The exploration of the effective use of team nursing amongst professional nurses in Dr George Mukhari Hospital

Thesis (M Cur)--University of Limpopo, 2011.

Title: The exploration of the effective use of team nursing amongst professional nurses in Dr George Mukhari Hospital. The aim of this study was to determine the effective use of team nursing amongst professional nurse with the purpose of determining the barriers of the effective use of team nursing amongst professional nurses. Background: Nationwide after the Second World War the professional nurses were still scarce, although a small number of nurses had been trained. Nurses are constantly being challenged to seek ways of improving patient care, not only for the benefit of patients, but for the profession itself. The introduction of team nursing resulted in improved quality patient care. Objectives: To determine the effective use of team nursing amongst professional nurses To determine the role of team nursing in patient care To determine the barriers of the effective use of team nursing amongst professional nurses Method: A descriptive approach was used to determine the effective use of team nursing amongst professional nurses, the role of team nursing in patient care and the barriers of the effective use of team nursing. The sample consisted of professional nurses working in the theatres, intensive care unit and the surgical wards. Data was collected using questionnaires from professional nurses working in the different nursing units. A hundred and twenty (120) questionnaires were distributed to the respondents and the response was eighty five (85%) that is (102) questionnaires were completed. Data was coded by the researcher and analyzed by a statistician using a statistical computer program called SAS (Statistical Analysis System), and presented in figures and tables. Results: The results of the data collected reveal that poor communication, negative attitude, lack of cooperation and the autocratic leadership style are the barriers of the effective use of team nursing amongst professional nurses. The results show that team nursing has a lot of advantages for patients. Conclusion: The findings will be used to develop strategies to remedy the barriers of the effective use of team nursing amongst professional nurses to improve the quality of patient care rendered. Team nursing is still the best nursing care assignment method in caring for patients. Key Words: Effective, Exploration, Nursing, Professional, Professional Nurse, Team, Team Nursing.