Reflections of nursing students, lecturers, and clinical supervisors in the Western Cape on large classes

Abstract

Nursing education in the Western Cape responded to the South African higher education transformation agenda by establishing a Common Teaching Platform (CTP) for the delivery of the undergraduate nursing programme. Three universities in the region have collaborated since 2005 in the delivery of this programme. One of the universities was identified as the enrolling institution. During this period, the province experienced a shortage of nursing personnel. In response to this shortage and to transformation in the country, there was an increase in the enrolment target for the undergraduate programme offered by the three collaborating universities. Five years after the establishment of the CTP and the increased student intake, there was a need to explore the experiences of the lecturers, clinical supervisors and students regarding teaching and learning in large classes. In this article, the experiences of nursing students, clinical supervisors, and lecturers are shared and suggestions from the target groups are presented.

A road less travelled: Undergraduate midwifery students’ experiences of a decentralised clinical training platform

“…In South Africa, the skill-based shortage is of concern in a healthcare context characterised by global health indicators such as mounting maternal mortality and morbidity rates (Saving Mothers 2017 ; WHO 2016b ), increased under-five mortality rates (World Bank 2019 ) and a life expectancy lower than the global average (Worlometer 2020 ), further complicated by social determinants of health such as poverty (Ataguba, Day & McIntyre 2015). These critical shortages, the changing healthcare landscape and the planned roll out of the National Health Insurance have burdened South African higher educational authorities to rapidly expand nursing student enrolments (de Villiers et al 2017 ; Fakude et al 2014 ). Student enrolments have shown an expansion in numbers and increased demands on educational institutions (de Villiers et al 2017 ; Fakude et al 2014 ).…”

“…These critical shortages, the changing healthcare landscape and the planned roll out of the National Health Insurance have burdened South African higher educational authorities to rapidly expand nursing student enrolments (de Villiers et al 2017 ; Fakude et al 2014 ). Student enrolments have shown an expansion in numbers and increased demands on educational institutions (de Villiers et al 2017 ; Fakude et al 2014 ). Students enrolling in these already overstretched institutions are confronted with numerous challenges that include, but are not limited to, congestion in classrooms (Fakude et al 2014 ) and clinical facilities, while lecturers encounter difficulties in the process of clinical allocation (de Villiers et al 2017 ).…”

“…Student enrolments have shown an expansion in numbers and increased demands on educational institutions (de Villiers et al 2017 ; Fakude et al 2014 ). Students enrolling in these already overstretched institutions are confronted with numerous challenges that include, but are not limited to, congestion in classrooms (Fakude et al 2014 ) and clinical facilities, while lecturers encounter difficulties in the process of clinical allocation (de Villiers et al 2017 ).…”