Abstract
Background: Professional nursing started with Florence Nightingale, who opened a School of
Nursing in the mid-1800s. Her traditions of cleanliness, caring, peacefulness, charitability,
diligence, responsibility, humaneness and compassion are still relevant to modern-day
nursing. Uncivilised behaviour of students and nurse educators in professional nursing
education is still evident.
Objectives: The objective of the study was to critically examine the roots of incivility in
professional nursing education and to apply the wisdom of Sankofa to propel a renewed South
African professional nursing education.
Method: The study employed a qualitative research method embedded in the interpretive
framework, with an exploratory descriptive design. The study was conducted at a universitybased
nursing school and a nursing college in the Western Cape province. 25 participants (10
nurse educators and 15 nursing students) were recruited through purposive sampling. Data
collection was performed through semi-structured individual, face-to-face interviews. The
participants consented and volunteered to participate in the study, and all discussions were
confidential and private. Elo and Kyngäs data analysis was employed.
Results: Conflicts with nursing norms, bureaucracy in nursing and professional nursing
education, as well as the poor prestige of nursing and institutions of higher learning emerged
as roots of incivility in professional nursing education.
Conclusion: The principles of Sankofaism can be applied to professional nursing education.
Students and other key stakeholders can position professional nursing education firmly in
Sankofaism.
Contribution: The article proposes Sankofaism as a framework to civil professional nursing
education.