Browsing by Author "Scheepers, Vanessa Christina"
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- ItemExploring newly qualified nurses experiences of their compulsory community service year at an urban district hospital(Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2020-03) Scheepers, Vanessa Christina; Bell, Janet; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Nursing & Midwifery.ENGLISH SUMMARY : Background: Compulsory community service in the South African health sector was initiated by the National Department of Health with two distinct goals (Parker, Steyn, Mchiza, Wentzel-Viljoen, Dannhauser, Mbhenyane, Nthangeni & Moeng, 2011: 1412) firstly, to ensure improved delivery of health services to all South Africans; and secondly, to provide opportunities for newly qualified health professionals to develop their knowledge, practical skills, critical thinking abilities and professional behaviour (Hatcher, Onah, Kornik, Peacocke & Reid, 2014: 2). Despite the secondary goal (providing newly qualified health professionals with opportunities to develop their knowledge, practical skills, critical thinking abilities and professional behaviours), literature shows there are facilitators and barriers that seem to influence a person’s experience of the community service year (Reid et al., 2018: 44-45; Netshisaulu & Maputle, 2018: 4-6). It seems that, similarly to the experiences of other healthcare professionals, nurses engaged in community service at the public health facility where the researcher is employed do not seem to benefit from this stated secondary goal. The purpose of this study was therefore to explore and describe newly qualified nurses’ experiences of the compulsory community service year at an urban district hospital. Methods: A qualitative approach with an exploratory, descriptive research design was used for the study. A purposive sampling method was applied, and the final study sample comprised of five participants out of the 13 community service nurses. A semistructured interview guide was used to collect narrative data from participants and field notes were made. Qualitative content analysis was used to analyze the data collected. Results: Three overarching themes and eight sub-themes emerged through the data analysis process. The first theme, a complex experience, described the varied experiences of the participants during their compulsory community service year. The second theme, support, highlighted participants’ experience of the support they had received. The third theme, on the floor, described the positive experiences and challenges the participants encountered in the clinical environment. Conclusion: The research question of this study was answered through an analysis of the participants’ rich, in-depth experiences. Community service nurses had varied experiences of the community service year. The overall experience was positive, with community service nurses being able to develop their knowledge, practical skills, critical thinking abilities and professional behaviour. Their experiences identified specific facilitators and barriers that influence newly qualified nurses’ experience of the community service year. This understanding can inform a review and revision of the current support strategies for newly qualified nurses doing compulsory community service in public urban hospitals.