Perspectives on substance abuse among nursing students and educators in Eastern Cape, South Africa

Substance abuse in nursing raises ethical and legal concerns, with 10% - 20% of students affected. Research indicates these behaviours often continue into professional practice and need to be addressed.

To explore and describe the perceptions of nurse educators and student nurses regarding substance abuse and to make recommendations to address substance abuse at a public nursing college in the Eastern Cape.

A public nursing college education institution, comprising five main campuses and 18 sub-campuses in the Eastern Cape.

A qualitative, exploratory and descriptive design was used. Purposive sampling was used to select participants, and data were collected through three nurse educator focus groups and three student nurse focus groups. Nurse educator focus groups consisted of four participants each, and student focus groups consisted of six participants each. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Trustworthiness was established using Guba and Lincoln's criteria.

Three themes emerged: (1) Nurse educators and nursing students perceive substance abuse as a complex issue influenced by diverse personal and environmental factors, (2) Substance abuse impacts student nurses across three domains of their well-being and (3) The management of substance abuse within the education institution lacks comprehensive, structured and consistent strategies.

Substance use among nursing students is fundamentally a health and well-being issue that requires professional and structured interventions.

Describing the perceptions of nurse educators and nursing students led to a set of recommendations to address substance abuse among student nurses.