Abstract
M.Cur.
The rationalization of nursing colleges was implemented to change the manner in which the state institutions were administered for the purpose of improving service delivery, reduce state expenditure and maximize the utilization of these state institutions by making them accessible to all eligible users. The nurse educators’ experiences in this regard had to be explored and described because people react differently even to the best of intentions. The following research questions that gave direction to the research study were formulated.
• What are the experiences of the nurse educators following the rationalization of the nursing colleges in Gauteng?
• What are the supportive guidelines that can be formulated to assist the nurse educators cope in the nursing college that has undergone the rationalization process?
The purpose of the research was to describe the supportive guidelines that might assist the nurse educators cope in the receiving nursing college that had undergone the process of rationalization.
The objectives that would enable the fulfillment of the research purpose were formulated. The objectives of the study were:
• To explore and describe the experiences of the nurse educators in a nursing college that has undergone the process of rationalization.
• To conceptualize the experiences of the nurse educators
• Describe the supportive guidelines to assist the nurse educators cope in the nursing college that has undergone the process of rationalization.
A qualitative, contextual, exploratory, descriptive and phenomenological research design was used to address the research questions and objectives (Mouton 1998).
The study was conducted in two phases. Phase one focused on the description and exploration of the nurse educators’ experiences following the rationalization of nursing colleges in Gauteng. Phase two focused on the conceptualization of findings and the description of the supportive guidelines.
The method of selecting the participants of the study was purposive so that participants who met the criteria could be included in the study. The sample was obtained from the target population of thirty six nurse educators who were deployed from the nursing colleges that were closed down and those who were employed in the nursing college before the implementation of the rationalization of nursing colleges in Gauteng. A pilot study of four nurse educators was done. The four nurse educators were not included in the focus group interview. Twelve nurse educators from General Nursing Science, Midwifery, and Psychiatry and some of the managers (HOD’s) participated in the study. Community Nursing Science nurse educators were not available due to work commitment outside the nursing college. A focus group interview (Krueger 1994) was conducted within ethical considerations. Audio tapes were used to capture the data. Field notes of the gestures and emotions expressed by the nurse educator during the interview were taken.
Tech’s (in Cresswell 1994) protocol to systematically process the contextual data was utilized. Trustworthiness was maintained to ensure credibility of the study (Lincoln & Guba 1985.) The two categories, seven sub categories and the related themes that emerged from data analysis were conceptualized and supported by relevant literature. The two main categories were positive experiences and negative experiences.
The sub-categories of the positive experiences were: sharing of resources, empowerment of the nurse educators, collaboration of the receiving nursing college with the community to improve nursing education and acquisition of trans- cultural knowledge. The sub- categories of the negative experiences were: fear, perceived behavior of the authorities concerned with rationalization of nursing colleges in Gauteng and aspects pertaining to racial issues. These categories and their related themes were conceptualized and supported by relevant literature. Guidelines that would assist the nurse educators cope in the receiving nursing college were formulated.
It is recommended that the authorities concerned with the rationalization of nursing colleges in Gauteng and the management of the receiving nursing college should consider the guidelines to assist the nurse educators cope in the receiving nursing college and in future rationalization of the nursing college.
In conclusion, the study has sheared light on the importance of conducting a research before implementing a major change such as rationalization of state institutions to ensure sustenance of the objectives of the change. The employees’ wellbeing should be considered because the success of the rationalization depends on them. Rationalization of institutions, whether public or private, requires effective management to facilitate a reasonable integration process.