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Internet use, as technological access, by student nurses at the South African military health service nursing college campuses: A technology acceptance model (TAM) perspective

Thesis (MNur)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.

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Main Author: Nagiah, Sharday Melissa
Other Authors: Damons, A.
Format: Thesis
Language:English
Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2026
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access_status_str Open Access
author Nagiah, Sharday Melissa
author2 Damons, A.
author_browse Damons, A.
Nagiah, Sharday Melissa
author_facet Damons, A.
Nagiah, Sharday Melissa
author_sort Nagiah, Sharday Melissa
collection Thesis
dc_rights_str_mv Stellenbosch University
description Thesis (MNur)--Stellenbosch University, 2026.
format Thesis
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institution Stellenbosch University (South Africa)
language English
last_indexed 2026-06-10T12:44:52.743Z
license_str Other — see source repository
provenance_str_mv Harvested via OAI-PMH from SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
publishDate 2026
publishDateRange 2026
publishDateSort 2026
publisher Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
publisherStr Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
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source_str SUNScholar — Stellenbosch University Repository
spelling oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/136662 Internet use, as technological access, by student nurses at the South African military health service nursing college campuses: A technology acceptance model (TAM) perspective Nagiah, Sharday Melissa Damons, A. Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences. Dept. of Nursing and Midwifery. Thesis (MNur)--Stellenbosch University, 2026. Nagiah, S. M. 2026. Internet use, as technological access, by student nurses at the South African military health service nursing college campuses: A technology acceptance model (TAM) perspective. Unpublished masters thesis. Stellenbosch: Stellenbosch University [online]. Available: https://scholar.sun.ac.za/items/a506a7bd-5794-4fd1-a039-75c40336abda Background: The internet, when accessed through technology by military undergraduate student nurses, can be used to acquire information to support evidence-based practice in various settings, such as in military hospitals, sickbays, during military exercises, on deployments, and can contribute to lifelong learning. Evidence-based practice has become an integral component of nursing education in a military context and, consequently, in the provision of quality patient care. Student nurses are therefore required to systematically access and retrieve relevant information to incorporate and deliver patient care based on current, reliable research evidence. Furthermore, it is pertinent for student nurses to use the internet proficiently, given that qualified nurses are required to retrieve information to inform students of comprehensive patient care and to engage in Continuing Professional Development (CPD) activities throughout their military nursing career. Methods: The researcher obtained ethics clearance from the Stellenbosch University Health Research Ethics Committee and received institutional approval from the South African Military Health Service (SAMHS), Defence Intelligence Department, and 1 Military Hospital Research Ethics Committee. A quantitative, non-experimental, cross-sectional descriptive design was used in this study. Questionnaires were administered at the SAMHS Nursing College campuses in Pretoria, Bloemfontein, and Cape Town to students enrolled in the three-year Diploma in Nursing (R.171) and the one-year Higher Certificate in Nursing (R.169). A pilot test was carried out with respondents from the target population (n=15) to inform the main study. While these respondents were included in the main study, the pilot test results were excluded from the final analysis. All current undergraduate student nurses (N=115) were invited to participate in the study, and N=105 (91%) elected to participate. A validated 37-item questionnaire, titled ‘Internet use, as technological access, by students at the South African Military Health Service Nursing College campuses’, was self-completed by respondents and analysed descriptively with the assistance of a biostatistician working at Stellenbosch University. Results: Overall, the respondents used the internet for academic-related study n=101 (96,2%), listening to music n=95 (90,5%), watching videos n=94 (89,5%), communication n=88 (83,8%), shopping n=88 (83,8%), and the latest news and weather reports n=87 (82,9%). Most n=90 (85,7%) respondents considered the internet to be integral to their lives, and n=64 (60,9%) indicated that they accessed it daily. Furthermore, more than half n=63 (60,6%) of the respondents considered a slow internet connection as a constraint on campus. Despite students using the internet for academic purposes, the study revealed that the vast majority n=96 (91,4%) indicated a need for internet orientation as an academic tool. Conclusion: Taken together, the undergraduate student nurses at the SAMHS Nursing College campuses used the internet for academic and non-academic purposes. Moreover, they considered the internet to be vital to their lives. Despite regularly using internet resources, the students identified a need for internet orientation. Therefore, an integrated internet skills programme would support and capacitate students, enhancing their studies and future evidence-based nursing practice in the South African National Defence Force. Masters 2026-06-02T07:25:06Z 2026-06-02T07:25:06Z 2026-03 Thesis https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136662 en Stellenbosch University 178 pages : ill. application/pdf Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
spellingShingle Nagiah, Sharday Melissa
Internet use, as technological access, by student nurses at the South African military health service nursing college campuses: A technology acceptance model (TAM) perspective
title Internet use, as technological access, by student nurses at the South African military health service nursing college campuses: A technology acceptance model (TAM) perspective
title_full Internet use, as technological access, by student nurses at the South African military health service nursing college campuses: A technology acceptance model (TAM) perspective
title_fullStr Internet use, as technological access, by student nurses at the South African military health service nursing college campuses: A technology acceptance model (TAM) perspective
title_full_unstemmed Internet use, as technological access, by student nurses at the South African military health service nursing college campuses: A technology acceptance model (TAM) perspective
title_short Internet use, as technological access, by student nurses at the South African military health service nursing college campuses: A technology acceptance model (TAM) perspective
title_sort internet use as technological access by student nurses at the south african military health service nursing college campuses a technology acceptance model tam perspective
url https://scholar.sun.ac.za/handle/10019.1/136662
work_keys_str_mv AT nagiahshardaymelissa internetuseastechnologicalaccessbystudentnursesatthesouthafricanmilitaryhealthservicenursingcollegecampusesatechnologyacceptancemodeltamperspective