Barriers and facilitators of translating doctoral research findings into policy: The case of a selected health sciences school in a South African university.

Background: Although the barriers and facilitators of translating health research into policy are generally well documented, not much has been reported for universities in low-and middle-income countries. We identified and analyzed barriers and facilitators of translating doctoral research findings into policy in a selected health sciences school in a South African university.

Methods: The study adopted a quantitative descriptive research design.

Factors influencing the utilization of doctoral research findings at a university in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa: Views of academic leaders.

Background: Translation of health research findings into policy remains a challenge in sub-Saharan Africa. Factors influencing health research utilization are poorly described in literature. Therefore, identifying factors that influence the utilization of research findings for policy formulation is essential to facilitate implementation of evidence-based interventions.

Preconception Care Recommendations, Training, and Competency of Primary Healthcare Nurses in South Africa: A Quantitative Descriptive Study.

Introduction: There has been a growing interest in preconception care (PCC) as a primary means of tackling the high maternal and child mortality rates, as evidence has shown that the state of maternal health before conception can have a direct impact on the health of the mother and baby. Primary care nurses have been recognized as the highest providers of sexual and reproductive healthcare to the vulnerable population in resource-constrained settings.

Objective: This study aimed to examine and describe the PCC recommendations, training, and competency of primary healthcare (PHC) nurses in South Africa.

Measuring perceived learning gains of undergraduate nursing students in ICT skills: One group pre-test and post-test design.

This study aimed to measure learning gains during an ICT training intervention in first-year students completing a four-year undergraduate nursing degree. This study adopted a quasi-experimental, one group pre-test and post-test design. The intervention effectiveness was measured using individual single-student normalised gains, g; class average normalised gain, 〈g〉; and average single-student normalised gain, g(ave).

Integration of preconception care into the bachelor of nursing curriculum: An exploratory qualitative study.

Background: The significance of ensuring high quality of care has become apparent in nursing and midwifery education worldwide, especially in low- and middle-income countries. This has led to upgrades of the nursing curriculum to include several aspects of care that have been overlooked with recent evidence-based care.

Objectives: To explore the integration of preconception care (PCC) into the Bachelor of nursing curriculum in South Africa.

Preconception care practices among primary health care nurses working in public health facilities in KwaZulu-Natal.

Background: Preconception care (PCC) is necessary to identify and deal with all the risk factors before conception. Some aspects of PCC, like folic acid supplementation, would be relevant to people desiring a pregnancy. Alternatively, PCC could provide contraceptive support to those with no pregnancy intention.

"We Are Having a Huge Problem with Compliance": Exploring Preconception Care Utilization in South Africa.

Background: Preconception care (PCC), a policy directive from the World Health Organisation (WHO), comprises all the health interventions offered to women and couples before conception and is intended to improve their overall health status and the pregnancy outcomes. Although PCC should be an essential part of maternal and child health services in most African countries, its provision and utilization are not widely documented. Hence, this study aimed to explore the factors influencing preconception care utilization among high-risk women in South Africa.

Perceptions and Practice of Preconception Care by Healthcare Workers and High-Risk Women in South Africa: A Qualitative Study.

Preconception care is biomedical, behavioural, and social health interventions provided to women and couples before conception. This service is sometimes prioritised for women at high risk for adverse pregnancy outcomes. Evidence revealed that only very few women in Africa with severe chronic conditions receive or seek preconception care advice and assessment for future pregnancy.

Using Mobile Technologies Among Undergraduate Nursing Students for Academic Purposes in Tertiary Education: A Quantitative Survey.

Mobile devices are increasingly part of daily life, with the benefits of using the technology in nursing education widely recognized. This study explored the use of mobile devices among undergraduate nursing students for academic purposes in South Africa, using a quantitative survey. The majority of participants owned smartphones (87.

Using Exploratory and Confirmatory Factor Analysis to understand the role of technology in nursing education.

Aim: The study aimed to establish the role played by technology in nursing education through Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) and Confirmatory Factor Analysis (CFA).

Methods: 150 student nurses participated, with data being collected using a structured questionnaire with 14 items on a 5-point Likert scale. Parallel Analysis (PA) and Exploratory Factor Analysis (EFA) were conducted to identify the factors for the role of technology in nursing education, Confirmatory Factor analysis (CFA) was used to ascertain the model fit.

Transforming Nursing Education to Strengthen Health System in Malawi: An Exploratory Study.

Background: Malawi made great strides to increase the number of nurses through the Emergency Human Resource for Health Program. However, quantity of health workforce alone is not adequate to strengthen the health system. Malawi still reports skill mix imbalance and geographical mal-distribution of the nursing workforce.

Issues and challenges of curriculum reform to competency-based curricula in Africa: A meta-synthesis.

Although in recent decades reforms to undergraduate nursing and midwifery education have increasingly been guided by the concept of competency-based curriculum in a drive to produce competent graduates in the African context, the topic remains poorly researched in-depth. The related issues and challenges need to be explored in the interest of evidence-based practice. This article stems from a systematic review of qualitative literature on the design and implementation of competency-based curriculum.