The problem which prompted the undertaking of this study was that of increasing absenteeism amongst student nurses at one South African Nursing College. The information, obtained from individual and group interviews, was analysed to identify the perceptions developed by student nurses. Absenteeism is shown to be a behavioural response to environmental and other factors in the world of the student nurse. A theoretical model is proposed to explain three main types of absenteeism and the factors which contribute to absenteeism and attendance.

There is increasing concern that newly qualified registered nurses (RNs) find it difficult to make a smooth transition from completing their four-year nursing training to taking up their posts as first time RNs. In a constantly changing healthcare system, these newly qualified RNs are expected to work independently and be competent in applying the decision making and problem-solving skills gained during their training. While certain aspects of clinical incompetence may be ascribed to individual factors, the importance of the clinical learning environment and its influence on the development of clinical competence cannot be ignored. Nurses need support and guidance to effect a successful transition from being novice to competent nurse and the environment is regarded as important in developing technical competencies. The research study followed a positivistic, quantitative paradigm, where the hypothesized relationship between clinical learning environmental factors and clinical competence of newly qualified RNs were explored. Data was collected from the experienced RNs in the hospitals by means of a structured pre-existing questionnaire, namely the Competency Inventory for Registered Nurses (CIRN). Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics were used to analyse data. The analysed data was used to describe the findings. Recommendations were made based on the findings. Results suggested that the development of clinical competence is dependent on both the individual and context. Positive relations were reported between clinical learning environmental factors and clinical competencies.

D.Cur. / The overall objective of this study is to describe a model that will serve as theoretical framework for facilitating interaction to both nurse educators and nursing students during conflict at a college of nursing. There is need for transformation at colleges concerning interaction during conflict and that can be facilitated through practising the opposite elements of negative interaction, identified in the field-work of the research study, which is compliance with norms, justice which is fair and equal treatment, facilitative communication, power sharing, facilitative peer group dynamics. A unique contribution in the model description is the facilitative interaction elements identified as opposites of the results of the field research, namely: Compliance with norms Justice, which is fair and equal treatment Facilitative communication Power sharing Facilitative peer group dynamics.

M.Cur. / Although clinical evaluation and examination is regarded as the basis of scientifically founded nursing care, it is inherently a subjective process. This process is complicated by the variability of four inter-related systems, namely the eyaluator, the clinical environment, the student nurse and other individuals. The purpose of the study was the analysis of current evaluation practices and the OSCE and to determine the perception of clinical educational personnel and student nurses in this regard. Consequently a descriptive exploratory survey was done by means of a questionnaire. For the purpose of this study, clinical teaching. Personnel and student nurses associated with the nine affiliated hospitals of one nursing college in the Transvaal were approached. From the obtained data it appears that clinical evaluation and examination remains, to a certain degree, a subjective process. Preconceptions probably influence human judgement. In spite of the occurrence of identified variables the OSCE appears to be a more acceptable approach to clinical examination than traditional long examination methods.

M.Cur. (Nursing Education) / There is a high number of nursing students suffering from the HIV and AIDS pandemic, causing them to have low self-esteem, being stigmatized and being on the receiving end of negative attitudes from their nursing colleagues. The infected students perform poorly and decide to terminate their training. This has a significant impact on the nursing profession, which is already suffering from a tremendous shortage of nurses (Minaar, 2005: 31). The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the experiences of student nurses living with HIV and AIDS at a nursing college in Gauteng, and to describe the strategies to improve the support system for these student nurses. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, contextual phenomenological study was used in order to gain insight into the experience of student nurses living with HIV and AIDS. A purposive sampling method was used. The data collection method was collated through an individual semi-structured interview. Open-coding data analysis method using Tesch’s protocol (in Creswell 2009: 186) was used. Measures to ensure trustworthiness were used according to Lincoln and Guba’s Model (1985: 327). Ethical standards for nurse researchers were adhered to in accordance with the DENOSA position statement (1998). The experiences of nursing students living with HIV and AIDS at a nursing college in Gauteng included both positive and negative categories. The following sub-category emerged under the positive experiences of coping with HIV and AIDS: aspects related to internal motivation and positive self-talk. Emerging themes were: 1. living positively with HIV and AIDS, 2. spiritual fulfillment, 3. Hope: 3.1 hope to live for one’s child/children and 3.2 hope for a cure of HIV and AIDS; 4. concern for colleagues and patients living a risky lifestyle. The following sub-category emerged under the negative experiences: The negative emotion related to the disease process. Emerging themes were: 1 fear: 1.1 fear of disclosure, 1.2 fear of stigmatisation, 1.3 fear of re-infection; 2 stress: 2.1 stress experienced when nursing terminally ill HIV and AIDS patients, 2.2 stress caused by inability to meet academic requirements due to the physical impact of the disease (sickness, exhaustion and fatigue); 3 side effects of ARVs; 4 the lack of support: 4.1 lack of support from family members, 4.2 lack of support from tutors and colleagues. The supportive strategies were described. Recommendations for Nursing Education, Nursing Research and Nursing Practice were made.

Thesis (M. A. (Nursing)) -- University of Limpopo, 2019 / A master’s program in nursing is an essential tool to prepare students to manage and offer health care services to the public professionally and successfully. However, there has been low enrolment of professional nurses into masters studies of nursing in a higher educational institution. Therefore the study aimed to develop recruitment strategies for professional nurses into Master studies of Nursing at a higher educational institution. METHODS The qualitative research method was used to develop recruitment strategies of professional nurses in Mankweng Hospital into a Master's Studies at the University of Limpopo. The population were professional nurses with honours equivalent and those with honours degree.Semi-structured interviews were conducted from eighteen professional nurses who were purposely selected to participate in the study. Tech`s coding method of data analysis was used to analyze audio-recorded data. RESULTS The results indicated that lack of study leaves, shortage of nurses, lack of information about requirements for enrolling into masters, lack of recognition for postgraduates and financial instability contributed to most professional nurses not registering for master's studies. CONCLUSION The study concludes that the institution of higher learning should develop recruitment strategies for master's studies in nursing. Findings revealed lack of recruitment strategies, information about the masters degree, and scholarship as well as employer related factors such as lack of study leaves as challenges for recruiting nurses into a masters studies. Such strategies vi include the increase of funding scholarships by the universities that can facilitate the postgraduate uptake and allocation of study leaves for professional nurses by the Department of Health.

The research question the researcher set out to answer was: How do student nurses experience learning in the clinical field? The research question stemmed from years of experience in nursing education and a concern about student nurses' involvement in the clinical area. A phenomenological investigation was embarked upon involving principles from Wertz's (1983, 1984, 1985) empirical psychological reflection. The existential base-line for the research was stated as: Human experience results in learning. The base-line also supported the assumptions underlying the current research and are in line with phenomenological philosophy. Participants were selected from the student nurse population in the Limpopo Province via convenience and purposive sampling. Five students from second through fourth year of training according to SANC Regulation R425 were selected. Data were collected through in-depth interviews. One initial and one follow-up interview were conducted with each participant. Interviews were audio-taped and transcribed verbatim. Data analysis at the idiographic and nomothetic levels was conducted through open coding, categorisation and constant comparative analysis. Four major themes emerged from the data namely: * Descriptive overview of clinical learning * The lived experience of student nurses * Motivational factors in clinical learning * Erosive factors in clinical learning Awareness figured as an all accommodating concept to theme and categories. It figured as a multi-dimensional concept that positions and orientates student nurses in the clinical setting. Awareness answers the student nurse's existential question: Where am I? Based on the findings OF the current research and guided by the concept of an integrated holistic awareness, conclusions were drawn and recommendations and guidelines were formulated relating to: nursing education, nursing management, cooperation between education and services, clinical teaching, future research and theory development. / Health Studies / D.Litt. et Phil. (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)

South African nurses have accepted the challenge that was brought about by the Health Reform Policy of 1990 which opened health service centres to people of all racial and cultural groups. However, recent studies on multicultural nursing have revealed that problems have occurred when delivering care across cultural barriers. Most of these studies have approached these problems from the patients point of view, where issues of dehumanized care, labelling and discrimination have been reported. Therefore, this study was an attempt to look into these problems from the nurses point of view, by exploring the source of these problems, their effect on health care delivery and possible solutions. The researcher focussed on three critical issues, namely, lack of cultural knowledge, negative attitudes, as well as difficulty in communication. Through focus group interviews (FGI) and responses to given scenarios, student nurses who had experienced problems with culturally different patients were given a chance to reflect on their experiences, report on these experiences and recommend possible solutions to the experienced problems. The results revealed that: 1. The major source of the problems was lack of experience due to inadequate exposure to culturally diverse groups which in tum led to inappropriate decisions and actions at care delivery level. 2.Difficult perceptions and negative attitudes lead to the formation of stereotypes which block the delivery of culturally congruent care. 3 .Inability to communicate due to differences in spoken language lead to difficulty in building the trust relationship and hence inadequate care delivery. / Health Studies / M.A. (Nursing Science)

The aim of this study is to determine the effectiveness of simulation training in improving the clinical competence of pupil nurses. A quantitative, quasi-experimental, non-equivalent control group before-after design is used. The method of data collection is observation using check lists. The population for this study includes the second-year pupil nurses (N=43) following the two-year programme leading to enrolment as a nurse at the Gauteng learning centre of a private hospital group during 2011-2012. The results reveal that although there is proof that clinical training in simulation improves the competence levels of the experimental group in the procedure administration of oral medication over a period of time, there is no proof that this is true for the procedure observation of patients’ neurological functions and, therefore, the researcher cannot come to a definite conclusion about the effectiveness of simulation training / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)