Management Influences in the Challenges of Nursing Ethics Education in Undergraduate Nursing Programmes in South Africa and Namibia

Abstract

This article describes the influence of management on the challenges of nursing ethics education in undergraduate nursing education programmes in South Africa and Namibia. A survey and face-to face interviews with experienced nursing ethics educators were conducted to identify the challenges in nursing ethics education where after the influences of management in the challenges in nursing ethics education were extracted from the larger study. Eight institutions in South Africa and one institution in Namibia participated in the study. Fourteen respondents completed the questionnaire while ten respondents availed themselves for the interview. The questionnaire data was analysed manually and the interview data was transcribed and analysed using Tesch’s method for qualitative analysis by identifying themes and sub themes. The control by regulatory authorities and nurse leaders with regard to regulatory directives is limiting the importance of nursing ethics education in educational programmes. Collaboration between Nursing Councils and educational institutions is not sufficient to address all the challenges in nursing ethics education. The theoretical and clinical teaching and learning environments are influences by a lack of a philosophical or theoretical approach within nursing schools. The management of workloads and the policies and rules regarding workload within institutions does not always support effective teaching-learning. Advancement policies do not consider the attainment of affective skills of students. Managers in nursing schools are often pressured by institutional managers to enrol high numbers of students without considering the influence of this decision on the quality of teaching-learning. The management of problem students is not always effective. Clinical teaching-learning is challenged by ineffective collaboration between clinical facilitators and educators while managers in clinical facilities condone unacceptable student behaviour, are poor role models and contribute to the establishment of a poor organizational culture in health care facilities. Nurse leaders and nurse managers in all sectors, (practice, regulatory, educational, political), should unite to the erosion of nursing values. Attention must be given to the identified challenges in the health care sectors of both Namibia and South Africa that are contributing to the loss of the caring nature of nursing.