Abstract
Introductionmanagement of tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) within primary health care (PHC) facilities involve nursing students as part of them integrating theory to practice. Clinical learning for nursing students requires adequate support from the Nursing Education Institution (NEI) and nursing professionals. Given the dearth of literature regarding clinical support for nursing students in the management of TB/HIV in PHC setting, this study is aimed at exploring and describing nursing students' experiences regarding clinical support.Methodsa phenomenological design was used to explore and describe the experiences of nursing students using an individual, unstructured, in-depth interview. Audio-taped interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using Atlas TI software.Resultsthemes derived from the study were factors inhibiting clinical support which incorporated shortage of professional nurses (PNs), lack of accompaniment, fear of managing TB/HIV patients and negative attitudes of PNs; outcomes of poor clinical support included inability to integrate TB/HIV theory to practice and lack of confidence among nursing students; nursing students' desired outcomes through clinical support included becoming a competent TB/HIV nurse and the ability to integrate TB/HIV theory to practice; and strategies to strengthen and promote clinical support in TB/HIV management through strengthened occupational health and safety learning, provision of knowledge regarding post-exposure prophylaxis and infection control, and appointed clinical PN for students in each facility.Conclusionthe development of policies for clinical support, increasing supervision, appointment of clinical preceptors and accompanists in facilities where nursing students are placed would promote clinical learning within the NEI and the production of competent and confident nurses.
Highlights
The management of Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients involves professional nurses (PN), enrolled nurses (EN), enrolled nursing auxiliaries (ENA) and nursing students
Nursing students had been described not to receive adequate accompaniment, guidance and supervision during their clinical learning and practice due to an extreme shortage of PNs, and when nursing students enter the clinical setting for the purpose of clinical learning and practice, they are regarded as nurses filling gaps where there is a shortage of nurses, in order to push clinical work rather than fulfilling their set objectives
The following factors were raised as inhibitors of clinical support towards nursing students, shortage of PNs; lack of accompaniment; fear of managing TB and HIV patients; inadequate preceptorship in TB and HIV management; less exposure to clinical services; negative attitudes of PNs and lack of confidence among nursing students
Summary
The management of Tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) patients involves professional nurses (PN), enrolled nurses (EN), enrolled nursing auxiliaries (ENA) and nursing students. Nursing students had been described not to receive adequate accompaniment, guidance and supervision during their clinical learning and practice due to an extreme shortage of PNs, and when nursing students enter the clinical setting for the purpose of clinical learning and practice, they are regarded as nurses filling gaps where there is a shortage of nurses, in order to push clinical work rather than fulfilling their set objectives This is true given the increased rate of people living with HIV (PLWH) and TB and nursing students end up having feelings of being restricted by professional nurses from fulfilling their learning tasks or outcomes [2]
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