Published Article / The aim of the study on which this article is based was to reflect on the learning experiences of students during integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) training in an undergraduate programme. IMCI is a set of guidelines that was established by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for cost-effective quality care for children younger than five to prevent diseases and death (WHO, 2004). Skilled primary healthcare workers are required to provide quality care at first contact with these children. The IMCI package was presented as an integral part of the second-year module that focuses on primary healthcare. In order to improve the quality of health services and refocus the health system on primary health-care (South Africa Department of Health, 2010), students have to demonstrate that they have achieved competence. According to Killen (2000:188), competence is a holistic term and focuses on knowledge, skills and values instead of competencies, which refer to specific capabilities. Primary health-care workers who act competently will integrate foundational IMCI knowledge with skills and values as well as with the ability to verify their decisions (Killen, 2000:188). Aqualitative, exploratory and descriptive research design was used to investigate the IMCI learning experiences. Such experiences are one of the indications whether training has been successful and how it can be improved (Suski, 2004:222). Data was collected by means of nominal-group technique (NGT) interviews with second-year nursing students of the training school who complied with the criteria for inclusion. NGT interviews were used effectively to evaluate clinical interaction, education and training.The findings reflected the different emotions experienced during teaching and learning as having been positive, negative or neutral. The consideration of negative emotions will assist with the improvement of IMCI teaching and learning, but all these findings can be useful for other higher-education institutions that present or plan to present IMCI training.

Clinical learning is regarded as a vital component in nursing programmes and students need to work in various clinical environments. In the emergency nursing programme presented at a tertiary nursing education institution, the pre-hospital environment is used as a clinical learning environment in which students rotate for approximately eight weeks. The clinical experience that they gain may assist in them developing the necessary knowledge and skills. It also assists in theory-practice correlation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the value of the pre-hospital environment utilised as part of the clinical learning component of the emergency nursing programme. A qualitative approach was utilised since the researcher wanted to study a particular phenomenon, namely the pre-hospital learning environment. Therefore, the research design was a descriptive design whereby the researcher could describe the real life situation in the pre-hospital learning environment as experienced by the emergency nurse students. The target population for the study was emergency nurses who had already obtained their qualification as a registered emergency nurse, as well as emergency nurse students that had completed their rotational period in the pre-hospital learning environment. For the purpose of this study the identified sample consisted of students enrolled for the emergency nursing programme at a tertiary nursing education institution in Gauteng. The sample was adequate to provide the researcher with sufficient in-depth data and was also representative of the accessible population. The final sample size was 45 emergency nurse students who had completed the pre-hospital rotational period between 2008 and 2011. Data collection was done by means of Appreciative Inquiry, a method used that not only focuses on the positive, but which is also a stimulating way of looking at organisational change. Stories (narratives) were shared by the emergency nurse students pertaining to their real life experiences. Initially stories were shared in writing on an Appreciative Inquiry interview schedule. For the purpose of data saturation, individual Appreciative interviews were conducted by an independent interviewer, utilising the Appreciative Inquiry interview schedule as a guide. Data analysis was conducted by the interviewer, supervisors and an independent data analyser to ensure trustworthiness. Four themes were identified, namely clinical exposure, competencies, team work and future recommendations. From the data analysis and the four themes recommendations could be made with regard to programme refinement. Copyright / Dissertation (MCur)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / Nursing Science / unrestricted

Clinical learning experiences form an integral part of the student nurse's training, for it is in the clinical setting that students acquire the knowledge, skills and values necessary for professional practice. The purpose of this research was to explore student nurses experiences during clinical practice. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was utilised, employing the phenomenological method. Unstructured interviews were conducted with student nurses in their final year of the four year nursing programme at a nursing college campus in the Limpopo Province. Tesch's method of data analysis was used. The findings indicate that there are aspects which impact negatively on student nurses' clinical learning experiences, such as lack of teaching and learning support, lack of opportunities for learning, poor theory-practice integration, and poor interpersonal relationships between the students, college tutors and ward staff. Recommendations to enhance the clinical learning experiences of student nurses were made. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Clinical learning experiences form an integral part of the student nurse's training, for it is in the clinical setting that students acquire the knowledge, skills and values necessary for professional practice. The purpose of this research was to explore student nurses experiences during clinical practice. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was utilised, employing the phenomenological method. Unstructured interviews were conducted with student nurses in their final year of the four year nursing programme at a nursing college campus in the Limpopo Province. Tesch's method of data analysis was used. The findings indicate that there are aspects which impact negatively on student nurses' clinical learning experiences, such as lack of teaching and learning support, lack of opportunities for learning, poor theory-practice integration, and poor interpersonal relationships between the students, college tutors and ward staff. Recommendations to enhance the clinical learning experiences of student nurses were made. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)