Abstract
BackgroundThe Limpopo Department of Health and Social Development introduced a system to train children from poor families as auxiliary nurses as a poverty alleviation strategy in 2003. The programme targeted the needy families, those who depended on social grants, orphaned or child-headed families. The programme has been implemented for more than 10 years and the experiences of trainees were never explored.ObjectivesThe purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of auxiliary nurse trainees of the poverty alleviation programme regarding nursing and the nursing profession.MethodsA qualitative approach was used. Purposive sampling was used to sample 15 auxiliary nurses who were trained under poverty alleviation programme in four of the seven hospitals of Vhembe District. Data were collected through in-depth individual interviews. One central question ‘As a beneficiary of poverty alleviation programme, could you describe your experiences of training as a nurse and of the nursing profession in this hospital’. Data were collected until no new information emerged. Note taking and a voice recording was performed to capture all the information reported by the participants. Open coding method was used to analyse data.ResultsTwo themes emerged, namely experiences of being a nurse and about nursing as a profession, and interpersonal relationships between auxiliary nurses and the ward staff.ConclusionsThe Department of Health in Limpopo Province was commended and to be encouraged to develop other programmes as poverty alleviation strategy for other government departments, so that the affected children can have a wider career choice. The managers and supervisors in the wards to have moral and legal obligations to support initiatives that foster effective mentoring of neophyte nurses in the nursing profession.
Highlights
Training and skills development available to vulnerable youth can be of help to upskill themselves and offers a better chance of escaping poverty (Mayombe 2014). Kgadima (2009) believed that South Africa is faced with the challenge of poverty and hunger
The move towards the realisation of the sustainable development goals (SDGs), goal (1) is: ‘End poverty in all its forms which is linked to the eradication of poverty and hunger by 2015, which in turn encourages developing countries to embark on poverty alleviation programmes’ (Sachs & McArthur 2005)
The Quality Assurance section at one hospital in Vhembe District indicated in the analysis of patient satisfaction questionnaires that 60% of the patients were not satisfied with the quality of care being provided by the auxiliary nurses
Summary
Training and skills development available to vulnerable youth can be of help to upskill themselves and offers a better chance of escaping poverty (Mayombe 2014). Kgadima (2009) believed that South Africa is faced with the challenge of poverty and hunger. The document was based on the view that government just cannot provide grants and leave families and individuals vulnerable in other aspects of life, and that decent and sustainable work remains a cornerstone in the eradication of poverty (Sekoati 2008). Responding to this challenge, the MEC http://www.curationis.org.za. The programme has been implemented for more than 10 years and the experiences of trainees were never explored
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