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An exploration of undergraduate nursing students experiences of an HIV/AIDS support group and its activities

Thesis (MCurr)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection (HIV) and Acquired Immunodeficiency
Syndrome (AIDS) are critical concerns worldwide; this is particularly true of South
Africa. The consequences of HIV infection and complications of AIDS are a
challenge that extends into the nursing profession and into the community of student
nurses. Support groups can form an important part in educating nursing students
about HIV and AIDS, as well as in supporting nursing students through the
processes of counselling, testing and managing the physical, as well as other
impacts of this syndrome.
When considering the current situation at an Eastern Cape nursing college and the
literature reviewed on this topic, the research question posed for this study was:
‘Why is the support offered by the HIV support group to the nursing students having
such a limited effect on the students’ motivation to participate in HIV counselling and
testing (HCT) and support activities to de-stigmatise HIV/AIDS?’
The aim of this study was to explore and describe the nursing students’ experiences
and perceptions of the support group activities in order to improve the relevance of
this initiative for students.
The objectives of this study were to - Explore and describe the student’s experiences and perceptions of the
support group activities - Identify and describe the student’s expectations of the support group.
A qualitative approach with an exploratory and descriptive design was used to elicit
data to answer the research question. Ethical approval was obtained from the Health
Research Ethics Committee and access to the college campus was obtained through
the appropriate authorities. The accessible population for this study were 1st, 2nd,
3rd, and 4th year students at one campus of the provincial nursing college in the
Eastern Cape. In-depth individual interviews were conducted with eight participants
who met the study inclusion criteria of having had experience of the support group and its activities. Interviews were recorded and transcribed by the researcher.
Content analysis was used to analyse the interview data through applying Tesch’s
eight steps of analysis.
Data analysis revealed that participants did not experience the support group as
helpful; although they had joined the support group they remained fearful of receiving
test results and what their future may hold should they be diagnosed as being HIV
positive. The participants experienced rejection and discrimination by the support
group committee members; they also identified that the committee displayed
hypocritical behaviours and a lack of respect for confidentiality of information which
further undermined the functioning and influence of the group. Results revealed that
joining the support group means one is automatically stigmatised as being HIV
positive. The support group committee members were seen to be inaccessible
having only limited communication with participants.
Recommendations from the study were to hold personal and group development
sessions for the committee and interested students to assist them in learning how to
manage ethical issues related to counselling and testing, how to conduct effective
campaigns to de-stigmatize HIV/AIDS, and to determine clearly what the purpose of
this particular group is that it may better meet the needs of the student group.
Limitations of this study were that the qualitative research approach that was applied
limited the generalisation of the findings. The study focused only on experiences and
perceptions of the undergraduate nursing students on one campus of the nursing
college about the support group and its activities. Thus, the study offered an initial
insight into the current negative perceptions of students towards the support group
and offered a foundation for further investigation. In conclusion, experiences and perceptions of the support group were explored and
elaborated on. Currently, the support group does not offer the support the students
would like to be available as the fundamental functioning of the group is
compromised by a lack of trust between students and the committee members. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die menslike immuungebreksvirus (MIV) en verworwe immuniteitsgebreksindroom
(VIGS) is wêreldwyd kommerwekkende aangeleenthede, veral met betrekking tot
Suid-Afrika. Die gevolge van MIV-infeksie en komplikasies van VIGS is uitdagings
wat die verpleegberoep en die verpleegstudente-gemeenskap met verreikende
gevolge raak. Ondersteuningsgroepe kan ’n belangrike rol speel om
verpleegstudente in verband met MIV en VIGS op te lei, asook om ondersteuning te
bied deur middel van die prosesse van berading, toetsing en die bestuur van die
fisiese en ander gevolge van die sindroom.
Toe die huidige situasie by ’n Oos-Kaapse verpleegkollege, asook die
literatuuroorsig oor die onderwerp in oënskou geneem is, is die navorsingsvraag vir
die studie gestel: “Waarom het die ondersteuning wat deur die ondersteuningsgroep
aan die studentverpleegsters aangebied word so ’n beperkte effek op die studente
se motivering om deel te neem aan MIV-berading en toetsing, asook
ondersteuningsaktiwiteite om MIV/VIGS te destigmatiseer?”
Die doel van hierdie studie was om die verpleegstudente se ervaringe en persepsies
van die ondersteuningsgroep se aktiwiteite te ondersoek en te beskryf, ten einde die
relevansie van hierdie inisiatief vir die studente te verbeter. Die doelwitte van hierdie studie was om die student se: - ervaringe en persepsies van die ondersteuningsgroep se aktiwiteite te
ondersoek en te beskryf - verwagtinge van die ondersteuningsgroep te identifiseer en te beskryf.
’n Kwalitatiewe benadering met ’n ondersoekende en beskrywende ontwerp is
gebruik om die data aan die lig te bring om sodoende die navorsingsvraag te
beantwoord. Etiese goedkeuring is van die Universiteit van Stellenbosch se
Gesondheidsnavorsingsetiekkomitee verkry en toegang tot die kollege-kampus is
deur die betrokke owerhede verleen. Die toeganklike bevolking vir die studie was
eerste-, tweede-, derde- en vierdejaarstudente by een kampus van die provinsiale verpleegkollege in die Oos-Kaap. Deurtastende individuele onderhoude is met agt
deelnemers gevoer wat aan die studie se inklusiewe kriteria voldoen het en wat
ondervinding het van die ondersteuningsgroep en hul aktiwiteite. Data is deur die
navorser opgeneem en getranskribeer. Inhoudelike analise is gebruik om die data
van die onderhoud te analiseer deur Tesch se ag stappe van analise toe te pas.
Analise van die data het aan die lig gebring dat deelnemers nie die
ondersteuningsgroep as behulpsaam ervaar nie. Ten spyte van aansluiting by die
ondersteuningsgroep bly hulle angstig vir wanneer toetsresultate ontvang moet word
en wat dit vir hul toekoms mag inhou indien hulle MIV-positief gediagnoseer word.
Die deelnemers het verwerping en diskriminasie deur die ondersteuningsgroep se
komitee-lede ervaar; hulle het ook skynheilige optredes en ’n gebrek aan respek vir
vertroulikheid van inligting wat die funksionering en invloed van die groep verder
ondermyn, geïdentifiseer. Resultate het aan die lig gebring dat aansluiting by die
ondersteuningsgroep beteken dat hulle outomaties gestigmatiseer word as MIVpositief.
Die komitee van die ondersteuningsgroep word gesien as ontoeganklik met
beperkte kommunikasie met die deelnemers.
Aanbevelings vanuit die studie sluit in die opvoeding en die ontwikkeling van ’n
komitee en belangstellende studente om etiese kwessies te bestuur wat verband
hou met berading en toetsing, veldtogte om MIV/VIGS te destigmatiseer en om
duidelik te bepaal watter tipe ondersteuningsgroep hierdie betrokke groep moet
nastreef om te wees. Beperkinge van hierdie studie is dat ’n kwalitatiewe navorsingsbenadering toegepas
is wat die veralgemening van die bevindings beperk het. Die studie het slegs
gefokus op ervaringe en persepsies van die voorgraadse verpleegstudente op een
kampus van die verpleegkollege aangaande die ondersteuningsgroep en hul
aktiwiteite. Sodoende, gee die studie ’n aanvanklike insig in die huidige negatiewe
persepsies van studente oor die ondersteuningsgroep en bied ook ’n grondslag vir
verdere ondersoeke.
Ten slotte, ervaringe en persepsies van die ondersteuningsgroep is ondersoek en
daarop uitgebrei. Tans bied die ondersteuningsgroep nie die ondersteuning wat die studente benodig nie, vanweë die fundamentele funksionering van die groep se
gebrek aan vertroue deur studente in die komitee-lede.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/96089
Date12 1900
CreatorsSixaba, Nqabisa Lucia
ContributorsBell, Janet, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences:. Division of Nursing Science.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis
Format97 p.
RightsStellenbosch University

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