Effect of increased student enrolment for a Bachelor of Nursing programme on health care service delivery : part 1 : contemporary issues in nursing

The shortage of nurses in the Western Cape province in South Africa has led to increased student enrolment for the Bachelor of Nursing programme at the University of the Western Cape (UWC) since 2004. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive study was conducted between 2010 and 2012 to determine the effect of the increased nursing student enrolment on health care service delivery in the Western Cape. Nine nurse managers from public health facilities in the region participated in in-depth individual interviews and one focus group discussion was conducted with six clinical supervisors who accompanied the students in the clinical facilities. The study found both direct and indirect adverse effects on service delivery. The changing learning environment, competition for learning opportunities and limitations in terms of clinical support posed challenges for professional nurses to perform their multifaceted role which includes clinical teaching and mentoring, and affected service delivery. Therefore, careful planning of students' learning experiences in both theory and practice is imperative to ensure that teaching and learning and service delivery are not negatively affected.