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Background: Caring for mental healthcare users (MHCUs) with a comorbid disorder of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and schizophrenia has always been challenging and requires expertise, skill, intuition and empathy. Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of psychiatric nurses caring for MHCUs with a comorbid disorder of HIV and schizophrenia. Method: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used. Eight participants were selected through purposive sampling for individual in-depth interviews to collect data. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data. Results: Three themes emerged from this study. The first theme is that the psychiatric nurses experienced deep frustration because they were capable but unable to manage MHCUs with HIV and schizophrenia because of poor infrastructure and other contributing barriers. The second theme identified that the psychiatric nurses experienced discrimination against MHCUs compromising their holistic recovery. Lastly, the psychiatric nurses identified the need for health care workers in general hospitals and communities and families of MHCUs with a comorbid disorder to be educated in mental health issues to ensure continuous medical care. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that psychiatric nurses became exhausted when trying to cope with difficult nursing situations. The challenges they faced had negative consequences for the mental health of the psychiatric nurses and compromised patient care. Contribution: This study adds knowledge to nursing practice, nursing education and nursing research by implementing recommendations to mitigate the challenges of psychiatric nurses caring for MHCUs with HIV and schizophrenia.

Background: Mothers are regarded as primary care givers. The experience of having a child with congenital abnormality may have an impact on their psychological well-being. It was observed that the psychological well-being of mothers is often unattended by health professionals, including nurses and their families. Mothers make adjustments in their daily lives to ensure the child’s activities of daily living are attended. Therefore, this raises the need for the experience of mothers who have children with congenital abnormalities in the Gert Sibande district to be explored. Gert Sibande was chosen because it has been observed that several mothers who visit the clinic and outpatient department have children with congenital abnormalities. Objectives: The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of mothers who have children with congenital abnormalities. Method: A phenomenological study was conducted. Purposive sampling of 12 participants was done. The study used adjusted ecological model of health for guidance. Data gathering was done by self-report using unstructured face-to-face interviews until data saturation was reached. Results: Five themes emerged from the study, which include ‘being hurt emotionally’, ‘sense of guilt’, ‘acceptance’, ‘support from family’ and ‘community reaction to the congenital abnormality’. The findings show that mothers were affected by having children with congenital abnormalities. Conclusion: The study revealed that mothers of children with congenital abnormalities experienced devastation, denial, guilt and lack of acceptance of their child’s condition. The study indicates that mothers require support from health care professionals, family and the community.

Background: Whilst the number of students who choose to enrol at institutions of higher education continues to increase, class size remains a challenge. Therefore, institutions of higher education should continuously explore the challenges experienced by students regarding learning in large classes and devise strategies to address such challenges. The experiences of nursing students regarding learning in large classes and its effects on teaching and learning at the University of Namibia (UNAM) and in Namibia are not extensively researched. Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of nursing students regarding learning in large classes and its effects on teaching and learning at the UNAM. Methods: A qualitative explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was employed. Data collection was conducted using semi-structured interviews to ascertain the experiences of nursing students regarding learning in large classes and its effects on teaching and learning at the UNAM. Fifteen undergraduate nursing students from the Rundu campus participated in the study using a purposive sampling technique. Results: The analysis of data led to the emergence of the following themes namely: negative learning experiences, positive learning experiences and mechanisms for improvement. The findings had a negative effect on participants’ learning outcomes. Conclusion: Findings from this study indicated that participants were dissatisfied with the size of their classes as the learning environment was not conducive for teaching and learning.

Background: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 25% of people worldwide will develop mental health disorders during their lifetime. Patients admitted to acute inpatient units for mood disorders experience emotional distress. Group therapy has the potential to foster the therapeutic change through specific therapeutic mechanisms. Psychiatric nurses working in inpatient units are in a unique position to offer group therapy. Objectives: Explore and describe stabilised acute psychiatric patients with mood disorders’ lived experiences of group therapy facilitated by psychiatric nurses. Make specific recommendations for psychiatric nurses to facilitate constructive group therapy for stabilised acute psychiatric patients with mood disorders in an inpatient unit. Method: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was used in the study. A purposive sample of all patients with mood disorders older than 18 years admitted to inpatient units who participated in group therapy was made. Data were collected through conducting phenomenological interviews, observation and field notes. Interviews focussed on the following open question: ‘How did you experience group therapy facilitated by the psychiatric nurses?’ An independent coder analysed the data by using thematic coding. Measures to ensure trustworthiness were applied. The following four ethical principles were adhered to: autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence and justice. Results: Three themes emerged from this study. Theme 1 entailed the psychological experiences of patients attending group therapy. Theme 2 highlighted the interpersonal experiences of patients. Theme 3 evolved around patients’ experiences outside group therapy. Patients initially experienced attending group therapy as anxiety provoking. However, negative psychological experiences soon transformed into positive psychological experiences. Conclusion: The findings of this study were used to make specific recommendations to facilitate constructive group therapy for patients with mood disorders.

Background: A partner with mental illness can be challenging in a couple’s relationship. Mental illness brings about disintegration in the relationship because the partner without mental illness takes on more responsibilities than before. The partner without mental illness can be subjected to multiple risks, including stress and burden of care. The lived experiences of couples in a relationship where one partner is diagnosed with a mental illness is an under-researched area of mental health. Objectives: To explore and describe the lived experiences of couples in a relationship where one partner is diagnosed with a mental illness. Method: A qualitative, descriptive, exploratory and contextual research design was utilised. A purposive sampling method was used to sample participants for this study. Five couples, where one partner was diagnosed with a mental illness, participated in the study. Ten in-depth, individual, phenomenological interviews were conducted to provide rich descriptions of the couples’ experiences. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. An independent coder assisted with the data analysis. A consensus discussion was held between the independent coder and the interviewing researcher to agree on the identified themes. Results: Four themes with categories emerged from the data analysis: couples experienced changed social roles in their relationship, emotional upheaval was experienced by the individual partners in the couple relationship, interpersonal distance was experienced in the couple’s relationship and a changed relationship with the self was experienced by the individual partners in the couple relationship. Conclusion: The results concluded that couples experienced that the presence of mental illness in their relationship adversely affects the relationship, thus emphasising the need to empower the couples dealing with challenges of being in a relationship where one partner is diagnosed with a mental illness.

Background: Many of the 15 million premature babies born worldwide every year survive because of advanced medical interventions. Their parents have intense experiences when their babies are in the intensive care unit (ICU), and these have an impact on their thoughts, feelings and relationships, including their relationships with their premature babies. Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of parents of premature babies in an ICU. Method: Research design was qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual. A purposive sample of parents with premature babies in an ICU in a private hospital in Johannesburg Gauteng in South Africa was used. Eight parents, four mothers and four fathers, married and either Afrikaans or English-speaking, were included in the study. Data were collected by conducting in-depth phenomenological interviews with them and making use of field notes. Trustworthiness was ensured by implementing the strategies of credibility, transferability, dependability and confirmability. Ethical principles such as autonomy, beneficence, nonmaleficence and justice were adhered to throughout the research process. Results: Thematic analyses were utilised to analyse the data. Two themes in the experiences of parents with premature babies in ICU became apparent. Parents experienced thoughts, emotions and hope while their premature babies were in the ICU as well as challenges in their relationships and these challenges influenced their experiences. Recommendations: Mindfulness of intensive care nurses should be facilitated so that intensive care nurses can promote the mental health of parents with premature babies in the ICU. Conclusion: Parents with premature babies in the ICU have thoughts and emotional experiences which include hope and they affect parents’ relationships.

Background: Community involvement is one of the crucial principles in the implementation of successful community-based education programmes. However, a gap continues to exist between the rhetoric of this principle and the reality of involving or engaging communities in the education of health professionals. Objectives: This study investigated the experiences of a community regarding its involvement in a community-based education programme offered by a university nursing school in Durban, South Africa. Methods: An interpretive existentialist-phenomenological design was employed for its richness in extracting human experiences. Individual interviews were held with school teachers and coordinators from non-government organisations, whilst focus groups were used for school children and community health workers. Although focus group discussions are not well suited for phenomenological studies, they can promote active participation and reduce possible intimidation by providing support through group interaction. Analysis of data was guided by Schweitzer’s model for analysing phenomenological data. Results: Themes that emerged from the data include: (1) Community experience of unmet expectations; (2) Benefits to the community from its involvement in the University Nursing School community-based education programme; (3) Existing partnership between the community and the university; (4) Sharing in the case-based learning activities; (5) Awareness of available services, human rights and self-reliance. Conclusion: The researched community indeed benefited in its participation in the University Nursing School (UNS) CBE programme. However, there is a need to improve the communication between partners to make the partnership more sustainable through close relationships and interaction. There is also a need for further research on related aspects of the community’s involvement.

Background: Community involvement is one of the crucial principles in the implementation of successful community-based education programmes. However, a gap continues to exist between the rhetoric of this principle and the reality of involving or engaging communities in the education of health professionals. Objectives: This study investigated the experiences of a community regarding its involvement in a community-based education programme offered by a university nursing school in Durban, South Africa. Methods: An interpretive existentialist-phenomenological design was employed for its richness in extracting human experiences. Individual interviews were held with school teachers and coordinators from non-government organisations, whilst focus groups were used for school children and community health workers. Although focus group discussions are not well suited for phenomenological studies, they can promote active participation and reduce possible intimidation by providing support through group interaction. Analysis of data was guided by Schweitzer’s model for analysing phenomenological data. Results: Themes that emerged from the data include: (1) Community experience of unmet expectations; (2) Benefits to the community from its involvement in the University Nursing School community-based education programme; (3) Existing partnership between the community and the university; (4) Sharing in the case-based learning activities; (5) Awareness of available services, human rights and self-reliance. Conclusion: The researched community indeed benefited in its participation in the University Nursing School (UNS) CBE programme. However, there is a need to improve the communication between partners to make the partnership more sustainable through close relationships and interaction. There is also a need for further research on related aspects of the community’s involvement.

Background:  Caring for mental healthcare users (MHCUs) with a comorbid disorder of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and schizophrenia has always been challenging and requires expertise, skill, intuition and empathy., Objectives:  The objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of psychiatric nurses caring for MHCUs with a comorbid disorder of HIV and schizophrenia., Method:  A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used. Eight participants were selected through purposive sampling for individual in-depth interviews to collect data. Thematic analysis was used to analyse data., Results:  Three themes emerged from this study. The first theme is that the psychiatric nurses experienced deep frustration because they were capable but unable to manage MHCUs with HIV and schizophrenia because of poor infrastructure and other contributing barriers. The second theme identified that the psychiatric nurses experienced discrimination against MHCUs compromising their holistic recovery. Lastly, the psychiatric nurses identified the need for health care workers in general hospitals and communities and families of MHCUs with a comorbid disorder to be educated in mental health issues to ensure continuous medical care., Conclusion:  The results of this study showed that psychiatric nurses became exhausted when trying to cope with difficult nursing situations. The challenges they faced had negative consequences for the mental health of the psychiatric nurses and compromised patient care.Contribution: This study adds knowledge to nursing practice, nursing education and nursing research by implementing recommendations to mitigate the challenges of psychiatric nurses caring for MHCUs with HIV and schizophrenia.

Background:  Mothers are regarded as primary care givers. The experience of having a child with congenital abnormality may have an impact on their psychological well-being. It was observed that the psychological well-being of mothers is often unattended by health professionals, including nurses and their families. Mothers make adjustments in their daily lives to ensure the child's activities of daily living are attended. Therefore, this raises the need for the experience of mothers who have children with congenital abnormalities in the Gert Sibande district to be explored. Gert Sibande was chosen because it has been observed that several mothers who visit the clinic and outpatient department have children with congenital abnormalities., Objectives:  The purpose of this study was to explore and describe the lived experiences of mothers who have children with congenital abnormalities., Method:  A phenomenological study was conducted. Purposive sampling of 12 participants was done. The study used adjusted ecological model of health for guidance. Data gathering was done by self-report using unstructured face-to-face interviews until data saturation was reached., Results:  Five themes emerged from the study, which include 'being hurt emotionally', 'sense of guilt', 'acceptance', 'support from family' and 'community reaction to the congenital abnormality'. The findings show that mothers were affected by having children with congenital abnormalities., Conclusion:  The study revealed that mothers of children with congenital abnormalities experienced devastation, denial, guilt and lack of acceptance of their child's condition. The study indicates that mothers require support from health care professionals, family and the community.

Background: Whilst the number of students who choose to enrol at institutions of higher education continues to increase, class size remains a challenge. Therefore, institutions of higher education should continuously explore the challenges experienced by students regarding learning in large classes and devise strategies to address such challenges. The experiences of nursing students regarding learning in large classes and its effects on teaching and learning at the University of Namibia (UNAM) and in Namibia are not extensively researched., Objectives: The objective of this study was to explore and describe the experiences of nursing students regarding learning in large classes and its effects on teaching and learning at the UNAM., Methods: A qualitative explorative, descriptive and contextual research design was employed. Data collection was conducted using semi-structured interviews to ascertain the experiences of nursing students regarding learning in large classes and its effects on teaching and learning at the UNAM. Fifteen undergraduate nursing students from the Rundu campus participated in the study using a purposive sampling technique., Results: The analysis of data led to the emergence of the following themes namely: negative learning experiences, positive learning experiences and mechanisms for improvement. The findings had a negative effect on participants' learning outcomes., Conclusion: Findings from this study indicated that participants were dissatisfied with the size of their classes as the learning environment was not conducive for teaching and learning.

Background: According to the World Health Organization (WHO), up to 25% of people worldwide will develop mental health disorders during their lifetime. Patients admitted to acute inpatient units for mood disorders experience emotional distress. Group therapy has the potential to foster the therapeutic change through specific therapeutic mechanisms. Psychiatric nurses working in inpatient units are in a unique position to offer group therapy., Objectives: Explore and describe stabilised acute psychiatric patients with mood disorders' lived experiences of group therapy facilitated by psychiatric nurses. Make specific recommendations for psychiatric nurses to facilitate constructive group therapy for stabilised acute psychiatric patients with mood disorders in an inpatient unit., Method: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was used in the study. A purposive sample of all patients with mood disorders older than 18 years admitted to inpatient units who participated in group therapy was made. Data were collected through conducting phenomenological interviews, observation and field notes. Interviews focussed on the following open question: 'How did you experience group therapy facilitated by the psychiatric nurses?' An independent coder analysed the data by using thematic coding. Measures to ensure trustworthiness were applied. The following four ethical principles were adhered to: autonomy, non-maleficence, beneficence and justice., Results: Three themes emerged from this study. Theme 1 entailed the psychological experiences of patients attending group therapy. Theme 2 highlighted the interpersonal experiences of patients. Theme 3 evolved around patients' experiences outside group therapy. Patients initially experienced attending group therapy as anxiety provoking. However, negative psychological experiences soon transformed into positive psychological experiences., Conclusion: The findings of this study were used to make specific recommendations to facilitate constructive group therapy for patients with mood disorders.

Background: A partner with mental illness can be challenging in a couple's relationship. Mental illness brings about disintegration in the relationship because the partner without mental illness takes on more responsibilities than before. The partner without mental illness can be subjected to multiple risks, including stress and burden of care. The lived experiences of couples in a relationship where one partner is diagnosed with a mental illness is an under-researched area of mental health., Objectives: To explore and describe the lived experiences of couples in a relationship where one partner is diagnosed with a mental illness., Method: A qualitative, descriptive, exploratory and contextual research design was utilised. A purposive sampling method was used to sample participants for this study. Five couples, where one partner was diagnosed with a mental illness, participated in the study. Ten in-depth, individual, phenomenological interviews were conducted to provide rich descriptions of the couples' experiences. Data were analysed using thematic analysis. An independent coder assisted with the data analysis. A consensus discussion was held between the independent coder and the interviewing researcher to agree on the identified themes., Results: Four themes with categories emerged from the data analysis: couples experienced changed social roles in their relationship, emotional upheaval was experienced by the individual partners in the couple relationship, interpersonal distance was experienced in the couple's relationship and a changed relationship with the self was experienced by the individual partners in the couple relationship., Conclusion: The results concluded that couples experienced that the presence of mental illness in their relationship adversely affects the relationship, thus emphasising the need to empower the couples dealing with challenges of being in a relationship where one partner is diagnosed with a mental illness.