The influence of maternal blood glucose during pregnancy on weight outcomes at birth and preschool age in offspring exposed to hyperglycemia first detected during pregnancy, in a South African cohort.

Introduction: Little is known about the influence of hyperglycemia first detected in pregnancy (HFDP) on weight outcomes in exposed offspring in Africa. We investigated the influence of maternal blood glucose concentrations during pregnancy on offspring weight outcomes at birth and preschool age, in offspring exposed to HFDP, in South Africa.

Research Design And Methods: Women diagnosed with HFDP had data routinely collected during the pregnancy and at delivery, at a referral hospital, and the offspring followed up at preschool age.

Malawian mothers' experiences of raising children living with albinism: A qualitative descriptive study.

Background: Albinism in humans is characterised by a reduced amount of pigment (melanin) present in the skin, hair follicles and the eye; approximately 7000-10 000 Malawians of all ages are affected. Children with these features face extreme forms of human rights abuses, even death.

Objectives: This study aims to describe Malawian mothers' experiences, perceptions and understanding of raising children with albinism (CWA).

Medical error reporting among doctors and nurses in a Nigerian hospital: A cross-sectional survey.

Aim: To compare doctors' and nurses' perceptions of factors influencing medical error reporting.

Background: In Nigeria, there is limited information on determinants of error reporting and systems.

Methods: From the total workforce (N = 600), 140 nurses and 90 doctors were selected by random sampling and completed the questionnaire February to March 2017.

Testing effectiveness of the revised Cape Town modified early warning and SBAR systems: a pilot pragmatic parallel group randomised controlled trial.

Background: Nurses' recognition of clinical deterioration is crucial for patient survival. Evidence for the effectiveness of modified early warning scores (MEWS) is derived from large observation studies in developed countries.

Methods: We tested the effectiveness of the paper-based Cape Town (CT) MEWS vital signs observation chart and situation-background-assessment-recommendation (SBAR) communication guide.

Validation of a modified early warning score-linked Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation communication tool: A mixed methods study.

Aims And Objectives: To develop and validate a modified Situation-Background-Assessment-Recommendation communication tool incorporating components of the Cape Town modified early warning score vital signs chart for reporting early signs of clinical deterioration.

Background: Reporting early signs of physiological and clinical deterioration could prevent "failure to rescue" or unexpected intensive care admission, cardiac arrest or death. A structured communication tool incorporating physiological and clinical parameters allows nurses to provide pertinent information about a deteriorating patient in a logical order.

Renal unit practitioners' knowledge, attitudes and practice regarding the safety of unfractionated heparin for chronic haemodialysis.

Background: Chronic haemodialysis for adult patients with end-stage kidney failure requires a patent extracorporeal circuit, maintained by anticoagulants such as unfractionated heparin (UFH). Incorrect administration of UFH has safety implications for patients.

Objectives: Firstly, to describe renal practitioners' self-reported knowledge, attitudes and practice (KAP) regarding the safe use of UFH and its effects; secondly, to determine an association between KAP and selected independent variables.

Student nurses' recognition of early signs of abnormal vital sign recordings.

Background: There is increasing urgency for nurses to recognize early signs of deterioration in patients and to take appropriate action to prevent serious adverse effects.

Objectives: To assess respondents' ability to identify abnormal recordings for respiratory and heart rate, oxygen saturation level, systolic blood pressure, level of consciousness, urinary output and normal temperature.

Design: A descriptive observational survey.

Early warning scoring systems versus standard observations charts for wards in South Africa: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

Background: On South African public hospital wards, observation charts do not incorporate early warning scoring (EWS) systems to inform nurses when to summon assistance. The aim of this trial was to test the impact of a new chart incorporating a modified EWS (MEWS) system and a linked training program on nurses' responses to clinical deterioration (primary outcome). Secondary outcomes were: numbers of patients with vital signs recordings in the first eight postoperative hours; number of times each vital sign was recorded; and nurses' knowledge.

Record review to explore the adequacy of post-operative vital signs monitoring using a local modified early warning score (mews) chart to evaluate outcomes.

Objectives: 1) To explore the adequacy of: vital signs' recordings (respiratory and heart rate, oxygen saturation, systolic blood pressure (BP), temperature, level of consciousness and urine output) in the first 8 post-operative hours; responses to clinical deterioration. 2) To identify factors associated with death on the ward between transfer from the theatre recovery suite and the seventh day after operation.

Design: Retrospective review of records of 11 patients who died plus four controls for each case.

Monitoring vital signs: development of a modified early warning scoring (MEWS) system for general wards in a developing country.

Objective: The aim of the study was to develop and validate, by consensus, the construct and content of an observations chart for nurses incorporating a modified early warning scoring (MEWS) system for physiological parameters to be used for bedside monitoring on general wards in a public hospital in South Africa.

Methods: Delphi and modified face-to-face nominal group consensus methods were used to develop and validate a prototype observations chart that incorporated an existing UK MEWS. This informed the development of the Cape Town ward MEWS chart.

Newly qualified South African nurses' lived experience of the transition from student to community service nurse: a phenomenological study.

Background: This study attempted to fill a gap in the published South African literature regarding newly qualified nurses' preparedness for and experience of role transition to a 1-year compulsory commitment of community service nurse.

Methods: Husserlian descriptive phenomenology, characterized by inductive extraction of units of meaning from transcribed audiotaped recordings, was used to establish the "essence" of the lived experience of role transition. Data were collected from eight participants through two semistructured individual interviews: in July 2011, 2 weeks before the start of community service, and in September 2011, 6 weeks after community service placement.

The biological sciences in nursing: a developing country perspective.

Aim: This paper reports a study to inform curriculum development by exploring the contribution of bioscience education programmes to nurses' clinical practice, their understanding of the rationale for practice, and their perceptions of their continuing professional development needs.

Background: The future of the health services worldwide depends on nurse education programmes equipping practitioners to deliver safe and effective patient care. In the developed world, the structure and indicative content of nursing curricula have been debated extensively.