Health Science Colleges Research

Announcement New Research: Mrs Verinia Titus Publishes in Curationis We are delighted to share an exciting academic achievement from within the WCCN community. Mrs Verinia Titus has published a new scholarly article in the peer‑reviewed journal Curationis, marking another important contribution to nursing research and professional knowledge in South Africa. (Titus, 2026) Her publication highlights the ongoing commitment of WCCN academics to research, evidence‑based practice, and the advancement of nursing education. Scholarly work such as this not only strengthens our institution’s academic profile but also enriches teaching, learning, and professional practice for both students and colleagues. 📄 Read the full article here . We encourage lecturers, students, and staff to explore the publication, incorporate it into discussions, and consider how Mrs Titus’s insights can inform clinical practice and nursing education. Her dedication to research serves as an inspiration to our academic c...

Our Head of Campus, Dr Yolande Magerman,  has recently published an article in the International Journal of Africa Nursing Sciences (IJANS). This achievement not only reflects her personal dedication to advancing nursing knowledge but also highlights the growing research impact of the Western Cape College of Nursing (WCCN). Article Title:  Best-practice guidelines for nurses for the assessment and management of acute trauma-related pain in adult patients: A scoping review Dr Magerman's research highlights a critical gap: while existing guidelines address pain in broader contexts, none are tailored specifically to trauma-related pain in ECs. This underscores the urgent need for the development of context-specific BPGs to support nurses in providing consistent, evidence-based care in these high-pressure environments. Her work reinforces the role of nursing scholarship in improving healthcare outcomes and shaping the future of the profession in South Africa and beyond. At WCCN, w...

The transition from student to professional nurse can be daunting and pose a difficult transition period for newly qualified nurses. The reasons for this difficulty can be poor preparation, unsupervised work, and insufficient guidance. Warriodene Hansen, a newly appointed lecturer at the Western Cape College of Nursing Boland Overberg, recently published an article “The perceptions of newly qualified nurses on the guidance by preceptors towards becoming experts in nursing.”  The study provides valuable information that could help in the promotion of preceptorship. Abstract Background: The new role as professional nurse can be a difficult transition for the new qualified nurses. During this time, factors such as not being well prepared, working without supervision and a lack of guidance can be the result of a difficult transition. Objectives: The purpose of this study is to assess the perceptions of newly qualified nurses on the guidance given by their preceptors towards becoming ...

The article  Experiences of undergraduate nursing students during clinical practice at health facilities in Western Cape, South Africa was recently published in Curationis .  Mrs Fadana, a first-year lecturer is based at our Boland Overberg Campus in Worcester. The abstract reads: Background:   This study explored the experiences of undergraduate nursing students during clinical practice at healthcare facilities in the Boland Overberg area in Western Cape, South Africa. Few studies have been done on experiences of nursing students during clinical practice. However, there are still inadequacies, which lead to the deterioration of clinical practice quality. Objectives:   To explore and describe the experiences of undergraduate student nurses during clinical practice in healthcare facilities in Boland Overberg, in Western Cape, South Africa.  Method:  A qualitative, exploratory descriptive design was applied. Data collection was done using focus-group intervi...

  The article "Operational nurse managers’ perceptions on the competence of community service nurses in public settings" is published in Curationis and available on this  link                https://curationis.org.za/index.php/curationis/article/view/2174 Two of the authors (Dr. Vatiswa Maki and Dr Theresa Bock) is affiliated with the Western Cape College of Nursing (WCCN). Having a research article published in an accredited journal such as Curationis , has benefits for the researchers as well as their institutions. Their publication serves as a means to disseminate and make researchers and practitioners of similar interest, aware of new knowledge in their area of interest. Abstract Background: Community service nurses placed in the Western Cape Government public health facilities render essential healthcare to underserved populations. Anecdotal evidence from operational nurse managers indicated concerns that community service nurses ma...

Dr. Truter has once again written a chapter in a book for Juta publisher s .   The latest edition of Sellers' Midwifery  has been revised and aligns with international and national public health strategies that aim to improve maternal and antenatal care as a sustainable development goal. Dr. Truter wrote chapter 48 which centres around the role of the midwife in reproductive health care and includes updated information on contraception and fertility planning.  Book Details Truter, A. 2018. Contraception and fertility planning. In Dippennaar, J. & da Serra, D. (eds). 2018. Sellers’ midwifery . 3rd ed. Cape Town: Juta. 728-752. Previously Dr. Truter wrote a chapter on reproductive health for Vlok's community health .