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Semester 1 for HSS 3 has been a big learning opportunity for me. This has been through the content, the manner in which the course work is structured and the groupwork. The first thing that took me by surprise is the assignments for the block being released at the being of each block all at once. I have the skill of time management, at least I like to believe I do. This year I have seen a new aspect of my time management that surprises me. I struggle to plan for multiple projects by myself. There have been many moments between all the assigned group work, attendance of lectures, and studying for tests that I have not been able to structure my time properly. Next semester I would like to implement a scheduling tactic to be able to balance the tasks that are assigned to me each block. The group projects, organisational analysis, presentations, and research have taught me how to utilise different leadership styles for different group and and how to communicate and collaborate with others to effectively reach team objectives. I have refined the skill of being able to initiate projects with new groups of people, confidently practice my leadership skills and learned to be receptive to the ideas and people around me. I believe that when I one day enter the workplace , I will be more than capable of working in group settings. I found it very challenging to be able to keep up with the course work and the many assignments which are required from us as well as the balancing the workload of HSS 3 and my other schoolwork. This lead me to be overwhelmed and not engage with the school work as much as I should have. In semester 2, I need to implement as strategy to help me better navigate these emotions so that I can learn valuable teachings which I can take into my professional life one day.

Semester 1 Reflection: I like to stick to agreed upon due dates for projects but sometimes this comes at the expense of understanding the reasons for why a team member was not able to complete a project on time (Usually seven days are allocated to work on their assigned parts). Through developing this competency I have become more understanding. There was a group meeting where the described scenario happened and instead of hyper focusing on the work and emphasising that they should complete it by the evening, I took time to understand the problems that hindered them from completing the project and worked with them to find a way for them to complete the work on time. Responding flexibly is also about how you respond to unforeseen problems. While I was working on completing this portfolio for a mid-year exam submissions. My website was accidentally flagged and removed. My first instinct to was to try and fix the problem. But to fix the problem I had t first calm down. To calm down I did one of the exercise I learned in Artifact 2, notice the things you can see, hear, taste, smell and touch. This exercise helped me to stay focused on completing work for the portfolio even if I did not have a portfolio to add my work to. When the problem was rectified I was not behind schedule with the work that I wanted to complete.

Before I started Leading Competency development: Midyear Assessment: Semester 1 Reflection: As this midyear self assessment states, I am a person who has selective self-confidence. My self-confidence comes with familiarity, for example giving a presentation in front of my class and lecturer. So, in light of the midyear assessment, I believe the best thing for me to do is develop a daily affirmation that reminds me of the knowledge that I have acquired through the artefacts .

Organisational Analysis 1: WITS Simulation Lab Conducting an organisational analysis with the purepose of: Evaluating the progression, employees, operations and working conditions of an organisation. Recognising the weaknesses within the organisation and discovering solutions which remove the weakness. Understanding and taking into consideration the external factors that influence how well the organisation is run. Assessing the organisation's growth prospects and resource availability. Creating an organogram model: According to PingBoard (n.d.) "an organogram is a graphical representation of an organisation’s structure. It’s used to show hierarchical relationships between managers and the people who report to them, as well as departments. An organogram is a useful tool for organisations to both visualise reporting relationships and communicate employees’ names, skills, and contact information." Organisational Analysis 2: Problem Identification in WITS Simulation Lab Having SMART goals Conducting a SWOT analysis. "It is a tool to assess the internal and external environments of a company and is part of a company’s strategic planning process. A SWOT analysis helps with both strategic planning and decision-making, as it introduces opportunities to the company as a forward-looking bridge to generating strategic alternatives." Reference List: PingBoard (n.d.). Pingboard • Power Up Your Employee Network. [online] pingboard.com. Available at: https://pingboard.com/organogram [Accessed 13 Jun. 2024].

Working with different groups throughout semester 1. What I learned: Collaboration needs effective communication and leadership to meet the objectives of the group project. Communication channels need to be established at the beginning of the relationship. All group members need to be given defined roles and responsibilities. Meetings should be schedules in advance. Be more sensitive to the diverse personalities that you are working with, it has an effect on how effective and successful your communication and leadership can be.

Negotiation Lecture: I learned what negotiating is and what constitutes good or bad negotiation. What negotiating is? Negotiation is important for conflict resolution. It is the ability to consider both side of an argument and form a solution that leaves both parties happy. It is important to consider how you are communicating, it should be respectful and responsive to the opposing parties arguments. What constitutes good or bad negotiation? To demonstrate my newly acquired negotiation skills I analysed two negotiation scenarios and determined whether it was a good or bad negotiation. Little mermaid negotiation scene: This was not a good negotiation, Ursula did not give Ariel a chance to negotiate her part of the deal. Ariel should have come to the with a clear plan of what she was going to negotiate for and she should have been more straightforward. When Ursula began to distract her with the singing to ignore her answer to her offer she began allowed her emotions to cloud her judgement which lead to her having a bed deal. Negotiation is a process that leaves both parted fulfilled with the outcome, Ursula was able to get what she wanted from the negotiation but Ariel was left feeling uncertain hence her hands going to her throat. Ariel immediately gave into ultimatums that Ursula put in place, she should have not agreed hastily and allowed herself some time to think through the offer that was presented. Hercules negotiation scene: This was not a good negotiation, Hades was using aggressive language with Hercules while giving him an ultimatum which means that Hercules did not get a chance to explain his reasoning for why he disagreed with the offer that Hades put in place. Hades allowed for stress and anxiety related to Megara's safety being brought into the negotiation to cloud his judgement and end up in a deal that left him with no say and in a deal that he is unhappy about. Working with different groups throughout semester 1. Developing Be confident in your abilities, Leading, and responding flexibly competencies.

Setting up a Group Contract for my research group. I was tasked with setting up my research groups group contract. This task helped me define what behaving in a professional manner characterised as. Setting and enforcing these boundaries through contract developed my professionalism. Example from Group Contract: EXPECTATIONS (GROUND RULES) Preparation for and attendance at group meetings: Group members should endeavor to complete there assigned work before a meeting. Every group member should ensure that they are available for more than 80% of the meetings held to discuss and make decisions regarding the assignment. Frequency and duration of meetings: Once a week on Wednesdays to discuss, work on and to finalize projects such as compiling documents and editing the final draft as well as submitting to the tutor for feedback. Occasionally we will meet two days a week, if it is necessary. Meeting durations may vary between 1 hour and 3 hours at most. Communication: All formal correspondence, tasks of the week that have been allocated by the lecturer, will be issued via email on Monday. Conversing on group projects, asking and clarifying any questions that the team has, and timelines that the group has set will be through WhatsApp. The Teams app will be strictly for having online meetings, when meeting up in person is not possible. Behaviors that will be expected of all group members. P A R T I C I P A T I O N M A N A G I N G M E E T I N G S D E C I S I O N M A K I N G

Assignment 1: Women should not be the only party involved in using contraceptives. Understanding, why this responsibility has historically fallen on women? Through this assignment I was able to explore how gender imbalances still exist in society, even with the progress society has made towards gender equality. I learned that ethical decision making is the standard by what is right and wrong is decided, a key component of ethical decision-making is an individuals autonomy. Autonomy is a vital component of gender equality in society. Through my essay I realised that true autonomy is when both genders can freely make the choices that best align with them without society enforcing its preconceived notions based on their genders on them. Assignment 2 : Terminally ill patients, who experience severe pain and emotional stress, should have access to assistance to end their lives, where this is truly their wish. I learned that when there are ethical decisions in healthcare that need to be made there is away for both the patient and doctor to both honour the ethics that they hold themselves to. Example from my essay illustrating this: "Patient autonomy is the ability of the individual to make an informed decision about the medical procedures that they would like to have, whether it is harmful or not, free from coercion. Physicians honour the principle of patient autonomy when they provide true, clear and understandable information to the patient which will assist them in making an informed decision. While there are aspects of biomedical ethics that contradict the provision of euthanasia to patients, when it is their autonomous decision, there is a balance between biomedical ethics and patient autonomy which allows for euthanasia for terminally ill patients."

Merriam Webster (n.d.) defines solutionist as "a solver of problems especially : one who makes a practice or occupation of solving puzzles." So I would describe Solutionist Thinking as viewing problems with an enthusiasm and interest that fuels creative thinking which aids you in solving the observed problem. According to Collins Dictionary (2019)"A challenge to something is a questioning of its truth or value. A challenge to someone is a questioning of their authority." Based on this definition I would describe Challenge Thinking as critiquing the solution you came up with to solve a problem.

Ethics play a crucial role in the healthcare system for several reasons. Lives are at stake, so healthcare professionals need a strong ethical framework to guide decisions about patient care. By adhering to ethical principles, they can make compassionate, fair, and effective choices for treatment (Tulane University, 2023). Ethics promote trust and confidence in the healthcare system. When practitioners act in their patients' best interests, it fosters a sense of reliability and credibility (Tulane University, 2023). With advances in medical technology and an increasingly diverse patient population, clear ethical guidelines are more critical than ever. Healthcare providers must respect patients' wishes, even when they disagree, while ensuring fair and just decisions (Tulane University, 2023). Without ethics in healthcare there are opportunities for patients to be taken advantage of. One example of this is the Nuremburg Medical Experiments which occurred between 1930s and 1945. Torturous and murderous experiments were carried out on prisoners. Another is the Tuskegee Syphilis study which occurred which occurred between 1932 and 1972. Black American men were enroll in an experiment to study the affects of syphilis without being aware. The importance of ethics in healthcare can be noted in the management of HIV/AIDS. Healthcare providers cannot compel individuals to undergo an HIV/AIDS test or deny treatment to someone living with HIV/AIDS. The right to access health services includes providing information about treatment, counseling, and dietary support. People living with HIV/AIDS often face unique challenges, including breaches of confidentiality and stigma. Thus patients information should only be accessed by their health care providers.

In South Africa, the right to access health care services is a basic human right guaranteed by the Constitution. Section 27 of the Constitution provides that everyone has the right to have access to health care services, including reproductive health care services, and no one may be refused emergency medical treatment (South African Human Rights Commission, n.d.). While the country envisions a single health system, both public and private health care providers exist. However, the majority of people rely on public health care facilities, and only a small percentage can afford private medical care. The National Health Insurance (NHI) Bill aims to provide universal access to health care services by establishing a National Health Insurance Fund (South African Government News Agency, 2023). In South Africa, healthcare professionals have ethical and legal duties outlined by the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA). Here are some key points: Always act in the patient's best interest or well-being. Treat patients with respect and dignity. Obtain informed consent before any medical intervention. Safeguard patient confidentiality. Involve patients in their healthcare decisions. Be fair and impartial in treatment decisions. Ensure equitable access to healthcare resources. Ethically allocate limited resources. Manage potential conflicts of interest (HPCSA, 2021).

Health financing involves mobilization and collection of money, risk pooling and allocation of resources. A good Health financing policy is important for a health system to be run adequately. The health financing policy affects where money can be sourced and therefore resource availability, how health risks are pooled, which authorities can access and allocate the funds, and the equity of the sector funding this is especially important for those with low socioeconomic statues (Guimarães, Navarro and Lievens, 2012). The provision of health care services is expensive. Burden of disease cause for there to be a large influx of patients into the health system. There more patients there are the more money the health system needs to provide sufficient care. This disparity is further worsened when a country has multiple burdens of disease for example South Africa's Quadruple burden of diseases. These multiple burden of disease each require the government to implement strategies to curb spread and provide curative and rehabilitative care. This is expensive and if the government cannot afford to fund multiple strategies the burden of disease will increase. Every fiscal year there is a finite amount of money that can be sourced and accessed and allocated by authorities. The increase in the amount of money spent on burden of disease disrupts the reinvestment of money towards the improvement of the existing health system. This could lead to the slow deterioration of the health system and, due to the inadequate services, the burden of disease increasing.