Experience of nursing students regarding clinical support in the management of TB and HIV patients in a primary healthcare setting: a phenomenological study

INTRODUCTION: management of tuberculosis (TB) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) within primary health care (PHC) facilities involve nursing students as part of them integrating theory to practice. Clinical learning for nursing students requires adequate support from the Nursing Education Institution (NEI) and nursing professionals. Given the dearth of literature regarding clinical support for nursing students in the management of TB/HIV in PHC setting, this study is aimed at exploring and describing nursing students' experiences regarding clinical support. METHODS: a phenomenological design was used to explore and describe the experiences of nursing students using an individual, unstructured, in-depth interview. Audio-taped interviews were transcribed verbatim and analysed using Atlas TI software. RESULTS: themes derived from the study were factors inhibiting clinical support which incorporated shortage of professional nurses (PNs), lack of accompaniment, fear of managing TB/HIV patients and negative attitudes of PNs; outcomes of poor clinical support included inability to integrate TB/HIV theory to practice and lack of confidence among nursing students; nursing students' desired outcomes through clinical support included becoming a competent TB/HIV nurse and the ability to integrate TB/HIV theory to practice; and strategies to strengthen and promote clinical support in TB/HIV management through strengthened occupational health and safety learning, provision of knowledge regarding post-exposure prophylaxis and infection control, and appointed clinical PN for students in each facility. CONCLUSION: the development of policies for clinical support, increasing supervision, appointment of clinical preceptors and accompanists in facilities where nursing students are placed would promote clinical learning within the NEI and the production of competent and confident nurses.