5.3 Themes and Sub-Themes
5.3.6 Theme 6: Suggested Support Programmes for Nurses
5.3.6.1 Sub-Theme 1: Family Support
In the current study, PNs emphasised the need for continuous support from families of the chronic mental health patients. They indicated that they would be delighted to have the family members getting involved in the patients’ lives. The kind of support that is needed is social and financial support. The social support can be achieved when family
145 members of the mental ill patients contribute by maintaining continuous contact with the patients. They can call the patients, visit them, take them home for leave of absence and home visits. Here is what they had to say about the social support needed:
The relatives of these patients should support us. Shame, we know is not easy to care for these patients, but they can just come nje, visit them. They become happy after a visit. We have noticed also that we have less relapses. (Participant 5, age 51, female).
These people are mentally ill, but they know who is their mother. I wish relatives and families can be positive and support us. (Participant 29, age 44, female).
Maybe that one is for social worker. Maybe they contact the family of these patients to come and see them. (Participant 4, age 36, male).
Still in terms of family support, PNs think financial support from the families can be beneficial to patients. This financial support can be in the form of money and presents.
For instance, the family members can bring good food for patients at every visit. These PNs are optimistic and believe that some teamwork between nurses and the family members is crucial and will definitely be beneficial to patients. Here is what they had to say about financial support needed:
They can come, bring a danone. They sell danone in the tuckshop outside, is R20 is not expensive. (Participant 5, 51, female).
By procedure, I mean the way things are supposed to be, patients who are here, hospitalised should get half of their grant and the family get the other half.
(Participant 7, age 29, female).
146 5.3.6.2 Sub-Theme 2: Support by Colleagues and Supervisors
As stated earlier, PNs alluded to having insufficient support from MDT members and from the management of the institutions. As a result, they appealed to their colleagues and supervisors to support them and to be more active regarding in-patient care. The PNs indicated that their colleagues can offer support by doing ward rounds with them, seeing patients when they refer them, counsel them and many more. This is captured by the following extracts:
We would like the social workers, OT and other professional to help us with caring for these patients. They are not our patients only. (Participant 6, age 35, male).
I feel when we do the ward rounds, all the MDT members should come because if they don’t come, we don’t give the holistically treatment to our patients, which is not right. (Participant 25, age 30, male).
So, I feel like we also need to involve other nurses and other multidisciplinary team members in decision-making. Yes, if there are meeting or anything that needs anyone’s input. (Participant 7, age 29, female).
The PNs participating stated that their managers do not consider their well-being. These nurses long for and need support from their managers. It can be in the form of words or hiring more staff. The managers can also portray gratitude and support by showing interest in the well-being of nurses, not only of patients. The following excerpts exemplify this particular sub-theme:
The management can employ more nurses, that’s what we want from them. They should also employ male nurses; we need male nurses in this ward so that they help us with the turning of the patients. (Participant 2, age 47, female).
147 So, I think they need to focus on the occupational health of the nurses as well.
Because you know for me to be able to care for patients I have to be okay, financially, physically, emotionally and otherwise. (Participant 7, age 29, female).
I think it will be good if they can increase staff so that we the professional nurse can also rest. We do many things; we also need to rest. And also, the laundry staff should work over the weekend, they must give them overtime. (Participant 1, age 38, female).
Nurses would be ecstatic to receive attention and hear from the management of these hospitals. Actually, these PNs would like to see an improvement at the level of communication. According to these PNs, the management should listen to them and consult with them before making major changes and decisions. This is captured by the following excerpts:
Yes, it’s boring and painful, sesi. Now they are cutting money, they don’t even tell us, we just hear from media. Management take decisions without consulting us, they don’t care about us. (Participant 20, age 28, male).
Think we should start with improving our communication; communication is the best. I know there are things we cannot change but talk to the people about it, then we will not have a problem. (Participant 25, age 29, female).
Management where not there at all, what they care about is work, they want to see the work done. When they receive circulars, they don’t discuss anything with staff members, maybe ask what we think, no, they just implement. (Participant 6, age 35, male).