Browsing by Author "Hutchinson, Frances"

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    Attrition of under-graduate male nursing students at a private nursing education institution in Gauteng
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2016-12) Hutchinson, Frances; Klopper, Ceridwyn; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences. Nursing Science.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY ENGLISH SUMMARY : The nursing profession forms the mainstay of the healthcare system in South Africa (SA). The profession needs a consistent supply of qualified nurses to deliver continuous safe quality care, as well as to replace those that leave the profession or retire from it. However, the nursing profession is losing nurses and prospective nurses during and after completion of a nursing course for a variety of reasons. Globally, the attrition rate of under-graduate male nursing students far exceeds the attrition rate of female nursing students. Despite men always having been in nursing, attrition of under-graduate male nursing students is poorly understood. No specific data is available regarding this phenomenon in SA. Therefore, understanding and exploring reasons for attrition among these male nursing students could potentially assist educators and nursing education institutions to generate and formulate strategies towards a higher throughput rate. The aim of the study was to explore and understand the reasons for the attrition of under-graduate male nursing students at a private nursing education institution. The objectives of this study were to: • Explore and understand the reasons for attrition of under-graduate male nursing students at a private nursing education institution in Gauteng. • Understand the challenges that male under-graduate nursing students encounter. • Identify the demographic factors that contribute to the attrition of male under-graduate nursing students at a private nursing education institution in Gauteng. A descriptive, phenomenological qualitative study design was applied. Eight semi-structured interviews were conducted by a trained interviewer in which participants shared their experiences of having been under-graduate male nursing students. An exploratory interview was completed with one of the participants. The data collected was evaluated for trustworthiness by measuring and assessing the data for credibility, conformability, dependability and transferability (Lincoln & Guba, 1985:290; Polit & Beck, 2012:175). Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Stellenbosch University. Institutional permission was also obtained from the management of the private nursing education institution in Gauteng. Informed consent was obtained from the former male nursing students. The data was analysed according to the five-step process as explained by Terre Blanche, Durrheim and Painter (2006:322-325). These five steps are: Step 1: Familiarisation and immersion; Step 2: Inducing themes; Step 3: Coding; Step 4: Elaboration; and Step 5: Interpreting and checking of data. Findings demonstrated that attrition of male under-graduate nursing students is a complex and multifactorial phenomenon that is poorly understood. Factors that contributed to their decision not to complete their studies were: academic inadequacies; attitude of students towards their studies; family (social) responsibilities; feelings of failure and regret; ill health or poor wellness; inadequate support (clinical and educational); inadequate knowledge of the programme; isolation in the workplace; long working hours and wrong career choice The recommendations to ensure higher throughput rate were given as follows: Current selection criteria to be re-evaluated; nursing as a career for males to be promoted; academic, remedial and emotional support systems to be improved; attrition rates to be monitored annually; and exit interviews to be conducted with students so that they can verbalise their intent to discontinue their training. The conclusion that was reached during this study was that attrition of under-graduate male nursing students is very complex and that it requires concrete systems in place to identify and assist at-risk male nursing students from discontinuing their studies.