Structural empowerment to ease the transition of new nurse graduates : exploring the experiences of operational managers in primary healthcare clinics

Simple item page
dc.contributor.advisorvan Schalkwyk, Talitaen_ZA
dc.contributor.advisorVan der Heever, Marianaen_ZA
dc.contributor.authorNzimande, Londiween_ZA
dc.contributor.otherStellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Nursing & Midwifery.en_ZA
dc.date.accessioned2024-03-05T09:53:51Z
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-26T21:24:09Z
dc.date.available2024-03-05T09:53:51Z
dc.date.available2024-04-26T21:24:09Z
dc.date.issued2024-03
dc.descriptionThesis (MNur)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractENGLISH SUMMARY: Introduction: Operational Managers, the first-line nurse managers in the clinical setting, have a duty to empower new nurse graduates during the transitional phase from being nursing students to functioning as qualified nurse practitioners, referred to as professional nurses in South Africa. Little is known about the role of operational managers in supporting new nurse graduates’ transition to practice through access to information, resources, support, and opportunities to learn and develop in the context of the primary health Care (PHC) clinics in the SA public healthcare sector. The study aimed to explore the experiences of operational managers on the use of structural empowerment to ease new nurse graduate’s transition to practice to practice in PHC clinics. Methods: A descriptive qualitative approach was applied to attain the aim of the study. The population comprised fifteen operational managers (OMs) working at the PHC clinics within uMhlathuze local municipality in KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa. The final sample comprised eight participants who were purposively selected and met the inclusion criteria. Individual interviews were conducted using a self-developed semi-structured interview guide. Thematic data analysis was conducted on the results. Trustworthiness was achieved by ensuring credibility, dependability, confirmability, and transferability. Ethical approval was obtained from the Stellenbosch University Health Research Ethics Committee. Permission to conduct the study was granted by the KZN Department of Health Ethics Committee. The ethical principles of self-determination, beneficence, and justice were adhered to. Results: Four major themes emerged from data analysis: 1) minimal orientation, 2) outplay of the professional development process, 3) use of human and material resources, and 4) barriers to new nurse graduate’s empowerment process. The themes were further divided into nine sub-themes that described the experiences of how OMs facilitated access to structural empowerment elements to ease the transition to the practice of new nurse graduates working under their care in PHC clinics. It emerged that minimal orientation was provided to new nurse graduates through the induction and orientation processes. Such processes were sub-optimal and primarily focused only on introducing the students to the clinical guidelines. In addition, professional development of non-clinical competencies such as management and leadership skills were not considered during the transitional phase. The clinical competencies were role-modelled by senior professional nurses. The rollout of informal continuous professional development for new nurse graduates happened through in-service training workshops and informal training in the different primary healthcare streams. Coordination of access to human and material resources needed for professional development coordinated by the OMs requires innovation due to time and resource constraints. Staff shortages and busy clinic workloads were found to be barriers that hindered the empowerment process, which led to inconsistent on-site mentorship by senior professional nurses and new nurse graduates receiving inadequate feedback about their performance. Conclusion: OMs appear to have limited capacity to coordinate effective professional development opportunities and support structures for new nurse graduates. These findings suggest the development of formal policies guiding the implementation of effective professional development and orientation programs for the new nurse graduates during the transition to practice phase.en_ZA
dc.description.abstractAFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Inleiding: Operasionele Bestuurders (OB's), die eerstelynsverpleegbestuurders in die kliniese omgewing, het die plig om nuwe verpleegkundige graduandi (NVG's) te bemagtig gedurende die oorgangsfasie vanaf 'n verpleegstudent tot 'n gekwalifiseerde verpleegpraktisyn, bekend as 'n professionele verpleegster in die SA-konteks. Min is bekend oor die rol van OB's in die konteks van primere gesondheidsorg (PGS) in SA om NVG's se oorgang na praktyk te ondersteun deur toegang tot ondersteuning, geleenthede, hulpbronne en inligting om te leer en te ontwikkel. Die doel van die studie was om die ervarings van OB's ten opsigte van die gebruik van strukturele bemagtiging te ondersoek om NVG se oorgang na praktyk in PGS-klinieke te vergemaklik. Metodes: 'n Beskrywende kwalitatiewe ontwerp was toegepas om die doel van die studie te bereik. Die bevolking het bestaan uit 15 OB's wat by die PGS-klinieke binne die uMhlathuze plaaslike munisipaliteit in die KwaZulu-Natal-provinsie van Suid-Afrika werk. Die finale steekproef het uit ag deelnemers bestaan wat doelgerig geselekteer was en aan die insluitingskriteria voldoen het. Individuele onderhoude was met behulp van 'n selfontwikkelde semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudgids gevoer. Data-analise was uitgevoer deur tematiese data-analise te volg. Betroubaarheid was bereik deur geloofwaardigheid, betroubaarheid, bevestigbaarheid en oordraagbaarheid te verseker. Etiese goedkeuring was verkry van die Stellenbosch Universiteit Gesondheid Navorsing Etiekkomitee. Toestemming was verleen deur die KZN Departement van Gesondheid Etiekkomitee om die studie uit te voer. Die etiese beginsels van selfbeskikking, weldadigheid en regverdigheid was nagekom. Resultate: Vier temas en nege subtemas het uit die data na vore gekom. Min orientasie was aan NVG's verskaf met induksie- en orienteringsprosesse. Sulke prosesse was nie optimaal nie en het hoofsaaklik op die inleiding tot kliniese riglyne gefokus. Die professionele ontwikkeling van nie-kliniese vaardighede was nie oorweeg gedurende die oorgangsfasie nie. Hierdie vaardighede was egter deur senior Professionele Verpleegsters voorgedoen. Die uitvoering van informele voortgesette professionele ontwikkeling het deur indiensopleidingswerkswinkels en informele opleiding in verskeie primere gesondheidsorg-strome plaasgevind. Die gebruik van menslike en materiele hulpbronne was gekoordineer deur die OB's. Sulke hulpbronne vereis innovasie omdat dit tyd- en hulpbronbeperkings geskep het, wat uiteindelik die voorsiening van informele mentorskap op die grondvlak beinvloed het. Hindernisse vir oorgang was geidentifiseer as besige werksladings, personeeltekorte en 'n onwilligheid onder senior professionele verpleegsters om NVG's toe te laat hul te skadu. Gevolgtrekking: OB's het skynbaar beperkte kapasiteit om effektiewe professionele ontwikkelingsgeleenthede en ondersteuningstrukture vir NVG's te koordineer. Hierdie bevindinge suggereer die ontwikkeling van formele beleide wat die implementering van effektiewe professionele ontwikkelings- en orientasieprogramme vir die NVG's gedurende die oorgangsfasie na praktisering, te lei.af_ZA
dc.description.versionMasters
dc.format.extentxiii, 114 pages ; includes annexures
dc.identifier.urihttps://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/130542
dc.language.isoen_ZAen_ZA
dc.publisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
dc.rights.holderStellenbosch University
dc.subject.lcshNurses -- Training ofen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshNursing -- Job satisfactionen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshClinical competence -- Nursesen_ZA
dc.subject.lcshRole expectation -- Nursesen_ZA
dc.subject.nameUCTD
dc.titleStructural empowerment to ease the transition of new nurse graduates : exploring the experiences of operational managers in primary healthcare clinicsen_ZA
dc.typeThesisen_ZA
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
nzimande_structural_2024.pdf
Size:
1.73 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
Collections
Masters Degrees (Nursing and Midwifery)