Background: The transition from case-based learning to problem-based learning can be challenging and may have negative effects on the academic, psychological, emotional, or social well-being of student nurses. As a result, this exposes student nurses to high failure rates, anxiety disorders, a loss of uniqueness, and fear of the unknown. However, student nurses employ different strategies aimed at overcoming challenges faced during this transition period. Methods: An exploratory, and descriptive research approach was used. A purposive non-probability sampling technique was used to select participants. Focus group discussions via Zoom video communication were used to collect data, which were analysed using Braun and Clarke’s six steps of thematic analysis. Results: The following three themes emerged: challenges regarding facilitation, challenges regarding assessment, and strategies to overcome challenges. Conclusions: The study established that student nurses are faced with different challenges during the transition from one teaching strategy to another. Student nurses suggested strategies that could be used to overcome these challenges. However, these strategies are not enough and therefore more needs to be done to support and empower student nurses.

There are scanty empirical and theoretical studies focusing specifically on the implementation models for the care of psychiatric nurses caring for children. Staff contribution in the process of putting clinically relevant actions into practice contributes to effective implementation, increased acceptance, and commitment. These practises can be used to improve mental health care services of children at different levels. The aim is to deepen an understanding of the perspective of care for children with mental health challenges. A qualitative, exploratory, and descriptive design was used to allow for innovative thoughts to restructure the practice of child psychiatric nursing and is based on the Practice-Orientated Theory of Dickoff. A positive focus on aspects that facilitate care for children with mental health problems is informed by the data collected. A suite of services that include practice environment, trainings, and practical assistance is feasible to support psychiatric nurses. This framework implies that psychiatric nurses need professional competence to understand the context of the environment. Psychiatric nurses need to move beyond engagement to demonstrate how they help children with psychiatric challenges and to enable the development of psychiatric nursing practice through international collaboration.

During their transition from basic to higher education, first-year undergraduate nursing students need to balance theoretical and clinical requirements, as well as their social life. A significant number of them struggle with this, due to a lack of coping mechanisms due to poor resilience. This study aimed to determine factors that influence resilience among first-year undergraduate nursing students at a South African university. A cross-sectional descriptive research design was followed, with stratified convenient sampling. Data were collected during August 2023 using an adapted self-administered online questionnaire. The reliability and validity of the adapted version was ensured in the context of this study. Principal component analysis and varimax rotation were used to analyse data. A total of 123 participants (47.2% from campus A and 52.8% from campus B) completed the questionnaire. The majority (88%) were females. This study showed that resilience can be dependent on various factors, such as lecturer support, parental support, academic achievement, peer and mentor support, optimism about the future, and self-determination. It is recommended that higher education institutions should consider incorporating the factors presented in this study as part of the broader orientation of first-year undergraduate nursing students when they first arrive at university.

Introduction: Psychiatric nurses have a specialized body of knowledge and skills in providing care to persons with mental health challenges. The literature provides scanty evidence on child psychiatric nursing practices. This paper explored the successes of psychiatric nurses in caring for children with mental health problems using appreciative inquiry (AI). Design: A qualitative exploratory and descriptive design was used to allow for new ideas that can fundamentally reshape the practice of child psychiatric nursing. Purposive sampling was used to select psychiatric nurses caring for children with mental health problems. Focus groups were used to generate data. Findings: The results indicate both positive and negative prospects for psychiatric nursing practice. The positive possibilities included commitment, passion and dedication of staff to the children. The negative aspects that need urgent attention include lack of specific, integrated child mental health within the mental health care services, shortage of resources and not-fit-for purpose infrastructure. Conclusion: Appreciative inquiry verified the commitment of psychiatric nurses in caring for children with mental health problems and the potential for dedicated child psychiatric institutions in realizing the needs of such children. The needs of children with mental health problems must be addressed through positive care in the health system.

There is currently a growing understanding of child mental health. However, with little attention and investment from decision-makers, the prevalence of child mental health challenges shows no signs of diminishing. Psychiatric nursing is a process in which the major knowledge and skills dealing with the interpersonal and intrapersonal dynamics of human beings are practised. These nurses have to cope with this demand in a scant clinical child psychiatric environment. An exploratory, descriptive, and contextual research design was used to postulate the coping mechanism of these nurses in a clinical child psychiatric environment. This study comprised psychiatric nurses, and data were collected through focused group interviews. The findings emphasised the importance of clinical support to enhance quality nursing care and adjustment related to the demands on psychiatric nurses to participate fully in the service. Conclusion: Child and mental health services ought to enable nurses to better deal with the service demands and quality of psychiatric health care. An increased understanding of child mental health challenges is needed so that nurses’ roles and functions in child psychiatric practice can be defined. Effective management and support ought to enable psychiatric nurses and health care teams to make decisions that support international development targets.

Transition from basic to higher education is regarded as a ‘juggle of many balls’ because students ought to balance between theoretical and clinical requirements, including social life. As a result, a significant number of undergraduate first-year nursing students succumb to these challenges due to lack of coping mechanisms emanating from poor resilience. As a result, the aim of this study was to determine the factors that influence resilience among undergraduate first-year nursing students at a South African university. A quantitative cross-sectional descriptive research design was followed. Data was collected using an adapted self-administered online questionnaire. Principal component analysis extraction method and Varimax rotation were used to analyse data. A total of 123 participants completed the questionnaire. The eigenvalues showed that the first factor explained 23.9% of the variance, the second factor 11.2%, a third factor 7.5% while the fourth factor explained 5.9% of the variance. The fifth until the eight factor had eigenvalues greater than 1 but less than 2. This study showed that resilience can be dependent on various factors such as lecture support, parental support, academic achievement, peer and mentor support, optimism about the future and being self-determined.