Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2025 Apr 11:30:2882.
doi: 10.4102/hsag.v30i0.2882. eCollection 2025.

Experiences of nurse educators regarding teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

Kebuseditswe S Gontse  1 , Gaotswake P Kovane  1 , Isaac O Mokgaola  1 , Seepaneng S Moloko-Phiri  1
Affiliations
Review

Experiences of nurse educators regarding teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic

Kebuseditswe S Gontse et al. Health SA. .

Abstract

Background: The abrupt start of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic impacted educational systems globally, including nursing education institutions (NEIs). Teaching and learning in academic institutions were disturbed because of strict legislation measures, like lockdowns, that were implemented to curb the spread of COVID-19. These measures affected the quality of teaching and academic attainment.

Aim: This study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of nurse educators regarding teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic at a NEI in the North West province (NWP). The study was conducted at a selected NEI, which comprises two campuses that are 178.1 km apart.

Method: A qualitative descriptive phenomenology approach was used. The nurse educators were purposively sampled, and 25 nurse educators participated in this study. Four focus group discussions (FGDs) were held to collect data through face-to-face semi-structured interviews. The data analysis followed Colaizzi's seven-stage process.

Results: Three themes emerged from data analysis: positive experiences and negative experiences regarding teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic, and strategies for overcoming the challenges experienced by nurse educators during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion: The study findings revealed that nurse educators experienced positive and negative challenges regarding teaching and learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. Furthermore, there is a need for NEIs to employ teaching and learning innovations, including the use of technology, to be able to divert to online teaching and learning during future pandemics where face-to-face teaching is halted.

Contribution: The study findings may provide valuable insights for policymakers in higher education institutions (HEIs) to develop policies that incorporate innovative teaching methods. These methods will be relevant for future pandemics that may disrupt traditional face-to-face teaching and learning. As an enhancement of existing teaching practices, innovative approaches have proven to be effective and contribute to more inclusive education. By adopting these methods, HEIs can better support the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4, which aims to ensure quality and equitable education for all.

Keywords: COVID-19; experiences; higher education institutions; nurse educator; nursing education institution.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no financial or personal relationships that may have inappropriately influenced them in writing this article.

References

    1. Abbasi, S., Ayoob, T., Malik, A. & Memon, S.I., 2020, ‘Perceptions of students regarding E-learning during Covid-19 at a private medical college’, Pakistan Journal of Medical Sciences 36(COVID19-S4), S57–S61. 10.12669/pjms.36.COVID19-S4.2766 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cheung, T., Fong, T.K. & Bressington, D., 2021, ‘COVID-19 under the SARS cloud: Mental health nursing during the pandemic in Hong Kong’, Journal of Psychiatric and Mental Health Nursing 28(2), 115–117. 10.1111/jpm.12639 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Cooper, S., Van Rooyen, H. & Wiysonge, C.S., 2021, ‘COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in South Africa: How can we maximize uptake of COVID-19 vaccines?’, Expert Review of Vaccines 20(8), 921–933. 10.1080/14760584.2021.1949291 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Creswell, J.W. & Poth, C.N., 2016, Qualitative inquiry and research design: Choosing among five approaches, 4th edn., SAGE Publications, Thousand Oaks, CA.
    1. Dzinamarira, T., Nachipo, B., Phiri, B. & Musuka, G., 2021, ‘COVID-19 vaccine roll-out in South Africa and Zimbabwe: Urgent need to address community preparedness, fears and hesitancy’, Vaccines 9(3), 250. 10.3390/vaccines9030250 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

LinkOut - more resources