Abstract
BACKGROUND: Student nurse absenteeism has become a significant challenge when allocated in clinical areas in public and private nursing higher education institutions worldwide. This study aimed to explore registered nurses' recommendations for interventions to address student nurse absenteeism in clinical settings in South Africa and to share their recommended strategies to mitigate this issue. METHODS: Employing an exploratory, descriptive, and contextual approach within a qualitative framework, the study engaged eleven volunteer registered nurses who were purposively selected. The study was conducted in three specialized mental health hospitals during the participants' lunchtime. A pre-test of the instrument was done on two participants. Those participants and the pre-test results were not included in the main study. In-depth, individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with consented participants. Data were analyzed using Tesch's eight-step thematic analysis method. Rigorous measures were implemented to ensure the trustworthiness of the findings and adherence to ethical principles. RESULTS: The analysis revealed one overarching theme: interventions to reduce student nurse absenteeism, which was further divided into four sub-themes: intensive clinical orientation for students, clear articulation of clinical objectives for students, re-fining student selection criteria, and addressing transportation challenges faced by students. CONCLUSIONS: The findings highlighted that providing comprehensive orientation for student nurses, particularly in the clinical areas, could significantly tackle student nurses' absenteeism. Based on these recommendations, it is advisable to conduct further mixed-methods approaches should be conducted to assess the long-term impact of interventions to mitigate the absenteeism of student nurses in mental health institutions. CLINICAL TRIAL NUMBER: Not applicable.