Unit managers in large ICUs face multifaceted challenges which include the demand for efficient and sufficient specialised nurses; lack of or inadequate equipment that goes along with technology in ICU and supplies; and stressors in the ICU that limit the efficiency to plan, organise, lead and control the daily activities in the unit. The challenges identified call for multiple strategies to assist in the efficient management of large ICUs.

IntroductionRural radiographers require, over and above traditional radiographic expertise, additional competencies which to a certain degree are unique however not limited to rural practice. Previous studies, however, have focused more attention primarily on other rural health professionals such as doctors and nurses leaving a research need in this field. This article focuses on the additional competencies that may be required for rural radiographers.AimTo investigate and identify additional core competencies required by radiographers working in rural hospitals of KwaZulu-Natal in order to propose a continuous professional development strategy aimed at rural radiographers.MethodsAn exploratory sequential design was utilised with qualitative (Phase I) and quantitative (Phase II) strands involving seven participants and 109 respondents, respectively. Only radiographers working in rural KwaZulu-Natal hospitals were included in the study. The four major themes and categories identified in Phase I were used to develop data collection instrument for Phase II of the study.ResultsCollectively, the results revealed that there were a number of additional core competencies such as, but not limited to, teamwork, ability to do basic obstetric ultrasound scans, leadership, management and reporting on plain radiographs, all of which are required by rural radiographers. In 2014 when these competencies were checked against a single curriculum, it was found that majority of them were either partially covered or not at all covered.ConclusionThe study provides additional information on context specific core competencies and, therefore, may act as a catalyst to influence the future of radiographers working in rural areas of South Africa.

Patients perceive the intensive care unit (ICU) as being a stressful and anxiety-provoking environment. The physiological effects of stress and anxiety are found to be harmful and therefore should be avoided in cardiac surgery patients. The aim of the study on which this article is based was to describe cardiac surgery patients’ experiences of music as a therapeutic intervention in the ICU of a public hospital. The objectives of this article were to introduce and then expose the cardiac patients to music as part of their routine postoperative care and to explore and describe their experiences of the music intervention. The findings of the research are to be the basis for making recommendations for the inclusion of music as part of the routine postoperative care received by cardiac surgery patients in the ICU. A qualitative research methodology, using a contextual, explorative and descriptive research design, was adopted. The population of the study was cardiac surgery patients admitted to the ICU of a public hospital. An unstructured interview was conducted with each participant and content analysis and coding procedures were used to analyse the data. Four main themes were identified in the results, namely practical and operational aspects of the music sessions; participants’ experiences; discomfort due to therapeutic apparatus and the ICU environment; and the role of music and recommendations for music as a therapeutic intervention. Participants’ experiences were mainly positive. Results focused on experiences of the music and also on the participants’ experiences of the operational aspects of the therapy, as well as factors within and around the participants.Pasiënte se persepsie van die intensiewesorgeenheid (ISE) is dat dit ’nstresvolle en angswekkende omgewing is. Die fisiologiese effekte van stres en angs is skadelik en daarom moet dit vermy word in die geval van pasiënte wat hartchirurgie ondergaan. Die doel van die studie waarop hierdie artikel gebaseer is, was om hartchirurgiepasiënte se ervaring van musiek as ’n terapeutiese intervensie in die ISE van ’nopenbare hospitaal te beskryf. Die doelwitte van hierdie studie was om hartchirurgiepasiënte bekend te stel aan musiek as deel van hul roetine- postoperatiewe sorg en hulle dan daaraan bloot te stel om sodoende hulle ervarings van die musiekintervensie te ondersoek en beskryf. Die bevindinge van die navorsing sal gebruik word om aanbevelings te maak vir die insluiting van musiek as deel van die roetine- postoperatiewe sorg wat hartchirurgiepasiënte in die ISE ontvang. ’nKwalitatiewe navorsingsmetodologie, met behulp van ’nkontekstuele, verkennende en beskrywende ontwerp, is gebruik. Die populasie van die studie was hartchirurgiepasiënte in die ISE van ’nopenbare hospitaal. ’nOngestruktureerde onderhoud is met elke deelnemer gevoer en inhoud-analise en koderingprosedures is gebruik om die data te ontleed. Vier hooftemas is in die resultate geïdentifiseer, naamlik praktiese en operasionele aspekte van die musieksessies; die deelnemers se ervarings; ongemak as gevolg van terapeutiese apparaat en die ISE-omgewing; asook die rol van musiek en aanbevelings vir musiek as ’nterapeutiese intervensie. Deelnemers se ervarings was hoofsaaklik positief. Die resultate het gefokus op die deelnemers se ervaring van die musiek asook hul ervaring van die operasionele aspekte van die terapie, sowel as faktore binne en rondom die deelnemers.

INTRODUCTION: The emphasis on Primary Health Care (PHC) with a focus on preventative care offers a challenge for rural radiographers to advance solutions that are change focused. Published evidence suggest that allied health professionals such as radiographers employed in rural areas of South Africa were confronted with an assortment of challenges and responsibilities that demand a wide range of skills and competencies. Additional skills could be essential and Continuous Professional Development (CPD) strategy could be used as a vehicle to equip rural radiographers. OBJECTIVE: To propose a CPD strategy that may support rural radiographers’ expanded and extended competency development needs. METHODS: This research used exploratory sequential study design involving Phase I (qualitative) and Phase II (quantitative) with seven participants and 101 respondents respectively. The CPD strategy development was based on the results from data analysis of both strands. Since strategy development is based on a process of trustworthiness, six evaluators from the clinical and academia were consulted. The evaluators were purposely selected. RESULTS: A final CPD strategy for rural radiographers was proposed. Results from a mixed method study were used in the process of developing the CPD strategy. DISCUSSION: Radiographers working in rural areas of KwaZulu Natal (KZN) a province in South Africa are faced with emerging competency need that require both extended and expanded competencies which may be beyond those required for professional registration. This unmet competency needs can be supported by a CPD strategy that is aligned to these competency needs.

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