Innovative programmes bring some relief to over-burdened nursing practitioners

One of the most recent initiatives introduced by the group is the utilisation of medical students to assist with nursing duties in Medi-Clinic hospitals.

Medical students to assist with nursing duties

As a pilot project, 3rd, 4th and 5th year medical students are currently being employed to work in the Medi-Clinic hospitals in the Western Cape.

In a bid to alleviate the burden placed on nursing practitioners at the Medi-Clinic hospitals, these students will assist the nursing practitioners with nursing procedures and attend to patients' basic needs. These include, among others, the assessment of vital signs such as blood pressure, temperature and pulse, recording of ECG's, and the washing, mobilising and feeding of patients.

Estelle Jordaan, general manager of nursing at Medi-Clinic Southern Africa, says these students have proved competency in terms of these procedures. "They will perform all activities under the supervision and clinical guidance of a registered nursing practitioner or equivalent," she says.

The medical students will have the opportunity to use their newly acquired knowledge to the benefit of the patients, working hours which do not clash with their academic programme. "This will provide a constructive alternative to their working in restaurants and pubs to assist in funding their studies," Jordaan says.

"Progress will be monitored in the Western Cape and then Medi-Clinic hopes to extend this project to the regions across the country," Jordaan says.

Scarce skills shortage gives rise to new category of specialist assistants

As the demand for qualified staff grows, the size of the skills pool in South Africa continues to shrink. One of the areas that are particularly hard hit by the scarce skills shortage is the operating theatre.

As a long-term attempt to relieve the pressure on the theatre nursing practitioners, Medi-Clinic has developed a training course for operating theatre practitioners (OTPs).

"This is not a new phenomenon," Jordaan says. "Operating department assistants, or surgical technologists, have been an integral part of theatre teams in Britain and the USA for many years," she says.

"It is important to note that OTPs will not replace theatre nurse practitioners, but will work under their supervision as part of the team," she says. "They will have a clear scope of practice. They will not perform nursing functions and they will only be able to work in the operating theatre environment," Jordaan confirms.

The function of an OTP will include preparation of the operating theatre, setting up surgical equipment and instruments, assembling both sterile and unsterile equipment, and scrubbing for theatre procedures.

Medi-Clinic has developed a two-year programme to train candidates, based on the American model for surgical technologists.

A pilot group of candidates commenced training across the country on 1 February 2008. Theoretical and practical training is coordinated by the relevant nurse educators in the Medi-Clinic Learning Centres, with support from hospital-based mentors.

"We are very enthusiastic about the outcome of this programme," says Jordaan. "Our aim is to produce competent theatre staff that can add value to our theatre teams, and aid in the delivery of safe patient care," she says.

Foreign nurses deliver on Medi-Clinic quality care promise

In another attempt to bring relief to the nursing skills shortage, Medi-Clinic actively started recruiting experienced, registered nursing practitioners from India in 2006.

"The first group of eleven highly experienced, specialist nursing professionals arrived in September last year, and were deployed in the specialist units at Panorama, Durbanville and Vergelegen Medi-Clinic hospitals," says Jordaan.

"These professionals have added immense value to the respective hospitals," she says. "In fact, the success of this pilot project has lead to the further recruitment of a much larger group of nursing practitioners from India, who are scheduled to arrive early in 2009," Jordaan concludes.

These specialist nursing practitioners will be deployed at a broader selection of Medi-Clinic hospitals.

For further information contact:
Estelle Jordaan
GM: Nursing, Medi-Clinic Southern Africa
Tel: 021 - 809 6516