ETD Collection

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Subject: search.filters.subject.Work environment--South Africa.

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    The experience and perceptions of nurses working in a public hospital, regarding the services they offer to patients.
    (2014-07-16) Segnon, Ntando
    Nurses comprise the majority of health care service providers and function as an integral part of the services rendered by the health care system in South Africa. There are however, frequent expressions of concern about their working conditions and circumstances. The health care system in South Africa faces difficulties in terms of resources and service provision, with nurses themselves sometimes being criticised for rendering less than adequate services (Khoza, Du Toit & Roos, 2010). Healthcare sector strikes have also been a feature of recent times, influenced by poor salaries, deterioration of academic facilities, poor working conditions in the public sector and the unfortunate conditions facing patients at public health facilities (Dhai, Etheredge, Voster & Veriava, 2011). The nursing care-relationship, however, requires qualities of empathy, compassion, ethical practice and commitment and these demands and contradictions may lead to burnout, compassion fatigue and secondary trauma (Holdt, 2006). The study therefore explored the perceptions of nurses about their role, the quality of the health care services which they provide, their perceptions on nurse/patient relationships; and their perceptions of both problems and strengths or protective factors in their nursing role. Using a qualitative approach, the study included twenty nurses working in a large public hospital in Gauteng. Purposive sampling was used to select participants from various wards. Data was collected through semi-structured, face-to-face interviews, in order to enable participants to reflect on the meanings of their experiences and the perceptions they attach to these experiences. Thematic content analysis was used to analyze data. The main findings were that nurses perceive their occupational stress arising from shortage of staff and limited and inadequate equipment. This resulted in fatigue, and a high rate of absenteeism. Nurses in this hospital reported that they experience trauma due to the nature of their work with little visible and accessible formal debriefings, trauma counseling and Employee Wellness Programmes in place to assist them with stress management for traumatic experiences and other work related problems. Working conditions are perceived as unfavorable and unsafe, exposing them to health hazards, while simultaneously having to deal with frustrated patients and relatives.
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    Going green : looking at the impact of 'green' buildings on organisational outcomes.
    (2013-08-08) Alli, Aneesa
    The aim of this study was to determine the impact that Indoor Environmental Quality (IEQ) design features of green buildings, have on specific organisational outcomes. The organisational outcomes investigated were physical wellbeing, psychological wellbeing, productivity, absenteeism and job satisfaction. These outcomes were investigated within two different green buildings, belonging to a large financial institution, situated in Johannesburg and Durban. Self-report questionnaires were distributed to employees via email inviting them to participate in the study. The questionnaires contained the Warwick-Edinburg Mental Wellbeing Scale (WEMWBS), the Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) questions, and single-item questions measuring productivity and job satisfaction. Actual absenteeism records were obtained of the participating sample from the organisation. Measures were taken before the participants moved into each of the green buildings and 12 months post occupancy in the green buildings. Measures of a comparison group that did not move into either of the green buildings were also taken at the same time periods. The final sample consisted of 175 participants. The results of this study illustrated significant differences in physical wellbeing and productivity of the participants in the green building situated in Durban. Both these measures increased 12 months post occupancy in the green building. The IEQ design features that were found to most significantly impact wellbeing and productivity within the two green buildings were lighting and air conditions. This research is important as there is a growing movement towards implementing green building design initiatives, however in order to be truly effective, the benefits of green building designs must extend beyond the benefits to the environment and also consider the benefits to its occupants (Heerwagen, 2000).