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• By using descriptive research, data is gathered in the environment where it happens, without any form of alteration, ensuring high quality and integrity.
Weaknesses of descriptive phenomenology
• One significant disadvantage of descriptive research is the lack of confidentiality.
• Subjectivity and mistake are detrimental in descriptive research.
• Reliability issues, which makes it difficult to carry out a credible investigation.
The researcher used descriptive phenomenology in the present study because it gave professional nurses an opportunity to share and describe in detail their lived experiences to develop an effective and visible support programme. Specifically, the researcher used the descriptive phenomenological method to capture the experiences of nurses. Descriptive phenomenology was used because it allows the researcher to give a relevant and authentic description of the PNs’ phenomenological experiences.
This method has assisted the researcher to find relevance and correlation between the lived experiences of the nurses and how those experiences affect them. In the current study, the researcher received deeper and a wealth of knowledge from trained nurses who spend the majority of their hours with patients and experience many challenges on a daily basis. Moreover, the participants described their feelings and thoughts about their caring burden, which enabled the researcher to gain understanding. Furthermore, they were asked about the methods and mechanisms that they used to cope with the caring burden; and about support structures and programmes available to assist with their caring role. Ultimately, the feedback and responses from the PNs were employed in developing a suitable support programme for nurses.
71 working in these mental hospitals together. The workers of these institutions include multi-professional members such as social workers, psychologists, and occupational therapists. Because the mental health facility is open 24 hours a day and has doctors on call, most nurses work in shifts.
The study was conducted in Limpopo Province at three mental health institutions. With a total size of 125 755 square kilometers, or 10.3% of South Africa's total land area, Limpopo Province is the fifth-largest of South Africa's nine provinces. It is made up of twenty-five local municipalities and has a population of 5.6 million. It is divided into five districts. The province has 30 district hospitals, 5 regional hospitals, 2 tertiary hospitals, 3 specialized hospitals, and 15 private health institutions in terms of healthcare services (South Africa, 2016, as cited in Matlala et al., 2017). The three mental health facilities are the hospitals in Evuxakani, Hayani, and Thabamoopo. Three districts, Mopani, Vhembe, and Capricorn, are served by their complete mental health care services. All of these institutions are predominately based in rural areas and offer 24-hour mental health care services. Each mental health institution is discussed below.
72 Figure 2: Map of Limpopo Province and its Districts (www.municipalities.co.za)
4.4.1 Evuxakeni Mental Health Institution
Evuxakani Hospital is a mental health institution situated in the Mopani district, around five km from Giyani CBD. This hospital was built in 1984. As a Category C municipality, Mopani district is located within the north-eastern part of the Limpopo Province. The district is made up of five local municipalities: Greater Giyani, Greater Letaba, Greater Tzaneen, Ba-Phalaborwa, and Maruleng. The district municipal offices are in Giyani.
Evuxakani mental health institution is the only psychiatric facility in the whole of Mopani district. This hospital receives patients from Letaba, CN Phathudu, Maphuta Malatjie, Sekororo, and Nkhesani Hospital.
73 Figure 3: Map of Mopani District and Local Municipalities (www.municipalities.co.za)
4.4.2 Hayani Mental Health Institution
Hayani mental health institution is located in Vhembe district. It is situated in Sibasa Mutale Road, about four km from Thohoyandou. This hospital was built in 1969Musina, Thulamela, Makhado, and Collins Chabane are the four local municipalities that make up the Vhembe district. Thohoyandou is where the district municipal offices are located.
Hayani Hospital renders service to Tshilidzini, Malamulele, Donald Fraser, Siloam, Elim, Botlokwa, and Messina Hospital. Hayani has three forensic wards: a maximum-security- , a semi-closed- and an open ward. Hayani Hospital appears to be at an advantage with a secure ward and an enforced no-smoking policy, reducing the risk of substance abuse significantly, which does allow patients to move faster through the system and back home.
74 Figure 4: Map of Vhembe District and Local Municipalities (www.municipalities.co.za)
4.4.3 Thabamoopo Mental Health Institution
Thabamoopo, which means ‘mountain of the rock’ is one of the mental health institutions situated in Lebowakgomo, around 55 km from the town of Polokwane. It gets its name from the Tropic of Capricorn, which runs through Polokwane, the county seat of Limpopo. Thabamoopo Hospital was built in 1972. It falls under the Capricorn District in Limpopo Province. Polokwane, Molemole, Blouberg, and Lepelle-Nkumpi are the four local municipalities that make up this district. The seat of this district is in Polokwane town. Thabamoopo Hospital serves the following local hospitasl: Makweng, Polokwane, Lebowakgomo, Seshego, and Groblersdal Hospital. Three areas, namely Capricorn, Waterberg, and Sekhukhune, are served by the complete mental health care services offered by Thabamoopo Hospital. The facility provides rehabilitation services and reintegrates those who have received mental health treatment into their societies.
Additionally, it provides clinical training to students from Limpopo College of Nursing, University of Limpopo, University of Venda, Tshwane University of Technology, and other South African universities. Thabamoopo Hospital is a general psychiatric hospital
75 with open forensic facilities and a closed ward for forensic patients. Acute care, sub- acute services, chronic services, forensic services, and intellectual disability services are the main services offered by Thabomoopo mental health institution. In South Africa, forensic patients include the accused referred for forensic psychiatric observation while still awaiting trial (Observandi), and state patients. This hospital renders assessment to patients referred to the unit by the courts through multidisciplinary approach.
This hospital provides detainees with forensic psychiatric observation as well as care, treatment, and rehabilitation for state patients and mentally ill prisoners. Gender and age groups separate forensic patients. These patients are housed in extremely secure observation units until the justice system deems them fit for trial, at which point they are either returned to the hospital for re-admission as state patients for a specified period of time. It offers up to 30 days of forensic psychiatric observations to patients. There is a cannabis problem in Thabamoopo and it will only be solved once the hospital is secured and the no-smoking policy is enforced for both staff and patients.
76 Figure 5: Map of Capricorn District and Local Municipalities (www.municipalities.co.za)
4.5 Population and Sampling