Factors contributing to absenteeism and their effects on student nurses at the Limpopo College of Nursing

Abstract

Background Absenteeism among student nurses is a serious issue for nursing schools worldwide. The literature describes various individual, faculty and socio-environmental reasons contributing to absenteeism among student nurses. In South Africa, the increased rate of absenteeism results in most nurses not completing their studies and consequently leading to a shortage of professional nurses in the country. The purpose of this study was to determine factors contributing to absenteeism and their effects on student nurses at the Limpopo College of Nursing. Method The study followed a quantitative approach, using cross-sectional descriptive design. Purposive sampling was used to select three nursing campuses. The systematic sampling method was used to select participants. The target population was student nurses from the three selected nursing campuses in the Limpopo Province. Slovin's formula was used to calculate the number of participants for this study which was 259. A self-administered questionnaire, pre-tested among students with similar characteristics with study participants, was used for data collection. Data was analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 24 to obtain descriptive and inferential statistics. An informed consent form was signed by those who voluntarily agreed to participate in the study. Confidentiality and anonymity were maintained throughout the study. Results The findings of the study were that more male students than female students were absent. The poor environment on campuses and peer group influence were seen as contributing factors to absenteeism, as well as drug use, interaction with peers, poor security around students’ residence, lecturers reading from the book during lectures without explanation, voluntary class attendance, lack of space in the department and the use of teaching strategies.