UNAM Gā-aisib Repository (University of Namibia)
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Investigating the impact of emotional intelligence and job satisfaction on work engagement and burnout of employees in the public sector, Windhoek
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Masters of Arts (Industrial psychology)The public sector is required to have a diverse, competent, and well-managed workforce that is capable and committed to delivering quality services to the Namibian people. In helping achieve this, the purpose of this study was to identify whether emotional intelligence and job satisfaction have an impact on employee work engagement and burnout. Further examination of whether work engagement and burnout are experienced differently according to sex, age, tenure, rank, number of dependants, educational qualification, and marital status was also undertaken. The focus is on public service employees specifically from the offices of the: Ministry of Labour, Industrial Relations and Employment Creation; the Ministry of Industrialisation and Trade, and the Ministry of Finance in Windhoek. The convenience sampling technique was used, with the data collected from 130 employees. The study took on a quantitative approach by making use of questionnaires. The Emotional Intelligence Questionnaire (EQQ) was used to measure emotional intelligence; the Job Satisfaction Survey (JSS) measured job satisfaction; the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale (UWES-9) measured work engagement and the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) was used to measure burnout. The Cronbach Alpha, the Pearson correlation and, Kruskal-Wallis test were used to analyse the data. The study found a positive correlation between emotional intelligence with burnout (r=.10, p < 0.05) and work engagement (r= .21, p < 0.05), as well as a positive correlation between job satisfaction with burnout (r= .07, p < 0.05) and work engagement (r= .25, p < 0.05). Overall, emotional intelligence and job satisfaction have a positive correlation with work engagement and burnout. An emotionally intelligent and satisfied employee can become more engaged and can experience burnout. The study also reported that the variance in combined burnout is experienced differently based on sex, yet combined burnout and combined work engagement are not experienced differently based on age, number of years in the industry, marital status, number of dependants, highest qualification, and management level. The study recommends that human resources improve emotional intelligence and job satisfaction to influence employee engagement and burnout. Through emotional intelligence training and assessments, constant evaluation of job satisfaction and work engagement through surveys and regular practical day-to-day engagement activities. Introduce effective ii wellness programs and interventions to aid employees to cope with none work-related stress or demands. Further research is needed to further evaluate the experiences of burnout and work engagement with sex, age, tenure, rank, number of dependants, educational qualification and, marital status that was found
A model for nurses to facilitate supportive care to men diagnosed with prostate cancer and their families in the intermediate hospital Oshakati: A hospital based approach
No full textA dissertation submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Nursing ScienceNamibia appears to have no existing guidelines to facilitate supportive care for men
diagnosed with prostate cancer (PCa) in the oncology departments at the Intermediate Hospital Oshakati (IHO). In King et al.’s (2015) opinion it is crucial for healthcare workers involved in delivering care for men diagnosed with PCa and their families to maximise their quality of life through supportive care. The purpose of this study was to develop a model for nurses to facilitate supportive care for men diagnosed with PCa and their families at the IHO.
The study adopted a pragmatic worldview to achieve its objectives. In applying a pragmatic paradigm, the researcher adopted a convergent, parallel, mixed methods study, employing both a quantitative, descriptive, cross-sectional and a qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design. The study was conducted in four phases of theory generation, as proposed by Chinn and Kramer (2018): Phase 1 comprised an analysis of concepts based on five research objectives that correspond with the five elements of the study population, namely, published research materials on PCa, nurses, men diagnosed with PCa, family members of men diagnosed with PCa, and oncology departments at the IHO. Qualitative data were collected by means of a scoping review and in depth, individual, face-to-face interviews with 11 men, 7 family members and 14 nurses in order to explore and describe (1) best practices for the supportive care provided by nurses in the oncology departments for men diagnosed with PCa and their families, (2) the experiences of men diagnosed with PCa of the supportive care received from nurses in oncology departments, (3) the experiences of the families of men diagnosed with PCa of supportive care received from nurses in oncology departments, and (4) the experiences of nurses in facilitating supportive care for men diagnosed with PCa and their families in the oncology departments. A non-probability purposive sampling method was used to select information rich participants. All responses were audio taped and transcribed verbatim.
Qualitative data were manually analysed by means of content analysis, using the Tesch’s eight steps of open coding. The following themes and sub-themes were accordingly identified: two themes and eight sub-themes for objective 1, two themes and seven sub-themes for objective 2, two themes and four sub-themes for objective 3, and three themes and six sub-themes for objective 4. Each theme was discussed, verified with direct quotations from the interviews and supported by relevant and appropriate literature. Quantitative data were collected using a five-point Likert scale questionnaire to assess the oncology departments in terms of facilitating supportive care for men diagnosed with PCa and their families. Thirty-five registered nurses answered the questionnaires. Quantitative data were analysed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences, version 25 (SPSS-25). The study revealed that men diagnosed with PCa are rarely offered psychological and spiritual support to enable them to cope more successfully with the hardships they face after being diagnosed with the disease.
Nurses, for their part, experience various interventions regarding supportive care, as well as a shortage of resources, the lack of a conducive environment and a lack of support, as well as barriers that hinder the facilitation of supportive care for men and family. On the other hand, family members of men with PCa felt devalued in the healthcare system, as they were often excluded from decision-making regarding treatment. The findings also reveal a lack of psychological and spiritual supportive care by nurses for families.
In phase 2, a conceptual framework based on Dickoff et al.’s (1968) practice oriented theory and the four main concepts gleaned from the concept analysis (support, physical, social, psychological and spiritual support) was developed. In phase 3 of the study, the model for nurses to facilitate supportive care for men diagnosed with PCa and their families in IHO was developed. The model was developed based on four theories, namely: practice oriented theory, systems theory, holistic theory and the nursing process theory. The model was described in line with the five descriptive components, as proposed by Chinn and Kramer (2018), namely, purpose, concepts, definitions, relationships, structure and assumptions. Each component of the model was described in terms of the way it contributes to the purpose of the model. The model was evaluated in accordance with the criteria for evaluating the nursing model, as proposed by Fawcett (2005) and Parse (2005). In phase 4, guidelines for operationalising the model were developed to provide direction for nurses and members of the multidisciplinary team involved in the model facilitation process. The guidelines were developed in terms of aims and activities to address the challenges and barriers that hinder the facilitation of supportive care for men diagnosed with PCa in health facilities. Based on the study findings, recommendations are made in terms of nursing practice, nursing education, and nursing research
Spatial distribution and diversity of soft-bottom benthic invertebrates from demersal trawl surveys off the coast of Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science (Fisheries and Aquatic sciences)This study assessed the spatial distribution and diversity of soft-bottom benthic invertebrates collected during the Ministry of Fisheries and Marine Resources' annual monkfish, hake, and deep-sea red crab demersal surveys for the years 2018-2020, along the northern, central, and southern coast of Namibia. The study aimed to determine the spatial distribution and diverse composition of soft-bottom benthic invertebrates as affected by environmental factors such as depth, latitude, and temperature. 324 trawls were sampled, resulting in the identification of 130 taxa belonging to 17 classes, namely Arthropoda (44 species), Mollusca (33 species), Echinodermata (28 species), Cnidaria (23 species), Porifera (5 species), Annelida (4 species), Chordata (2 species), Sipuncula (1 species) and Bryozoa (1 species). The diversity of benthic invertebrate taxa along Namibia's coast was found to increase in a south-to-north direction. High abundances of arthropods were observed in the northern region, whilst ascidians dominated the central region, and Brissopsis lyrifera capensis and Suberites dandelenae in the south. In terms of depth, relatively high taxa richness was observed between the inner and middle shelf (101 - 400 m). Benthic invertebrate diversity distribution across regions and depths varied for each survey. For the monkfish survey, diversity was significantly different across regions (Kruskal test = 5.79; df = 2; SD = 0.44; p < 0.01) but was not significant across depths (Kruskal test = 1.23; df = 7; SD = 0.44; p = 0.36). From the hake survey, diversity was significant across both, region (Kruskal test = 35.24; df = 2; SD = 0.55; p < 0.001) and depth (Kruskal test = 17.78; df = 6; SD = 0.55; p < 0.007). The crab survey, diversity overlap across the regions (Kruskal test = 4.46; df = 3; SD = 0.33; p = 0.32) and depths (Kruskal test = 6.36; df = 3; SD = 0.33; p = 0.95). x The PERMANOVA test revealed a significant difference in the community structure across regions (Pseudo-F = 9.09, p < 0.001) and depths (Pseudo-F = 10.34, p < 0.001). DistLM of the environmental factors showed a weak correlation with the benthic invertebrate assemblage overall AICs reveal depth and latitude were strong predictor variables in the taxa assemblage. The study provides important information on taxonomic composition, spatial distribution, and abundance of benthic invertebrates along the Namibian coast. This thesis contributes a comprehensive assessment of offshore benthic invertebrate community structure and can be used to further inform marine conservation and spatial planning assessments along the Namibian coast
Knowledge, attitudes and practice of patients diagnosed with diabetes regarding diabetic self-care management in intermediate Rundu hospital, Kavango east region
No full textA thesis submitted in fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Nursing ScienceDiabetes is a chronic disease that occurs either when the pancreas does not produce enough insulin or when the body cannot effectively use the insulin it produces. The majority of people with diabetes have type 2 diabetes. The study aimed to assess the level of knowledge, attitudes and practice of self-care management among patients diagnosed with diabetes at Rundu Intermediate Hospital. A quantitative, cross-sectional and analytic study was conducted among patients diagnosed with diabetes. Self-reporting questionnaires were used to collect data from 198 participants diagnosed with diabetes mellitus at Rundu Intermediate hospital. The data were analysed using SPSS version 25. Chi-squared test was used to analyse the possible associations among variables. The study findings indicated that the majority of respondents were female 125 (63%) and belonged to the age group of 60 and above 76 (38.4%). Most, 91 (47%), of the patients were uneducated, 115 (58.5%) on oral medications. 79 (39.9%), were on insulin and only 4 (2%) were on both oral medication and insulin. Almost half, 97 (49%) of patients had adequate knowledge regarding self-care management mainly on domains such as meal plan 184 (92.9%), medication-taking 195 (98.5%), and physical exercise 112 (56.6%). However, 154 (77.8%) had inadequate knowledge of diabetic foot care. The study revealed average attitudes 113 (57.4%) toward self-care management. Poor practice was observed in glucose monitoring 111 (59%). The study found a highly significant association knowledge among participants with university and secondary education levels. Finally, he study found a significant association between age, education level and employment status with the practice of self-care management of diabetes p-<0.05. Awareness creation to the community through health education should be emphasised on lifestyle changes, physical exercise, and foot care, cessation of smoking and healthy dietary habits
The effects of prebiotics on the growth performance and gastrointestinal microflora modulation in oreochromis mossambicus in Hardap region, Namibia
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Science (Microbiology)Aquaculture across the world is growing exponentially, and has certainly gained popularity among small scale farmers in Namibia. Aquaculture aims to take on the increasing demand of fish as a food source in light of depleting fish stocks in natural water systems. Therefore, studies aiming to improve aquaculture production in eco-friendly and sustainable ways, such as, adopting measures that improve fish performance and health are necessary, for example, the use of feed additives such as prebiotics, probiotics and synbiotics. This study aimed to investigate the prebiotic effect of dietary inulin and Termitomyces schimperi mushroom powder incorporated in fish feed on the growth performance and modulation of gastrointestinal microflora in Oreochromis mossambicus. Three experimental diets; inulin, inulin+ mushroom and control were made at 1% dry weight of feed inclusion level. Furthermore, initial and final body mass and daily feed consumption records were used to determine growth performance and feed utilization parameters; while fish tissue samples were used to determine proximate composition analyses. 16S metagenomics sequencing of the bacterial communities available in the intestinal samples were carried out on Illumina Miseq with primers targeting the V3-V4 region of ribosomal ribonucleic acid (rRNA). The results of this study showed that the weight gain rate (WGR) and specific growth rate (SGR) of fish fed the control diet (152.59 ± 9.61 & 2.15 ± 0.09 respectively) were significantly higher (P value ≤ 0.05) than those fed the inulin diet (117.25 ± 6.20 & 1.80 ± 0.07 respectively). However, the results indicated that there were no significant differences (P values ≥ 0.05) among the experimental diets in terms of feed conversion ratio (FCR), survival rate (SR), fat, moisture, ash and protein contents. The colony-forming units (CFU) in the inulin group ii (3.54 ± 0.05 log 10 CFU/g) were significantly lower (P value ≤ 0.05) than the control group (3.54 ± 0.05 log 10 CFU/g). On the other hand, it was discovered that I group showed higher alpha and beta diversity indexes in comparison to the control and inulin + mushroom groups. Typical examples of phyla identified include Firmicutes, Actinobacteria, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes. At the genus level, relative abundance showed higher variation in the most abundant genera between samples. This study established that the inclusion of inulin and T. schimperi powder had no significant effect on the growth performance and proximate composition of O. mossambicus. On the other hand, the inclusion of inulin powder resulted in the reduction of viable gut microbiota counts in culture dependent methods, as well as higher alpha & beta diversity indices in culture independent methods in comparison to mushroom powder and the control. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study to document the inclusion of T. schimperi powder as a prebiotic in fish feed. This study recommends the incorporation of prebiotics in fish feed before extrusion to ensure homogeneity of prebiotics and feed mixture. In addition, future studies should consider doing stress challenges to the fish to test the health benefit (resistance to stress) of fish fed with prebiotics. Moreover, further sequence analyses are recommended to identify the amplicon sequence variants (ASVs) without taxonomic classification in this study
Assessing the impact of climate change on crop productivity of subsistence farmers in Namibia: A case study of the Omusati region
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Business Administration Natural Resource ManagementClimate change, one of the challenges facing the world today, is increasingly affecting people’s livehood in the Omusati Regionlike other developing countries. The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of climate change on crop
production for subsistence farmers in the Omusati region. The study was based on
quantitative methodological approaches. Data was collected through questionnaires
with structured questions that were administered to 100 house head farmers, randomly selected from the Etayi and Elim constituencies. Descriptive research design was used to determine the impact of climate change on crop yield productivity, adaptation and mitigation. The study findings also revealed that subsistence farmers experienced prolonged drought and floods as the main factor affecting crop production. Drought and floods often lead to low crop yields and high crop failure. Subsistence farmers in the Omusati Regionare vulnerable as they have limited adaptive strategies to withstand climate change. This could be due to lack of information, labour, time and financial resources. It is recommended to increase farmers’ knowledge regarding climate change so as to reduce the effect of climate change on crop production. Therefore, initiatives should be taken to improve farmer perceptions and adaptation through the involvement of farmer organisations, extension officers, policy makers and the farmers themselves
Evaluation of the effect of 2.5 IU vs 5 IU oxytocin on uterine tone during elective caesarean section at Windhoek hospital complex: A double-blind randomized controlled clinical study
No full textA thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirement for the Degree of Master of Medicine (Anaesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Management)Introduction: Oxytocin is routinely administered during caesarean delivery to initiate and maintain uterine tone (UT) after delivery of the baby. It reduces blood loss thus preventing postpartum haemorrhage (PPH). However higher doses of oxytocin are associated with unwanted side effects namely; cardiovascular effects, headache as well as nausea and vomiting. However, the optimal dose of oxytocin at caesarean delivery remains ambiguous among various official bodies. This study compared the effect of two doses of oxytocin 2.5 IU vs 5 IU on uterine tone, haemodynamic changes, blood loss and side effects.
Methodology: A double-blinded, randomized controlled clinical study was conducted at Windhoek Teaching Hospitals Complex. Eighty (80) parturients undergoing elective caesarean section under spinal anaesthesia received an intravenous bolus of either 2.5 IU (n=40) or 5 IU (n=40) of oxytocin after delivery followed by an infusion of 5 IU/hr. Uterine tone, haemodynamic changes, side effects and blood loss were compared between the two groups. The two groups were statistically compared using a two-sided, independent samples t-test with a P-value set at 0.05 (5%) critical level of significance using the per-protocol analysis. Results: The two groups were comparable in terms of demographic characteristics. Parturients in both study groups had adequate uterine tone at 3 minutes with a median (SD) score of 3.28(0.51) for the 2.5 IU group and 3.20(0.56) for the 5 IU group. A rapid increase in heart rate (HR) was seen in the 5 IU group with a mean increase of 17(17) and 12(16) beats/min at 1 min and 2 min with a p-value of 0.000 and 0.005 respectively. Higher incidence of nausea, headache and chest pain (40%, 25%, 15%) were noted in the ii 5 IU group compared to (15%, 2.5%, 0%) in the 2.5 group. Blood loss did not differ among the two groups.
Conclusion: 2.5 IU of oxytocin bolus was compared and non-inferior to 5 IU oxytocin bolus in initiating and maintaining adequate uterine tone and it was associated with fewer haemodynamic changes and other adverse effects
Cowpea production challenges and contribution to livelihood in Sub-Sahara region
No full textAbstract
Cowpea [Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.] is an important grain legume mainly grown in tropical and subtropical regions for vegetables, grains, and fodder. The crop is grown predominantly in the dry savannahs to the Sahel in the fringes of the Sahara Desert where the annual rainfall is around 300 mm or less. Cowpea provides shelter as a cover crop and improves soil fertility by fixing atmospheric nitrogen. Its grain is preferred for high levels of protein, energy, micro-and macronutrients. Cowpea belongs to the family Fabaceae and sub-family Faboidea, and it is a self-pollinating crop with low and narrow genetic diversity, making it susceptible to various environmental factors. Various research projects have been established on cowpea, and as a result, various cowpea germplasm is stored at Africa International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA)—Nigeria, the USDA repository in Griffin, GA (USA), the University of California, Riverside, CA (USA), and at the National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR) in New Delhi, India. Despite the availa-
ble germplasms, cowpea productivity remains very low in many countries due to a wide array of abiotic and biotic stresses and socio-economic constraints. This review summarizes some aspects of cowpea, including origin and history, challenges, economic importance, and constraints to production, providing possible useful information for cowpea researchers, agronomists, and producers in SSA
Research data management practices at the University of Namibia: moving towards adoption
No full textThe management of research data in academic institutions is increasing across most disciplines. In Namibia, the requirement to manage research data, making it available for the purposes of sharing, preservation and to support research findings, has not yet been mandated. At the University of Namibia (UNAM) there is no institutional research datamanagement (RDM) culture, yet RDM may nevertheless be practiced among itsresearchers. The extent to which these practices have been adopted is, however, not known.This study investigated the extent of RDM adoption by researchers at UNAM. It identifiescurrent or potential challenges in managing research data, and proposes solutions to someof these challenges that could aid the university as it attempts to encourage the adoption ofRDM practices. The investigation used Rogers’ Diffusion of Innovations (DOI) theory, witha focus on the innovation-decision process, as a means to establish where UNAM researchers are in the process of adopting RDM practices. The population under study were the UNAM faculty members who conduct research as part of their academic duties.Questionnaires were used to gather quantitative data. The study found that someresearchers practice RDM to some extent out of their own free will, but there are manychallenges that hinder these practices. Overall, though, there is a lack of interest in RDMas the knowledge of the concept among researchers is relatively low. The study found thatmost researchers were at the knowledge stage of the innovation-decision process andrecommended, among other things, that the university puts effort into creating RDMawareness and encouraging data sharing, and that it moves forward with infrastructure andpolicy development so that RDM can be fully adopted by the researchers of the institutio
Photocatalytic degradation of rhodamine B dye and hydrogen evolution by hydrothermally synthesized NaBH4-Spiked ZnS Nanostructures.
No full textMetal sulphides, including zinc sulphide (ZnS), are semiconductor photocatalysts that have been investigated for the photocatalytic degradation of organic pollutants as well as their activity during the hydrogen evolution reaction and water splitting. However, devising ZnS photocatalysts with a high overall quantum efficiency has been a challenge due to the rapid recombination rates of charge carriers. Various strategies, including the control of size and morphology of ZnS nanoparticles, have been proposed to overcome these drawbacks. In this work, ZnS samples with different morphologies were prepared from zinc and sulphur powders via a facile hydrothermal method by varying the amount of sodium borohydride used as a reducing agent. The structural properties of the ZnS nanoparticles were analysed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. All-electron hybrid density functional theory calculations were employed to elucidate the effect of sulphur and zinc vacancies occurring in the bulk as well as (220) surface on the overall electronic properties and absorption of ZnS. Considerable differences in the defect level positions were observed between the bulk and surface of ZnS while the adsorption of NaBH4 was found to be highly favourable but without any significant effect on the band gap of ZnS. The photocatalytic activity of ZnS was evaluated for the degradation of rhodamine B dye under UV irradiation and hydrogen generation from water. The ZnS nanoparticles photo-catalytically degraded Rhodamine B dye effectively, with the sample containing 0.01 mol NaBH4 being the most efficient. The samples also showed activity for hydrogen evolution, but with less H2 produced compared to when untreated samples of ZnS were used. These findings suggest that ZnS nanoparticles are effective photocatalysts for the degradation of rhodamine B dyes as well as the hydrogen evolution, but rapid recombination of charge carriers remains a factor that needs future optimization