Browsing by Author "van Papendorp, Cristelle"

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    The perception of wellness of undergraduate nursing students at a nursing education institution
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2024-03) van Papendorp, Cristelle; van Schalkwyk, Talita; Jordan, P. J., (Portia Janine); Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Nursing & Midwifery.
    ENGLISH SUMMARY: Introduction and problem statement: Addressing the misalignment of wellness within the higher education environment is vital for student success. It has therefore been recommended to implement holistic wellness programmes as part of the curriculum. Society’s expectation that nursing professionals should be role models for wellness indicate the need to examine the effectiveness of the wellness approach within current nursing programmes and the wellness support provided to the students. Exploring undergraduate nursing students’ personal wellness practices and possible wellness barriers offers insight into the overall wellness perceptions among this population. The available wellness support within the undergraduate nursing programme at a nursing education institution in South Africa and the undergraduate students’ unique wellness needs and challenges were identified. Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive, and contextual research design was applied in this study, focusing on the undergraduate nursing students’ unique perceptions. The study was conducted at a nursing education institution in the Western Cape province of South Africa. A purposive sampling method was applied, comprising a sample of twenty-six undergraduate nursing students, enrolled in a 4-year Bachelor of Nursing programme. One focus group interview was conducted for each academic year group. The first-year group consisted of four participants, the second-year group of five participants, the third-year group of ten participants, and the fourth-year group of seven participants selected from the target population. A semi structured interview guide was used to collect narrative data from the participants during focus group interviews. Qualitative reflexive thematic analysis was used to analyse the data collected. Ethical approval was obtained from the Health Research Ethics Committee of Stellenbosch University, and institutional permission was obtained from the Division for Information Governance at the chosen nursing education institution. The study adhered to the principles of ensuring trustworthiness and ethical standards. Results: Four overarching themes and 13 sub-themes emerged through the data. The findings showed that the participants in this study were familiar with the concept of wellness and made conscious efforts to incorporate wellness practices within their own lives. The overall findings suggests that each individual’s perceptions of wellness are unique, and their wellness needs and goals depend on their wellness knowledge, personal experience, and unique circumstances. The participants were overall satisfied with their personal wellness choices across the wellness dimensions, but various wellness barriers were reported. The main wellness barriers linked to the academic programme were diverse teaching strategies, inconsistent academic schedules, and language barriers. Additional wellness barriers identified were inaccessible resources, time constraints, campus culture, financial constraints, and additional responsibilities. The findings revealed that the participants in the first academic year group particularly struggled with academic transition and the peer mentoring structure within the academic programme provided valuable support during this period of transition. The findings suggest that although wellness support structures and resources were available in the academic programme, challenges were reported with the accessibility of important resources. Conclusion: In conclusion, to incorporate wellness initiatives and support structures into an academic programme requires precision to address the variety of wellness needs, barriers, and the uniqueness of each individual within the specific population it serves.