Non-Divulgence by Patients Who Used Traditional Medicine In The Critical Care Units Of A Westrand Mine Hospital In South Africa

Abstract

Majority of Africans use traditional medicine, but they do not divulge the information to the nurses and doctors when admitted in critical care units. For this reason, patients develop complications which become difficult for nurses and medical doctors in critical care units to assess and provide a comprehensive quality care, as they only treat the visible clinical manifestations.

The purpose of this study was to explore and describe factors leading to non- divulgence by patients who used traditional medicines in critical care units of a Westrand Mine hospital in South Africa, and to describe strategies to facilitate divulgence in order to provide a comprehensive approach to care.

The contextual, exploratory, descriptive qualitative research design was used. The population constituted the patients who were envisaged to have used traditional medicines in the Westrand Mine hospital critical care unit. 12 participants were purposively selected from the critical care unit register because these patients displayed the symptoms of a person that had used traditional medicine.

Semi-structured individual interviews were conducted. Ethical principles were adhered. Trustworthiness was ensured by using the four strategies of Lincoln and Guba namely, credibility, transferability, dependability, and confirmability. Qualitative open coding method of data analysis was used according to Tesch’s protocol.

The following theme and subthemes emerged: Fear and anxiety as the main theme. Subthemes were 1. Fear to divulge secrets. 2. Fear of negative attitudes from nurses and 3. Fear to lose norms and values. It is recommended that strategies described be used in clinical practice, nursing education and for further research about divulgence of the use of traditional medicine to the nurses and doctors, to provide a comprehensive treatment of the patients in critical care units.