Learning experiences of students during integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) training

The aim of the study on which this article is based was to reflect on the learning experiences of students during integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) training in an undergraduate programme. IMCI is a set of guidelines that was established by the World Health Organisation (WHO) for cost-effective quality care for children younger than five to prevent diseases and death (WHO, 2004). Skilled primary healthcare workers are required to provide quality care at first contact with these children. The IMCI package was presented as an integral part of the second-year module that focuses on primary healthcare. In order to improve the quality of health services and refocus the health system on primary health-care (South Africa Department of Health, 2010), students have to demonstrate that they have achieved competence. According to Killen (2000:188), competence is a holistic term and focuses on knowledge, skills and values instead of competencies, which refer to specific capabilities. Primary health-care workers who act competently will integrate foundational IMCI knowledge with skills and values as well as with the ability to verify their decisions (Killen, 2000:188). Aqualitative, exploratory and descriptive research design was used to investigate the IMCI learning experiences. Such experiences are one of the indications whether training has been successful and how it can be improved (Suski, 2004:222). Data was collected by means of nominal-group technique (NGT) interviews with second-year nursing students of the training school who complied with the criteria for inclusion. NGT interviews were used effectively to evaluate clinical interaction, education and training.The findings reflected the different emotions experienced during teaching and learning as having been positive, negative or neutral. The consideration of negative emotions will assist with the improvement of IMCI teaching and learning, but all these findings can be useful for other higher-education institutions that present or plan to present IMCI training.