The profille of anaesthetic nurses in selected public hospitals in Gauteng
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Date
2016
Authors
Nkuna, Amanda Vutomi
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Abstract
Background: Modern anaesthesia has become very safe with an estimated mortality of
about one death in every 50 000 procedures. Rates of preventable morbidity associated
with anaesthesia are, however, much higher than this. The presence of a trained
anaesthetic assistant has been shown to improve the safety of anaesthesia. A review of
the literature revealed no studies determining the demographic and educational profile of
anaesthetic nurses in South Africa.
Objectives: The objectives of this study were to describe the demographic and
educational profiles, the other roles fulfilled by anaesthetic nurses and availability of
anaesthetic nurses in selected public hospitals of Gauteng.
Method: A descriptive, prospective, exploratory study was done in seven selected public
hospitals in Gauteng. The data were collected from the operating theatre nursing
managers of the selected hospitals. The data collected included the anaesthetic nurse
demographics and educational profiles, the other roles they fulfil and general information.
Results: Information relating to one hundred and thirty five (n=135) anaesthetic nurses
was obtained. The majority (96%) of nurses were females. The mean age (SD) of
anaesthetic nurses was 38.1 (8.2) years, ranging from 24 to 59 years. The median years
of theatre experience of the anaesthetic nurses was 6 years, ranging from 1 month to 26
years. The majority (80%) of anaesthetic nurses has less than 10 years’ experience. Of
the 135 anaesthetic nurses, 115 (85%) were enrolled nurses and 20 (15%) were
registered nurses. Only two registered nurses had done an anaesthetic course. The other
roles fulfilled by anaesthetic nurses in theatre of selected hospitals were recovery room
nursing, floor nursing and as scrub nurses. None of the hospitals used agency nurses.
Only one hospital had an anaesthetic nurse available for every theatre case.
Conclusion: Suitably trained and competent anaesthetic nurses to assist the anaesthetist
as stipulated by South African Society of Anaesthesiologists are not readily available in
the public hospitals included in the study.
Description
A research report submitted to the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the
Witwatersrand, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of
Medicine in Anaesthesia, Johannesburg, 2016