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This study employed a conceptual framework to elucidate the issue of incivility. The researcher created a cohesive conceptual framework to facilitate the construction of knowledge and to offer a rational elucidation of the knowledge acquired during this study. This will provide a framework for a deeper comprehension of incivility in professional nursing education in South Africa. A qualitative exploratory descriptive methodology was employed. The research was conducted in a nursing college in partnership with a university of technology and a university-affiliated nursing school. A selected sample of fifteen (15) students and ten (10) nurse educators was utilised for data collection. Semi-structured, in-person interviews were used to gather data until saturation was achieved with 23 participants. Participation was voluntary, and discussions were kept confidential. Distinct themes arose from the data analysis and were interpreted through interpersonal relations theory. The related notions were delineated as Part 1 – the leaves of the tree: manifestations of incivility, Part 2 – the trunk of the tree: incivility itself, and Part 3 – the roots of the tree: the origins of incivility within the framework of incivility.

Adolescents living with HIV and AIDS experience difficulties when they transition from pediatric clinics to adult clinics. People living with HIV and AIDS have been judged and stigmatized as promiscuous. Since adolescence is a challenging milestone with all the physical and emotional changes, adolescents become vulnerable to defaulting care and treatment at the clinic. In some health facilities, youth-friendly services are still not well implemented, despite the program being advocated for by the World Health Organization to reduce HIV. The study aimed to explore the barriers to the provision of youth-friendly services for adolescents living with HIV and AIDS in clinics in Gauteng Province, South Africa. An explorative descriptive and qualitative design was applied through in-depth interviews. Data were collected from 15 professional nurses in three clinics and analysed using the content analysis framework. The study's findings produced five themes: human resource challenges, inadequate space to provide the service, healthcare providers’ attitudes toward the provision of mixed services and an environment not conducive to the service. Healthcare providers displayed judgemental attitudes towards adolescents when they sought sexual and reproductive services at the clinics. The shortage of staff and resources hampered the provision of youth-friendly services to adolescents living with HIV and AIDS. Lack of privacy and confidentiality due to limited space in the clinics caused adolescents to default on their treatment as they are seen in the same space as adults. The study recommends a designated area for adolescents and youth separated from other clinic populations so that sexual and reproductive health topics can be discussed without fear of being identified by other people visiting the clinic. Moreover, more youth-inclusive environments in healthcare settings should be created.

Lately, there has been a rise in personal and commercial use of computer devices, be it mobile phones, laptops, or any other computing devices, not forgetting the network, networking peripherals, and software that these devices function with. That being said, it has led organisations and institutions of higher learning to establish and adhere to Information Technology governance frameworks set out by the government and the higher education sector. White and Greiner (2022) defined Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) as an Information Technology (IT) service management framework that outlines best practices for delivering IT services. Kidd (2019) defined Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies (COBIT) as an IT management framework developed by the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) to help businesses develop, organize, and implement strategies around information management and IT governance. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ITIL and COBIT, as IT governance frameworks recommended by the higher education sector in South Africa, were adopted by ICT departments in universities in Gauteng province, South Africa. Data collection was done using a questionnaire. The questionnaire was sent via email to 52 potential respondents from all the higher institutions in Gauteng. A total of 41 questionnaires were returned. The questionnaire for both ITIL and COBIT frameworks was designed using Google Forms. The study findings showed that universities in Gauteng have adopted ITIL and COBIT as ICT governance frameworks recommended by the Higher Education sector in South Africa. The study's results are crucial for university administrators as they might improve comprehension of the factors affecting the adoption, administration, and utilization of ICT resources to enhance the university's capacities

A journal publishing house grows by maintaining and increasing the level of production of journals over the years. As a result, a non-decreasing trend becomes worrisome, because it may mean some likelihood of decline in journal publications. A declining trend warrants an investigation into this aspect, and possible intervention methods for a turnaround to increase journal publications. A respected publishing house in South Africa showed declining trends in its annual yield of various of its journals. The aim of the study was to measure the journal productivity of various journals in a specified publishing house with specific objectives being to determine the level of production over the years; to compare the level of production for the various journals; and to identify the most produced and the least produced journals. A categorical multivariate time series analysis-based study design was conducted. A trend of published articles in a South African oral health-based journal publishing house was investigated for 11-years from 2008 to 2018 in which 197 journals were used. The journals were under the subfields of direct restorative dentistry (DRD), direct restorative materials (DRM), endodontics and paedodontics. Publications of the paedodontics and direct restorative dentistry and materials journals showed a decline over the years, to their extinction. There was no journal on indirect restorative materials, which is a field related to other restorative journals. Merging these could enhance the popularity of a new one. Then, the constantly low endodontics may be augmented by increasing the journal scope.

The study sought to explore and describe the various policies regarding access to Maternity health care services in the North West Province, South Africa, through the lens of midwives.  Legal and ethical frameworks guide maternity healthcare services to ensure such a service's quality, safety, and standardization. A qualitative, descriptive, explorative research design was followed. Nine purposefully sampled midwives participated in a one-on-one in-depth interview. Data were analyzed using Collaizi's descriptive method based on the emerging themes and categories. One overarching theme with six categories emerged from the data. From the overarching perspective, it was evident that midwives were dissatisfied with the ambiguity of various policies guiding patients' access to Maternity healthcare services. To a certain extent, the admission policy was inconsistent with the patient's rights and constitution of the land on access to health. The ambiguity of admission position led to uncontrolled movements of self-referred patients to clinical facilities. The ambiguity of the transfer policy contributed to challenges during interfacility transfers of referred patients from lower levels of care facilities and vice versa. In addition, the policy on escorts of patients was unspecific about the healthcare personnel required to escort complicated patients in transit, which caused care interruptions. The study findings highlight the Midwives' concerns regarding various policies of access to maternity health services, and the marked ineffectiveness of controlling patients' movement into facilities could be the reason for overcrowding, inadvertently causing a decline in the quality of maternity healthcare services. The study findings may alert policymakers to be cautious and ensure that policies are succinct and consistent with other related laws.

The number of new HIV cases worldwide has gradually declined; however, South African adolescent females and young women continue to account for the most infections. Although the availability and accessibility of antiretroviral drugs have improved the survival rates of women, some still transmit HIV to their children despite the availability of HIV prevention interventions, resulting in a dual responsibility for the care of themselves and their infected children. This study aims to explore the challenges experienced by caregivers of HIV-infected children in Limpopo Province. The study employed qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive designs, and data was collected from 12 caregivers through semi-structured interviews. Data were analysed using Tesch’s eight steps of analysis. The study identified three challenges facing caregivers of HIV-positive children. Caregivers struggled with disclosure and stigma, finding it difficult to reveal the child's HIV status. The burden of care was significant, including the management of the child's unstable health, ensuring compliance with treatment, and attending frequent hospital visits. The unemployment rate posed a financial burden, particularly in arranging hospital travel costs and providing adequate nutrition to HIV-infected children. These challenges highlight the need for increased support for caregivers of HIV-infected children, including education and awareness campaigns to reduce stigma. Policymakers should consider providing financial support to caregivers. A holistic, multisectoral approach involving healthcare, education, social services, and policymakers is essential.

The involvement of families and communities in healthcare services by healthcare providers enhances accountability towards the community they serve. Guardians need to be involved in the integrated management of childhood illnesses (IMCI) to improve child health outcomes. The study aimed to explore challenges experienced by nurses regarding the involvement of guardians in the management of childhood illnesses in the Vhembe district. A qualitative, exploratory-descriptive design was followed in this study. Fifteen participants were purposefully selected for the study. One-on-one interviews following a semi-structured interview guide were conducted face-to-face with the participants. A voice recorder was used to record the interviews. Data analysis was done following Tesch's eight steps. Trustworthiness was ensured throughout the study. The study yielded two themes, namely: guardians-related challenges, which are lack of knowledge and understanding of IMCI, language barrier and lack of continuity of care and healthcare service-related challenges, which are lack of human resource, staff attitude towards the IMCI strategy, shortage of material resource and erratic water supply. For the strategy to be effective in reducing the complications of childhood illnesses and child mortality, the government needs to avail the required resources and develop measures to empower guardians in child health management.  

The purpose of the study was to explore the perceptions of church members regarding congregants who are on antiretroviral therapy in Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study was conducted in churches of Vhembe District, Limpopo Province, South Africa. The study utilised an exploratory, descriptive, qualitative research design. The study focused on church members in Vhembe District of Limpopo Province. A non-probability purposive sampling method was used to select church members for participation. The sample size was 30 church members, determined by saturation of data. Semi-structured interviews were utilised to collect data, and data was analysed using Tech's eight steps of the coding process, through the content analysis method. The study yielded four themes, namely, church members’ understanding of antiretroviral therapy, attitudes of church leaders towards congregants on antiretroviral therapy, the roles, and responsibilities of church leaders towards congregants on antiretroviral therapy and, psychosocial challenges faced by congregants on antiretroviral therapy. Church members understood what antiretroviral therapy is used for, and some were specific about its impact in suppressing the viral load and improving the CD4 count. However, some church leaders were reported to be negative towards congregants on ART. As much as church members knew about ART and its use, people living with HIV/AIDS were subjected to rejection, discrimination, and stigmatization and lacked general support in churches. HIV/AIDS awareness campaigns are necessary to impart to church members information that is readily available, appropriate, and effective. These campaigns could be delivered through workshops targeting church members, including both church leaders and congregants.  

Skills and knowledge of business and management are essential for enterprise growth and business survival, to a point where entrepreneurs regard them as indispensable qualities desired in business management. These qualities are not the only ones necessary in business and management, as there are many determinants of business growth. However, there are numerous instances where a business enterprise fails despite its human resources having received high quality training in business skills, and sometimes even having adequate resources. The purpose of this study was to design an innovative way to incorporate attitudes and behaviour in the training of entrepreneurs to stimulate high performance. Evidence was produced to show that some small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which were on the verge of collapsing/failing can be revived by training on aspects of ‘attitude’ and ‘behaviour’. This paper demonstrated how an existing training on skills development can be improved by adding content that focuses on attitudes and behaviour to reduce their failure. The findings of this study have potential to enable business schools and colleges offering entrepreneurship courses to incorporate ‘attitude’ and ‘behaviour’ which could aid in the survival of the SMEs that are so critical for the economy of the country.

This qualitative study aims to assess the value of e-health in rural areas of the Limpopo Province of South Africa. The study was meant to appraise the current state of e-health readiness in rural Limpopo areas and identify any barriers to effective health service delivery. Data were collected through interviews with rural health providers from the province. The study defined e-health as an approach in which health services can be provided comprehensively by using information and communication technologies (ICTs) in a more cost-effective, efficient, and quicker way than when manual methods are used. It then established that rural health in Limpopo is deficient and almost dysfunctional because of rural health in Limpopo is deficient and almost dysfunctional because of lacking infrastructure and other problems due to scarcity of resources. Transport and road conditions, as well as a lack of patient transport, made rural health services extremely poor. The study realised that by restructuring the rural health systems in the province, there are ample opportunities to enable e-health mode to rural health service. Therefore, the study recommended restructuring rural health and then introducing it.

This study focuses on understanding the reasons why the support programmes initiated to enhance the success of black-owned small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have not shown the successes that were envisaged. Some government agencies are in charge of these programmes. The sampling frame consisted of previously assisted SMEs by the support agencies. SMEs were represented by high-ranking officials as study participants. There were signs that the support programmes were not effective in improving the SMEs. The responses indicated that the programmes’ weakness can be attributed to the aid not being customized to the needs of the SMEs. There were training initiatives in some instances. According to the responses, the training was not based on the training needs of the SMEs. The SME practitioners, therefore, did not improve on their weaknesses. Finances that were given out as aid, according to the respondents, were dictated by the donor and did not allow flexibility according to the purchasing needs of the SMEs. Apparently, aid was in one form for all the SMEs. These supports ended up not helping to improve the SME. The paper recommended the customization of the aid to the needs of the SME.

This qualitative study delves into the perspectives of psychiatric nurses in South Africa regarding safety enhancements in forensic units. Working in forensic units is linked to safety concerns due to frequent incidences of interpersonal violence and the nature of patients admitted to such units. As such, the need to explore measures to address safety concerns arose. In-depth interviews and reflexive thematic analysis revealed a consensus among nurses on the importance of various interventions, including improving security measures, enhancing the physical environment, fostering collaboration among staff members, increasing staffing levels, and garnering support from management. Notably, support from management emerges as a crucial factor in facilitating open discussions and sustained engagement in safety improvement initiatives. The study underscores the pivotal role of management support in realizing safer forensic units. The findings offer valuable insights applicable to forensic units in psychiatric settings globally, where safety concerns for both personnel and patients persist.

This paper aims to explore and describe the challenges experienced by nurses caring for persons diagnosed with intellectual disability. Caring for persons with intellectual disability is understood be challenging for families. This could be worse for nurses due to the challenging behaviour the persons with intellectual disability present with. This may be exacerbated by the attitudes nurses have towards persons with intellectual disability. The researchers ask the following questions: “What are the challenges experienced by nurses caring for persons with intellectual disability?” We employed an exploratory-descriptive research design, using in-depth individual face-to-face interviews to explore the nurses’ experiences. Using Tesch’s method of open coding, two overarching themes emerged: (1) Care-related challenges and (2). Facilitation of a supportive, caring environment. The findings of the study demonstrate that the experienced challenges are related to the mental status of the persons diagnosed with intellectual disability, the therapeutic environment, shortage of specialized personnel and role ambiguity. Hence, the nurses yearn for a supportive environment which includes family support and support from the institution's management, including the provision of psychosocial support, which plays a pivotal role in achieving a safe, caring environment. The findings of this study could be used to develop strategies to facilitate a supportive, caring environment to minimize therapeutic challenges.

The study criticizes the way South Africa collects taxes from different segments of the population, primarily pensioners and workers with two sources of income. It also condemns the ineffective manner in which it administers some tax payouts, especially in the unfairness that has shown bias to some groups. Primarily, taxing of the pensioners is condemned, as well as the taxing of second earnings of employees, mainly where there were victims of the apartheid policies. The paper recommends taxing people with caution, in order not to perpetuate apartheid-initiated poverty of the South African masses of people, and in cases where earners who are being taxed could be having extra financial responsibilities. In order to resolve these problems, taxpayers and tax preparers should make sure that tax laws are applied correctly, that they are aware of the consequences of breaking the Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP), and that they routinely review and update their tax return positions in response to modifications to accounting standards and tax legislation.

This paper investigated the challenges that researchers in a health sciences university can experience, and ways to counterbalance the negative effects of these challenges. Focus was on the extent to which gatekeepers on higher education institutions (HEIs) can restrict research, and the way natural sciences researchers often experience gatekeeper biasness on denying them access as compared to the way health sciences researchers are treated. The method compared experiences of researchers for Master of Science (MSc) degrees in selected science subjects, and the projects undertaken by health sciences students. All the studies were based on students on campus as research subjects. The MSc ones were for students who were already academics teaching on campus. All the proposals received clearance certificates from the same ethics committee. Upon requiring the HEI registrar to grant permission to use the student as study participants, the health sciences were granted permission and the names of the students. For the science academics, they were denied permission to the student numbers, which were needed to request individual students to make on decisions whether they wanted to participate in the studies or not. Gatekeeping weaknesses were explored, and lawful interventions were used to collect research data. It was observed that in the science academic divisions of HEIs that are dominated by the health sciences, gatekeeper unfairness and power could offset creativities and innovations initiated by researchers. Recommendations have been made to limit this power.

The paper developed a multilevel model (MLM) of postgraduate (PG) supervision to improve the academic publication and PG completion rate. Crowdsourcing essentials were used in the development of the model. The crowds consisted of the MLM made of students from Honours to doctoral levels. Teamwork was also implored, where the teams were level mates and supervisory teams. The simplest form of the model has the potential to generate over 65 academic manuscripts for journals. Monitoring of the supervision process can provide maximized completion of the PG research studies. Research capacity building would be effected for the doctoral and master’s students making them able to supervise and co-supervise from Honours to doctoral levels upon completion of their studies. The study condemned the use of a single supervisor for several doctoral students. It recommended the implementation of the model (the MLM PG Supervision Framework). It further recommended that doctoral students should be assigned co-supervisors, preferably varied for different students, to enable diversity in the supervision experience.

The study investigated the shortages in a multimodal learning (MML) approach that was used in a science faculty of a selected higher education institution (HEI) in South Africa. The study population consisted of students of the science faculty. The sample consisted of students who willingly offered to participate after being informed of this study. A study questionnaire consisting of MML components was used to collect data. It was distributed by email as Google forms to students who had supplied their email addresses in acceptance of participating. Analysis of data consisted of graphs and measures in percentages to determine the level of how the students experienced the various MML components. The deficiency level was not too high, but the components that were missing were crucial to effect beneficial learning. The components missing in MML were found to be core components of a flipped classroom (FC). The paper recommended a move of MML closer to FC.

An investigation to balance the sustainability of insurance companies and successful claims on insurance policies is important towards the economy, as well as for assisting the insured during financial difficulty when their items are damaged or lost. This paper examines some rejected short-term insurances where a misunderstanding of the contract might have caused the insurer to lose out on the claim. Data were collected from cases of courts and insurers on rejected claims due to misunderstandings by the insured. The first text data set was a court case. The second was a graph on the root causes of claims rejections from the insurer. The third was a matrix data set presenting the languages of the insured. The insurers who had refused to pay insurer claims supplied the latter two. Despite the three contexts being widely different, their results show that rejections of claims by the insurers were due to the insured failing to understand the conditions of the contracts, and thus not being able to figure out what could have caused the rejection. Hence, the use of complicated and legal language in insurance contracts results in the insured not fully understanding the contract, which leads to claims being rejected. The paper recommends the use of simple language and pinpointing in layman's form, those aspects that could lead to rejections of claims.

The pricing of insurance premiums in the non-life insurance sector remains a challenging and complex task. It demands a delicate balance between accurately estimating risk exposure and ensuring profitability for insurers. Generalised Linear Regression Models (GLMs) have become the preferred methods for premium price modelling in the motor insurance sector. While the approach of using a single superior model on which predictions are based ignores the use of robust estimator models. This paper examines various methodologies and sheds light on superiority of twenty-two models compared to each other for pricing automobile insurance. These methods vary from traditional actuarial methods to the modern statistical models such as machine learning algorithms. By using archival technique, their inferiority and superiority are explored, considering the ever-changing landscape of risk factors and market dynamics. Furthermore, it highlights the potential benefits of leveraging these methods and the mechanism for pricing short-term insurance, particularly in motor vehicle insurance. It also develops a framework that can be used in pricing to cater to risk analysis constituents to mitigate uncertainties and provide good services to clients. Our findings show that ANN, NN, XGB, random forest (RF) are superior models, and we conclude that the modern statistical methods can accurately estimate the risk exposure as compared to traditional methods such as the GLMs.