Assessing the nurse's knowledge and opinions regarding the management of persons with physical disabilities in two healthcare settings in Kimberley

Date
2011-03
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : University of Stellenbosch
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: It generally is a problem for persons with disabilities to have barrier free access to buildings, which is their constitutional right. It is however, not only the physical facility that causes barriers for persons with disabilities but also the attitudes of the able-bodied persons. The aim of the study was to explore what opinions the nurses and persons with disabilities held in two healthcare settings in Kimberley with reference to the nursing care provided to persons with disabilities. To the researcher, it was important to gather the opinions of the nursing staff on how they saw persons with disabilities, but also to hear what they thought the problem areas in caring for persons with disabilities were. On the other hand, it was equally important to understand the persons with disabilities’ perceptions of the hospitals, nursing and what they saw as solutions to the problems. The objectives of the study were: • To determine what the opinions and knowledge of nurses working in two healthcare services in Kimberley are regarding the nursing management of persons with disabilities. • To determine what the opinions of persons with disabilities are in healthcare settings in Kimberley, with reference to the nursing care provided for persons with disabilities. Data was collected in two phases namely Phase 1 amongst the nursing staff in the private and state hospital in Kimberley and Phase 2 amongst the persons with disabilities. A list of staff members which was obtained from the Human Resource office in both the private and state hospitals were sent to the statistician Prof Kidd and who prepared a randomised list which was used for the participants in the study. The same process was followed when a list of all the people who are members of the Association for Persons with Disabilities (APD) and with the help of the statistician a randomised list was compiled from which the participants in the study were chosen. The design of this research is an explorative, descriptive non-experimental study with a quantitative approach, utilizing a structured questionnaire with closed and open ended questions. In this study it was found that the nursing staff was aware of the problems and barriers persons with disabilities encounter. The nurses, however, were aware of their own shortcomings. For example, the nurses identified the lack of training to equip them to assist the persons with disabilities during nursing care, while persons with disabilities also saw this as a problem. By addressing this shortcoming, nurses would be able to provide more holistic care. Recommendations were made based on the findings regarding the facility, perceptions, caregivers, procedures, doctors and the training of the nurses.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Om toegang te hê tot geboue wat hulle grondwetlike reg is, is vir die meeste mense met gestremdhede ‘n voortdurende stryd. Dit is egter dikwels nie net die fisiese ontoeganklikheid van die geboue wat dit vir die persone met gestremdhede onmoontlik maak om ‘n normale lewe te lei nie, maar die houding van verpleegpersoneel wat dikwels meer ontoeganklik is as die toegang tot die geboue. Die doel van die studie was om te bepaal wat die opinies die verpleegpersoneel sowel as persone met gestremdhede het ivm gesondheidsorg in die privaat en staatshospitale in Kimberley Dit was vir die navorser belangrik om te bepaal hoe die verpleegpersoneel mense met gestremdhede sien, maar ook om hulle opinies te hoor ivm die probleme wat hulle ondervind sowel as moontlike oplossings daarvoor. Aan die ander kant wou die navorser ook weet wat die opinie van mense met gestremdhede is van die hospitale wat hulle besoek. Doelwitte van die studie was: • Om die kennis van verpleegpersoneel in die staat sowel as privaathospitale te bepaal ivm die versorging van persone met gestremdhede.. • .Om die opinies van persone met gestremdhede te bepaal tov die verpleegsorg in die staat sowel as privaathospitale in Kimbelrey. Data is in twee fases versamel. In Fase 1 was die verpleegpersoneel in beide die staat sowel as die privaathospitaal ingesluit en in Fase 2 was die deelname van die persone met gestremdhede verkry. Nadat ‘n personeellys van die Menlike hullpbronafdeling van beide hospitale verkry is, is dit aan die statistikus, Prof Kidd gestuur is vir steekproefneming. .Die persone met gestremdhede is genader nadat ‘n lys van die Assosiasie vir persone met gestremdheide (APD) verkry is. Die lys is deur die statistikus herrangskik,en die personeel en persone met gestremdhede is gevra om deel te neem aan die studie na aanleiding van die orde op die lys, nadat hulle ingligting ontvang het en toestemming geteken het vir deelname aan die studie. Die studie is eksploratief, beskrywend en nie-eksperimenteel van aard met ‘n kwantitatiewe benadering. Gestruktureerde vraelyse wat oop en geslote –einde vrae bevat het, is gebruik.. In die studie is bevind dat die verpleegpersoneel bewus was van die leemtes in die versorging van persone met gestremdhede. Een van die leemtes wat geïdentifiseer is, was dat verpleegsters nie formele opleiding ontvang in die versorging van persone met gestremdhede nie. Die persone met gestremdhede het ook hierdie leemte identifiseer. Deur hierdie leemte aan te spreek behoort verpleegpersoneel ‘n meer holistiese versorging aan persone met gestremdhede te lewer. Aanbevelings wat gemaak is, is gebasseer op die bevindinge in die studie en sluit in: fasiliteitt, persepsies, versorgers, prosedures, dokters en die opleiding van verpleegsters.
Description
Thesis (MCur)- -University of Stellenbosch, 2011
Keywords
People with disabilities -- Management, People with disabilities -- Care -- South Africa -- Kimberley, Nursing care, Dissertations -- Nursing, Theses -- Nursing
Citation