Abstract
M.Cur.
With the changes in health care occuring in South Africa, new concepts and
functions concerning the community health nurse are being presented. The
role of the community health nurse is altering, and with his/her grassroot
involvement with the community, the researcher was concerned about what
contribution he/she should make on health committees.
The goal of the study was to explore and describe the role of the community
health nurse on health committees.
The objectives were to:
- explore and describe the role the community health nurse should play
on health committees;
explore and describe the role the community health nurse is playing on
health committees and
- to develop guidelines to describe the role of the community health
nurse on health committees.
The study was conducted in three phases:
PHASE 1:
After conducting a literature study, six categories were identified as the role
of the community health nurse on health committees. Thereafter a
questionnaire was presented to community health nurses to find out what
their perceptions were about the role of the community health nurse on health
committees. The results of Phase One were used to develop a central
question. Individual categories relevant to the role of the community health
nurse on health committees were identified and an interview schedule was
drafted for presentation to selected members of health committees.
ii
PHASE 2:
Personal interviews based on the results of Phase One were conducted with
selected health committee members to find out their perceptions of the same.
PHASE 3: '
Guidelines describing the role of the community health nurse on health
committees were developed based on the findings of the study.
It was found that the literature, the community health nurses and the health
committee members all concured as to what the community health nurse
should be doing on health committees.
This study stresses the importance of the community health nurse's
involvement on health committees. It should lead to the implementation of
community health nurses being allowed to accept their rightful role on health