The CSR is partnering with Health Sciences to explore the well-being of emergency nursing students. Prof. Tanya Heyns (University of Pretoria), Prof. Yvonne Botma (University of the Free State), Prof.Liesel Ebersöhn (University of Pretoria), Dr Champion Nyoni (University of the Free State), Prof.Shirley Mogale (University of Pretoria) and Ms Liz-Marié Basson form the core team for this research.
The purpose of the study is to understand the well-being of emergency nursing students during the COVID-19 pandemic. The context of this study includes the 34 registered nurses (males (n=5) and females (n=29)) enrolled for the Bachelor of Nursing Science (Education and Administration) programme at the Department of Nursing Science at the University of Pretoria. All the students are in the second year of the programme, specialising in emergency nursing care. On successful completion of the second year, the students will register with the South African Nursing Council for an additional qualification in Emergency Nursing Science.

Since the implementation of lockdown in South Africa, the lecturer uses an online platform to facilitate the theoretical component of the education programme and is unable to facilitate learning at the bedside or supervise the practice of advanced life support skills. As a response to the COVID-19 crises, all emergency nursing students are placed in the emergency department to support the frontline workers. However, due to this situation, these students may not be able to attain module outcomes related to the other clinical environments of the programme.

Also, clinical facilitators are overburdened and are unable to assist students. Implementing novel educational strategies may promote the well-being of emergency nursing students faced with social and psychological stressors experienced during the COVID-19 crisis. The theoretical assumption is that the educational strategies could assist emergency nursing students to buffer against increased vulnerability in their work and study lives. Participating in the educational strategies may enhance student capacity to decrease stress and burnout as well as to promote their well-being resulting in improved patient outcomes.