{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,30]],"date-time":"2026-07-30T11:20:07Z","timestamp":1785410407205,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":35,"publisher":"AOSIS","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,21]],"date-time":"2025-11-21T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1763683200000},"content-version":"unspecified","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":[],"abstract":"<jats:p>Background:\u00a0The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic disrupted nursing education globally, affecting theoretical instruction, clinical training and students\u2019 well-being.\nAim:\u00a0To explore and describe undergraduate nursing students\u2019 academic learning experiences in the post-COVID-19 period at a South African public university.\nSetting:\u00a0A public university in South Africa.\nMethods:\u00a0A qualitative, exploratory-descriptive, and contextual design underpinned by Bronfenbrenner\u2019s ecological theory was applied. Twenty-nine purposively selected undergraduate nursing students participated in four face-to-face semi-structured focus group discussions facilitated by an independent fieldworker. Data were thematically analysed by an independent coder.\nResults:\u00a0Three themes emerged. Firstly, students reported persistent challenges following the return to in-person learning, including misalignment between teaching and assessment methods, gaps in clinical exposure, and heightened mental health strain. Secondly, enablers of academic success were identified, such as self-directed learning, peer support, and personal and professional development. Thirdly, participants suggested improvements to post-pandemic learning, including curriculum reform, more flexible timetabling, and safer, better-resourced clinical placements.\nConclusion:\u00a0The post-pandemic academic environment continues to shape nursing students\u2019 learning and well-being. While students demonstrated resilience through self-regulation and peer collaboration, institutional reforms remain essential to foster academic success and professional readiness.\nContribution: The study provides context-specific insights into post-pandemic nursing education in South Africa and highlights the importance of responsive, student-centred strategies.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.4102\/hsag.v30i0.3240","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,20]],"date-time":"2025-11-20T10:05:46Z","timestamp":1763633146000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["Undergraduate nursing students\u2019 post-coronavirus disease 2019 academic learning experiences at a public university in South Africa: A qualitative study"],"prefix":"10.4102","volume":"30","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0004-8671-2048","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Claudine H.","family":"Wittenschinskey","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03r1jm528","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Nelson Mandela University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-2253-6354","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Wilma","family":"ten Ham-Baloyi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03r1jm528","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Nelson Mandela University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0009-0003-8599-5202","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Mercia","family":"Kramer","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"id":[{"id":"https:\/\/ror.org\/03r1jm528","id-type":"ROR","asserted-by":"publisher"}],"name":"Nelson Mandela University"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"2580","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,11,21]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref0","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Aryuwat, P., Holmgren, J., Asp, M., Radabutr, M. & L\u00f6venmark, A., 2024, \u2018Experiences of nursing students regarding challenges and support for resilience during clinical education: A qualitative study\u2019, Nursing Reports 14(3), 1604\u20131620. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/nursrep14030120","DOI":"10.3390\/nursrep14030120"},{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Baloyi, O.B., Jarvis, M.A. & Mtshali, N.G., 2022, \u2018A report of a South African university\u2019s management of undergraduate nursing students\u2019 teaching and learning following the COVID-19 interruptions\u2019, Health SA Gesondheid 27, 1816. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.4102\/hsag.v27i0.1816","DOI":"10.4102\/hsag.v27i0.1816"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Braun, V. & Clarke, V., 2006, \u2018Using thematic analysis in psychology\u2019, Qualitative Research in Psychology 3(2), 77\u2013101. https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa","DOI":"10.1191\/1478088706qp063oa"},{"key":"ref3","unstructured":"Bronfenbrenner, U. & Morris, P.A., 2006, \u2018The bioecological model of human development\u2019, in R.M. 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