Community-based curriculum in psychiatric nursing science

• Published in: Curationis (Pretoria) Vol. 23; no. 2; pp. 15 - 24
• Main Authors: Arunachallam, S, Botes, A C, Gmeiner, A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: South Africa AOSIS 01-06-2000
• Subjects: Attitude of Health Personnel; Community Health Nursing - education; Curriculum - standards; Faculty, Nursing; Focus Groups; Guidelines as Topic - standards; Humans; Job Description; Models, Educational; Models, Nursing; Needs Assessment; Nurse's Role; Nursing Education Research; Nursing Methodology Research; Psychiatric Nursing - education; South Africa; Surveys and Questionnaires; South Africa
• ISSN: 0379-8577; 2223-6279
• DOI: 10.4102/curationis.v23i2.628

As community-based health care delivery is now a prominent feature of the health care system in South Africa, nursing curricula are being challenged to prepare student nurses for community-based nursing roles and responsibilities. The purpose of this study was to describe guidelines for a community-based curriculum in psychiatric nursing science for a nursing college in KwaZulu-Natal. A qualitative, quantitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual design was employed. To reach the purpose of the study, a situational analysis was done in three phases to identify the principles for a community-based curriculum for psychiatric nursing science.
A document analysis of relevant government policies and legislation.
Statistics from psychiatric hospitals and community psychiatric clinics.
Focus group interviews with nurse educators and literature control and conceptual framework. The principles obtained from the three phases were used to formulate the guidelines for a community-based curriculum in psychiatric nursing science. (PHASE IV): Eight guidelines with practical implications are described for the implementation of a Community-based curriculum in Psychiatric Nursing Science.