A problem-based education programme for registered nurses in advanced midwifery and neonatology
Abstract
English: It is the aim of the current government that primary health care should be
established in South Africa to address the health care needs of the entire South
African population. In this regard midwives are seen as the key figuires to
establish comprehensive perinatal health care. The altered focus of the delivery
of health care from curative to primary health care demands expertise from
midwives to enable them to meet the needs of the community. This requiires an
alternative approach to nursing education.
Various researchers expressed a concern regarding continuing professional
education for midwives.
To address these problems, grass root involvement by practising midwilves is
proposed, in order to prepare them for continuing education. A proposal was
made that continuing professional education should be implemented in the
regions. The Perinatal Committee of the Free State supported the need for an
education programme for midwives in the region.
In response, the learning needs of the registered nurses were formally assessed
and the Advanced University Diploma in Midwifery and Neonatolog1y was
developed and implemented. The community's perinatal health care problems
and the learning needs of the potential students played a significant role: in the development of the objectives and the selection of the content. An innovative
teaching methodology, namely problem-based learning was chosen.
With the development and implementation of the Advanced University Diploma
in Midwifery and Neonatology the researcher not only tried to prepare graduates
who can function in clinical context with the demands placed on them are
constantly changing, where problems and situations are not easily defined or
solved and where the body of knowledge is rapidly changing. The researcher
also aimed to prepare health workers who will contribute maximally to the
improved health of the individuals and communities they serve and tried to help
students to learn how to learn, that is to create independent learners who will
assume active responsibility for a lifetime of continuing education and who will
be able to keep up with advances in their field. Afrikaans: Dit is die oogmerk van die huidige regering dat primere gesondheidsorg in SuidAfrika
gevestig moet word om aan die gesondheidsbehoeftes van die totale
Suid-Afrikaanse bevolking te voorsien. Vroedvroue word in hierdie verband as
die sleutelfigure gesien om omvattende verloskundige gesondheidsorg te vestig.
Die veranderde fokus in die lewering van gesondheidsorg van kuratiewe na
primere gesondheidsorg vereis bepaalde kundigheid van vroedvroue om aan die
behoeftes van die gemeenskap te voldoen, wat weer 'n andersoortige
benadering tot verpleegopleiding vereis.
Hierbenewens spreek verskeie navorsers vir 'n geruime tyd hul kommer uit oor
voortgesette professionele opleiding van vroedvroue.
Om genoemde probleme aan te spreek, word grondvlakbetrokkenheid van
verloskundige praktisyns voorgestel om hulle vir voortgesette professionele
opleiding voor te berei. Daar is 'n mening dat voortgesette professionele
opleiding binne streeksverband ge'implementeer moet word. Die Perinatale
Komitee van die Vrystaat ondersteun die behoefte aan 'n opleidingsprogram vir
vroedvroue in die streek.
In respons, is die leerbehoeftes van geregistreerde verpleegkundiges bepaal en
die Gevorderde Universiteitsdiploma in Verloskunde en Neonatologie ontwikkel en ge·implementeer. Die gemeenskap se perinatale gesondheidsorg probleme
en die leerbehoeftes van die potensiele studente het 'n belangrike rol gespeel in
die ontwikkeling van die doelwitte en die seleksie van die inhoud. 'n lnnoverende
onderrig metode, naamlik probleemgebaseerde - leer is gekies.
Met die ontwikkeling en implementering van die Gevorderde Universiteitsdiploma
in Verloskunde en Neonatologie het die navorser gepoog om nie
alleenlik gegradueerdes voor te berei om in die kliniese verband, waar die eise
wat aan hulle gestel word voortdurend verander en waar probleme en situasies
nie maklik definieerbaar is of opgelos word nie, te kan funksioneer nie. Die
navorser het ook gepoog om gesondheidsorgpersoneel op te lei wat maksimaal
tot die verbeterde gesondheid van individue en gemeenskappe wat hulle dien by
te dra en het probeer om studente te leer om te leer, dit wil se om onafhanklike
leerders te ontwikkel, wat aktiewe verantwoordelikheid vir lewenslange
voortgesette professionele opleiding aanvaar en tred sal hou met ontwikkeling in
hulle vakgebied.