Exploration of In-Service Training Needs for Nurses Implementing the Nursing Process at Regional Hospitals of Limpopo Province, South Africa

Abstract

Background: In-service training of the nursing employees plays an eminent role in developing the empowerment of nurses and the promotion of the overall quality of patient care in hospitals. Nurses with constant attendance of training on the nursing process show improved quality of patient care in most clinical health care settings. Nurses in hospitals in Limpopo province experience challenges regarding in-service training on the nursing process approach during patient care. The current study is imperative to the nursing practice; hence, in-service training remains one of the workplace activities that keep the nurses abreast with the latest development in their profession. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to explore and describe the in-training needs for nurses implementing the nursing process at regional hospitals of Limpopo province, South Africa. Methods: A qualitative explorative, descriptive, phenomenological and contextual research design was applied in the study. A nonprobability purposive sampling method was utilised to select professional nurses at the regional hospitals. Semi structured in-depth interviews using an interview guide was consumed to collect data from eighteen participants, then the data was analysed by means of phenomenological reduction method where themes and sub-themes were established. Results: The study discovered that there was no in-service training for professional nurses on the nursing process and there was a lack of management support to nurses implementing the nursing process. Conclusion: The study recommended the need to develop a training programme to enhance continuous in-service training on the nursing process in hospitals of Limpopo province.