Background: Absenteeism among university and college students is a global challenge. Not only does absenteeism result in inadequate learning, but it also disrupts the way in which classes are conducted. Objective: The study sought to explore and understand the reasons for absenteeism from the perspectives of the nursing students in the context of a South African University. Methods: The study used an explorative qualitative design to conduct four focus group discussions with undergraduate nursing students. Tesch’s method of data analysis was followed. Results: One theme and four sub-themes emerged, such as the negative attitudes of lecturers, poor guidance and lack of prompt feedback from lecturers, lack of commitment from lecturers and classes starting late, and inability of the students to cope with the workload. Conclusion: The study revealed that the main reasons for the students’ absenteeism from scheduled learning experiences were related to the lecturers’ behaviour and practices. The poor lecturer-student relationship discouraged the students from attending classes.

Background: Sexual violence is a persisting global epidemic that is constantly increasing on a large scale. The rate of sexual violence in South Africa is one of the highest in the world; and it has been reported to appear socially normalised and acceptable.Objectives: The study aimed to explore and describe the experiences of healthcare staff working in forensic care centres (FCCs) in Tshwane, South Africa.Method: A qualitative approach was followed incorporating focus group interviews with a range of healthcare staff based in the two FCCs. Non-probability purposive sampling was done. Data analysis was informed by the Analytic Hierarchy Model which comprised of three steps: data management, descriptive accounts and developing explanatory accounts.Results: Three main themes emerged as, (1) help them to do away with the idea of self-blame: everyday work; (2) barriers to the accessibility of care: seeking alternative traditional remedies (muti) from traditional healers and working in an unconducive environment and (3) compassionately sick at times: Emotional impact of forensic care work.Conclusion: The findings revealed that the healthcare staff are often working in difficult circumstances and that both professional and societal factors mediate against the provision of care and support for survivors. Greater attention is needed both in terms of service development and wider challenges to pervading societal norms surrounding violence against women.Contribution: The study highlighted the need for training, improved management support and debriefing sessions.

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The emergence of the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) required the sudden closing of educational institutions to save lives. Universities had to adopt and adapt to new teaching strategies to ensure that no learner was left behind. The purpose of this study is to describe the challenges experienced by university lecturers teaching health courses in adopting online teaching strategies. The objective of the study is to explore challenges experienced by university health course lecturers in a university from South Africa in managing online teaching platforms and the strategies employed by them to enhance online teaching. The study adopted a qualitative interpretative phenomenological approach engaging six purposefully sampled lecturers teaching health courses in a historically disadvantaged university in South Africa. Data were obtained through online methods such as blackboard meetings, in addition to face-to-face and telephone interviews. Preliminary findings revealed both positive and negative experiences in offering health courses online. Positive experiences included flexible time management, fuel-saving, and multi-tasking. Negative experiences included challenges such as lack of experience in designing online content, lack of knowledge to create a conducive teaching environment, students’ incapacity to engage in learning tools, poor lecturer-student interaction, and difficulty integrating theory into practice. So far, it has been concluded that a sudden shift to online teaching needs to consider the skill-level of lecturers, learners, and the courses offered. A one size fits all approach may not be an option.