Over the last 20 years the nursing profession has widely accepted reflective practices and reflective learning as effective measures to help students provide care in a frequently changing context. The purpose of the study was to explore and describe the role of nurse educators in the facilitation of reflective learning in students. The objectives were to explore the reflective teaching practices of nurse educators, describe the learning activities that could promote reflective learning in student nurses and to determine whether the learning environment is conducive to promote reflective teaching and learning. A quantitative, explorative, descriptive study was conducted in nursing education institutions in Gauteng. A total of 121 nurse educators completed a structured questionnaire. The findings revealed that, although nurse educators agree with the importance of reflective practices in the teaching and learning environment they do not necessarily place emphasis on developing their own reflective practices. Reflective learning was not identified as a formal learning approach in the programmes the nurse educators facilitated but the educators did attempt to include reflection in the teaching and learning activities planned. Not enough emphasis is placed on the creation of a teaching and learning environment that will enhance reflection in a non-threatening context. The deeper understanding of reflective learning comes with continued personal reflective practices. Nurse educators should be taught how to facilitate reflective learning activities and how to create an environment conducive to reflection. Through reflective teaching practices students could be supported in developing into critical thinkers hence reflective learning should be a formal teaching and learning approach in nursing curricula / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

An exploratory, descriptive design in the phenomenological approach was used to describe and explore how student tutors' experienced the process of evaluation of their clinical teaching in a specific distance-learning programme. The researcher conducted a tape-recorded focus group interview with seven participants who voluntarily agreed to participate. After transcription, the data was analysed using Tesch's (1992:92) method of analysis to code the data into themes in order to identify commonalities. The findings of this study indicated that participants experienced the evaluation process positively and negatively. The negative experiences included difficulty in obtaining access to evaluators, practica facilities, and inconsistencies of evaluators. Recommendations were made for improving evaluation of teaching skills of student tutors in this distance programme. / Health Studies / M. A. (Health Studies)

Quality assurance forms an integral part of education and training programme delivery. The purpose of this research was to determine whether the quality management systems (QMS) used by nursing education institutions in Gauteng are aligned to the SAQA criteria and guidelines for education and training providers. A quantitative, descriptive and exploratory design was followed using a self-administered questionnaire as data gathering instrument. A total of 32 respondents from three selected nursing education institutions completed the questionnaire. The data were analysed by using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) program. The findings revealed that the nursing education institutions only partially comply with SAQA’s core criteria for quality management systems. Recommendations to improve the current QMS were made. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

A qualitative exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used to conduct a study. In-depth individual phenomenological interviews with students purposively selected were conducted. Data saturation was reached after interviewing eight students. The following categories emerged: the participants experienced problem-based learning (PBL) as challenging, problematic group collaboration and cohesion, PBL as a good strategy. The challenges experienced included: unfamiliarity with the strategy, inadequate resources in the library, inaccessible computer laboratories because of limited space and operational hours, time pressures and overload. Clinical learning is not given adequate attention and some professional nurses in the clinical areas are not supportive to the university students as compared to college students. Positive conclusions about PBL include that students need the strategy as it promoted critical thinking, improved communication and presentation skills, helped teamwork and learning from others. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health studies)

Text in English / The question the researcher set out to answer during this research study was: "What is the Educational Focus of a Nursing College, when viewed within Bevis and Watson's Humanistic·Educative-Caring Curriculum Paradigm versus a Stimulus-Response Curriculum Paradigm?" To answer this question, an exploratory, descriptive and contextual study was undertaken. The population consisted of tutors employed at a College of Nursing. From this population a purposive sample was drawn. Data was collected by means of formal, semi-structured interviews and a questionnaire. Content analysis was used to analyse the data. It was found that during the first year of students' education and training, the Educational Focus of the College was on training but during the second year, the focus changed to the transitional phase. The transitional phase is situated between training and education. During the third and fourth year, the focus was also in transition, but the way students learn was at the training phase. / Health Studies / M.A. (Advanced Nursing Sciences)

Significant changes have taken place in higher education over dte past ten years. Learners are more liberated and want to be acknowledged as individuals with differences, and not expected to adapt their individual characteristics to fit in with the specific environment of the learning situation. A new emphasis is placed upon creating and sustaining learning environments that accommodate Ieamer needs and dte process of effective learning. Learners' individual needs include their need to learn how to learn and an acceptance of their individual differences as expressed in learning styles. Active Ieamer participation in dte learning process is necessary for effective learning to take place. Only dten can the desired outcome be reached. For a Ieamer to actively participate in the learning process, the Ieamer must know how to learn, and how to function as an independent Ieamer. To reach these goals, sound knowledge of individual differences in learning st;ytes is necessary. The impact of individual differences on education and the way they affect educational practice, future learning and academic achievement places the emphasis even more strongly on constant awareness, updatlng or change, improvement and development of the educational environment. The educator, as one of the role players in the educational environment, is the facilitator of learning, and should be empowered with a strong knowledge base regarding individual differences among both learners and educators, thus becoming more innovative and creative. Qualitative non-empirical research was undertaken. The aim of this research was to analyse and explore the concept learning style as well as to promote learning style awareness through assessment of learning st;ytes, and to provide an organised frame of reference to guide the learning process and provide for systematic education. Based on insight and knowledge gained through Inductive and deductive reasoning, The Learning Style Assessment Tool and a model for learning style promotion in higher education were constructed. The instrument enables learners and educators to assess their own learning st;ytes and identify their learning characteristics and preferences. The model can serve as a basis for acknowledging and accommodating learning styles in higher education. The desired outcome of this research is effective learning and quality education. / Health Studes / D. Litt. et Phil. (Advanced Nursing Sciences)

The lecture room instructional management competence of novice nurse educators (NNEs) in the Republic of South Africa (RSA) was investigated. No comprehensive set of generic roles, outcomes and competences for instructional management of nurse educators could be traced in the literature, therefore an analytical study was undertaken. Adhering to the principles for outcomes-based education, three models were established: Q a model for the professional development of nurse educators Q an Education, Training and Development nurse practitioner model, consisting of roles and outcomes for lecture room instructional management Q a model for lecture room instructional management that served as evaluation criteria used in the instrument during the quantitative survey These models were presented to, and evaluated by nurse educators of five universities. The influence of mentorship, reality shock, and professional development on the NNEs' lecture room competence was investigated. The target group consisted of NNEs, their mentors and students in nursing schools in the RSA. A number of respondents were also interviewed and observed. The analysed data indicated that NNEs were not competent when they started teaching, and needed support and supervision from mentors. Findings also indicated the positive influence of mentorship and professional development on competence acquisition. NNEs experienced reality shock requiring support to acquire competence. These aspects justify further research. The recommendations based on this study include that nursing schools use specific evaluation criteria for le<,1ure room competence and for in-service training of NNEs and mentors. Nursing schools should take a more active role in mentoring programmes. / Health Studies / D. Litt. et Phil. (Advanced Nursing Sciences)

Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree in Masters of Technology Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences, Durban University of Technology. 2014. / Background The KwaZulu-Natal College of Nursing trains students to be professional nurses through the R425 programme. Teaching and evaluation are done in English, although the majority speak isiZulu as their home language. Due to inequalities in the South African schooling system, many English Additional Language (EAL) student nurses have poor English proficiency and struggle academically. There is a need to ensure that those selected for nurse-training are academically successful. Aim of the study The aim of this study was to determine if there was a relationship between English proficiency, determined by the matriculation English results, and first-year nursing academic results. Methodology A quantitative design was used, and comprised of two phases, namely a self-administered questionnaire and a correlation, retrospective record-review. The total population of first-year nurses was 271. The participating sample amounted to 133 consenting nurses, undertaking the R425 programme at KwaZulu-Natal College of Nursing campuses. Stratification sampling was used to ensure that approximately half the sample of nurses attended a rural campus and half attended an urban campus. Random sampling was then used to select the urban campuses and the rural campuses from where students were invited to participate. Descriptive and inferential statistical analysis as well as regression analysis was applied, using the SPSS version 20.0. Results Matriculation English appears to be positively related to many factors including the socio-economic situation when growing up, attending a rural primary school, library access at primary school and access to computers in primary and high school. English additional language nurses prefer to be taught nursing in English and consider it an advantage. The examination failure rate of first-year nurses was 24%. Nurses’ with higher matriculation English results on entry to nurse-training obtained better academic results in first-year nursing examinations. Recommendations Language should not be a barrier to admission into higher education, however a certain threshold of proficiency in the language of instruction is recommended. Under-resourced schools need to be addressed, especially in rural areas, including the language of instruction at schools. The matriculation results of the home language should also be considered in admission criteria to higher education. Policy formulation on formal academic support and language training, especially during the first-year of nurse-training is required for those struggling academically.

Submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree in Masters of Technology in Nursing, Durban University of Technology, 2014. / Introduction: There is a global shortage of nurses, particularly in South Africa where there is a scarce resource of professional nurses. Since KwaZulu1Natal College of Nursing (KZNCN) is tasked with the responsibility of training 86% of professional nurses in the province, it is unfortunate to lose 22% of these students through failure and attrition. Most of these failures are in the subject of Anatomy and Physiology. Aim of study: The aim of the study was to establish factors that impact on the success in Anatomy and Physiology in first year student nurses affiliated to KZNCN, in a South African context. Methodology: A quantitative descriptive survey research design was used to establish relationships between variables that impact on nursing students’ success in Anatomy and Physiology. Results: The majority of respondents were Black (86.7%) from rural areas (6􀀀.3%) of KwaZulu1Natal. Their nurse training was in English as a second language (78.6%) but most respondents felt that they were coping well with being taught in English (p 􀀀0.00􀀀). However, respondents with English as a first language obtained significantly higher marks in Anatomy and Physiology I (p = 0.003) and there was a good correlation between matriculation English and Anatomy and Physiology II results (p = 0.02). There was also a good correlation between matriculation Biology/Life Science mark and Anatomy and Physiology I marks (p <􀀀 0.00􀀀). Additionally, good performance in Anatomy and Physiology I was a good indicator for success in Anatomy and Physiology II (p < 0.00􀀀). A significant number of respondents found the academic workload, financial stressors and long working hours stressful but engaged in positive coping skills to address these. Conclusion: Prior knowledge in English and Biology/Life Sciences has a significant positive impact on student performance in Anatomy and Physiology. / M

A qualitative exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used to conduct a study. In-depth individual phenomenological interviews with students purposively selected were conducted. Data saturation was reached after interviewing eight students. The following categories emerged: the participants experienced problem-based learning (PBL) as challenging, problematic group collaboration and cohesion, PBL as a good strategy. The challenges experienced included: unfamiliarity with the strategy, inadequate resources in the library, inaccessible computer laboratories because of limited space and operational hours, time pressures and overload. Clinical learning is not given adequate attention and some professional nurses in the clinical areas are not supportive to the university students as compared to college students. Positive conclusions about PBL include that students need the strategy as it promoted critical thinking, improved communication and presentation skills, helped teamwork and learning from others. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health studies)