Background Nurse managers are leaders in mining primary healthcare. Their leadership roles include inspiring and empowering operational managers and nursing personnel, by leading with competence developing them to become followers with insight and direction. However, these leadership roles are not clearly defined, and are negatively influenced by the traditional mining leadership style. Objectives The aim of this study was to explore and describe the nurse managers’ experiences of their leadership roles in a specific mining primary healthcare service on the West Rand, to develop recommendations to enhance these roles. Method A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was used in this study, following a phenomenological approach as a research method. A non-probability purposive sampling method was used. Nurse managers described experiences of their leadership roles during individual phenomenological interviews. Data saturation was reached on participant number 7. To analyse data, four stages of Giorgi’s descriptive phenomenological data analysis was used. An independent coder coded the data and a consensus meeting was held. The study was guided by the theoretical framework of Winkler’s role theory. Results The following subthemes emanated from data analysis: (1) leadership role ambiguity, (2) leadership roles experienced and (3) challenges experienced in leadership roles. Conclusion This study revealed that the leadership roles for nurse managers in a specific mining primary healthcare service are not clearly defined. Hence enhancements and expansions of these leadership roles remained stagnant. A clearly defined policy on leadership roles for nurse managers should be developed.

Background: The challenges in leadership roles hinder the rendering of quality primary healthcare service in the mines. Mining, the heart of the South African economy, requires good health to its personnel to carry out operations. However, nurse managers, the leaders in a mining primary healthcare setting experience difficulties in their leadership roles.Objectives: The aim of this study was to explore and describe the challenges in leadership roles experienced by nurse managers in a mining primary healthcare setting in South Africa.Method: The study was conducted in a mining primary healthcare setting in West Rand, Gauteng province, South Africa. A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive design that is contextual in nature, using a phenomenological approach, was adopted. Data from nurse managers in the mine were collected and data saturation was reached by the seventh participant. The study followed Giorgi’s four stages of the phenomenological descriptive data analysis. An expert independent coder in qualitative research coded the data, and consensus on the findings was reached with the researcher.Results: Three subthemes emerged from the study: mining management and unions interfere with nurse managers’ leadership roles, incongruent mining primary healthcare policies and communication gap between nurse managers and mining management.Conclusion: The triangulation of nurse managers, mining management and unions requires a collective fusion to directly tackle the challenges in leadership roles in mining primary healthcare.

Background: Nurse managers carry the light of leadership in mining primary healthcare settings (mPHCs). They must ensure that this light shines for their followers to improve the quality of service rendered in primary healthcare. However, the nurse managers in mPHCs are confusing their leadership roles with management roles. The existing policies such as operational management of mPHCs are also not clarifying the leadership roles of nurse managers.Aim: The purpose of this study was to understand the nurse managers’ leadership roles in mPHCs.Setting: This study was conducted in mPHCs, situated in Gauteng province, in the West Rand in 2017.Methods: A qualitative, exploratory, descriptive and contextual research design was employed in this study. The participants were selected using a non-probability purposive sampling method. Ten participants formed part of the study. To collect data, individual in-depth interviews were conducted. Giorgi’s descriptive thematic data analysis was used to analyse data. Measures to ensure trustworthiness and ethical principles were adhered to.Results: Three themes emanated: confusion of leadership roles with management roles, confusion of leadership roles with clinical roles and confusion of leadership roles with resources management roles.Conclusion: The importance of describing nurse managers’ leadership roles surfaced from this study to eradicate confusion.Contribution: The nurse managers in mPHCs are now understanding their leadership roles, and that leadership roles, management roles, clinical roles and resources management roles are distinguishable.

Background Self‐care is essential, but while professional nurses often pay attention to the health of their patients, they give little heed to their own well‐being. With the current pandemic continuing to negatively affect the world, the need for health professionals to make time for self‐care is imperative. The concept “self‐care” is not a new phenomenon; however, this study strives to show the importance of self‐care practices in the world of nurses and its benefit for the nursing profession. The reality for nurses taking care of themselves will assist them in providing consistent quality care for their patients. Method A qualitative approach with a descriptive, phenomenological, contextual method was used in this study. Ten professional nurses employed within different primary healthcare clinics were selected through purposeful sampling. Through in‐depth, individual interviews, the professional nurses shared their lived experiences with self‐care practices while being employed within a primary healthcare clinic. The recorded interviews were transcribed verbatim and then analyzed using Colaizzi's method. Results The findings revealed: Theme 1: Participants experienced internal and external factors that compromised self‐care practices Theme 2: Holistic well‐being and the quality of patient care are compromised by self‐care neglect Theme 3: Participants experienced the need to take responsibility and accountability to promote self‐care practices. Recommendations Specific recommendations were formulated to facilitate professional nurses' empowerment to practise self‐care as a lifestyle. These specific recommendations focused on reducing the burden of caring for others to the extent that professional nurses working in primary healthcare settings have nothing left for themselves.

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