Clinical learning of nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic in Limpopo province, South Africa

• Main Authors: Linda Nchabeleng (Author), Mamare A. Bopape (Author), Ledile E. Manamela (Author), Tshepo A. Ntho (Author)
• Format: Book
• Published: AOSIS, 2024-09-01T00:00:00Z.
• Subjects: article
• Online Access: Connect to this object online.

Summary

Background: The Nursing Education Programme was affected during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, resulting in nursing students being unable to participate in the clinical experiential learning required by the South African Nursing Council. Objectives: The study seeks to explore and describe nursing students' experiences of clinical experiential learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Method: A qualitative, explorative and descriptive, research design was used in the study. A non-probability purposive sampling method was used, and 55 nursing students participated in the study. Data were collected through six focus group discussions, consisting of 8-12 nursing students in each group. Data were analysed following Tesch's open coding method. Results: Three themes emerged from the study's findings: The impact of COVID-19 on the clinical experiential learning of nursing students, the effects of COVID-19 on the mental well-being of nursing students, and nursing students' experiences of support during the COVID-19 pandemic. Notably, 11 sub-themes emerged. Conclusion: The findings of this study reveal that the COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted the Nursing Education Programme, highlighting the challenges of inadequate clinical hours, restricted clinical access and the significant psychological impact on students. Contribution: This study adds to the literature on students' experiences during clinical experiential learning in South Africa during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Item Description

0379-8577
2223-6279
10.4102/curationis.v47i1.2578