BackgroundPatients’ records provide a trace of care processes that have occurred and are further used as communication amongst nurses for continued management of patients. Nurses have the responsibility to ensure that records are accurate and complete in order to effectively manage their patients. In hospitals, nurses have to record a wide range of information in the patient’s records and this leads to increased workload on the part of nurses that compromises accurate record-keeping.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to explore and describe the challenges experienced by nurses with regard to record-keeping at selected public hospitals in the Vhembe district, Limpopo Province, South Africa.MethodA qualitative, explorative and descriptive research design was used. Nurses working in selected public hospitals were purposively selected and semi-structured interviews were conducted until data saturation was reached. Data were analysed using the Tesch’s open-coding method.ResultsNurses working in public hospitals experience record-keeping as a challenging activity owing to a variety of challenges which include lack of time to complete the records, increased patients’ admission and shortage of recording material.ConclusionRecord-keeping is not done properly which is problematic, and it is recommended that there should be continuous training, monitoring and evaluation of nurses on record-keeping issues, supply of adequate recording materials and proper time management amongst nurses to improve record-keeping challenges. The need for comprehensive record-keeping remains fundamental in public hospitals in order to improve patient care.

The aim of this study was to explore the experiences and practices of nurses caring for terminally ill cancer patients at the Pietersburg Hospital, in the Limpopo Province, South Africa. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using Tesch’s open coding data analysis method. Some of the nurses feel that caring for terminally ill cancer patients was emotionally demanding, strenuous and stressful because of the extensive pain that patients experience. The nurses bond with the patients to such an extent that they feel as if they are family. However, most of the oncology nurses blame themselves, feeling as if they do not do enough to help patients survive, when caring for the terminally ill cancer patients. Family members have expectations of nurses when their patient is in hospital; and when their expectations fail, they sometimes become aggressive and fault-finding. Most oncology nurses consider caring for terminally ill patient a stressful job; yet others expressed love for it. The findings of this study indicate that oncology patients need nurses to support and care for them at all times. Nurses who care for cancer patients have different experiences, some of which cause stress which is painful because they become close to patients and understand the pain they are suffering. Nurses, who care for cancer patients need care and support from hospital management in order to cope with their work.

The nursing process is regarded as a systematic approach in which professional nurses use problem-solving to identify, plan and implement nursing interventions to enhance quality patient care. The steps of the nursing process include assessment, nursing diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation. However, nurses’ effective and efficient use of the nursing process steps in public hospitals still poses a challenge due to several factors. The current study is significant to nursing practice as the nursing process remains a standard of nursing practice for hospitals to provide quality patient care. The purpose of the study was to explore professional nurses’ use of the assessment and implementation steps of the nursing process at selected public hospitals in the Vhembe District, Limpopo, South Africa. A qualitative, phenomenological, descriptive, explorative and contextual research design was used. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to select professional nurses who were using the nursing process in the nursing care units until data saturation was reached with 13 participants. The data was collected using semi-structured one-on-one interviews using an interview guide, and then analysed using Tesch’s open-coding method where themes and sub-themes emerged. The study found that the participants’ initial assessment of patients during admission is an achievable performance, while implementation of the set nursing intervention is still a challenge on different levels. It is recommended that a problem-based learning approach be made a compulsory practical teaching method in order to equip nurses with the knowledge of the nursing process at all nursing education institutions.

BackgroundA new post-basic Primary Health Care (PHC) nurse training was piloted at the University of Limpopo in rural South Africa in order to reinforce PHC services and to address the backlog of trained PHC nurses. The training comprised residential and decentralised training modules based on the principles of problem based learning and community based education, and a patient-centred care approach developed in the field of family medicine was applied for acquiring consultation skills. Clinical reasoning was improved through on-site supervision by individual preceptors.ObjectiveThe aim of the study was to describe the satisfaction, experiences and views of trainees in the first year of implementing the new PHC nurse training programme.MethodThe study had a descriptive, exploratory and cross-sectional design, and used quantitative and qualitative methods for data collection that included a semi-structured survey questionnaire and focus group discussion. A purposive sample of trainees enrolled in the pilot programme (n = 15) was recruited for this study. Results were analysed quantitatively for the survey questionnaire and content analysis was used for qualitative data.ResultsResults revealed trainee satisfaction with the quality of community based visits and classroom lectures and dissatisfaction with on-site supervision and training material. Qualitative findings indicated a need to improve information and communication of supervisors and preceptors, and to provide more training material. Factors related to the work environment were identified as barriers to implement learning, but the use of tools developed in family medicine curricula was perceived as beneficial. Lessons learnt included the need for strong programme coordination and stakeholder commitment, as well as the need to develop a competence framework for PHC nursing.ConclusionThe implementation of a pilot programme for PHC nurse training had the outcomes of trainee satisfaction with the mixed method of teaching, and valuable lessons were learned with regard to programme implementation and organisation. Integration of tools and concepts developed in the field of family medicine proved beneficial, and several recommendations were formulated to inform similar projects.

The primary objective of this study was to examine, interrogate and establish the influence of COVID-19 lockdown on the well-being of women in the academy and the roles they play as university employees and family members. This study was premised within interpretivism paradigm, and life history; and diaristic approach was used to understand this phenomenon. Biographies and interviews qualitative techniques were used to collect data from six women in academia in one university in South Africa. The research findings identified the COVID-19 pandemic as a cause of anxiety and restlessness among academic women; the excessive workload and lack of time; difficulties in balancing home and work duties; a lack of access to proper resources to aid job duties and research; and a lack of online resources-data, network access and Blackboard. This study recommended adequate online facilities and the design of the virtual mental wellness programmes to help academic women.