The Support Needs of Nurses Caring for TB Patients at Tshilidzini Hospital in Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

Tuberculosis (TB) is a disease, which is caused by a relatively large, non-motile, rod-shaped pathogen called Mycobacterium tuberculosis. TB is a major cause of illness and death worldwide, especially in Asia and Africa. Despite the fact that TB is a curable illness, the tragedy is that TB remains the biggest killer in the world as a single pathogen. The purpose of this study was to describe the support needs of nurses caring for TB patients at Tshilidzini Hospital in Limpopo Province, South Africa. Qualitative, exploratory and descriptive designs were used. Purposive sampling method was used to select the participants. The personal support needs of six nurses caring for TB patients at Tshilidzini Hospital were explored, and it was guided by data saturation. Data was collected through in-depth individual interviews, field notes were taken and data audio-recorded. Data was analysed using Colaizzi's method of data analysis. Trustworthiness was ensured and ethical considerations were observed. The research findings revealed two major themes from the raw data: support structure available in the hospital and support needs for the nurses. The findings of this study revealed that nurses are in need of special support from the management. Therefore there is an urgent need to address this problem by the Department of Health, Hospital Executive Managers and Nursing Service Manager.