Full Text Available
Note: Clicking the button above will open the full text document at the original institutional repository in a new window.
Nurses' knowledge and perceptions of and attitudes towards aspects of the new health systems framework: a qualitative case-study of the nurses employed at three public health facilities in the West District, City of Tygerberg, Cape Town
A qualitative case study was conducted amongst nurses employed at the Elsies River's Community Health Centre, Community Health Clinic and Midwife Obstetric Unit. The purpose of the study was to gain insight into the nurses' knowledge and perceptions of and attitudes, towards key aspects of the new h...
Saved in:
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English English |
| Published: |
Department of Paediatrics and Child Health
2026
|
| Subjects: | |
| Tags: |
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1867614309695094784 |
|---|---|
| access_status_str | Open Access |
| author | Marco, Colleen |
| author2 | Di , Cooper |
| author_browse | Di , Cooper Marco, Colleen |
| author_facet | Di , Cooper Marco, Colleen |
| author_sort | Marco, Colleen |
| collection | Thesis |
| description | A qualitative case study was conducted amongst nurses employed at the Elsies River's Community Health Centre, Community Health Clinic and Midwife Obstetric Unit. The purpose of the study was to gain insight into the nurses' knowledge and perceptions of and attitudes, towards key aspects of the new health systems framework, namely, the concept of Primary Health Care, the structure of the District Health System and selected aspects of the Maternal, Child and Women's Health Policy framework. An additional purpose was to gain insight into the nurses' Scope of Practice and whether nurses felt they were adequately skilled to provide a quality Primary Health Care service at district level. The first phase of the study involved individual interviews with nineteen nurses from the three main nursing categories. The second phase consisted of a focus group discussion in which five Registered Nurses participated. The study findings indicate that the nurses lack the knowledge and understanding of the key aspects of the new health systems framework. There has not been adequate consultation between the health authorities and the nurses, with respect to the formulation of the new health policy framework and the implementation thereof at local and district level. This resulted in negative attitudes being adopted by these nurses towards their superiors, the community and towards the new health systems framework. The nurses were found to not have adequate clinical skills to implement the new health policies. Furthermore, in-service training was identified as important, in order to render an effective Primary Health Care service. The training programs of these nurses were mainly curative-based and did not equip them to function competently within the Primary Health Care-based health service. Changes in the nursing education curriculum are discussed in order for a re-orientation towards Primary Health Care to occur. Specific recommendations are presented regarding the reorientation and training of nurses and appropriate methods to involve them in the development of the District Health System at local level. |
| format | Thesis |
| id | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42973 |
| institution | University of Cape Town (South Africa) |
| language | English eng |
| last_indexed | 2026-06-10T12:50:00.109Z |
| license_str | Not specified — see source repository |
| provenance_str_mv | Harvested via OAI-PMH from UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| publishDate | 2026 |
| publishDateRange | 2026 |
| publishDateSort | 2026 |
| publisher | Department of Paediatrics and Child Health |
| publisherStr | Department of Paediatrics and Child Health |
| record_format | dspace |
| source_str | UCTD — University of Cape Town Open Access Repository |
| spelling | oai:open.uct.ac.za:11427/42973 Nurses' knowledge and perceptions of and attitudes towards aspects of the new health systems framework: a qualitative case-study of the nurses employed at three public health facilities in the West District, City of Tygerberg, Cape Town Marco, Colleen Di , Cooper Maternal Child Health A qualitative case study was conducted amongst nurses employed at the Elsies River's Community Health Centre, Community Health Clinic and Midwife Obstetric Unit. The purpose of the study was to gain insight into the nurses' knowledge and perceptions of and attitudes, towards key aspects of the new health systems framework, namely, the concept of Primary Health Care, the structure of the District Health System and selected aspects of the Maternal, Child and Women's Health Policy framework. An additional purpose was to gain insight into the nurses' Scope of Practice and whether nurses felt they were adequately skilled to provide a quality Primary Health Care service at district level. The first phase of the study involved individual interviews with nineteen nurses from the three main nursing categories. The second phase consisted of a focus group discussion in which five Registered Nurses participated. The study findings indicate that the nurses lack the knowledge and understanding of the key aspects of the new health systems framework. There has not been adequate consultation between the health authorities and the nurses, with respect to the formulation of the new health policy framework and the implementation thereof at local and district level. This resulted in negative attitudes being adopted by these nurses towards their superiors, the community and towards the new health systems framework. The nurses were found to not have adequate clinical skills to implement the new health policies. Furthermore, in-service training was identified as important, in order to render an effective Primary Health Care service. The training programs of these nurses were mainly curative-based and did not equip them to function competently within the Primary Health Care-based health service. Changes in the nursing education curriculum are discussed in order for a re-orientation towards Primary Health Care to occur. Specific recommendations are presented regarding the reorientation and training of nurses and appropriate methods to involve them in the development of the District Health System at local level. 2026-03-13T13:42:09Z 2026-03-13T13:42:09Z 1999 2024-08-15T11:33:19Z Thesis / Dissertation Masters Masters http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42973 en eng application/pdf Department of Paediatrics and Child Health Faculty of Health Sciences University of Cape Town |
| spellingShingle | Maternal Child Health Marco, Colleen Nurses' knowledge and perceptions of and attitudes towards aspects of the new health systems framework: a qualitative case-study of the nurses employed at three public health facilities in the West District, City of Tygerberg, Cape Town |
| thesis_degree_str | Master's |
| title | Nurses' knowledge and perceptions of and attitudes towards aspects of the new health systems framework: a qualitative case-study of the nurses employed at three public health facilities in the West District, City of Tygerberg, Cape Town |
| title_full | Nurses' knowledge and perceptions of and attitudes towards aspects of the new health systems framework: a qualitative case-study of the nurses employed at three public health facilities in the West District, City of Tygerberg, Cape Town |
| title_fullStr | Nurses' knowledge and perceptions of and attitudes towards aspects of the new health systems framework: a qualitative case-study of the nurses employed at three public health facilities in the West District, City of Tygerberg, Cape Town |
| title_full_unstemmed | Nurses' knowledge and perceptions of and attitudes towards aspects of the new health systems framework: a qualitative case-study of the nurses employed at three public health facilities in the West District, City of Tygerberg, Cape Town |
| title_short | Nurses' knowledge and perceptions of and attitudes towards aspects of the new health systems framework: a qualitative case-study of the nurses employed at three public health facilities in the West District, City of Tygerberg, Cape Town |
| title_sort | nurses knowledge and perceptions of and attitudes towards aspects of the new health systems framework a qualitative case study of the nurses employed at three public health facilities in the west district city of tygerberg cape town |
| topic | Maternal Child Health |
| url | http://hdl.handle.net/11427/42973 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT marcocolleen nursesknowledgeandperceptionsofandattitudestowardsaspectsofthenewhealthsystemsframeworkaqualitativecasestudyofthenursesemployedatthreepublichealthfacilitiesinthewestdistrictcityoftygerbergcapetown |