{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T13:18:18Z","timestamp":1774012698006,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":41,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"3","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1773964800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"funder":[{"name":"researchers"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["IJERPH"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Introduction: The COVID-19 pandemic significantly disrupted the functioning of the health system, including nursing education, particularly within resource-constrained contexts such as in South Africa. This study explored the lived experiences of nursing students during the COVID-19 period at Lilitha College of Nursing, a public nursing college operating across multiple urban and rural campuses in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Methodology: A qualitative phenomenological design was employed, guided by the Dimensions of Wellness Framework. Purposive sampling was used to recruit a diverse cohort of nursing students who were registered during the period 2020\u20132022. Semi-structured, one-on-one interviews were conducted with 20 participants between 1 and 31 October 2025, until data saturation was attained. Interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed, translated verbatim, and analysed manually using the six phases of thematic analysis. Results: The findings revealed that the COVID-19 pandemic severely affected nursing students\u2019 academic progress, mental and physical health, clinical training, and overall well-being, revealing institutional unpreparedness and gaps in support during crisis conditions. Conclusions: The study highlights the need for fair, holistic, and crisis-ready support systems to protect nursing students\u2019 well-being and learning during future emergencies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ijerph23030395","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]],"date-time":"2026-03-20T10:49:58Z","timestamp":1774003798000},"page":"395","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Exploring Nursing Students\u2019 Experiences of the COVID-19 Period at a Public Nursing College in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"23","author":[{"given":"Ntombedinga Tilly","family":"Goso","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-3857-8225","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Ntiyiso Vinny","family":"Khosa","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa"},{"name":"WSU Institute for Clinical Governance and Healthcare Administration, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, East London 5257, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"given":"Malwande Shooster","family":"Mgilane","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0006-0918-7539","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Thokoe Vincent","family":"Makola","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa"},{"name":"WSU Institute for Clinical Governance and Healthcare Administration, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, East London 5257, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0000-3094-2523","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Nomfuneko","family":"Sithole","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"School of Public Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha 5117, South Africa"},{"name":"WSU Institute for Clinical Governance and Healthcare Administration, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, East London 5257, South Africa"},{"name":"Global Centre for Human Resources for Health Intelligence, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Walter Sisulu University, East London 5257, South Africa"}],"role":[{"role":"author","vocabulary":"crossref"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,3,20]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"741","DOI":"10.1002\/jdd.12615","article-title":"Pandemics and education: A historical review","volume":"85","author":"Spielman","year":"2021","journal-title":"J. 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