scholarly journals Attitudes and knowledge of nurse practitioners towards traditional healing, faith healing and complementary medicine in the Northern Province of South Africa

Curationis ◽  
2002 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Peltzer ◽  
L.B. Khoza
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Complementary Medicine ◽  
Traditional Healing ◽  
Faith Healing ◽  
Northern Province ◽  
Registered Professional Nurses ◽  
Professional Nurses ◽  
Attitudes And Knowledge ◽  
Harmful Effects

Objective: To investigate the attitudes and knowledge of nurses towards traditional healing, faith healing and complementary therapies in the Northern Province in South Africa. Design: Survey of nurses. Setting: Registered professional nurses at health centres and clinics. Participants: 84 registered professional nurses Results: Nurse’s perceptions were basically positive toward ethnomedical therapy (traditional healing, faith healing and complementary medicine); this also included their integration into the primary health care system. Mean ratings for referral to a faith healer was 2.7, followed by complementary medicine (2.6) and traditional healing (2.2). Although low rates of referrals to ethnomedical therapists were practised, it was done so mainly in the patient’s interest and not as a last resort for chronic or terminal illness. Most did not discuss with a patient benefits of traditional healing but 71% discussed the possible harmful effects. However, the majority discussed the benefits rather than harmful effects of faith healing. With respect to mean ratings on knowledge, faith healing was considered the most important (4.3), followed by complementary medicine (4.2), and traditional healing (4.1). Conclusion: Faith healing was considered as more important than complementary medicine and traditional healing. Implications are relevant for nursing health care and policy.

scholarly journals Community perceptions of biomedical health care in a rural area in the Northern Province South Africa

2000 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 55-63 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karl Peltzer
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Rural Area ◽  
Health Care Services ◽  
Northern Province ◽  
Community Perceptions ◽  
Bamako Initiative ◽  
Care Services ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Primary Health Care Services

The success of strategies to revitalize primary health care services such as those advocated by the Bamako Initiative requires a response adapted to the expectations of the populations, especially in terms of quality. The goal of this study was to investigate community perceptions of availability, accessibility, acceptability and affordability of biomedical health care services in a rural area of the Northern Province in South Africa. *Please note: This is a reduced version of the abstract. Please refer to PDF for full text.

scholarly journals The perception of pharmacists regarding the role of complementary medicine in the context of health care in South Africa

1997 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Antoinette Daphne
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Complementary Medicine ◽  
Health Care System ◽  
Care System

The aim of this study was to assess pharmacists' perception of complementary medicine in the health care system of South Africa

scholarly journals BARRIERS TO ACCESSING MENTAL HEALTH CARE IN THE EASTERN CAPE PROVINCE OF SOUTH AFRICA

2016 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Strümpher ◽  
R.M. Van Rooyen ◽  
K. Topper ◽  
L.M.C. Andersson ◽  
I. Schierenback
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Health Care ◽  
Health Sector ◽  
Eastern Cape Province ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
People With Mental Illness ◽  
Professional Nurses

The aim of this study was to explore and describe the perceptions of professional nurses concerning barriers to care for people with mental illness in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa. The study was based on a qualitative, explorative and descriptive design.  A total of nine professional nurses working in primary, secondary and tertiary health care facilities were purposively selected. Unstructured interviews were conducted to collect data. Participants’ responses were captured on an audio recorder and later transcribed verbatim.Participants’ responses were then analysed thematically. Two main themes and their related sub-themes were identified. The first theme concerns the perceptions of professional nurses regarding the societal barriers that may hinder people with mental illness from accessing and utilising mental health services. These barriers include socioeconomic hardships, lack of knowledge and insight, lack of family support, embedded cultural beliefs and practices and stigma. The second theme highlights the barriers that professional nurses perceive within the health care system that influence access and utilisation of mental health services. These barriers include inadequate support from stakeholders and leaders in the mental health sector and lack of financial, human and infrastructure resources. Professional nurses made recommendations to improve mental health care. Those of high priority included enhanced mental health literacy among members of the public and a need for mental health stakeholders and leaders to increase their support of the mental health sector in an effort to improve access to mental health care.

scholarly journals What are the Experiences and Needs of Primary Care Nurses in Caring for Patients With Type 2 Diabetes in a Rural Village in South Africa? An Exploratory Study

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 90
Author(s):  
Ednah V Sechabe ◽  
Tebogo M Mothiba ◽  
Hilde Bastiaens
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Type 2 Diabetes ◽  
Primary Care ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Training Programme ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Primary Care Nurses ◽  
Professional Nurses

Since 1994, the emphasis in the provision of health services in South Africa has shifted from hospital-based care to a community-based comprehensive primary health care system, especially important in the management of chronic diseases. However, primary health care professional nurses are not well trained to manage chronic conditions like type 2 diabetes. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the experiences and needs of primary care nurses as a basis for the development of a training programme for professional nurses who care for T2D patients. A qualitative descriptive approach was employed, using individual interviews with primary health care nurses caring for T2D patients in the Ga-Dikgale village clinics. Ethical considerations were observed throughout the study and quality supportive measures were employed. Three main themes emerged from the study findings which address the current practices and knowledge of professional nurses related to care provided to diabetes patients, the challenges experienced by professional nurses during the provision of care to diabetes patients on treatment and their training experiences, gaps and needs. A need for continuing education for professional nurses related to the care of patients with diabetes was identified. The results of this study will be used to develop a training programme to improve the knowledge and skills of professional nurses and to improve the quality of care of patients with type 2 diabetes.

scholarly journals Prevalence and factors associated with abdominal obesity among primary health care professional nurses in Eastern Cape, South Africa

2018 ◽  
Vol 60 (5) ◽  
pp. 53
Author(s):  
Sizeka Monakali ◽  
Daniel Ter Goon ◽  
Eunice Seekoe ◽  
Eyitayo Omolara Owolabi
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Abdominal Obesity ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Height Ratio ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Primary Health Care Professional ◽  
Waist To Height Ratio ◽  
Professional Nurses

Background: Nurses are key stakeholders in health promotion and obesity management, yet a high-risk group for obesity development. This study examined the prevalence and correlates of abdominal obesity among primary health care professional nurses (PHCPNs) in Eastern Cape, South Africa.Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 203 PHCPNs conveniently selected across 41 primary health care facilities in Eastern Cape, South Africa. The WHO STEPwise questionnaire was used for data collection. Abdominal obesity was defined according to the WHO criteria as a waist circumference ≥ 94 cm for men and ≥ 80 cm for women or waist-to-hip ratio ≥ 0.90 in men and ≥ 0.85 in women; and a waist-to-height ratio of 0.50.Results: The prevalence of abdominal obesity ranged from 50%, to 87% to 90%, using waist-to-hip ratio, waist circumference and waist-to-height ratio, respectively. Age, gender and duration of practice were significantly associated with abdominal obesity. After adjusting for potential confounders, only age 30 years (OR = 6.7; 95% CI = 2.4–18.7; p 0.001) and female sex (AOR = 7.9; 95% CI = 2.4–18.7; p 0.001) were independent predictors of obesity.Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of abdominal obesity among PHCPNs in Eastern Cape, South Africa, which was associated with female sex and ageing. This constitutes a potential risk for the healthcare workforce of the province and might be an impediment to adequate conveyance to patients of health education on healthy weight management by the affected nurses. There is an urgent need for appropriate workplace health policies targeted towards the promotion of physical activities, healthy lifestyle and ultimately weight reduction among this group.

scholarly journals Nursing Recommendations for the Management of HIV and Hypertension in a rural Primary Health Care Setting, Eastern Cape, South Africa

2021 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lwandile Tokwe ◽  
Joanne Rachel Naidoo
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Health Care ◽  
Primary Health Care ◽  
Health Education ◽  
Chronic Illnesses ◽  
Research Approach ◽  
Eastern Cape ◽  
Primary Health ◽  
Co Morbidity ◽  
Professional Nurses

South Africa has an increased number of people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (PLWH). In addition, older PLWH are prone to developing non-communicable diseases (NCDs) as co-morbid illnesses, in particular hypertension. South Africa is experiencing a dual burden of care, that being the co-morbidity of HIV and hypertension. The integration of HIV and non-communicable disease management is needed towards a synergised and comprehensive approach within primary health care (PHC) settings. This article presents nursing recommendations yielded by a descriptive phenomenological study on the management of HIV and hypertension in a rural PHC context. A qualitative research approach, using Husserl’s descriptive phenomenology, was employed, and data were gathered using semi-structured interviews. The interviews were conducted by the first author at Sakhisizwe sub-district clinics, Eastern Cape. Purposive sampling was used to select nine participants. Giorgi’s phenomenological steps underpinned data analysis. Six nursing recommendations were developed to support professional nurses in the management of the co-morbidity of HIV and hypertension: 1) disease-specific health education as opposed to generic health education; 2) utilisation of existing programmes on the integration and management of chronic illnesses; 3) creating social support platforms or spaces; 4) referral pathways; 5) surveillance and monitoring; and 6) management of disease-related stigma. Professional nurses working in PHC clinics have several guidelines to manage chronic illnesses. However, there are limited nursing recommendations on how to manage the co-morbidity of HIV and hypertension. This study focused on a smaller sample of nine participants, in one sub-district and in one district.  

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