Views of pre-graduate students regarding clinical accompaniment at a Nursing Education Institution in Gauteng

Abstract

As nursing is a practice-based profession it is essential that pre-graduate students are socialised in the clinical learning environment from the start of their training. Consequently, clinical accompaniment is regarded as a vital component of nursing training to offer the necessary support to pre-graduate students.

This study aimed to evaluate clinical accompaniment of pre graduate students in a specific Nursing Education Institution (NEI) in Gauteng as part of the four year comprehensive programme by means of Appreciative Inquiry (AI). The AI approach focuses on the positive aspects of an organisation and aims to enhance what could and should be valued rather than focusing on the problems.

A qualitative, contextual, explorative and descriptive research design was utilised. Data was collected from second-, third- and fourth-year comprehensive programme pre-graduate nursing students in a specific NEI by means of semi-structured self-report interview guide. The data was analysed according to the four objectives of this study, guided by the 4-D cycle of AI, utilizing content analysis and verified by the co-coder.

The results were categorized into four main themes. For the first objective, “the best of what is”, nurse educator support, registered nurse support, students’ professional development, and multidisciplinary team members’ support, were themed. The second objective intended to enhance the best of what is by indicating “what could be” the ideal clinical accompaniment. The third objective indicated “what should be” addressed during clinical accompaniment to move towards excellence and enhance the clinical learning experiences of students and the following themes emerged: inadequate support from nurse educators, lack of resources, inadequate support from registered nurses, and disregard for student status. The respondents recommended “what must be” as an action plan to enhance clinical accompaniment based on the findings, and the following themes emerged: nurse educator’s responsibility, registered nurse’s responsibility, and availability of resources for students.