Guidelines To Implement An Educational Programme To Internalize And Operationalize The Nursing Process In The Gynecology Wards Of The Training Hospitals Of Namibia

ABSTRACT

Since its implementation in 1985, the nursing process in Namibia has been utilised with difficulty. The reasons for this were, however, unknown. Worldwide nurses agree that the nursing process is desirable but too lengthy and too time-consuming. In Namibia, patient records and the Nursing Board of Namibia disciplinary hearings bear witness to this. Patient safety has been put at risk and, as a result, registered nurses have faced legal action. The purpose of this study was to develop an educational programme to internalise and operationalise the nursing process and to draw up guidelines for implementing the programme. The postmodernism paradigm, also referred to as the naturalistic paradigm, was used for the study. A qualitative, explorative, descriptive and contextual design was used to perform this study, which was directed to internalise and operationalise the nursing process in the gynaecology wards of training hospitals in Namibia through an educational programme and according to certain guidelines. The study was performed in four phases: Firstly, a situation analysis was carried out to explore and describe the educational needs of registered nurses in internalising and operationalising the nursing process. Secondly, a conceptual framework was drawn up from the results of phase 1. Thirdly, a programme was developed to internalise and operationalise the nursing process. And finally, guidelines were drawn up for the implementation of the programme. vii The situation analysis revealed that the nursing process was utilised ineffectively. Thus, the specific content identified for an educational programme to internalise and operationalise the nursing process was based on the assumptions that registered nurses’ belief systems and attitudes should be reframed, that registered nurses should work smarter not harder and that the nursing process was a prerequisite for effective nursing care. The activities included by Dickhoff, James, and Wiedenbach (1968) in the survey list of their Situation-Producing Theory were used to describe the framework for this study. This survey list encompasses context, agent, recipient, dynamics, procedure and terminus. The educational programme to internalise and operationalise the nursing process was presented in four sessions comprising the following learning content: Session 1: Reframing the belief system and attitudes of registered nurses Session 2: Work smarter not harder Session 3: The nursing process as a prerequisite for effective nursing care Session 4: Internalisation and operationalisation of the nursing process Finally, guidelines for internalising and operationalising the nursing process through programme implementation were drawn up. Since guidelines are important tools in the quest for evidence-based practice, the guidelines included recommendations and activities that turn guidelines into actions.