Exploring the role of the nurse educator, at a nursing education institution in Cape Town, on preparing undergraduate nursing students to provide compassionate nursing care

Date
2024-03
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Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH SUMMARY: Background: Compassionate nursing care (CNC) involves recognizing and understanding an individual's vulnerability, going beyond the clinical aspect, to embrace a patient-centred approach with respect, empathy, kindness, and care. It is an approach that acknowledges humanity and alleviating suffering with understanding. Nurse educators are largely responsible to facilitate nursing students to provider CNC, but the lack of clarity on specific program curricula poses a challenge. To effectively produce nurses capable of providing CNC, detailed teaching strategies need to be implemented. This study explored the role of the nurse educator, at a Nursing education institution in Cape Town, on preparing undergraduate nursing students to provide compassionate nursing care. Methods: A qualitative explorative design was used to explore the nurse educators’ views on their role in, preparing an undergraduate nursing student to provide compassionate nursing care. Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee at the Stellenbosch University, Western Cape Department of Health and the selected NEI, before data collection commenced. Convenience sampling was used to select nurse educators, who had experience in undergraduate nursing education between six and 21 years. Eight in depth interviews were performed using a semi structured interview guide. The interviews were transcribed and analysed using transcript coding, by identifying key messages in each transcript, categorised on an Excel spreadsheet. The data that was collected from the interviews were unpacked, observed, and compared to reveal patterns, comparisons, and diversities. Subsequently, the themes that inherently supported the identified data were categorized into specific themes and subthemes. Results: Four themes emerged: Defining CNC, providing compassionate nursing care, CNC and the curriculum, and the role of the nursing educator in teaching and assessment of CNC.16 Sub themes emerged. The educator’s definition of compassionate care involves recognizing and comprehending the vulnerability of an individual and their circumstances, and it entails demonstrating respect, empathy, a kind approach, caring, and sensitivity. These attributes may be expressed as awareness of a situation when a person is vulnerable and suffering, physically or emotionally. Participants expressed that CNC is accepting and respecting the patient’s culture, understanding what a person is experiencing and then responding with empathy and sensitivity to their needs, thereby providing person centred care. Ethical principles, including autonomy and confidentiality, are introduced early in the program, seamlessly integrated throughout the curriculum. Compassionate care is taught from the first semester and remains a consistent element in every module. The educators noted varying student capacities for learning and delivering compassionate care, with some displaying immediate aptitude and others gaining confidence gradually over time. Conclusion: The findings revealed that, the nurse educator has a key role in preparing nursing students to be competent in providing CNC through theoretical and clinical assessments. Various factors in the students’ journey contribute to their development into becoming competent providers of compassionate nursing care. The participants expressed that integrating a compassion module on CNC in the undergraduate program will benefit both the students and patients.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Agtergrond: Deernisvolle verpleegsorg behels die erkenning en begrip van 'n individu se kwesbaarheid, wat verder strek as die kliniese sorg, om 'n pasient gesentreerde benadering met respek, empatie, vriendelikheid en sorg te bied. Dit is 'n benadering wat menslikheid, en lyding met begrip verlig. Verpleeg opvoedkundiges is grootliks verantwoordelik om verpleeg studente voor te berei om deernisvolle verpleegsorg te voorsien, maar die gebrek aan duidelikheid oor deernnisvolle verpleegsorg in die verpleeg kurrikulums stel 'n uitdaging. Om bekwame verpleegkundiges te onderig, wat in staat is om deernisvolle verpleegsorg te verskaf, moet n gedetailleerde onderrigstrategiee geimplementeer word. Hierdie studie het die rol van die verpleeg opvoedkundiges by 'n verpleegonderwys instansie in Kaapstad ondersoek om voorgraadse verpleeg studente voor te berei om deernisvolle verpleegsorg te verskaf. Metode: 'n Kwalitatiewe eksploratiewe ontwerp is gebruik om die verpleegopvoedkundiges se sienings oor hul rol, in die voorbereiding van 'n voorgraadse verpleegstudent, om deernisvolle verpleegsorg te verskaf, te ondersoek. Etiese goedkeuring is verkry van die Gesondheids navorsings etiek komitee by die Universiteit van Stellenbosch, Wes-Kaapse departement van gesondheid en die geselekteerde verpleeg onderwys instansie, voordat data-insameling begin is. Gerieflikheid steekproefneming is gebruik om verpleeg opvoedkundiges te selekteer, met ondervinding in voorgraadse verpleegopleiding tussen ses en 21 jaar gehad. Agt in-diepte onderhoude is uitgevoer met behulp van 'n semi-gestruktureerde onderhoudsgids. Die onderhoude is getranskribeer en ontleed deur gebruik te maak van transkripsie kodering, deur sleutel punte in elke transkripsie te identifiseer, kategoriseer en op 'n Excel- blad georganiseer. Die data wat vanaf die onderhoude ingesamel is, is ontleed, waargeneem en vergelyk om patrone, vergelykings en diversiteite te identifiseer. Vervolgens is die temas wat inherent die geïdentifiseerde data ondersteun het, gekategoriseer in spesifieke temas en subtemas. Resultate: Vier temas het na vore gekom: die definisie van deernisvolle verpleegsorg, verskaffing van deernisvolle verpleegsorg, en die kurrikulum, en die rol van die verpleegopvoeder in onderrig en assessering van deernisvolle verpleegsorg. 16 Sub-temas het na vore gekom. Die verpleeg opvoedkundige se definisie van deernisvolle verpleegsorg behels die erkenning en begrip van die kwesbaarheid van 'n individu en hul omstandighede, asook om respek, empatie, 'n vriendelike benadering, omgee en sensitiwiteit te bied. Hierdie eienskappe kan uitgedruk word as bewustheid van 'n situasie wanneer 'n persoon kwesbaar is en swaarkry, fisies of emosioneel. Die opvoedkundiges het bevestig dat die pasiente se kultuur aanvaar en gerespekteer moet word, begrip vir wat 'n persoon ervaar en dan met empatie en sensitiwiteit op hul behoeftes reageer , en daardeur person gesentreerde sorg verskaf. Etiese beginsels, insluitend outonomie en vertroulikheid, word vroeg in die program bekendgestel, en in die kurrikulum geintegreer. Deernisvolle verpleegsorg word vanaf die eerste semester onderrig en bly 'n konsekwente element in elke module. Die opvoeders het kennis geneem van verskillende student vermoens om te leer en deernisvolle sorg te lewer, met sommige wat onmiddellike aanleg toon en ander wat met tyd selfvertroue kry. Slotsom: Die bevindinge het aan die lig gebring dat die verpleeg opvoedkundige 'n sleutelrol het om verpleegstudente voor te berei om bekwaam te wees in die verskaffing van deernisvolle verpleegsorg deur teoretiese en kliniese evaluasies. Verskeie faktore dra by tot die student se ontwikkeling om bekwame verskaffers van deernisvolle verpleegsorg te word. Die deelnemers het bevestig dat die integrasie van n module oor deernisvolle verpleegsorg in die voorgraadse program beide die studente en pasiente sal bevoordeel.
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Thesis (MNur)--Stellenbosch University, 2024.
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