Experiences of community health nurse specialists in the tuberculosis burden setting

Abstract

South Africa is one of the countries with the highest tuberculosis (TB) burden. The World Health Organization (WHO) statistics gave an estimated incidence of 322 000 cases of active TB in 2017. Furthermore, according to the WHO, an estimated 78 000 people in South Africa died from TB. The National Strategic Plan for HIV TB and STIs identified the Gauteng province in South Africa as one of the districts with a high TB burden; a decision informed by annual measurements of TB incidence, prevalence and mortality. The main objective of the study was to explore and describe the experiences of community health nurse specialists in the TB burden setting to ensure safe practices and excellent service delivery. A qualitative descriptive phenomenological design was used to describe the experiences of community health nurse specialists in the TB burden setting. A purposive sampling method was used to select 20 nurses. Ethical principles were adhered to and trustworthiness strategies were applied throughout the study. The data were collected through in-depth interviews and analysed using the 7 steps of Colaizzi’s method of data analysis. The findings indicated that community health nurse specialists are afraid of being infected with TB, and that patients who default treatment are of concern. The services of prevention, treatment, care and support needed by these nurses should be prioritised by the relevant management to ensure that service delivery is not compromised.