This research has focused on the birthing experience of first-time mothers who received the narcotic analgesic combination of Pethidine and Hydroxyzine during the first stage of labour. A qualitative research methodology was used to collect data. Unstructured interviews were held with first-time mothers to obtain accounts of their experience of childbirth. These narrations were audio-taped while the participants were still being cared for in the postnatal ward of the hospital where delivery took place. Nine interviews were conducted with first-time mothers who gave birth normally vaginally after a normal pregnancy and who received a narcotic analgesic in the first stage of labour. The transcribed interviews were analyzed using Tesch’s method of descriptive analysis (in Creswell, 1994:115)

Nurse educators are responsible for accompanying students towards becoming capable, competent professional nurses who are a credit to themselves, their patients, colleagues and profession. Student nurses need, therefore, to be taught to render comprehensive nursing care to patients in all stages of their lives, including when they are dying. Being confronted with human suffering and death is challenging and traumatic. Those exposed to such events on a daily basis need to have a solid foundation of self preservation to see past the pain of suffering and to bring light and hope to those in need. A young student nurse will only experience positive growth and development in these circumstances if she is also cared for and guided with understanding. The researcher utilized a qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual design based on the phenomenological approach to enquiry. The following question was asked at the beginning of each unstructured phenomenological interview: “How was if for you to care for a dying or deceased patient?” The central theme identified that student nurses experience turmoil in their different relationships in their accompaniment of the dying patient. Guidelines based on the central theme and sub-themes that emerged from raw data, as well as literature, are offered as strategies to promote/enhance optimal accompaniment of student nurses caring for the dying patient

ABSTRACT

To be the mother of a premature infant in a neonatal

Curationis 28(4): 65-73The objectives of this study were: firstly, to explore and describe the experiences of final year nursing students relating to how they experience their preparedness to fulfil the role of professional nurse; secondly, to explore and describe the experiences of novice professional nurses in the role of professional nurse; finally, to generate a model which will assist the final year nursing student to become a professional nurse. A theory-generative, qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was utilized to reach the objectives of the study. Results indicated that final year nursing students experience a lack of confidence to take on the responsibilities of professional nursing. The results are displayed in table form and discussed in the article. This abstract forms part of a bigger study that addresses the professional maturity of the novice professional nurse for the practice of nursing. OpsommingDie doelstellings van hierdie studie was: eerstens, om die ervaringe van finale jaar verpleegstudente ten opsigte van hul gereedheid om die rol van 'n professionele verpleegkundige te vervul, te eksploreer en beskryf; tweedens, om die ervaringe van die nuw eling professionele verpleegkundiges in die rol van professionele verpleegkundige te eksploreer en beskryf; laastens, om 'n model te genereer wat tot hulp sal wees vir die finale jaar verpleegstudent om 'n professionele verpleegkundige te word, 'n Teoriegenererende, kwalitatiewe, eksplorerende, beskrywende en kontekstuele navorsingsontwerp was gebruik om die doelstellings van die studie te bereik. Die resultate het aangedui dat die finale jaar verpleegstudente 'n gebrek aan vertroue ten opsigte van die aanvaarding van die verantw oordelikhede van professionele verpleging, ervaar. Die resultate is in 'n tabelvorm weergegee en word in die artikel bespreek. Die abstrak vorm deel van 'n groter studie wat die professionele maturiteit van die nuweling verpleegkundige vir die praktyk van verpleging aanspreek. SleuteiwoordeStudentverpleegkundige, nuweling professionele verpleegkundige, gereedheid, gebrek aan vertroue, kliniese leeromgewing