Abstract
M.Cur.
Man, as seen from a Christ-centred approach, was not only created in the
image of God, but God also gave him the responsibility of acting as His
representative on earth and of making full use of his God-given gifts,
talents and potential. In this way man could become what God intended him
to be.
Man is a relationship creature, and when he accepts God as his personal
Saviour, he should implement these God-given abilities in his relationship
with himself, others, the community, nature and the biosphere, in such a way
that the Spirit of Christ is embodied in it. Then the spiritual becomes the
guideline, principal and motivator for meaningful human existence in the
process of self-actualization. Because the Christian psychiatric nurse
functions from this frame of reference, it is also applicable to her. The
psychiatric nurse who today finds herself in psychiatric practice, is
frequently subjected to fatigue and stress. The expectations that she sets
herself and also the expectations the patient, family and community have of
her, are enormous. Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit she needs to
change the science of psychiatric nursing into an enriching and skillful art
so that the qualities of Jesus Christ are embodied in the fulfillment of her
task, and so that she can answer her calling and duty - empathy with her
fellow-man towards fulfillment, wholeness and maturity of faith.
The purpose of this research is to establish whether the presentation of a
structured enrichment programme, from a Christ-centred approach by the
psychiatric nurse specialist, can enhance the process of self-actualization
in the psychiatric nurse.
A one-day .enrichment programme was presented to two groups of final-year
student nurses to facilitate the process of self-actualization. An
explanatory experimental research approach was used. The two groups were
randomly divided int experimental and control groups. Pre- and post-tests
were done on both experimental and control groups by completion of the POI
measuring instrument. The Intervention, namely the structured enrichment
programme, was done on the experimental groups only...