Unisa Press Journals (University of South Africa)
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The Association between Nurses’ Quality of Work Life and Moral Distress: A Cross-Sectional Study in Rasht, Iran
No full textNurses play a crucial role in delivering healthcare services, emphasising the need for healthcare managers to prioritise their well-being. The quality of work life (QWL) is a significant factor influencing the recruitment and retention of nurses. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between the QWL and moral distress among nurses working in educational-remedial hospitals in Rasht, Iran. This cross-sectional analytical study utilised multi-stage sampling to survey all nurses in educational-remedial hospitals in Rasht, excluding those in ICUs, and in administrative, educational and research roles. A structured questionnaire was employed as the primary data collection tool, with data analysis conducted using SPSS version 16. The study found that over 50% of nurses reported a QWL below the mean. Significant correlations were observed between the QWL and variables, such as age (r = 0.349, p < 0.001); work experience (r = 0.319, p < 0.001); marital status (p = 0.036); level of education (p = 0.023); work shifts (p < 0.001); employment status (p < 0.001); and work position (p = 0.014). Additionally, the nurses’ moral distress levels were generally low, with a notable negative correlation between the nurses’ total QWL score and total moral distress scores (rS = –0.305, p < 0.001). The findings suggest that nurses experiencing moral distress due to executing unnecessary physician orders; ineffective team communication; and providing futile patient care are likely to face diminished QWL. Moreover, heightened moral distress levels can contribute to a decline in overall job satisfaction and well-being among nurses
Nurses’ Knowledge and Perceptions of the New Nursing Qualification Framework at a Public Hospital in Gauteng
No full textBackground: A significant change in the landscape of the nursing qualification framework was implemented in 2019. There have been concerns and anxiety by the nursing fraternity about the change process from the legacy programmes to the new curriculum framework and qualifications for nursing. Anecdotal evidence indicated misconceptions about the new nursing qualification framework and nurses voicing their concerns about how it would affect their career progression.
Purpose: Therefore, the study aims to explore and describe nurses’ knowledge and perceptions about the nursing qualification framework to support change and facilitate smooth progression between legacy and new nursing qualifications.
Methods: The study was conducted at a tertiary hospital in the public sector in a suburban area in Gauteng. The research design was qualitative and descriptive. A purposive sampling method was used. Data saturation was reached with 15 participants. The self-report method was used for data collection using semi-structured individual interviews, and data were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The research process was guided by ethical principles and measures to ensure trustworthiness.
Findings: Two significant themes emerged from the collected data. The results indicated that the participants showed limited knowledge of the National Qualification Framework, which are the new nursing programmes being introduced and the recognition of prior learning. Overall, the participants perceived implementing the new nursing qualification framework negatively.
Conclusions: To successfully implement the new qualifications, ongoing communication that addresses the scope of practice, financial implications, ensuring adequate support for professional development and facilitating collegiality amongst different nursing categories will be required
Migrants and Martyrs in Eastern Africa: A Historical Engagement: 2023 CONFERENCE OF THE CHURCH HISTORY SOCIETY OF SOUTHERN AFRICA
No full textThe article explores the nature of “migrants” (temporal residents) and “martyrs” in East African Christianity from a historico-analytical design. It samples six cases of martyrdom, largely from the East African coast, to demonstrate the thin line between martyrs and migrants. An analysis of Bakongo Christianity, which was mooted in the sixteenth century, shows the legacy of “migrant” Portuguese who provided the first Christian martyr (John Robello) in Eastern Africa in 1585. In the course of engaging the sixteenth century and the nineteenth century attempts at Christianising Eastern Africa, the article brings out various forms of Christian martyrs, including the Mau Mau martyrs of the 1950s, during Kenya’s struggle for independence. It also brings out other forms of martyrs from non-Christian faiths. Hence, it cites the African indigenous religion, Islamic, and Christian martyrs. In sampling some cases of martyrdom, the article endeavours to ask: Is martyrdom the real test of faith, or is it the normal route for all “migrants” across the religio-social divides? Hypothetically, it argues that although some church historians ascribe the initial emergence and survival of Christianity in Eastern Africa to the nineteenth century European missionary explosion, it is the sixteenth century Portuguese migrants who first introduced a contextual form of Christianity in East Africa that survived through to the twentieth century despite experiencing a hotchpotch of challenges, where martyrdom formed one of the critical ones
The Evolution and Doctrinal Transformations of New Religious Movements Deriving from Catholicism in Zimbabwe
No full textThis article delves into the emergence and doctrinal evolution of New Religious Movements (NRMs) in Zimbabwe, particularly those with roots in the Catholic tradition, exemplified by Prophetic Healing and Deliverance (PHD) Ministries, Grace Oasis Ministries (GOM), and Emmaus Encounter (EE). These movements, founded by individuals with Catholic backgrounds, illustrate a significant doctrinal shift from traditional Catholic teachings to a distinct emphasis on prosperity, miraculous healings, and personalised prophecy. The study explores how the concept of confirmation, initially a rite of spiritual maturation in Catholicism, is reinterpreted in these NRMs as a divine endorsement for leadership roles. The article critically examines these movements\u27 departure from Catholic doctrines of suffering and prophecy towards a theology centred on immediate prosperity and direct divine communication, highlighting the broader implications for religious identity and practice in the Zimbabwean context
“Taking the Road Less Travelled”: Exploring the Work and Family Demands of Women in the Trucking Industry
No full textEmployee well-being is of primary concern for organisations. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, there have been various research interests among organisational scholars on the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic on employee well-being and their work experience during this time. In this study, we investigated the implications of work and family demands on the well-being of women in the South African transport and logistics industry towards the tail end of the pandemic. There is a need to understand the work and family demands that displace women in the trucking industry, more so to understand such practices towards the return to work and normality after the pandemic. Work and family demands are at the centre of employees’ lives, and women are faced with a dual role when compared to their male counterparts. We followed a qualitative research approach and sampled 12 women from a large transport and logistics organisation in South Africa using non-probability purposive sampling. The selected sample included participants from various job categories, at job levels ranging from unskilled workers to senior-management level. We employed thematic analysis to analyse the data. The research results indicate that work and family demands affect the physical and psychological well-being of women employees. The well-being of employees forms an integral part of organisations. The employment relations and human resources departments should therefore adopt a strategic approach to ensuring employees’ well-being is positioned at the top of their departmental list as a focus point of activities
Exploring Strategies for Rebranding of Technical and Vocational Education in Developing Countries: A Case of Ghanaian Tutors and Administrators
No full textDespite the persistent request from educational stakeholders to embrace technical and vocational education training (TVET) for sustainable livelihood and development, enrolment in TVET institutions in developing countries is still very low. This study, therefore, seeks to explore factors for the rebranding of TVET in Ghana. This quantitative study proposed five key strategies to be adopted in rebranding TVET in Ghana: government; training providers; parents and guardians; donor and development partners; and employer-related rebranding strategies. The study reveals that governmental strategies perceived to be critical in the rebranding of TVET in Ghana include offering legislative backing to national TVET policy, mainstreaming vocational education into the general education system, and setting up venture capital to support TVET graduates. Trainers should develop business plans to support training activities, networking, and benchmarking with other providers, and establish strong linkages and collaboration with employers and industry. The findings of this study are critical to the development of Ghana and other developing countries as TVET significantly contributes to developing the skill base of any country and increases the employment rate. Rebranding TVET is a step in the right direction towards implementing government policies
Peace Studies, Knowledge and Learner Achievement
No full textAll conscientious school leaders as well as parents aspire for peaceful schools where knowledge about peace will thrive, and role-players will be conscious human rights. Research has demonstrated that when learners have learnt about peace they are able to reshape their thinking as they consciously build optimism about the world. Arguably, all countries would embrace schools that promote peace within the curriculum. Yet, apart from promoting reflection and dialogue on peace, few studies have examined the link between peace and learner achievement. As such this study examined the impact of peace studies on learner achievement. The qualitative study was conducted in four high schools that had been riddled by violence over a period of two years. Teachers in these schools had undergone informal peace training in attempts to lessen violence. The findings revealed that learners learned about handling conflicts, understanding the concept of good values as well as respect and knowledge. It was also found that learners whose schools have run critical programmes in peace studies are likely to use positive school climate, useful knowledge, and maximisation of positive learner behavior for their success. Peace may therefore be a little recognised factor that may support learner success and minimise the dropout rates. Finally, the study showed that peace and progress go hand in hand when teachers and their learners do not have to focus on addressing violence. The schools become more prosperous when they use stability to enhance a positive climate and promote peace and learners’ achievement.
 
The Role of the Royal Family in Transforming the Institution of Traditional Leadership in South Africa
No full textThis article focuses on the institutional role of the royal family in the promotion of the transformative aspirations of the new dawn of democracy, particularly the right to gender equality within the institution of traditional leadership. The article argues that the royal family is foundational to the regulation of traditional authority regarding the pursuit of the principles of non-discrimination to ensure the preservation of the identity of the institution of traditional leadership. The argument is limited to the institution that follows the patriarchal system of governance with ascension to the throne that is restricted to males only and not on matrilineal systems, regency, or any other leadership position that is available within the institution. The focus is triggered by the constitutionalised status of customary law that has subjected the institution of traditional leadership under intense constitutional scrutiny for its compliance with the transformative ideals of the constitutional dispensation. Such scrutiny is grounded by the Constitution, 1996 which is contextualised by the adoption of the Traditional Leadership and Khoisan Act 3 of 2019 (National Act), which gave the institution affirmative responsibilities to promote principles of equality and non-discrimination. This role is of keen interest, particularly with the judicial developments that have opened opportunities for women within royal households to ascend to the throne. These opportunities then raise a question regarding the preservation of the institutional identity of the traditional community
The Separation of Powers and Judicial Independence in South Africa: A Theoretical Critique
No full textSection 165(2) of the South African Constitution of 1996 proclaims the independence of the courts. This principle is predicated on the philosophical notion of separation of powers prominently adopted in democratic countries like South Africa (SA). Separation of powers and the behavioural demands on judgeship have produced a general conception that the judiciary is independent; even of politics. This is not the case, politics and judiciary are inseparable since they both seek to achieve the same political objectives. This article adopts Critical Legal Theory (CLT) with historical and philosophical analysis to theoretically repudiate the generalisation. This is a qualitative study and has identified a gap in SA constitutional scholarship regarding interrogating the concept of judicial independence. Resolving this issue the article contends that politics are innate to the judiciary. This reasoning stems from the interrogation of the classical development of the “separation of powers”, and the principle of judicial independence. As a complex phenomenon, judicial independence here is not being explored institutionally and administratively. Rather, it is probed from its conceptual premises. Through court judgments, court activism, and South Africa’s history of constitutional development, the article determines that the judiciary and the law in SA are innate in politics. The intent is to disabuse scholarship from accepting the generalisation of the principle of judicial independence. This is not an anti-constitution critique, but a belief/notion that if adjudicators are not strangled with “judicial independence” general narrative, the courts will expedite the constitutions’ transformative objectives
Who Are They? An Overview of the Traits Used to Describe Millennial Librarians in Academic Libraries in Limpopo, South Africa
No full textAlongside tackling technological trends, libraries have the responsibility to gratify millennial librarians as their employees. This requires libraries to have an understanding of who millennial librarians are to be in a better position to have a better working relationship with them. Hence, this study investigated the traits of millennial librarians in academic libraries. The objectives of the study were to determine the traits of millennial librarians in academic libraries in Limpopo, South Africa and to propose a framework to help libraries to transform their practices in alignment with the current workforce needs. A post-positivist research paradigm was adopted and both quantitative and qualitative methods were used. Purposive sampling was used and the study’s target population were librarians and heads of libraries at the University of Limpopo (UL) Turfloop Campus library, University of Venda (Univen) library, and the University of South Africa (Unisa), Polokwane Campus library. Data were collected using questionnaires, interviews, and observations. Data were analysed using descriptive statistical analysis and thematic analysis. The results reveal that millennial librarians are confident users of technology; they use technology to satisfy users’ needs and they innovatively share knowledge and information through technology. In addition, the results reveal that millennial librarians are cooperative team players, and they appreciate and respect managers who provide them with a platform to share and express their ideas. The study concluded that millennial librarians are users and admirers of technology. Moreover, millennial librarians like sharing their ideas, are innovative, require a good work-life balance, and are flexible.