Knowledge, attitude and perceptions of pre-hospital emergency care providers concerning pre-hospital clinical practice guidelines in the Mangaung Metropolitan area, Free State, South Africa
- Authors: Ramoshaba, Mapule Petronella
- Date: 2022-12
- Subjects: Emergency medical services
- Language: English
- Type: Master's theses , text
- Identifier: http://hdl.handle.net/10353/27220 , vital:66471
- Description: Background and Introduction. Pre-hospital emergency care provided in a timeous and efficient manner is a pivotal component in improved patient prognosis, after a life altering situation has occurred. This management of patients is rendered prior to arrival at a medical facility. This service is provided by pre-hospital emergency care providers who apply life saving techniques and knowledge within their scopes of practice and then transporting patients to appropriate medical facilities for definitive care. Pre-hospital emergency care providers of all levels of care, namely: Basic life support, Intermediate life support and Advanced life support render emergency care services to patients with a main goal of seeing patients return back to normal life living. For this to be achieved, the providers must be empowered with the best knowledge, appropriate skills and adequate equipment at their disposal. Clinical practice guidelines are recommendations that are based on evidence in order to support beneficial clinical practices. These were introduced in the pre-hospital setting in South Africa in 2018 to review the scopes of practice of all levels of care, and make appropriate changes and additions for the betterment of the patient and the upskilling of pre-hospital emergency care providers. Since the providers are the end users of these guidelines, and are expected to apply them on patients, they are the best candidates to provide clarity on their perceptions, experiences and challenges which leads to the research questions being: What are the perceptions of the Pre-hospital Emergency Care Providers on the Pre-hospital Clinical Practice in the Guidelines? And What are the challenges experienced by the Pre-hospital Emergency Care Providers with regards to the implementation of the Pre-hospital Clinical Practice Guidelines in the application of Pre-hospital emergency medicine? The aim of the study was to explore the perceptions of the Pre-hospital Emergency Care Providers using the implemented Pre-hospital Clinical Practice Guidelines. Methods The study adopted a qualitative research approach with a purposive sampling method used to select the participants. This type of non-probability technique was suitable in the study as it is based on the researcher’s judgement of the participants being knowledgeable on the questions asked. An interview guide was utilised to collect data through semi-structured one on one interviews during which participants perceptions on the Clinical practice guidelines were shared. The data analysis process brought forth themes and sub themes that were aligned to the research findings which yielded the results. Results/findings The results encompassed the participants’ perceptions about pre-hospital clinical Practice Guidelines, as well as their knowledge, attitude, challenges, suggestions and recommendations. These results unearthed some of the reasons for the pre-hospital emergency care providers perceptions towards the guidelines. The majority of PECPS have a positive attitude towards the pre-hospital clinical practice guidelines, but have challenges with the availability of equipment and drugs which is caused by the lack of due diligence in complying with the implementation of the guidelines. Conclusion The recommendations and suggestions from the participants and researcher come with divisive strategies to the implementation of the guidelines and activities to be applied for the smooth implementation of the pre-hospital clinical practice guidelines. The basis for these recommendations and suggestions were the results as per the research findings. , Thesis (MPH) -- Faculty of Health Sciences, 2022
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- Date Issued: 2022-12
Becoming and being: a critical realist study into the emergence of identity in emergency medical science students, and the construct of graduate attributes
- Authors: Millar, Bernadette Theresa
- Date: 2014
- Subjects: Critical realism , Emergency medical personnel -- Psychology , Emergency medical services
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Doctoral , PhD
- Identifier: vital:1327 , http://hdl.handle.net/10962/d1013175
- Description: This critical realist thesis seeks to understand how student, graduate and professional identities emerge in Emergency Medical Science (EMS) students at a South African University of Technology (UoT) as well as in professional paramedics in the Emergency Medical Care Services (EMCS). It further considers the construct of graduate attributes (GAs) and its relationship to emergence of identity and influence on curriculum design. The research design is that of a case study. The theoretical framework is critical realism whose depth ontology posits three domains of reality. Causal powers and generative mechanisms exist in the Real domain which cause events or phenomena to emerge in the Actual domain that are experienced in the Empirical domain. Using retroduction one may come to explore some of the causes for the event. Using Bhaskar’s concepts of identity, the self, absence and emergence, ontology and four-planar social being, a Bhaskarian explanatory framework of identity to explore the emergence of identity has been created. In exploring graduate attributes, a critical realist question is posed: “What must the world be like for GAs to exist” to explore the possibilities of the existence of GAs. It was found that student identity emerges diachronically in three moments, while professional paramedic identity starts to emerge during the third year of study mainly through the structure, culture and agency of workplace-based learning. In answer to the critical realist question it was found that GAs emerge from the neoliberalist commodification of universities. In seeking an alternative to GAs, traits and attitudes were explored. It was found that these emerge from curriculum, interplay of departmental structure, culture and agency of and from students’ being which makes them ontologically radically different from GAs. This study concludes that student, graduate and professional identities emerge from a person’s core constellational identity diachronically within four-planar social being and the interplay of structure, culture and agency. GAs cannot be related to the emergence of identity and curriculum design because of their ontology; however, if traits and attitudes are substituted for GAs, a close relationship does exist between emergence of identity, traits and attitudes and curriculum design.
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- Date Issued: 2014
The development of a marketing plan for an emergency medical service
- Authors: Barley, Kim Wayne
- Date: 2002
- Subjects: Market -- Planning , Emergency medical services , Health facilities -- South Africa
- Language: English
- Type: Thesis , Masters , MBA
- Identifier: vital:10853 , http://hdl.handle.net/10948/120 , Market -- Planning , Emergency medical services , Health facilities -- South Africa
- Description: The research problem addressed in this study was to develop a comprehensive marketing plan that would help an emergency medical service (EMS) in the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan Municipality (NMMM), capture a significant market share and gain a competitive advantage over competitors. To achieve this object, a literature study to determine the key components of a marketing plan was undertaken and used as a theoretical model in developing an actual marketing plan. In addition to the literature study, an empirical study was conducted to identify the key issues critical to the development of a marketing plan for the EMS. The survey method used, based on the key components gained from the literature study, consisted of an in-depth scan of the macro-environment and thorough market investigation of the target industry. The investigation involved the general management and senior personnel from the local emergency medical industry, medical aid schemes and private hospitals and clinics delimited in the study. The results of the above literature study were finally combined with the results of the empirical study and a marketing plan for an emergency medical service was developed. This study concludes with recommendations applicable for the implementation of the actual marketing plan.
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- Date Issued: 2002