Curationis provides a forum for cutting-edge theories and research models related to the exploration of issues experienced and the best practices of nurses and midwives so as to improve nursing education, nursing administration and community nursing within Africa.

Malnutrition is a global concern and it impacts negatively on mortality, morbidity, educability and productivity. Millions of children in South Africa are affected. This study examines the key factors associated with malnutrition among children aged six months to five years in a semi-rural area of the Western Cape, South Africa. A quantitative research approach was employed by using a descriptive and exploratory design. All parents and caregivers who accompanied the children (under the age of five years old), visiting the clinic, were given an opportunity to participate in the study on a voluntary basis. A self-administered questionnaire was distributed to parents and caregivers (n=100) for data collection. SPSS statistical software (V24) was used to analyse the data. The results indicated that the factors were grouped and the Cronbach’s alpha coefficient was determined as greater than 0.7. The results revealed that these factors included obesity (26%), underweight (51%), stunting (14%), severe acute (4%) and moderate acute (5%) malnutrition. The results also revealed that the majority of households were single mothers with low income (51% have a monthly income of between R2 000 and R5 000, and 30% of families who earn a monthly salary of less than R2 000) and a poor educational background. This study concluded that more male children were diagnosed with malnutrition than females. The employment status of the mothers also affects the nutritional status of the child. More children from unemployed mothers and a few children from self-employed mothers had moderate acute malnutrition compared to employed mothers who had no children suffering from malnutrition.

Aim: This study aimed to explore and gain insight into the perceptions and expectations of family members of terminally ill patients pertaining to the use of syringe drivers. Background: There is a lack of research regarding the use of syringe drivers in Africa and, more specifically, South Africa. However, syringe drivers have been in use for around two decades in some South African settings. Some family members’ ambivalence about the use of syringe drivers and the lack of research prompted this study. Method: A qualitative exploratory research design was used. Data was collected using semi-structured interviews, diaries, observation, and documentation. Thematic analysis and coding were used to analyse the data. Results: Four main themes were identified: the rationale for the need for the syringe driver, positive perceptions pertaining to the use of the syringe driver, negative perceptions, and concerns/anxieties. The study also highlighted the challenges of drug addiction in some households when caring for terminally ill patients. Conclusion: The need for more continuous education and written information and support for immediate and extended family members was evident.

There are many challenges that young people at HEIs face, especially when confronted with issues of sexuality and HIV/AIDS. HEIs are in a powerful position to fight the pandemic by using various educational strategies to inform students about the disease. The purpose of this research was to explore peer educators’ experience of peer education training at a HEI. A qualitative descriptive design was employed. Focus group interviews were used to collect data, and the data was analysed using thematic content analysis with coding. Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) provided a theoretical framework for the study, enabling issues of agency and structure, credibility and role-modeling to be addressed. It was found that peer educators wanted more input into decision-making within the process.