Alida Herbst

The Intensity of Intensive Care: A Patient’s Narrative

This qualitative study involved action research to explore one woman’s narrative of awareness, emotions and thoughts during treatment in an intensive care unit (ICU). The overarching aim is to increase insight into the thoughts, feelings and bio-psychosocial needs of the patient receiving treatment in ICU. Data was collected by means of narrative discourse analysis. Literature on the psychosocial and spiritual implications of ICU treatment is limited, and often patients have no recall of their treatment in an ICU at all. Documenting the illness narrative of this individual case is valuable as the participant could recall a certain amount of awareness, thoughts and emotions. These experiences included delirium, anxiety, helplessness, frustration and uncertainty. Once sedation was decreased, the patient’s consciousness increased and she was confronted with thoughts and emotions that were unrealistic and frightening. It was found in this study that the opportunity to share a narrative on the emotions and awareness during treatment in an ICU had cathartic value and the participant suffered little symptoms of post traumatic stress syndrome, often associated with long term treatment in an ICU. Further research on this topic is necessary to improve ICU treatment, not only on a physical level, but with emphasis on the psychosocial and spiritual needs of the patient.

The role of hospice caregivers in caring for families infected with, or affected by HIV/AIDS

Hospice TLC is the name of a non-profit organization (NPO) rendering services in the Kokstad area situated in the southern region of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Hospice TLC has been in operation since June 2006 and its main focus is to render holistic palliative and frail care to all patients in their area of operation. In this article the focus will be on the role Hospice TLC caregivers can play in meeting the bio-psychosocial needs of families infected or affected by HIV and AIDS in the Kokstad area. Through their contact with frail and terminally ill patients the caregivers have access to their families, affording them an opportunity to identify and meet some of the bio-psychosocial needs of the families.

The psychological implications of the closing of a mine for workers and their families

This article arose from a project which was launched on behalf of the Labour Union Solidarity after the interim liquidation and immediate closing of the Durban Roodepoort Deep (DRD) Gold Mine at Stilfontein. This mining community was also traumatized by an earthquake shortly before the closing of the mine. The process commenced on 27 April 2005, when a contract was drawn up with Solidarity’s Helping Hand Fund to do a psychosocial situation analysis among the community. Based on the results of the psychosocial situation analysis, a project plan was submitted to Solidarity, after which a formal agreement was reached between the two parties and a meeting with the representatives of the labour union was held. Following this, the plan of action was proposed, the facilitators trained and the programme implemented. The data of the psychosocial situation analysis, the contents and course of the group sessions as well as the results that ensued from the questionnaire that was filled in by the women during the women’s day as well as certain strengths present in the community are discussed. This is followed by an integrated discussion of the investigation. A number of recommendations are also made for the future.

DIE REALITEIT VAN DIE PRAKTYK: EISE EN UITDAGINGS WAT DIE BEGINNERSPRAKTYK AAN MAATSKAPLIKE WERKERS STEL

Die oorgang van universiteitstudent tot werknemer in die praktyk impliseer ’n transformasie-proses, ’n metamorfose wat bepaalde eise en uitdagings aan jong volwassenes stel. Dit is veral jong professionele persone soos maatskaplike werkers wat met hierdie eise gekonfronteer word wanneer hulle die praktyk met idealistiese, dikwels onrealistiese, verwagtinge betree. Trans-formasie is ’n konsep wat op verskeie maniere geinterpreteer en gedefinieer kan word, maar die omskrywing van transformasie as gedaanteverwisseling is die fokus in hierdie artikel wat handel oor die eise en uitdagings wat die beginnerspraktyk aan maatskaplike werkers stel. Dit handel oor die oorgang tussen student-wees en professionele werknemer en hoe hierdie pro-sesse binne die tersiere instellings, welsynsorganisasies en binne die individu gefasiliteer word.

TRAINING UNIVERSITY STUDENTS FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT: LESSONS FROM A KNOWLEDGE, ATTITUDES AND BEHAVIOUR (KAB) STUDY

This article describes the contents and effect of an accredited short course on socio-economic development that was designed for the project leaders of the Student Rag Community Service (SRCS) of the North-West University’s Potchefstroom campus. The SRCS is the largest student-driven non-profit organisation in South Africa and the course was intended to enable its students, which came from diverse academic backgrounds, to become effective leaders of non-curricular community engagement projects. Measurements were done by means of knowledge, attitudes and behaviour (KAB) scales, as well as an adapted Facilitation Assessment Scale (FAS). The results proved that the course had a practical significant effect on the participants’ knowledge and a medium to large effect on their attitudes and intended behaviour. These findings make it possible to use the course as a basis for the development of similar courses in community engagement at other tertiary training institutions and even further afield.

THE EFFECT OF A LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME ON A GROUP OF ADOLESCENTS FROM A RESOURCE-RESTRICTED COMMUNITY

The Student Rag Community Service (SRCS) of the North-West University’s Potchefstroom campus is a student-driven, registered, non-profit organisation which plans and manages more than 75 student community engagement projects. One of these projects involves a leadership development programme, Pick-A-Leader (PAL), among the grade 11 learners of three schools in resource-restricted communities in the Potchefstroom district. This article focuses on the experiences of the grade 11 learners who took part in this programme.

A complicated grief intervention programme (CGIP) for social workers

Grief is a well-described concept in the literature, but complicated grief only recently became the concern of professionals working in this field. The necessity for a complicated grief intervention programme became evident after a fruitless search to find South African literature and interventions on the topic. This article describes the Complicated Grief Intervention Programme (CGIP) with the Complicated Grief Intervention Model (CGIM) as framework for intervention. The focus is on intervention techniques such as desensitisation, visualisation, use of the client-log, miracle questions, metaphors, rituals and humour. The CGIP is a time-limited intervention programme and consists mainly of interventions implemented during the three steps of the CGIM namely, assessment, implementation and evaluation/termination. Although the CGIP has not been widely tested, it holds the potential to serve as a guideline for social workers and other professionals working in the field of grief and bereavement.