African Journal of Health Professions Education
AJHPE is an online, quarterly, peer-reviewed journal that covers matters related to education for health professionals.
The AJHPE is published under an Attribution-Non Commercial International Creative Commons Attribution (CC-BY-NC 4.0) License. Under this license, authors agree to make articles available to users, without permission or fees, for any lawful, non-commercial purpose. Users may read, copy, or re-use published content as long as the author and original place of publication are properly cited. Exceptions to this license model is allowed for UKRI and research funded by organisations requiring that research be published open-access without embargo, under a CC-BY licence. As per the journals archiving policy, authors are permitted to self-archive the author-accepted manuscript (AAM) in a repository.
Actions speak louder than words: Are we role modelling what we hope for?
Copyright (c) 2025 W Cordier https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 C Naidu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Technology-enhanced learning and the pursuit of cognitive justice: Perils, pearls, and possibilities
Copyright (c) 2025 S Titus-Dawson https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 Claudia Naidu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Transforming health professions education in Africa: A vision for alignment through competency-based education
Copyright (c) 2025 C N Nyoni, J A Asamani https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 Claudia s Naidu https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Copyright (c) 2025 L Wolvaardt https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The perspective of undergraduate nursing students regarding simulation learning: Insights from Botswana
Background. Simulation is used in nursing education to help students attain practical skills before they are placed in a clinical setting. Its effectiveness in bridging the gap between theory and practice has been documented. Simulation mimics the real clinical area situation and fosters nursing students’ learning. Globally the demand for nurses and nurse educators has increased. The scarcity of nurse educators has created an enormous shortage, resulting in a high student-to-educator ratio. During the COVID-19 pandemic, simulation-based learning was appreciated, yet the perspectives of undergraduate nursing students regarding simulation-based learning remain under-researched in Botswana and low-income countries. Objective. To explore undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions regarding the use of low-fidelity simulation learning. Methods. The study used a descriptive qualitative design to explore undergraduate nursing students’ perceptions regarding simulation learning. The sample for the survey was twenty (n=20) third- and fourth-year Bachelor of Nursing Science students registered for a simulation-based course in the academic years 2020-2021 and 2021-2022. Three focus group interviews were conducted between 15 and 30 May 2024. Thematic data analysis was done. Results. Twenty participants, comprising 35% (n=7) males and 65% (n=13) females, aged between 18 and 24 with a mean age of 22.18 (standard deviation 0.87), were interviewed. Three themes emerged: perception of the benefits of simulation-based learning, students’ experiences, and challenges regarding simulation-based learning. Conclusion. Generally, participants appreciated simulation learning, because it allowed them to acquire nursing care skills in a non-threatening and safe environment. However, the researcher’s perspective and self-selection bias of participants may have influenced the study findings.
Copyright (c) 2025 G Lubinda, W B Tshiamo, D B Maripe-Perera, M Sabone https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Copyright (c) 2024 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Developing time management skills of undergraduate students undertaking second- and third-year level dental clinical-based training
Background. Developing time management skills is an essential yet under-reported aspect of dental undergraduate training. Additionally, there is a paucity of studies that have examined how time management skills developed in undergraduate dental curricula. Objectives. A targeted curricula review was conducted to identify expressions of time management across the theoretical, preclinical and clinical aspects of the training programmes. In addition, the study compared the extent to which second- and third-year students developed their clinical time management skills. Methods. A combination of qualitative and quantitative data was used. Phase 1 included a document analysis using a data extraction sheet to capture curricular documents comprising 25 dental therapy and 25 oral hygiene modules. Data were analysed using content analysis. Phase 2 included a self- administered questionnaire to collect data from the identified students (N=90). Both closed and open-ended questions were included. Inferential and descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were used to analyse the data. Results. Phase 1: Two themes emerged from the curriculum review. Explicit statements on time management were in one first-year module, i.e. Academic Skills and Clinical Practice. This module included statements on time management skills and educating students on how to be productive in managing their time at university. Implicit statements on time management were in modules named Clinical Practice in Prevention 1 and 2, and Clinical Practice in Oral Hygiene 1 and 2. These modules indicated that students’ time management skills were required for patient management and complete clinical portfolios. Phase 2: The 3rd-year cohort developed higher time management scores (mean 2.91) than the 2nd-year (mean 2.81), signifying a statistically significant relationship (p=0.049). Two major themes emerged from the analysis of the open-ended questions. Participants expressed that time management enabled them to plan, prepare and be punctual and organised to accomplish their clinical tasks. Participants identified the following factors: knowledge of clinical procedures, students’ commitment to learning, patient consultation form, punctuality and cooperation of patients, and the waiting period to use radiographic equipment. Conclusion. Students’ time management skills appear to be developed implicitly in the curricula and mainly through clinical training exposure. Curriculum developers can ensure that time management skills are explicitly expressed in all levels of undergraduate curricula. This would encourage students to consciously develop and apply such skills as part of preclinical and clinical training.
Copyright (c) 2025 A Gopie, S Singh https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Performance of Grade 12 rural origin health science students supported by the Umthombo Youth Development Foundation
Background. It has been advocated that to address healthcare worker shortages in rural areas, rural students should be recruited to study health sciences as they are more likely to live and work in rural areas. This poses a challenge, as rural areas in South Africa (SA) are dominated by non-fee-paying quintile 1 - 3 schools that are under-resourced in terms of physical and human resources. Entry requirements for health science disciplines are academically demanding, with good marks required in mathematics, physical sciences and life sciences, while limited spaces are available at universities. National secondary school-leaving examination results are generally poor and are affected negatively by quintile level, with quintile 1 schools performing worse than quintile 5 schools. The Umthombo Youth Development Foundation (UYDF) seeks to address staff shortages at rural hospitals by investing in rural youth. Objective. To investigate how rural origin learners supported by the UYDF, the majority of whom attended quintile 1 - 3 rural schools, achieved school- leaving results that enabled them to be accepted to study for a health science qualification. Methods. This was a cross-sectional, retrospective study using a survey developed from UYDF student narratives. The survey was compiled in Google Forms and emailed to 211 UYDF students of the class of 2024, of whom 89% responded. The results were supplemented with extracts from stories submitted by two recent graduates. Results. There were 81% of participants (n=167) who completed their secondary schooling at a quintile 1 - 3 school, while 13% (n=25) completed their schooling at a fee-paying quintile 4 school, and 2% (n=3) at a quintile 5 school. There were 56% of the respondents who reported having a sufficient number of teachers, whereas 70% reported having sufficient classrooms. More than 90% reported that they had a mathematics and life sciences teacher in Grades 11 and 12, while 89% reported having a physical science teacher in Grades 11 and 12. Sixty percent of students achieved between 76% and 85% in Grade 12 for English, with only 10% achieving ≤70%. Fifty-seven percent of students achieved 81 - 90% for isiZulu, with only two students achieving ≤70%. Seventy-two percent of students achieved between 76% and 100% for mathematics in Grade 12, 77% achieved between 76% and 100% for physical science, and 90% achieved between 76% and 100% for life sciences. There were 96% of students who attributed their good results to their hard work and dedication, 90% to working through past examination papers and 78% to having good teachers. Conclusion. Motivated by their poor family circumstances, students, through their hard work and dedication, good teachers and extra lessons, achieved secondary school results allowing them to meet and even exceed the entry requirements for medical and allied health science study programmes at SA universities. Using past examination papers could be a strategy promoted more widely to help students in quintile 1 - 3 schools to better prepare for assessments, thereby improving their examination results and post-school options.
University admission criteria for health sciences
Copyright (c) 2025 R G MacGregor, A J Ross https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
National perspectives guiding occupational therapy education transformation: Highlights from the pandemic
Background. Globally, all educational programmes were disrupted by the COVID‐19 pandemic. This necessitated the exploration of how higher education institutions responded during this crisis to facilitate preparedness for similar emergencies in the future. Objective. To explore how occupational therapy educational programmes in South Africa (SA) responded to the pandemic and examine the influences of external factors such as national and higher education institution policies, professional associations and professional boards. Method. An exploratory qualitative design was used. Data were gathered through interviews with purposively selected participants, specifically the heads of departments or their proxies, along with representatives from the professional board and professional association (n=9), and analysed thematically. Results. Four major themes emerged from the study, namely: (i) adaptation of occupations to an online instructional environment; (ii) prioritising the person; (iii) environmental systems: interuniversity collaboration and stakeholder engagement; and (iv) emerging pathways for occupational therapy education. These themes synthesise the transformation of occupational therapy education and highlight future implications. Conclusion. Occupational therapy education in SA must constantly adapt to contextual changes, such as the COVID‐19 pandemic and technological advances.
Occupational Therapy Educational Programme
Occupational Therapy educational programme
Copyright (c) 2025 N Ndaba, P Govender, D Naidoo, S Mafuleka https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Rural students’ motivation to study a health science degree
Background. South Africa (SA) faces a critical shortage of healthcare workers, particularly in rural areas, while available spaces to study health science qualifications are limited, and therefore, understanding the motivation of health science students is important to ensure the health needs of the country are met. This study aims to understand the motivations of the rural-origin Umthombo Youth Development Foundation (UYDF)-supported students in pursuing a health science qualification, and the factors that influenced their decision. Methods. The study employed a cross-sectional design, surveying 181 current UYDF students (86% response rate) across 13 health science disciplines. A self-developed questionnaire was used that included four structured questions, allowing participants to select multiple responses. Results. Of the 181 respondents, 91% reported being motivated by altruistic reasons, such as a desire to help others and improve healthcare in their communities, while 81% reported a desire to improve their family circumstances. Financial remuneration (19%) and the high status of the profession (15%) were lesser considerations. The greatest influence on their decision was the need to improve their family circumstances (67%), followed by addressing staff shortages in their community (60%). Personal experiences with the healthcare system influenced 53% of the respondents to choose their career, while only 39% reported parental influence on their career choice. Most respondents (80%) had researched their chosen profession before applying, with 45% having spoken to professionals and 27% job-shadowed in their field. Almost all (98%) medical students were studying their first choice, while 36% of respondents studying other disciplines were studying their first choice. The majority (60%) of respondents decided to study a health science qualification while in secondary school. Discussion. The findings suggest that rural-origin respondents in this study are motivated by both altruistic motivations and a desire to improve their socioeconomic and community conditions, which may contribute to a higher likelihood of long-term retention in rural healthcare settings. Conclusion. The motivations of rural students to pursue health science careers stem primarily from a deep desire to improve both their community and personal circumstances. For many, their motivation is reinforced by a personal experience of inadequate health service delivery. These insights should be considered by universities in their selection of students, and by the Department of Health, so that the critical healthcare needs in underserved regions of SA can be addressed.
health sciences, health science students, motivation to study health sciences, rural health science students, rural health
Intent to work with older people after graduation: A descriptive survey among student nurses in the Western Cape Province, South Africa
Background. Ensuring that adequate numbers of well-prepared nurses respond appropriately to the unique and often complex health needs of a growing number of older persons in South Africa, requires not only an investigation of the intent of nursing students to work with older people after graduation, but also of their knowledge about and attitudes towards older people. Objectives. To describe undergraduate nursing students’ knowledge of ageing, attitudes towards older people and their intention to work with older people after graduation. Methods. A survey was conducted of undergraduate nursing students (N=240) from a university in the Western Cape Province, South Africa. Stratified random sampling by year level was used to select students, and a self-administered questionnaire was completed. The questionnaire included two validated scales, i.e. an adapted Facts on Aging Quiz from Breytspraak and Badura, and Kogan’s Attitudes Toward Old People scale. In addition, specific questions about previous exposure and intent to work with older people upon graduation were included in the questionnaire. Descriptive data analysis was done using SPSS version 28. Data were analysed by seniority of students and compared for knowledge total scores, attitudes and intent to work. Results. A response rate of 100% was achieved from 240 respondents ‒ most of them being female (n=198; 82.5%) and with an average age of 22.9 (standard deviation (SD) 5.4) years. The average knowledge score was 15.4/25 (61.6%), with no significant differences between junior and senior students. There were significant differences between males and females, with males having higher-rated positive appreciation attitudes towards older persons (49.0 (3.1) (95% confidence interval (CI) 44.9 - 53.1) v. 45.3 (9.2) (95% CI 44.0 - 46.6); t=2.2; p=0.030). A lower proportion of senior students than junior students indicated an intention to work with older people after graduation (40.9% v. 60.8%, respectively; χ2=9.4; p=0.002). Conclusion. More research is needed to determine the factors that could possibly contribute to the increasing lack of interest and thus intent to work with older people among nursing students after graduation.
Fostering integrated, holistic, and responsive health professions education in Africa
Assessing emergency care providers’ eligibility for progression to higher qualifications
Background. Emergency care (EC) education in South Africa (SA) has traditionally focused on vocational short-course training, leaving EC providers lacking formal EC qualifications. Legislative changes have introduced a three-tiered qualification system aligning with international and national standards. This system includes a 1-year higher certificate, a 2-year diploma, and a 4-year professional degree in emergency medical care (EMC). Objectives. To evaluate whether current EC providers working in Limpopo Province, SA, meet the educational requirements to transition to the new National Qualification Framework (NQF)-aligned EMC qualifications. Methods. This study employed a retrospective, quantitative, descriptive design, conducted as a desktop exercise involving EC providers working for the Limpopo state-owned Emergency Medical Service (EMS) in the Capricorn District. Using a total population sampling approach, relevant documents from the archive storeroom were included for all qualified EC providers in the Capricorn District. Results. Of the 319 participants, 99.4% (n=317) completed matric, while 0.6% did not. The majority (56.5%, n=180) of participants were basic ambulance assistants, mostly male (61.1%) and aged 40 - 49 years (56.4%). For the higher certificate programme, 97.2% (n=308) did not meet the mathematics requirement, either because it was not one of their subjects or they did not achieve the required symbol. Similarly, 88.3% (n=280) did not meet the biology requirement, 98.1% (n=311) did not meet the physical science requirement, while 55% (n=174) met the English requirement. For the diploma programme, 98.4% (n=312) did not meet the mathematics requirement, 98.7% (n=313) did not meet the biology requirement, 99.7% (n=316) did not meet the physical science requirement, and 86.8% (n=275) did not meet the English requirement. For the Bachelor’s degree programme, 99.4% (n=315) did not meet the mathematics requirement, 98.7% (n=313) did not meet the biology requirement, 100% (n=317) did not meet the physical science requirement, and 87.1% (n=276) did not meet the English requirement. Only three participants met the criteria for the higher certificate programme. None met the criteria for the diploma or Bachelor’s degree programme. Conclusion. Most EC providers do not meet the prerequisite subject and symbol requirements for entry into EMC programmes. None of the participants qualified for the diploma or Bachelor’s degree programmes, and only three met the criteria for the higher certificate. This highlights educational barriers that hinder career progression for EC providers. Bridging these gaps through matric upgrade programmes, recognition of prior learning and bridging programmes is crucial to expanding access to higher education.
Copyright (c) 2025 P Selahla, S Sobuwa, G Chule https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Digital learning strategies to train primary healthcare workers in sub‐Saharan Africa: A scoping review
Background. Primary healthcare workers in sub-Saharan Africa often face challenges regarding training. Digital learning strategies may improve the competencies of healthcare workers in this resource-limited region without them having to leave their postings. Objective. To map the existing literature on digital learning strategies to train primary healthcare workers in sub-Saharan Africa. Methods. This scoping review complies with the Population Concept Context guidelines of Arksey and O’Malley and is reported according to the PRISMA 2020 checklist. A systematic search (Ovid/MEDLINE, embase.com, Elsevier/Scopus, African Index Medicus) was performed from inception until December 2023 in collaboration with a medical information specialist. Two independent reviewers screened titles, abstracts and full texts. Results. Twenty-three studies were included from 11 of 44 sub-Saharan countries (25%). Studies addressed digital (61%) and blended (39%) learning strategies. Training covered infectious diseases (57%), substance use (17%), mental health (8%), sexual/reproductive health (8%), non-communicable diseases (8%) and neonatal resuscitation (4%). Training duration ranged from 6 hours to 18 months. The sample size varied between 20 and 55 415 participants. Types of healthcare workers who participated ranged from nurses to community healthcare workers, midwives, clinical officers, doctors and laboratory staff. Studies measured feasibility (n=12, 52%), knowledge (n=15, 65%) and skills (n=16, 69%). Feasibility was overall positive in digital (75%) and blended (100%) strategies. Knowledge increased with digital (91%) and blended (100%) strategies. Skills improved with digital (85%) and blended (100%) strategies. Challenges included limited access to networks (81%) and devices (72%). Conclusion. Digital learning strategies are feasible tools to improve the knowledge and skills of primary healthcare workers in sub-Saharan Africa. Addressing challenges, such as network and device access, should be taken into account.
Copyright (c) 2025 L Klootwijk, L van Houten, J Ket, S Mostert, G Kaspers https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Exploring academics’ and clinical supervisors’ perspectives on teaching and training time management skills in undergraduate dental programmes
Background. Academics and clinical supervisors play a vital role in developing skills such as time management within the competency-based undergraduate dental curricula. However, it is unclear how academics and clinical supervisors include time management skills as part of the training programmes. The present study was done to explore academics’ and clinical supervisors’ perspectives on developing time management skills in dental therapy and oral hygiene programmes. Objectives. To identify time management skills taught in the training programmes; to describe participants’ engagement with time management skills in practical training; and to discover the mechanisms of monitoring time management in the clinic. Methods. Following an exploratory, qualitative research design, a semi-structured interview schedule was used to gather data from 13 participants. Criterion-purposive sampling was used to select study participants. The interview schedule focused on gathering participants’ perspectives using seven open-ended questions. Data collected were converted into transcripts and inductively analysed through thematic analysis. Results. Academics’ and clinical supervisors’ development of time management skills emerged as three significant themes. Theme 1 described the time management skills lectured in the first year of the curricula. Theme 2 identified the impact of time allocation on practical training for students to manage their time. Theme 3 reported the mechanisms to monitor and track students’ clinical time management. Conclusion. Participants teach and train time management skills to enable students to work towards their goals and meet deadlines. These skills play an essential role in clinical training, where they are enhanced so that students can meet their competency requirements.
Self-reported dental fear among oral healthcare students at a university in South Africa
Background. Odontophobia (also known as dental fear) is an extreme version of fear experienced when a patient is about to receive dental treatment. Dental fear is a prevalent issue that affects not only patients but also oral healthcare students. Objective. To investigate the prevalence and severity of dental fear among undergraduate oral healthcare students at a university in South Africa. Understanding dental fear in this population is essential, as it can influence both the students’ own dental experiences and their future professional interactions with fearful patients. Methods. A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted using the Dental Fear Survey (DFS) questionnaire, which assesses dental fear across three domains: avoidance, physiological arousal, and fear of specific stimuli. The study included 135 participants, of whom 126 completed the survey. Participants were divided into preclinical and clinical groups to determine if the level of education and clinical experience affected their dental fear. Results. The results showed that 16.7% of participants had low dental fear, 52.4% had moderate dental fear, and 30.9% had high dental fear. Preclinical students reported significantly higher fear of stimuli such as seeing and hearing the drill compared with clinical students. Female students consistently reported higher fear scores than male students across various dental fear measures. Conclusions. Dental fear remains a concern among oral healthcare students, particularly in the earlier stages of their education. Clinical experience appears to mitigate fear associated with specific dental stimuli. The findings highlight the importance of addressing dental fear during dental education to improve students’ comfort and confidence, which could positively impact their future interactions with fearful patients.
Copyright (c) 2025 F Dhansay, K Mtshali, W Rossouw, J Strydom, A Sampson, L Swanepoel, L Van Niekerk https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
From lecture halls to clinical corridors: Exploring student perspectives on the qualities and attributes of a health sciences educator
Background. Although the significance of the student-supervisor relationship in clinical education is well documented, there is a gap in understanding the specific qualities and attributes of educators that optimise the integration of theory and practice. Gathering insights from students on the role of educators can provide valuable guidance for enhancing the seamless integration of theoretical learning into practical clinical education, ultimately shaping the development of competent healthcare professionals. Objective. To explore the qualities and attributes of a health sciences educator from a student perspective. Methods. We conducted focus group interviews with 15 undergraduate optometry programme students. Data were assessed with content analysis using an inductive approach. Results. Students identified key qualities of lecturing staff that enhance theoretical grounding, such as the ability to provide practical examples. Additionally, students emphasised clinical educators’ positive and negative attributes as significant factors shaping the clinical learning environment. Insights from students led to recommendations aimed at improving the overall learning environment from their perspective. Conclusion. The findings of this study confirm the significant influence of the student-educator relationship on the learning experience, underscoring the importance of fostering a collaborative team dynamic within the integrative learning environment.
optometry education; clinical learning environment; theory-practice integration; qualitative research; health profession educator.
Copyright (c) 2025 E Kempen, M Labuschagne, M Jama https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Background. The landscape of human resources in healthcare is shaped by students’ career choices, and a greater understanding of the process of career choice can help to build a better match between students’ preferences and specialist demands. Objectives. To determine the preferred career paths of health professions students and the factors that influence their decisions in Qassim Province, Saudi Arabia. Methods. This was a cross-sectional study conducted at eight health sciences schools in Qassim. Results. The main factors that affected career choice were the availability of job vacancies in the career (64.6%), ambition regarding career development (53.9%), and working environment (34.7%). The favoured places in which health professions students hoped to work were government hospitals or health centres (84.9%) and military health services (37.6%). The main barriers that students thought could face them in their future careers were lack of training during their studies at the university (53.1%) and concerns about personal safety (23.6%). Conclusion. The study highlights the factors that influenced career choices among health professions students, including job availability, career development opportunities, working environment and salary. These findings provide valuable insights for policy-makers and healthcare institutions to address challenges such as lack of previous training and concerns about personal safety, and create a supportive environment in which healthcare professionals can thrive.
barriers, career, choice, factors, health, medical education, students
Copyright (c) 2025 S Alrebish https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Mentoring programme on research supervision to enhance nurse educators’ research supervision skills
Background. The major challenge that nurse educators encounter is to teach and supervise research without proper supervision skills. The absence of proper guidelines for research supervision of undergraduates’ research projects leads to confusion among research supervisors and students. Objectives. To explore the strategies to enhance research supervision skills among nurse educators to develop a mentoring programme for research supervision. The objectives of this study included: (i) identifying nurse educators’ strategies to enhance research supervision; and (ii) developing a mentoring programme on research supervision (MPRS) to enhance nurse educators’ research supervision skills. Methods. A qualitative, exploratory descriptive research design was used to allow the researchers to collect rich and detailed data that describe the participants’ realities in their own words. Data were collected through focus group discussions from 27 nurse educators who were selected purposively from four nursing campuses across two South African provinces. Computer-aided qualitative data analysis software (CAQDAS) (NVivo version 12) for thematic analysis was used to analyse data. Results. The study revealed that assistance in research supervision, elevating research supervisors’ knowledge in research, enhancing research supervisors’ interest, and understanding the role as a supervisor in research were the main findings of the study. The results were used to develop an MPRS, highlighting three main components: access, plan and mentorship in progress. Conclusion. The results revealed that providing assistance in research supervision through coaching could play a crucial role. An MPRS has been developed and will be piloted at a few institutions. The expected plan will involve targeted implementation, evaluation and refinement based on feedback from these initial sites, thereby ensuring that it meets the needs of nurse educators who supervise nursing research.
Copyright (c) 2025 X L Mhlongo, N Naaranjee https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
Exploring how nursing students and facilitators view learning in the clinical environment
Background. The complexity of modern healthcare demands that nursing students acquire a range of competencies to function within diverse clinical environments. While there are some studies on how students understand learning, there is less evidence on how they or facilitators understand their roles in this process. Objectives. To explore how nursing students and facilitators understand clinical learning and their respective roles therein. Methods. A qualitative methodology within an interpretivist paradigm was used. Convenience sampling was employed with nursing students (n=16), as well as their facilitators (n=4). Focus groups discussions and individual semi-structured interviews were conducted. Results. Four themes were identified, including the role of context; the relational dimension to learning; learning as a structured process; and the dual responsibility of learning. These themes are interrelated, and while students and facilitators shared some similar thoughts about their roles, other views were clearly different. Conclusion. The findings point to the development of curricula that encourage students to take an active role in their learning and offer some recommendations for faculty development initiatives to assist facilitators in improving learning experiences for students.
Copyright (c) 2025 E Archer, R Meyer https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
External factors affecting the efficacy of the Albertina Sisulu Executive Leadership Programme in Health Fellowship in South Africa: A 360° qualitative assessment
Background. In South Africa (SA), concerns have been expressed that the leadership is not ready for the implementation of National Health Insurance (NHI). The health minister has therefore advocated leadership development and training to equip leaders with the skills to perform optimally. The Albertina Sisulu Executive Leadership Programme in Health (ASELPH) Fellowship, a postgraduate qualification offered in SA, was developed for this purpose and was proven to improve the leadership skills of executive leaders. Objectives. To identify the various factors influencing the efficacy of the ASELPH Fellowship. Methods. A quasi-experimental study design was used to determine the factors affecting the ASELPH Fellowship. Data were collected from healthcare leaders (n=42) by means of a questionnaire before and after training. It included post-training and retrospective assessments from their assessors and their module daily assessments and reflective essays. Descriptive analysis and thematic content analysis were used for the qualitative reflections. The perceptions of participants, including students and assessors, regarding external barriers to implementing their newfound skills and competencies were assessed. Results. Participants found it difficult to implement their training owing to a lack of leadership skills and knowledge, shortage of human and financial resources, political pressure, poor governance and policy implementation. Despite these barriers, participants who attended the course were still able to improve their leadership skills and performance in the workplace. Conclusion. Leadership training and development programmes such as the ASELPH Fellowship bode well for the future implementation of public health because much-needed leadership skills are injected into the currently beleaguered public health system.
healtcare leadership, training, effectiveness
Copyright (c) 2025 S van der Berg-Cloete, C A Tosh, E Buch https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
IPECP - Are We Making a Difference in Africa?
Virtual interprofessional education for the African continent: AFRI-VIPE
This article details how multiple universities came together in 2019 during the Africa Interprofessional Education Network (AfrIPEN) conference in Nairobi, Kenya, to create an interprofessional, multi-continent, multi-university opportunity to give their students an asynchronous and synchronous virtual interprofessional experience through a programme known as VIPE (virtual interprofessional education). The programme, which was created after the conference, was entitled AFRI-VIPE (Africa virtual interprofessional education). From that conference, four AFRI-VIPE events have been implemented to date. Asynchronous material was created, and synchronous sessions were held that utilised problem-based learning to reinforce the Interprofessional Education Collaborative (IPEC) core competencies. Students’ competency attainment was assessed using the Interprofessional Collaborative Competencies Attainment Survey (ICCAS), and analysis of those data showed significant improvements across all six interprofessional subscales for students at both North American- and African-based institutions, as well as across professional groups. All data were kept anonymous. Challenges experienced during AFRI-VIPE included the difference in time zones, student attrition, connectivity and survey response rates. Through their participation in the VIPE model, students and facilitators from a variety of countries and professions appreciated the opportunity to learn with, from and about other students through exposure to authentic case studies.
Copyright (c) 2024 M Showstark, A C Wiss, D Joosten‐Hagye, E M Sappio, M Slusser, R Cavezza, N Nyathi, C N Nyoni, G C Filies, J Pattershall‐Geide, E Embry, E Zschaebitz, P Mcginnis, C Resnik, I An, F Delawala, H Pitout, L Schweickerdt, J Muller, L Africa, A Kholvadia, T Ntsekhe, L Tshotetsi, E Ricks, P Biernacki https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0
The use of postmortem exposure to improve the learning of anatomy and physiology in nursing students
Background. Anatomy and physiology are crucial subjects in medical and nursing education curricula. However, many students find these subjects challenging owing to their complexity. To bridge the gap between theory and practice, a study was conducted to explore the use of postmortem exposure (PME) as a visual teaching strategy to enhance students’ understanding of anatomy and physiology. Objective. To explore how PME influences the learning of anatomy and physiology among enrolled nursing students. Methods. The study adopted a qualitative methodology within an interpretivist paradigm. Data were generated through individual telephonic semi- structured interviews with the study participants. An inductive thematic analysis process was followed to identify themes in the data. Results. The findings suggest that enrolled nursing students have difficulty comprehending anatomy and physiology when practical sessions are lacking. PME was identified as a valuable teaching tool that enhances students’ knowledge acquisition and retention of these subjects. The findings suggest that PME influences various aspects of students’ learning, including their knowledge, skills, behaviour and emotions in clinical practice. Conclusion. The study concludes that PME helps enrolled nursing students to apply theoretical knowledge in clinical settings and has a positive impact on their learning of anatomy and physiology. Educators are encouraged to consider using PME as a teaching tool to improve their students’ understanding of anatomy and physiology.
Copyright (c) 2025 A N T Lucas, A M S Schmutz https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0