Abstract:
Purpose: Clinical practice during pandemics is known to bring additional fears to nursing
students. The purpose of this study was to explore fears of Mzuzu University’s nursing
students nurses regarding resumption of clinical practice amidst the Coronavirus disease
(COVID-19) pandemic.
Methods: The study used a qualitative approach employing a descriptive phenomenological
design. Mzuzu University Research Ethics Committee (MZUNIREC) approved the study and
issued MZUNIREC/DOR/20/06 as approval number. An independent person collected data
through four focus group discussions with a purposefully selected sample of 40 consented
nursing students who had completed clinical practice during the first wave of the COVID-19
pandemic. Data analysis was done manually using content analysis. The analysis started with
transcription of the interviews. Following this, data were coded and categorized into themes
and subthemes were established from participants’ significant statements.
Results: Four major themes about the fears amongst the student nurses emerged. These were
as follows: equipment and supplies; increased perceived risk for acquiring and transmitting
COVID-19; stigma and discrimination and perceived fear of not having adequate learning.
Conclusion: Clinical practice during the COVID-19 pandemic brings fear among nursing
students and requires that implementers of nursing and midwifery programs prioritize
ascertaining student’s skill, emotional wellbeing and provision of adequate resources before
deploying them to clinical areas.
