minimise the problem. Method: The study is quantitative, descriptive, and cross-sectional. In this study 104 respondents responded to questionnaires which were hand-distributed to enrolled and professional nurses in an academic tertiary hospital in Gauteng province. An electronic literature search was done at the University’s library on the following data bases: PubMed, Wiley, Proquest and Google Scholar. Psychiatric textbooks and government notices were used to source information. Descriptive data analysis was conducted with the help of statistician. Results: Results demonstrated that respondents viewed nurses’ impairment due to substance abuse as a disease that can be treated. They showed that they understood that impaired nursing practice could have negative effects on patient care. Most of the respondents showed support suggested measures that could be put in place to minimise the problem. The measures included the need for nursing education on substance-related disorders, support from employers, non-punitive measures and referring impaired nurses for rehabilitation. Conclusion: Substance-related disorders and impaired nursing practice are challenges that threaten public safety, and there is a need to educate nurses on the phenomenon and to seek remedies that would alleviate it in order to have a healthy, and competent nursing community.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Agtergrond: Substansverwante inkorting onder gesondheidswerkers, insluitende verpleegkundiges, is 'n beduidende bekommernis plaaslik en internasionaal, aangesien dit openbare gesondheidsimplikasies het. Verergerde verpleegpraktyk stel praktisyn onbevoeg om bevoegde, veilige en gehalteversorging te bied. Pasiëntveiligheid is fundamenteel in die voorsiening van verpleegsorg. Dit kan bereik word deur die ontwikkeling van gehaltemoniteringstrategieë en bestuur van prestasie om te verseker dat gesondheidswerker se prestasieuitsette voldoen aan die verwagte standaarde. Dit was 'n deduktiewe studie, waarin gevolgtrekkings gemaak is oor hoe verpleegkundiges se waargenome gestremdheid weens substansverwante versteurings afgelei is op die inligting wat reeds bekend is. Hierdie studie is uitgevoer om in-diepte kennis en begrip te verkry in waardedaling as gevolg van substansgebruiksversteuring. Kennis van hierdie verskynsel kan die beroep help om die omvang van die versteurde verpleegpraktykprobleem te verstaan en stel voorstelle wat ingestel kan word om die probleem te verminder. Doelwitte: Die doel van die studie was om verpleegkundiges se persepsies van inkorting as gevolg van substansgebruik in geselekteerde omgewing in Gauteng provinsie te ondersoek en hul menings te verken oor maatreëls wat geneem kan word om die probleem te verminder. Metode: Die studie is 'n kwantitatiewe, beskrywende, deursnee-studie. In hierdie studie het 104 respondente gereageer op vraelyste wat per hand aan ingeskrewe en professionele verpleegkundiges in 'n Akademiese Tersiêre Hospitaal versprei is. Elektroniese Literatuursoektog is deur die Universiteit se biblioteek gedoen op die volgende databasisse; PubMed, Wiley, Proquest en Google Wetenskap. Psigiatriese handboeke en regeringskennisgewings is gebruik om inligting te verkry. Beskrywende data-analise is met behulp van die statistikus gedoen. Resultate: Resultate het getoon dat respondente verpleegkundige gestremdheid beskou as 'n siekte wat behandel kan word. Hulle het getoon dat versteurde verpleegkundige praktisyn 'n negatiewe uitwerking op pasiëntsorg kan hê. Die meeste respondente het ondersteuning getoon vir voorgestelde maatreëls wat in plek gestel kan word om die probleem te verminder. Die maatreëls sluit in die behoefte aan verpleegonderrig oor substansverwante versteurings, ondersteuning van die werkgewers, om nie gestraf te word nie en verwysende gestremde verpleegkundiges vir rehabilitasie. Afsluiting: Substansverwante versteurings en verswakte verpleegpraktyk is 'n uitdaging wat die openbare veiligheid bedreig, en daar is 'n behoefte aan opleiding oor die verskynsel en om middels te soek wat dit sal verlig om 'n gesonde en bevoegde verpleeggemeenskap te hê.
Description
Thesis (MNur)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.
Keywords
Substance abuse -- Rehabilitation -- Gauteng (South Africa), Nurses -- Attitudes -- Gauteng (South Africa), Substance abuse -- Social aspects -- Gauteng (South Africa), UCTD
Citation