This article explores the confusion that exists in the clinical areas concerning proper accompaniment of student nurses. There is a feeling that professional nurses in clinical areas are not always actively involved in clinical teaching. The clinical instructors and nurse educators are unable to accompany student nurses properly because of staff shortages. Some hospitals have identified one professional nurse per unit to work as a nurse preceptor for accom panim ent of student nurses. This has resulted in the need to find out if the professional nurse preceptor is solving the problem of lack of student accom panim ent in clinical areas. The aim of this study therefore is to investigate the roles and functions of nurse preceptors in im proving student accom panim ent as com pared to other professional nurses in clinical areas namely, clinical instructors, nurse educators and professional nurses working in clinical areas as viewed by student nurses themselves. A comparative descriptive study was done in one of the hospitals in KwaZulu-Natal (Region D) on a purposely selected sam ple of (80) 4 years com prehensive diploma student nurses, (16) nurse preceptors and (40) randomly-selected profes sional nurses. Open and closed-ended questions were used for collection of data. The study revealed that the most student nurses 87,5% (70) identified nurse preceptors as playing an important role in their accompaniment as compared to other professional nurses.Student nurses identified the following roles and functions of nurse preceptors in student accompaniment: acting as role models, acting as resource people for them, providing clinical teaching, orientate them in clinical areas, allay fears and anxieties by providing guidance, support and encouragement, demonstrate procedures, help them in solving problems they experienced and do formative and summative evaluation of student nurses. These roles were in agreement with those identified by professional nurses and nurse preceptors themselves. It was found also that nurse preceptors were experiencing many problems which need to be solved in order for them to perform their roles and functions effectively. It is recom m ended that even those hospitals and educational institutions that are not utilizing nurse preceptors for student accom panim ent should consider them because of the contributions they make. Nurse preceptors should be allocated specifically for student accompaniment with minimal patient care responsibilities and administration of Units. In conclusion proper utilization of nurse preceptors can solve the problem of a lack of student accompaniment in clinical areas. IntroductionT he clinical practice is the area w here student nurses are supposed to gain their learning experiences. It is also w here they are supp o sed to co rre la te acq u ired theory w ith p ractice (M ellish & B rink, 1993:227). The outcom e w ould then be com petent, efficient, m ature, in dependent, creative and critical thinking professional nurse w ho should be able to render quality p...

Remarking on the strategic significance of Small and Medium Scale Enterprise (SMEs) as critical to any economy growth and employment creation opportunities, there are evidence that support the poor possession of the appropriate financial literacy skills and knowledge, required by SMEs to effectively make entrepreneurial decision, needed for business growth and the overall economic development. Previous studies on the leitmotif of financial literacy skills have largely been interrogated through the prism of financial institutions and as an indicator for gauging inclusion leaving sparse research attention to understand its implications on entrepreneurial decision making among SMEs. This research chasm provoked this study. The aim of this paper to dissect and understand the place of financial literacy skills and knowledge in entrepreneurial decision-making of SMEs. A total of 15 SMEs were recruited on purpose with the semi-structure interview type, used in eliciting qualitative data. A collection of different themes and sub-themes were identified with the application of the NVivo (v.12) qualitative software and analysed with the content qualitative analytical tool. Pattern and level of financial literacy include understanding of financial decision, management of money and implementation of financial decision. SMEs’ financial literacy, required for effective entrepreneurial decision, includes knowledge on profitability, cash management skills and knowledge on investment with accompanied challenges, such as bad financial behaviour, financial irresponsibility and lack of basic education. The study makes a genuine case for the prioritization of the importance of financial literacy skills and knowledge for clear cut entrepreneurial decisionmaking and growth.