Irene Kearns

• PhD
• University of the Witwatersrand

Objective This scoping review aimed to map the content, duration, delivery methods and modes of assessment for paediatric oncology nursing education and training programmes. Design Scoping review. Data sources Published articles were retrieved from Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Dimensions, Embase, PubMed and Scopus. Ad...

Introduction The World Health Organization (WHO) has emphasized the importance of ensuring respectful and dignified childbirth experiences. However, many countries, including Rwanda, have documented negative experiences during childbirth. Identifying best practices can help uncover sustainable solutions for resource-limited settings rather than foc...

Background Childbirth reserves respect, as emphasized by the World Health Organization in 2018, and the focus towards the need for positive, dignified delivery experiences has become an integral aspect of Respectful Maternity Care (RMC). It is a known fact that RMC is pivotal for favourable birth outcomes and contributes to the satisfaction of mate...

Background and Aims Enterocutaneous fistula is a severe complication of an open abdomen, which poses devastating challenges for critical care nurses. The study aimed to explore and describe the challenges faced by critical care nurses caring for patients with enterocutaneous fistulas in a tertiary public hospital in Gauteng, South Africa. Methods...

Background Over the past decade, global public health has increasingly focused on studying mistreatment of women during facility-based childbirth. However, in Rwanda, research on disrespectful care experienced by mothers during childbirth remains limited, indicating the necessity for further studies. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional study in...

Background: Childbirth demands respect, as emphasized by the World Health Organization in 2018 and the focus towards the need for positive, dignified delivery experiences, has become an integral aspect of Respectful Maternity Care (RMC). It is a known fact that RMC is pivotal for favorable birth outcomes and reduce mistreatment during childbirth. A...

Background: Research in Respectful Maternity Care (RMC) has primarily concentrated on midwives' mistreatment of women, with limited emphasis on exploring best practices. Furthermore, in Rwanda, investigations into RMC have predominantly centered on service users, leaving a significant knowledge gap regarding the perspectives of healthcare professio...

Introduction The care of children with cancer is a highly specialised field which requires well-educated, trained and dedicated nurses to provide high-quality care. In low/middle-income countries, the survival rate of children with cancer is low as compared with that of high-income countries due to the limited number of specialised oncology healthc...

Background: Poor knowledge of sexual reproductive health and rights (SRHR) among university students has been constantly reported in low and middle-income countries. A study conducted on female students at the University of Rwanda (UR) about knowledge of emergency contraceptive method use revealed inadequate knowledge in family planning though they...

Introduction: The World Health Organization (WHO) emphasized the importance of positive childbirth experiences by treating mothers with respect and dignity. Unfortunately, instances of negative childbirth experiences have been documented in several countries,including Rwanda. By examining the best experiences and practices, it becomes possible to d...

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to explore and discover the best moments of being a new nurse academic at nursing education institutions. Aim: The purpose of this study was to define, discover and learn about the experiences of being a new nurse academic. Design: A qualitative design with inspiration from Appreciative Inquiry (AI...

Background: Nursing students are expected to be effective self-directed learners beyond graduation. However, traditional assessment methods are teacher-centred, giving the teacher control over every aspect and rendering the students passive recipients during the process. Conversely, sustainable assessment methods have long-term benefits to learning...

Background Newly qualified professional nurses (NQPNs) are ready to practice caring to patients immediately after the completion of training. Practising caring in nursing is the relationship between the patient and the care provider (NQPNs), and the caring involves alleviation of suffering. However, they experience a struggle in balancing between t...

Background Student nurse selection has been a topic of debate for years. Poor nursing care has been attributed to uncaring attitudes, lack of motivation and poor training and mentoring. Student nurse selection requirements and the steps involved in the process have been a revolving debate. Internationally, the recruitment and selection process are...

Aim: This paper describes the development of the training programme for South African professional nurses on how to manage critically ill COVID-19 patients in intensive care units and repurposed general wards. Design and methods: The Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation and Evaluation educational instructional design model guided the de...

Background Preparedness of newly qualified professional nurses has become a concern in clinical practice. The importance of quality care and patient safety issues in healthcare has increased the expectations of the new professional nurse. The reality of working in a clinical setting for newly qualified professional nurses can prove to be overwhelmi...

Background Student nurses are expected to implement a caring practice in order to become professional nurses. Caring has remained the art and science of nursing, which student nurses learn from professional nurses during clinical practice. The South African Nursing Council mandates professional nurses to teach and supervise student nurses to master...

Objective The purpose of this study was to explore, describe and illuminate nursing students’ best encounters of caring in the clinical learning environment. Caring for nursing students was emphasized and recommendations provided to enhance caring for nursing students within their clinical learning environment. Methods Qualitative data was collect...

The researcher observed that nurses prefer not to nurse patients with an open abdomen as they fear that the abdominal contents will protrude. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of registered nurses taking care of patients with an open abdomen in intensive care in an academic hospital in Gauteng, and to provide reco...