The objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of health care providers
managing sexual assault victims in the emergency unit of a community hospital in the Nkangala
district in the Mpumalanga Province. A qualitative, phenomenological design was applied.
Purposeful sampling was used to select participants from health care providers who were working
in the emergency unit and had managed more than four sexual assault victims. Data were collected
by means of individual interviews and analysed according to the Tesch method of data analysis
by the researcher and the independent co-coder. Main categories, subcategories and themes were
identified. Participants expressed their emotions, challenges and police attitudes and behaviours,
as well as inconsistencies in guidelines and needs identifi cation. It was recommended that members
of the multidisciplinary team engage in community activities and that the community participate in
matters pertaining to sexual assault. Government should develop clear guidelines that are applicable
to rural and urban South Africa. Health care sciences should aim to train more forensic nurses. All
relevant departments should work together to alleviate the complications caused by sexual assault
incidents.
Die doel van hierdie studie was om die ervaringe van gesondheidsorgverskaffers wat slagoffers van
seksuele aanranding in die ongevalle-eenheid van 'n gemeenskapshospitaal in die Nkangala-distrik
in die provinsie van Mpumalanga hanteer, te ontgin en te beskryf. ’n Kwalitatiewe fenomenologiese
ontwerp is toegepas. Doelbewuste steekproefneming is gebruik om deelnemers te selekteer uit die
groep gesondheidsorgverskaffers wat in die ongevalle-eenheid werksaam was en meer as vier
slagoffers van seksuele aanranding hanteer het. Data is by wyse van individuele onderhoude
ingesamel en volgens die Tesch-metode van data-analise deur die navorser en die onafhanklike
medekodeerder geanaliseer. Hoofkategorieë, subkategorieë en temas is geïdentifi seer. Deelnemers
het uitdrukking gegee aan hulle emosies, uitdagings, die houding en gedrag van polisiebeamptes,
teenstrydighede in riglyne en behoefte-identifi kasie. Aanbevelings is dat multidissiplinêre spanlede
betrokke moet wees by gemeenskapsaktiwiteite en dat die gemeenskap moet deelneem aan sake
wat verband hou met seksuele aanranding. Die regering moet duidelike riglyne ontwikkel wat op
landelike en stedelike Suid-Afrika van toepassing is. Gesondheidsorgwetenskappe moet daarop
gerig wees om meer forensiese verpleegkundiges op te lei. Alle toepaslike departemente moet
saamwerk om die komplikasies te verlig wat deur voorvalle van seksuele aanranding veroorsaak
word.
