Classroom to crisis: Exploring nursing students' preparedness for emergency unit placements in the Western Cape

Emergency nursing is complex, fast-paced, often unpredictable and focuses on the management of acute medical conditions or injured patients of all ages. It involves rapid assessment, prioritisation, timely interventions, resuscitation and stabilisation of the patient to reduce morbidity and mortality. This requires nurses to gain specific emergency care knowledge and skills.

The study investigated the experiences of student nurses in a Bachelor of Nursing programme regarding their theoretical and clinical preparation and readiness for placement in emergency units.

Qualitative, exploratory-descriptive methods were used. Thirty-four student nurses from a university in the Western Cape were purposively selected and participated in focus group discussions. Inductive thematic analysis was used.

Four themes and twelve categories were generated. The findings indicated that student nurses were inadequately prepared both theoretically and clinically for practice in emergency units. Several factors contributed to the planning and implementation challenges, leading to students' lack of preparedness.

Despite changes in the requirements of the South African Nursing Council for clinical placement of undergraduate students in emergency units, work integrated learning in these units would benefit graduate nurses intending to further their studies in critical and emergency care nursing. However, learning outcomes are required to ensure that student nurses have access to specific emergency care knowledge and clinical skills.Contribution: Highlights student nurses' need for orientation, clinical supervision and debriefing sessions by competent critical and emergency care nurses, and professional counselling when needed.