Thembelihle Ngxongo - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Thembelihle Ngxongo

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine

Background: Apart from monitoring and evaluation, key performance indicators (KPIs) are used for ... more Background: Apart from monitoring and evaluation, key performance indicators (KPIs) are used for planning of quality healthcare services and are essential for ensuring that work plans are strategic. Nurse managers (NMs) are required to use reports on the KPIs from the District Health Barometer to prepare work plans.Aim: The aim of the study was to explore the experiences of NMs regarding the use of KPIs in developing work plans.Setting: The study was conducted in one of the four local municipalities of iLembe district in KwaZulu-Natal.Methods: A qualitative research design was used. Data were collected through semistructured interviews with 20 NMs from seven primary health care clinics between 16 November 2020 and 24 December 2020; data were then thematically analysed.Results: Nurse managers experienced challenges related to knowledge creation, knowledge sharing and knowledge application regarding the use of KPIs in developing work plans. Possible strategies which, according to NMs,...

Extended Curriculum Programmes: Challenges and Opportunities

Brief background: The Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) is one of the most powerful and co... more Brief background: The Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) is one of the most powerful and cost-effective public health programmes to improve child survival. In South Africa the programme remained fragmented because of the system of apartheid until 1995 when the national EPI was formed through the unification of all immunisation services in the country. Since then there have been significant advances in immunisation service delivery in South Africa. Amongst the revisions that were made in 2009 was the change of the EPI schedule. Aim of the study The aim of the study was to investigate the factors that influence the uptake of the revised EPI for children between the ages of 6 to 12 years at Umlazi Township, KwaZulu-Natal in order to improve immunisation coverage. Methodology A descriptive quantitative design was used to conduct the study. A total of ten primary health care clinics were included in the study. Data was collected from child caregivers and health care workers using s...

Introduction Tuberculosis is still a leading cause of deaths in low and middle income countries e... more Introduction Tuberculosis is still a leading cause of deaths in low and middle income countries especially those of Sub-Saharan Africa. The successful implementation of strategies to improve TB outcomes remains critical for South Africa as the country is faced with the burden of many TB related deaths. South Africa has included TB management as a priority programme for the country in its strategies to the achieve millennium development goals. The National Department of Health introduced the CCG programme to assist professional health workers in the control and management of various health conditions including TB. The competent management of the CCGs is central to meeting service delivery objectives. Aim of the study The aim of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of community care givers caring for TB clients. Methodology A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive design was used to conduct the study. Purposive sampling was used to recruit 24 community care givers that...

Africa journal of nursing and midwifery, 2013

South Africa has instituted various strategies to enhance antenatal care services, in an attempt ... more South Africa has instituted various strategies to enhance antenatal care services, in an attempt to address the country's high maternal and perinatal mortality rates. The National Department of Health ordered all primary healthcare facilities to adopt the basic antenatal care (BANC) approach by the end of 2008. Some facilities started implementing the BANC approach but failed to sustain it. This study was conducted in the eThekwini municipality, targeting facilities that had successfully implemented the basic antenatal care approach. The aim of the study was to assess the knowledge and perceptions of midwives regarding this approach. Questionnaires were completed by 59 midwives. The Kruskal Wallis test indicated that midwives' knowledge and perceptions differed according to age, gender, race and years of experience but no significant differences were found. Midwives with positive perceptions and a good understanding of the basic antenatal care approach contributed to its suc...

Health SA Gesondheid, 2021

Background Back pain is not uncommon in pregnant women, but it is often under-reported and can be... more Background Back pain is not uncommon in pregnant women, but it is often under-reported and can be disabling. International studies report a high prevalence of back pain, especially in the last trimester. Little is known about the prevalence of back pain in South African pregnant women. Aim To determine the prevalence and risk factors of back pain in a cohort of pregnant women Setting Public primary healthcare clinics and the eThekwini municipality of KwaZulu-Natal (KZN), South Africa Methods A descriptive cohort design was used to survey pregnant women (n = 303) over the course of their pregnancy. Data were collected at the first antenatal visit and again in the third trimester. Participants gave consent and ethical clearance was obtained from an institutional research ethics committee, from the eThekwini Health District and KZN Provincial Department of Health. Results The respondents were young Black African women (mean age of 25.8 (± 6.0), who were mostly unemployed (70.7%), and r...

Global Journal of Health Science, 2020

The strong desire to experience motherhood, mediated by prevailing social and cultural norms enco... more The strong desire to experience motherhood, mediated by prevailing social and cultural norms encourage childbearing in society. Contraceptive use and pregnancy among HIV positive women in South Africa is of growing concern as it may be associated with various adverse factors having socio-economic and health impacts. The timeous initiation and optimal utilisation of antenatal care services is imperative to ensure positive pregnancy outcomes and good maternal health; not always possible due to various challenges in developing countries. Motherhood is a component of a women’s identity in cultural societies and important for female social status. Major challenges are gender-based violence and gender inequality as well as physiological factors that place women at risk like cultural and behavioural practices requiring parental consent for access to reproductive and sexual health services tend to discourage girls and women in their pursuit for decision making in reproductive health. This s...

Selected Topics in Midwifery Care, 2018

International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 2017

Introduction and Background • Globally antenatal care (ANC) is advocated as the cornerstone for r... more Introduction and Background • Globally antenatal care (ANC) is advocated as the cornerstone for reducing children's deaths and improving maternal health. • The Basic Antenatal Care (BANC) is an approach that is used in the public health institutions of South Africa to provide ANC care services to pregnant women. Research objectives • Assess the implementation of the BANC approach in the PHC clinics • Analyse pregnant women's ANC records for evidence of application of the BANC principles of good care and guidelines.

American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, 2006

The aim of this study was to define differences in the serum metabolic profile in preeclamptic pa... more The aim of this study was to define differences in the serum metabolic profile in preeclamptic patients from the normal population in an effort to identify an accurate non-invasive test for prediction of preeclampsia. STUDY DESIGN: We compared fasting serum samples from 12 preeclamptic subjects and 10 controls between 24-35 weeks. Data was also analyzed after stratification of gestational age to before and after 30 weeks. Preeclampsia was defined as blood pressure equal to or above 140/90 mm Hg in the absence of preexisting hypertension and proteinuria O300mg/per 24 hr urine collection. Women below the age of 18, multiple gestations, pregnancies with congenital abnormalities or complicated prenatal course were excluded. Samples were frozen at ÿ80 C until analysis. 1D Noesy spectra (100ms mixing time) with presaturation were collected on each sample using a Varian INOVA 600 MHz spectrometer equipped with a Protasis CapNMR flow probe. The spectra were processed using NUTS (Acorn NMR). The spectra were bucketed at 0.04ppm intervals for chemometric analysis. Both unsupervised Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and supervised PLS-DA (partial least squares discriminant analysis) were applied to the resulting matrix using Simca-PC 11.0 (Umetrics). RESULTS: The PCA revealed good clustering while PLS-DA was able to predict the preeclamptics and controls with 100 percent accuracy. No clustering with gestational age stratification was noted. CONCLUSION: The serum metabonomic profile was able to differentiate the preeclamptic patients from controls accurately in this pilot study. Further analysis and more samples are needed to confirm these preliminary findings.

International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance

PurposeThe quality of maternal healthcare training is the most optimal degree of health in the de... more PurposeThe quality of maternal healthcare training is the most optimal degree of health in the delivery of effective, efficient and quality healthcare in midwifery discipline. Student accoucheurs studying at the Free State School of Nursing are faced with resistance, discrimination, rejection and unacceptability by pregnant women during their clinical placement at the Free State maternal healthcare institutions. This results in poor quality of training of student accoucheurs in maternal healthcare. Considerable studies have been conducted on males in midwifery nursing, but no guidelines have been developed to facilitate student accoucheurs' acceptance and improvement of the quality of training in maternal healthcare, hence the purpose of this study.Design/methodology/approachA descriptive, explorative qualitative design was used in this study. Qualitative focused group discussions (n = 32) were conducted through purposeful sampling method. Data was analysed thematically.Findings...

Journal of Physical Activity and Health, Nov 1, 2019

Research and reviews: journal of nursing and health sciences, 2016

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to describe the experiences and views of the pregnant women... more Purpose: The purpose of the study was to describe the experiences and views of the pregnant women regarding the antenatal care services received in the Primary Health Care clinics that were implementing the Basic Antenatal Care (BANC) approach. The BANC approach is listed as one of the priority interventions for reducing maternal and child mortality in South Africa and is used in the public health institutions to provide health care services to the pregnant women. Methods: A descriptive qualitative design was used to conduct the study in the 12 primary health care clinics that were providing antenatal care services and implementing the BANC approach in eThekwini district, KwaZulu-Natal The study took place seven years following the introduction of the BANC approach. Data were collected using semistructured interviews conducted with 54 pregnant women from October 2014 to March 2015. Data were analysed using Tesch’s method of data analysis. Findings: Although some participants highlig...

Curationis, 2020

This study explored and described the perceptions of student accoucheurs regarding gender inequal... more This study explored and described the perceptions of student accoucheurs regarding gender inequality in midwifery training at the Free State maternal healthcare institutions. Method: An explorative and descriptive qualitative research design was undertaken. There were 40 student accoucheurs that formed 10 focus group discussions. Each focus group discussion had four participants. Tesch's eight-steps of data analysis was used to analyse data. Results: Three major themes emerged during data analysis: meeting the training requirements in midwifery, women's autonomy in a choice of healthcare provider versus student accoucheurs' autonomy to be trained in midwifery and staff establishment to render maternal healthcare. Conclusion: The participants perceived prejudice, rejection and resistance by women in maternity units as a contributing factor to gender inequality, which has a negative impact on their training in midwifery. The study recommends that health directorates, nurse managers and training institutions should consider revising maternal healthcare policies regarding the recruitment and placement of willing accoucheurs in maternity units in order to address gender inequality.

International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 2020

Worldwide midwifery has been regarded as a female domain until recently where female and male stu... more Worldwide midwifery has been regarded as a female domain until recently where female and male student nurses are trained to become midwives/accoucheurs. Most women are still reluctant to receive maternal healthcare from student accoucheurs. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the perceptions of women regarding student accoucheurs' involvement in maternal health care in the Free State Province. A descriptive, exploratory, qualitative research design was undertaken. The study was conducted in the Free State Province. Three regional hospitals, two district hospitals and five Primary Health Care clinics were purposefully selected to make a total of 10 maternal health care institutions that were used as data collection sites. Data was collected using one on one semi-structured interviews with 30 women in the post-partum period, 18 years of age and above, attending for post-natal health care services at the Free State maternal health care institutions. Data was organised and stored using ATLAS.ti program and analysed using Tesch's open coding approach. The majority of the participants did not approve of student accoucheurs' involvement in maternal health care. The perceptions of the participants were influenced by cultural beliefs, values, socioeconomic factors and social interactions. The study findings cannot be generalized to the other provinces because the study was contextualized to the Free State Province. This study highlights the importance of understanding and consideration of cultural diversity in the provision of health care services.

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 2018

Background: Teenage pregnancy is a socio-economic challenge and a serious public health problem f... more Background: Teenage pregnancy is a socio-economic challenge and a serious public health problem for communities in South Africa. It is, therefore, imperative that effective interventions and programmes be implemented to address this problem. A number of research studies have been conducted on teenage pregnancy in South Africa, but their focus was mainly on teenage girls excluding young men’s involvement in teenage pregnancy.Aim: The aim of the study was to determine the perceptions of young men between the ages of 18 and 23 years towards teenage pregnancy.Methods: A qualitative, explorative semi-structured interview descriptive design was used toconduct the study. The study was guided by the Johnson’s Behavioral System Model. Purposive sampling was used to select 10 participants with whom semi-structured interviews were conducted. Thematic analysis of data were performed.Setting: The study was conducted in Free State School of Nursing’s two main campuses.Results: The findings of thi...

African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine, 2019

Background: The public health sector in South Africa has been facing severe financial cutbacks an... more Background: The public health sector in South Africa has been facing severe financial cutbacks and financial constraints in recent times. The nurse manager (NM) is faced with the task of managing and reducing expenditure in the nursing sector without compromising the quality care. This requires skills and understanding of financial management.Aim: This study aimed to explore the financial management roles of NMs and to identify financial management development needs necessary for NMs’ practice.Setting: The study was conducted in KwaZulu-Natal. A total of eight hospitals from the five health districts were included.Methods: The study used the naturalistic paradigm with a constructivist grounded theory approach. Interviews were used to initially gather data from six NMs who were purposively selected. Theoretical sampling was used to further recruit financial managers, chief executive officers, assistant nurse managers and operational managers. The final sample consisted of 18 particip...

African Health Sciences, 2019

Background: Anecdotal evidence suggests that student accoucheurs studying at the Free State Schoo... more Background: Anecdotal evidence suggests that student accoucheurs studying at the Free State School of Nursing in South Africa are faced with resistance, discrimination, rejection and unacceptability by pregnant women during their clinical placement at the Free State maternal health care institutions. Objective: The aim of the study was to explore and describe the challenges faced by student accoucheurs regarding the maternal health care services they render to women. Methods: An explorative, descriptive, and qualitative research design was employed to conduct the study. Purposive sampling was used to select student accoucheurs who met the inclusion criteria. Focus group discussion was used to collect data from the selected student accoucheurs. Data were analysed thematically, and the findings were triangulated with the integration of Peplau's Theory of Interpersonal Relations as a theoretical framework that guided the study. Results: The findings in relation to the research question were synthesised under four themes: transcultural diversity, socioeconomic factors, social interactions and relations, and gender inequality in the work place. Conclusion: The study is a contribution to the emerging education and training of student accoucheurs body of knowledge in the Free State Province and to the global existing body of knowledge regarding the phenomena.

International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences, 2019

Abstract The increased cuts in health care funding and severe financial constraints has necessita... more Abstract The increased cuts in health care funding and severe financial constraints has necessitated that the Nurse Manager become financially conscious and provide efficient quality care while at the same time cutting costs and reducing expenditure. This, in turn requires an understanding of financial management. Nurse Manager’s knowledge is very limited. The aim of the study was to explore the financial management roles of Nurse Managers in their current work environments, identify financial management development needs necessary for Nurse Manager’s practice and to develop a financial management framework to improve the skills of Nurse Managers. A qualitative, naturalistic paradigm was used. Interviews were conducted with 18 participants. The results revealed that Nurse Managers participate in financial management activities within the hospitals and identified eight main themes namely financial planning, financial monitoring, financial decision making, financial control, inadequate financial management competencies, educational preparation for financial management in nursing programmes, guidance and training for financial management role and need for financial management competency development. Nurse Managers have a financial management function in the public health care organisations. They do not have the necessary skills, knowledge and competencies to function in this role and require additional knowledge, skills and training. A competency framework was subsequently developed to improve the financial management competencies of Nurse Managers.