Perceptions of health care professionals on the safety and security at Odi District Hospital, Gauteng, South Africa

Background: For optimum delivery of service, an establishment needs to ensure a safe and secure environment. In 2011, the South African government promulgated the National Core Standards for Health Establishments for safety and security for all employees in all establishments. Little is known about...

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Main Authors: Sunday O. Okeke, Langalibalele H. Mabuza
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: AOSIS 2017-10-01
Series:African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
Subjects:
Online Access:https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/1441
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author Sunday O. Okeke
Langalibalele H. Mabuza
author_facet Sunday O. Okeke
Langalibalele H. Mabuza
author_sort Sunday O. Okeke
collection DOAJ
description Background: For optimum delivery of service, an establishment needs to ensure a safe and secure environment. In 2011, the South African government promulgated the National Core Standards for Health Establishments for safety and security for all employees in all establishments. Little is known about whether these standards are being complied to. Aim and setting: To assess the perceptions of health care professionals (HCPs) on safety and security at Odi District Hospital. Methodology: A sample of 181 out of a total of 341 HCPs was drawn through a systematic sampling method from each HCP category. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The SPSS® statistical software version 22 was used for data analysis. The level of statistical significance was set at < 0.05. Results: There were more female respondents than male respondents (136; 75.10%). The dominant age group was 28–47 years (114; 57.46%). Perceptions on security personnel, their efficiency and the security system were significantly affirmed (p = 0.0001). The hospital infrastructure, surroundings and plan in emergencies were perceived to be safe (p < 0.0001). The hospital lighting system was perceived as inadequate (p = 0.0041). Only 36 (20.2%) HCPs perceived that hospital authorities were concerned about employees’ safety (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: HCPs had positive perceptions regarding the hospital’s security system. Except for the negative perceptions of the lighting system and the perceived lack of hospital authorities’ concern for staff safety, perceptions of the HCPs on the hospital working environment were positive. The hospital authorities need to establish the basis of negative perceptions and enforce remedial measures to redress them.
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spelling doaj.art-b03819409e8b4b03b1af527cc104e7362022-12-21T22:08:09ZengAOSISAfrican Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine2071-29282071-29362017-10-0191e1e710.4102/phcfm.v9i1.1441497Perceptions of health care professionals on the safety and security at Odi District Hospital, Gauteng, South AfricaSunday O. Okeke0Langalibalele H. Mabuza1Department of Family Medicine & Primary Health Care, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences UniversityDepartment of Family Medicine & Primary Health Care, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences UniversityBackground: For optimum delivery of service, an establishment needs to ensure a safe and secure environment. In 2011, the South African government promulgated the National Core Standards for Health Establishments for safety and security for all employees in all establishments. Little is known about whether these standards are being complied to. Aim and setting: To assess the perceptions of health care professionals (HCPs) on safety and security at Odi District Hospital. Methodology: A sample of 181 out of a total of 341 HCPs was drawn through a systematic sampling method from each HCP category. Data were collected through a self-administered questionnaire. The SPSS® statistical software version 22 was used for data analysis. The level of statistical significance was set at < 0.05. Results: There were more female respondents than male respondents (136; 75.10%). The dominant age group was 28–47 years (114; 57.46%). Perceptions on security personnel, their efficiency and the security system were significantly affirmed (p = 0.0001). The hospital infrastructure, surroundings and plan in emergencies were perceived to be safe (p < 0.0001). The hospital lighting system was perceived as inadequate (p = 0.0041). Only 36 (20.2%) HCPs perceived that hospital authorities were concerned about employees’ safety (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: HCPs had positive perceptions regarding the hospital’s security system. Except for the negative perceptions of the lighting system and the perceived lack of hospital authorities’ concern for staff safety, perceptions of the HCPs on the hospital working environment were positive. The hospital authorities need to establish the basis of negative perceptions and enforce remedial measures to redress them.https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/1441PerceptionsHealth care professionalssafetysecurityhealth care facilityhospital authorities
spellingShingle Sunday O. Okeke
Langalibalele H. Mabuza
Perceptions of health care professionals on the safety and security at Odi District Hospital, Gauteng, South Africa
African Journal of Primary Health Care & Family Medicine
Perceptions
Health care professionals
safety
security
health care facility
hospital authorities
title Perceptions of health care professionals on the safety and security at Odi District Hospital, Gauteng, South Africa
title_full Perceptions of health care professionals on the safety and security at Odi District Hospital, Gauteng, South Africa
title_fullStr Perceptions of health care professionals on the safety and security at Odi District Hospital, Gauteng, South Africa
title_full_unstemmed Perceptions of health care professionals on the safety and security at Odi District Hospital, Gauteng, South Africa
title_short Perceptions of health care professionals on the safety and security at Odi District Hospital, Gauteng, South Africa
title_sort perceptions of health care professionals on the safety and security at odi district hospital gauteng south africa
topic Perceptions
Health care professionals
safety
security
health care facility
hospital authorities
url https://phcfm.org/index.php/phcfm/article/view/1441
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AT langalibalelehmabuza perceptionsofhealthcareprofessionalsonthesafetyandsecurityatodidistricthospitalgautengsouthafrica