Page 24 - Spring Graduation Booklet (SESSION-1)(19Oct2022)

SCHOOL OF NURSING & PUBLIC HEALTH
FACULTY OF HEALTH SCIENCES &
VETERINARY MEDICINE
DOCTORATE OF NURSING SCIENCE

CANDIDATE: BLACK Sofia H

CANDIDATE’S DISSERTATION

DEVELOPMENT OF STRATEGIES FOR REGISTERED NURSES TO
FACILITATE SERVICES RENDERED BY COMMUNITY HEALTH
WORKERS IN HARDAP, KAVANGO EAST AND KHOMAS
REGIONS, NAMIBIA

This PhD study was undertaken and completed under the supervision of Prof Lischen
Haoses-Gorases as main supervisor and Dr Esther Kamenye as co-supervisor.

Apparent ineffective facilitation (mentoring, supportive supervision, training) of the
Community Health Worker Programme of MoHSS at health center and clinic level has
prompted the researcher to explore reasons why it could not function optimally. The
absence of a functional unit at primary health care resulted in the Community Health
Programme experiencing challenges with the planning of facilitation strategies that
would enhance the programme’s effects. By means of a comprehensively developed
Standard Operating Procedure Guidelines, implementers were expected to follow
the guidelines provided. Insufficient facilitation is further affected by the fact that the
Community Health Workers’ training exercise focused on the candidates and Primary
Health Care supervisors rather than on strategies to enhance facilitation at operational
level, as stated in the National Health Training Centre report. This study explored the
experiences of Community Health Workers, Registered Nurses as their supervisors and
regional PHC supervisors in the Hardap, Kavango East and Khomas regions. The aim
was to develop strategies that would assist facilitators to facilitate services rendered
through CHWs to communities.

The study recommends that evaluation of the impact of the CHWP be done in
these regions. The evaluation could be done on both external (long-term) basis for
neutral findings and internal (short-term) basis for regional performance appraisal.
In light of the findings, the researcher recommends that MoHSS work in partnership
with developmental partners in the country to participate in the design of training
programmes that would reinforce health facilitation skills and capacity of especially
registered and enrolled nurses who facilitate services rendered through CHWs.

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