'n Model vir die pro-aktiewe en remediërende fasilitering van professionele en persoonlike groei by verpleegkundestudente deur doelgerigte mentorskap

Abstract

Health-care delivery personnel are increasingly subjected to pressure to comply with the changing health care needs of different sub-cultures within societies. This demand has the effect that in addition to other categories of health care personnel, sufficient numbers of professional nurses must be made available. This research was undertaken as a result of the observation by the researcher that the majority of undergraduate Nursing students entering the profession with enthusiasm and apparent dedication show increased physical fatigue, apparent demoralisation and loss of interest in the profession, phenomena that manifest themselves largely during the third year of study. In spite of successful completion of the programme they do not maintain an interest in nursing as a profession. The objectives of this study were two-fold. Firstly, the perceptions of the undergraduate Nursing students with regard to the academic and clinical demands made on them by the nursing profession were explored, described and interpreted. A second objective was to develop a model by means of which pro-active and remedial facilitation of professional and personal growth in undergraduate Nursing students could be undertaken through purposive accompaniment and support. A non-probability, purposive and voluntary sampling technique was used for the selection of the respondents. An independent facilitator collected the data by means of focus group interviews. A qualitative research design, together with a grounded theory method and the implementation of the coding techniques of Strauss and Corbin (1990) were used to analyse the data. The data were transcribed, integrated with the field notes and encoded with the aid of a co-encoder. The preliminary concepts were verified with the respondents to confirm the findings. No predetermined conceptual framework was utilised. The open-encoding technique was used during the initial stage of data analysis in order to conceptualise the data. During axial coding, the paradigm model was used to re-organise the data in a new way according to categories, sub-categories and further categories. A literature study to confirm the findings of axial coding, followed by a further in-depth literature study to indicate possible actions/interactions to utilize as strategies for accompaniment and support was undertaken. Selective encoding was used to identify the central category to define it as facilitating mentorship. The rest of the categories were further divided into subcategories. The conceptual image of the reality which transpired was then used to develop a potential visual model for facilitating mentorship. According to the findings, two main groups of undergraduate Nursing students were identified. The majority group had insufficient professional competence and personal life skills, with only a minority of respondents displaying adequate professional competence and personal life skills to manage the programme expectations and demands in order to attain programme-congruent professional and personal growth. It transpired from the research findings that facilitating mentorship should be undertaken interdependently among undergraduate Nursing students, mentors and the organisational management. The accompaniment and support that are provided to undergraduate Nursing students with regard to both the professional and personal aspects of nursing education seem to be inadequate. Different factors hamper the responsibility of mentors to provide accompaniment and support to such an extent that far-reaching changes and a paradigm shift with regard to mentorship are required. Recommendations for the operationalisation of facilitating mentorship in nursing education, nursing practice as well as research are provided. The potential visual model is being developed with the aim of undertaking the professional and personal aspects of accompaniment and support on an equal basis.