Experiences of nurses in caring for circumcised initiates admitted to hospital with complications
Mack Phega Mangena
University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Fhumulani Mavis Mulaudzi
Department of Nursing Sciences, University Of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Mmapheko Doriccah Peu
Department of Nursing Sciences, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
PP: 069 - 081
Abstract
The circumcision of males is a ritual that is performed in the veld, out of the public eye. Traditionally, it has to be attended by circumcised men only; no one is allowed to see the initiates before they are officially released or discharged. In recent times, initiates have been admitted to hospitals following complications during the circumcision process. In the hospitals, they are cared for by nurses. Hospitalisation of initiates creates problems for the elders who accompany the initiates as well as the nurses who are expected to care for them. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of nurses who care for initiates who have been admitted into hospital with medical and physical complications. A qualitative approach was adopted for this study, and the data was collected by means of unstructured interviews.
A purposively selected sample of nurses of different categories from a rural hospital in the Nkangala district in Mpumalanga Province, South Africa, participated in the study. The data was analysed, and five major categories were developed. The major categories were: conflicting cultural practices, emotions, common complications, ethical issues and possible solutions. Based on the findings of the study, it is recommended that traditional circumcision should be regulated to avoid complications that lead to the admission of initiates into hospitals. Also, a collaborative partnership should be established between the health institutions and the traditional surgeons and healers in caring for initiates.
Keywords
experiences; circumcision; ritual; initiate; complications
References
Agot, K. E., Ndinya-Achola, J. O., Kreiss, J. K., & Weiss, N. S. (2004). Risk of HIV-1 in rural Kenya: A comparison of circumcised and uncircumcised men. Epidemiology, 15(2), pp. 157-163.
Bottom, B. (2006). The experience of Indigenous circumcision by newly initiated Xhosa men in East London in the Eastern Cape Province (pp. 49-53). Pretoria: University of South Africa.
Bottom, B., Mavundla, T. R., & Toth, F. (2009). Peri-rite psychological issues faced by newly initiated traditionally circumcised South African Xhosa men. WPMH, 6(1), 28-35.
Brink, H., Van Der Walt, C., & Van Rensburg, G. (2006). Fundamentals of research methodology for health professionals (2nd ed.). Cape Town: Juta.
Burns, N., & Grove, S. K. (1999). Understanding nursing research (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders Company.
Burns, N., & Grove, S. K. (2003). Understanding nursing research (3rd ed.). Philadelphia: Saunders Company.
Creswell, J. W. (2003). Research design, qualitative, qualitative, and mixed method approaches (2nd ed.). Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.
Darwall, S. (1998). Empathy, sympathy, care. Philosophical Studies, 89(45), 261-282.
Dempster, C. (2006). South African circumcision deaths. BBC News 2003, July 15. Retrieved July 12, 2006, from http://news.bbc.uk/hi/africa/3069491.stm
Dilika, F., Bremner, P. D., & Meyer, J. J. M. (2000). Antibacterial activity of linoleic and oleic acids isolated from Helichrysum pedunculatum: A plant used during circumcision rites. Fitoterapia, 71(4), 450-452.
Duldner, J. E. (2008). Frostbite. Medical Encyclopedia. Retrieved May 6, 2009, from mhtml:fi le://F:MedlinePlus%20Medical%20Encyclopedia%20Frostbite.mht
Duncan, L., & Owen-Smith, A. (2006). Powerlessness and the use of indirect aggression in friendship. Sex Roles, 55(7), 493-502.
Kebaabetswe, P., Lockman, S., Mogwe, S., Mandevu, R., Thior, I., Essex, M., & Shapiro, R. L. (2003). Male circumcision: An acceptable strategy for HIV prevention in Botswana. Sexually Transmitted Infections, 79(3), 214-219.
Le Compte, M. D. (2000). Analyzing qualitative data. Theory into Practice, 39(3), 146-154.
Leininger, M. M. (1985). Qualitative research methods in nursing. Orlando: Grune & Stratton.
Mbito, M. N., & Malia, J. (2009). Transfer of the Kenyan Kikuyu male circumcision ritual to future generations living in the United States. Journal of Adolescence, 32(1), 39-53.
Meissner, O., & Buso, D. L. (2007). Traditional male circumcision in the Eastern Cape - scourge or blessing? South African Medical Journal, 97(5), 371-373.
Milberg, A., Strang, P., & Jakobsson, N. M. (2004). Next of kin's experience of powerlessness and helplessness in palliative home care. Support Care Cancer, 12(2), 120-128.
Muller, M. (2002). Nursing dynamics (3rd ed.). Sandown: Heinemann.
Nauta, R. (2008). Self, sin, and the sacred: Some elements of a selected psychology for the care of souls. Pastoral Psychology, 56(6), 585-592.
Niang, C. I., & Boiro, H. (2007). 'You can also cut my finger!': Social construction of male circumcision in West Africa. A case study of Senegal and Guinea- Bissau. Reproductive Health Matters, 15(29), 22-32.
Peltzer, K., & Kanta, X. (2009). Medical circumcision and manhood initiation ritual in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: A post intervention evaluation. Culture, Health and Sexuality, 11(1), 83-97.
Polit, D. F., & Beck, C. T. (2004). Nursing research principles and methods (7th ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Porche, D. J. (2007). Adult male circumcision. Journal for Nurse Practitioners, 3(4), 226-227.
Robinson, D., Van der Mescht, H., & Lancaster, J. (2003). Ethics beyond the code of conduct - understanding the ethical dilemmas of entrepreneurs. Meditari Accountancy Research, 11, 113-128.
Stinson, K. (2008). Male circumcision in South Africa. How does it relate to public health. Retrieved May 15, 2009, from http://www.africanvoices.co.za/culture/circumcision.htm
Streubert, J. H., & Carpenter, D. R. (1999). Qualitative research in nursing: Advancing the humanistic imperative (2nd ed.). Philadelphia: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins.
Staff Writers. (2006). South Africa addresses deaths at traditional initiation. Afrol News, May 24. Retrieved June 5, 2006, from http://www.afrol.com/articles/12745
The Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, Act 108. (1996). South Africa, Pretoria: Typeface Media.
The Times of India. (2002). Fourteen dead after initiation rituals in S. Africa, July 5. Retrieved June, 12, 2006, from http://www.cirp.org/news/timesofindia07-05-02/
Weait, M. (2005). Harm, consent and the limits of privacy. Feminist Legal Studies, 13(1), 97-122.
Zuzile, M. (2006). The hell of a botched circumcision. City Press, 9 July 2006, p. 4.
eContent Home
