Background: Professional socialisation is significant in nursing as it involves immersing learners in the profession so that they adopt the ethical values and conduct of the profession. It is in the clinical learning areas where learners observe and practise those values. The objective of the review was to explore the factors that promote professional socialisation of learners in the clinical learning areas. The problem is the inadequate support for learner nurses in the clinical learning areas. The South African community has lost trust in nurses and that was even acknowledged in the national nursing summit in 2011.Objectives: To present a review of the factors that facilitate professional socialisation among undergraduate nursing learners.Method: A systematic review was conducted on literature from 2008 to 2018. The literature search focused on factors that facilitate professional socialisation of learner nurses. A search of databases was conducted in CINAHL, MEDLINE, Google Scholar and Science Direct. The search focused on literature on professional socialisation of learner nurses published from 2008 to 2018. The search resulted in 3035 articles which were further reduced to 13 after further synthesis. Critical appraisal skills programme was used to assess the quality of the studies.Results: Three main themes emerged. Learner factors, factors in the clinical learning areas and interpersonal factors were identified as the factors that facilitate professional socialisation of learners.Conclusion: Learners should have self-motivation and be supported and assisted to develop a positive professional identity. The clinical learning environment should have effective communication that fosters learning. Professional nurses should act as exemplary role models so that learners can emulate the conduct and practice. The review brought to light that the professional socialisation of learners is affected by the learner factors, clinical learning areas and personal factors.

Background: Integration of human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV and AIDS) services into primary healthcare (PHC) is a key public health approach to achieving universal access to antiretroviral therapy (ART). Despite the government’s efforts of integrating HIV services into PHC, an insufficient number of PHC staff and inadequate infrastructure are challenging when integrating HIV and AIDS services into PHC. This study explored the challenges of PHC nurses regarding the integration of HIV and AIDS services into PHC.Objectives: The aim of the study was to explore the challenges of PHC nurses regarding the integration of HIV and AIDS services into PHC.Method: An exploratory, descriptive and contextual qualitative research design utilising face-to-face semi-structured interviews was conducted with 12 PHC nurses from selected clinics and health centres in the Vhembe district of Limpopo province.Results: Two main themes emerged from data analysis which included challenges related to healthcare recipients and challenges related to healthcare providers.Conclusion: Clear policies on the integration of HIV and AIDS services into PHC should be available and should include strategies to promote HIV testing and counselling, adherence to ART and scheduled appointments, disclosure of HIV status as well as revising the human resource policy to reduce workload.

Background: The incidence of overweight is increasing amongst adolescents in many countries around the world. Healthy and unhealthy weight control practices are common amongst overweight and non-overweight adolescents.Aim: The aim of this study was to explore factors influencing weight control practices amongst adolescent girls. Setting: The study was conducted at selected secondary schools of Vhembe District of Limpopo Province, South Africa.Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was used. Nonprobability, purposive sampling was used to select adolescents who are practicing weight control. In-depth interviews were conducted with 30 participants. Data were analysed according to Tesch’s open-coding method.Results: This study revealed that adolescent girls are influenced by a variety of factors to control their weights. These included individual factors, such as body image dissatisfaction; family factors, caused by parental criticism about adolescent weight; and environmental factors, which contain peer group endorsement of dieting.Conclusion: Adolescents are exposed to many unhealthy weight control practices, as a way of controlling excess weight. So it is of importance for healthcare providers to make them aware of healthy practices.

Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) is a viral disease caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) which affects the immune system of human body. This study sought to explore how adolescents with perinatal HIV infection learn about their status as well as investigate their preferences about the disclosure process. A qualitative exploratory, descriptive, and contextual research design was used to explore the disclosure of an HIV-positive status among adolescents on antiretroviral therapy. Nonprobability purposive sampling was used to select the healthcare facilities, and adolescents were chosen using convenience sampling. In-depth individual interviews were used to collect data from the participants until data saturation was reached. Collected data were analysed using Tesch’s eight steps. The results of the study revealed that adolescents have been on ART (antiretroviral therapy) without the knowledge of their own status but taking ART. Delayed disclosure of an HIV-positive status to adolescents lead to adolescent not adhering to ART and wondering why they are on treatment while other adolescents are not. The study further revealed that parents and caregivers struggle to disclose an HIV-positive status of their children, leading them to lie about what the treatment is for, for example, that it is a treatment for cough.

Background: Effective communication between health care professionals, admitted patients, and their families is crucial to improving the health care outcomes and patient satisfaction. Hence, barriers to effective communication cause a lot of confusion, frustration, and misunderstanding. The study aimed to identify the perceived barriers to effective communication between patients, their families, and health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in public hospitals in Limpopo Province. The study was conducted in rural areas of Vhembe District, Limpopo Province. Methodology: A qualitative exploratory descriptive method was adopted to explore and describe the barriers of effective communication among patients, relatives, and health care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic in public hospitals in the Vhembe District. Eleven (11) participants were purposively selected. Unstructured in-depth individual interviews were used to collect data and analyzed using thematic analysis following Tesch’s eight steps. Results: The study findings revealed that there was ineffective communication by health care professionals. This was discussed under three themes that emerged: poor communication of diagnosis and prognosis and treatment outcomes; lack of accurate knowledge regarding the virus morphology, variant, and treatment protocols; and the inconsistencies in the dissemination of COVID-19 protocols. Conclusions: Full communication benefits both patients, relatives, and health care professionals as knowledge and understanding are enhanced through communication. Therefore, health care professionals should provide the patients and their relatives with full information about the disease and the visitation protocols to be followed. The study contribution was to explore barriers to effective communication to the patients and relatives by the health care professionals.

Background: Worldwide, type 1 diabetes mellitus disease is a devastating health condition for both the diagnosed children and caregivers taking care of them. These challenges were drastically affecting caregivers in rendering the required homecare service for their patients. Caring for a child with diabetes mellitus often hurts the caregivers and other family members. Aim: This study aimed to explore the challenges experienced by caregivers during the provision of care to type 1 diabetic children. Setting: The study was conducted in selected health facility of Vhembe District, South Africa. Methods: A qualitative design that was both descriptive and exploratory was used. Non-probability purposive sampling was used to select the caregivers who were taking care of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus at their homes. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 participants from the Vhembe district of Limpopo province. Results: Caregivers experienced various challenges related to re-admission, poor understanding of medication, low level of literacy, committed mistakes, poor adherence, and fear of giving an injection. Conclusion: It is imperative to educate the caregivers on the care of children with type 1 diabetes mellitus for them to be competent and knowledgeable in assisting their diabetic children at home.