Masters Degrees (Nursing and Midwifery)

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Browsing Masters Degrees (Nursing and Midwifery) by browse.metadata.type "Masters"

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    Exploring continuing professional development in critical care : registered nurses’ perspectives of elements influencing completion of a CPD programme in a South African private hospital group
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-03) Van Heerden, Wilma-Jean; Bell, Janet; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Nursing & Midwifery.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY : Background: Continuing professional development is education throughout the duration of professional life to maintain competence and increase professional proficiency and expertise. A complex reality of nursing practice in South Africa is that approximately 25% of nurses working in the critical care environment hold a critical care qualification. Therefore, healthcare services have to rely mostly on novice registered nurses and those new to this environment to care for the critically ill. In this context some South African private and public hospitals initiated structured internal continuing professional development programmes to offer a way of knowledge and skills improvement for nurses working in critical care environments without a critical care qualification. A private healthcare group has offered a well-established structured continuing professional development programme in fundamental critical care nursing since 2003 to develop appropriate knowledge, gain practice exposure and clinical skills nurses may be unfamiliar with. In addition this programme has the aim to enhance safe and quality patient care as well as to avoid errors. The aim of this study was to explore and describe the perspectives of registered nurses of elements that influence their successful completion of a continuing professional development programme in critical care nursing to strengthen the fit for purpose of this programme. The assumption by Knowles that adult learners are selfdirected, and is motivated by information new and relevant in their personal lives or jobs, formed the basis in the conceptual framework for this study. Method: A qualitative exploratory, descriptive research design was used by means of employment of semi-structured individual interviews. The target population was identified as RNs who participated in and completed a critical care continuing professional development programme within this private hospital group from the beginning of 2017 to the end of 2018. The accessible population was registered nurses who participated in the critical care continuing professional development programme in the Western Cape, Johannesburg, and Tshwane regions. A sample size of 14 participants concluded data saturation by means of a self-created openended interview guide. Findings: The following three themes and related sub-themes emerged and concluded the data analysed: 1. Participants perceived a multitude of supporting elements to successfully complete this critical care continuing professional development programme namely readiness to learn, support and communication. 2. Similarly elements that detracted participants from successful completion of this continuing professional development programme were experienced as obstacles intra-person and also obstacles extra-person. 3. Participants finally provided their recommendations on elements that may be adapted to strengthen the fit for purpose of this programme. These elements concluded changes to be made by registered nurses themselves internally and changes to be made external to registered nurses. Relevant literature and recommendations offered by the participants were used to formulate recommendations. Action steps for management, nurse educators and registered nurses to complete this continuing professional development programme successfully were formulated.