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Factual informaton on R425 Registered Nurse, R174 Professional Nurse and Midwife, and R171 General Nurse

25 May 2020

The South African Nursing Council has become aware through various media platforms that there is misinformation regarding the status of the current and future status of the four(4)- year degree/diploma nursing programme (Regulations Relating to the Approval of and the Minimum Requirements for the Education and Training of a Nurse (General, Psychiatric and Community) and Midwife leading to Registration-Government Notice No. R. 425 of 22 February 1985 as amended) and possibly other qualifications. This has caused confusion to the profession and the public at large.

Current status of the Four year (4) Degree and Diploma programme.(R.425)
This is a legacy nursing qualification that is being phased out like all other legacy qualifications in the country, in line with the requirements of the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework and as supported by the Board Notice published in the Government Gazette by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation in July 2016. The last intake for this programme was 2019. It must be noted however that the programme leading to this qualification continues and is going to continue being offered for pipeline students for the next four (4) to six (6) academic years including 2 years teach-out period.

This programme will for some years run concurrently with the new four-year Bachelor programme. These two qualifications are mutually exclusive qualifications and none is a replacement of the other.

Any person that completed the R. 425 programme leading to Registration with the SANC as a Nurse (General, Psychiatric and Community) and Midwife shall retain this title and qualification and shall not be “degraded” or “demoted” in any way.

On completion of the R. 425 programme, graduates and diplomats from the four-year programme will be registered by the South African Nursing Council as Nurse (General, Community & Psychiatric) and Midwife. This programme will not under any circumstances be downgraded or changed in any way. It will run its course until it is naturally phased out in about 6 years.

No downgrading of the four-year R425 Course
The profession needs to note that the Registered Nurse qualifying from this programme will not be downgraded in anyway whatsoever. Section 31 (1) (c) of the Nursing Act, 2005 (Act no. 33 OF 2005), prescribed a category Staff Nurse. Following various changes in legislation, particularly the National Qualifications Framework Act, it became necessary that the nursing qualifications fit within the country’s qualification framework.
As a result, the Category “General Nurse” was created through a board notice published in Government Gazette R.939 of 28 June 2019 by the Minister of Health. This programme will have a duration of three years and is not a replacement of any other qualification.

Future four- year programme(R.174)

This is a new four-year programme governed by Regulations Relating to the Approval of and the Minimum Requirements for the Education and Training of a Learner leading to Registration in the Categories Professional Nurse and Midwife (Government Notice No. R174 of 8 March 2013).

Several Universities and Public Nursing Colleges were accredited by the Council to offer the programme. The SANC is aware that they have opted to commence with the offering of this programme in 2021.

Further information for students:
Students that are currently undergoing the R 425 programme should therefore not panic due to misinformation and disinformation from informal sources. They are encouraged to enquire and seek clarity from their principals regarding the uncertainties. The Heads of Nursing Education Institutions can if necessary enquire and be duly and formally advised by the SANC.

On behalf of the CEO& Registrar:
Ms S Mchunu

Press Release 3/2020: Appreciating the role of nurses in society on International Nurses’ Day May 2020

11 May 2020

TO:	News Editor
FROM:	Ms SA Mchunu Registrar and CEO

SANC – Appreciating the role of nurses in society on International Nurses’ Day May 2020

The global nursing community is celebrating International Nurses Day on 12 May 2020. The World Health Organisation (WHO) Executive Board designated 2020 as the “Year of the Nurse and Midwife” in honour of the 200th birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale.

How fitting is this theme during the Covid-19 crisis, where nurses are at the forefront of the crisis and serve as the backbone of the profession, often at great cost to themselves and their families. Nurses have never been thrown into the spotlight the way they are now, and have never been needed more. Daily, we are faced with stories of nurses’ compassion, selfless acts, courage and dedication in the midst of this crisis.

The SA Nursing Council is adding its full support to International Nurses Day 2020 with the Council-approved theme: Appreciating the role of nurses in society. This theme carries even more value during the Covid-19 outbreak, as the value of nurses and nursing become paramount in our fight for survival. The SANC is therefore proud to announce the launch of the SANC Nursing Excellence Awards as of 2020. The Awards will focus on conferring annual merit awards for outstanding service by nurses and providing a means for recognizing the contributions of nurses to the profession and to the public.

Nursing is a noble profession which requires the highest degree of professionalism, dedication and care. The health system cannot function without nursing as its backbone. But the stress that nurses work under daily cannot be under-estimated, especially during this pandemic.

Ms S Mchunu, Registrar and CEO: “We acknowledge the efforts and sacrifices made by nurses daily, and especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. This is the Year of the Nurse in so many ways. We urge nurses and employers to remember that their health and safety are of key importance in the fight against this pandemic. We wish the nurses in South Africa a memorable International Nurses Day. Let us keep alive the words by the late Florence Nightingale: ‘For the sick it is important to have the best’”.

ENDS

Issued by:
Mrs. Adri van Eeden
Senior Manager: Marketing and Communication
South African Nursing Council
E-mail : avaneeden@sanc.co.za
Website : www.sanc.co.za
Tel : 012 426-9542

Official Spokesperson and person to be quoted:
Ms. S Mchunu
Registrar and CEO: SA Nursing Council

For more information or to arrange for an interview with the Spokesperson, please contact Mrs. Adri van Eeden on Tel. (012) 426-9542 or email: avaneeden@sanc.co.za

SANC Professional Conduct Hearings

May 2020

Dear Nurses, Clients and Stakeholders

Kindly note that due to the COVID-19 pandemic the Professional Conduct Hearings that were scheduled to be held at the offices of the South African Nursing Council from the 11th to the 13th of May 2020 is hereby formally postponed until further notice.

If you have received a summons or a subpoena to appear at these hearings, please note, we will be in contact with you in due course to inform you of the new arrangements.

Restoration of nurses to the SANC nursing register for National State of Disaster period: Private Hospitals

1 May 2020

1 May 2020

Dear Stakeholder

Please note that the process for private hospitals is the same as for Provincial Departments of Health, with the following exceptions:

1. All Hospital Association of South Africa (HASA)- affiliated health establishments will be handled via HASA directly – the process has been communicated to and agreed upon by HASA. The contact person is Lauren Drysdale at email: lauren.drysdale@hasanet.co.za

2. Private hospitals NOT affiliated to HASA will follow the process as set out below and submit the list per hospital. If you need clarity on this process kindly contact Mr Patrick Modiselle at email: pmodiselle@sanc.co.za

The process, in short:

•	Position/s are advertised by the Employer, who will do the screenings for the positions (nature of engagement agreed upon between practitioner and health establishment).
•	The form has been sent to HASA (The form is also on the SANC website as a backup).
•	Once an employment or engagement agreement is reached with the employing health establishment, HASA (or if a private hospital it can be sent to the SANC if not affiliated to HASA) sends a bulk pack of applications to the SANC for processing.
•	The SANC will issue the certificate letters to the Employer as proof of registration of a Nurse with the SANC.
•	The Employer then communicates to the Nurses as they issue letters of engagement.
•	No individual applications can be sent to the SANC for processing.

NB: Registration lapses immediately upon lifting of the National State of Disaster.

Restoration Form for Private Hospitals

Press Release 2/2020 (vers 2): SANC offers free restoration to qualifying nurses during COVID-19 National State of Disaster

Press Release 2/2020: SANC offers free restoration to qualifying nurses during COVID-19 National State of Disaster

The SANC notes and applauds the efforts by Government and in particular the Ministry of Health in the fight against the coronavirus, and the dedication to the health of all South Africans.

In support of these efforts, the South African Nursing Council (SANC) is pleased to announce a further solution to have more nurses available to assist during the crisis. Any nurse, who for the period of the COVID-19 National State of Disaster, wants to be restored back onto the Nurse Register for the sole purpose of rendering services and aiding in the prevention of the spread of Covid-19 or the treatment of affected patients, and is currently not on the Nursing Register, may restore and be registered at a fee of R0.00.

The Board Notice regarding this special concession was published …

Published 20 April 2020

.. COVID-19 Restoration Form

.. see Press Release 2 of 2020

Press Release 2/2020: SANC offers free restoration to qualifying nurses during COVID-19 National State of Disaster

SANC offers free restoration to qualifying nurses during COVID-19 National State of Disaster

20 April 2020

The SANC notes and applauds the efforts by Government and in particular the Ministry of Health in the fight against the coronavirus, and the dedication to the health of all South Africans.

In support of these efforts, the South African Nursing Council (SANC) is pleased to announce a further solution to have more nurses available to assist during the crisis. Any nurse, who for the period of the COVID-19 National State of Disaster, wants to be restored back onto the Nurse Register for the sole purpose of rendering services and aiding in the prevention of the spread of Covid-19 or the treatment of affected patients, and is currently not on the Nursing Register, may restore and be registered at a fee of R0.00.

The Board Notice regarding this special concession was published in the Government Gazette on 9 April already, but it was important that the process had to be communicated by the Department of Health on provincial level first to ensure a stream-lined and simplified restoration process. Thus said, it is important to note that this process of restoration for the said period will be done via the relevant departments e.g. Department of Health, Department of Correctional Services and South African Military Health Services. Nurses cannot restore individually for this process. The SANC has created a simplified restoration form to assist the respective departments with the process. Upon completion of the form, the departments will then provide same to the SANC with a list of all the nurses to be restored for the National State of Disaster period only. The completed form, available on the SANC website, must be submitted to the respective Provincial Departments of Health together with application sent in response to the advertisement.

Says the SANC Registrar and CEO, Ms Sizo Mchunu: “It is important that nurses note that this is an exception to the normal restoration rules and that this restoration will expire at the end of the National State of Disaster, as will be pronounced by the President of South Africa. These Nurses’ names will then be removed from the Register and the normal restoration process and fees will then apply for those who choose to remain registered in order to practice nursing.”

The SANC calls for calm and patience on the side of the public during this outbreak and implores the public to keep in mind that nurses work long hours and under gruelling pressure during this outbreak while at the same time they also have families that they worry about.

If we all make a concerted effort, together, we will be able to #flattenthecurve.

.. COVID-19 Restoration Form

Circular 6/2020: Postponement of May examinations

15 April 2020

15 April 2020

TO:	National Department of Health
	Provincial Departments of Health
	Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs)
	All Stakeholders

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Circular is to inform the National Department of Health, Provincial Departments of Health, Nursing Education Institutions and relevant stakeholders about the postponement of the May 2020 examinations.

2. BACKGROUND

The State President’s proclamation on extension of “lockdown” for non-essential services to the end of April 2020 has necessitated that the South African Nursing Council (SANC) postpones the examination that was supposed to be conducted from 4 May 2020.

3. IMPLICATION

The new examination dates will be communicated when the SANC reopens for business from 4 May 2020.

For further information in respect of this Circular, you are advised to contact Ms SJ Nxumalo, SANC Senior Manager: Education &Training at (012) 420 1022 or on e-mail at: jnxumalo@sanc.co.za.

Yours sincerely,

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

Cover for Healthcare workers during Covid-19 by Old Mutual

Circular 5/2020: Impact of Coronavirus outbreak on Nursing Education and Training

25 March 2020

TO:	National Department of Health
	Provincial Departments of Health
	Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs)
	All Stakeholders

Impact of Coronavirus outbreak on Nursing Education and Training

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this circular is to provide:

	1.1 supportive guidance /reminder to Nursing Education Institutions on managing interrupted teaching and learning activities, in respect of students nurses and midwives.
	1.2 information to the National Department of Health, Provincial Departments of Health, and relevant stakeholders in respect of point 1.1 above.

2. BACKGROUND

	2.1 The Declaration of “a national state of disaster” by the State President on 15 March 2020, followed by pronouncement by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, on 17 March 2020, on measures to deal with COVID-19 threat in the post-school Education and Training Sector, refers. The South African Nursing Council supports, unequivocally, the measures and initiatives put in place by the South African Government in order to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
	2.2 The following, regarding academic breaks and academic interruptions for Student Nurses and Student Midwives in Nursing, need to be noted: o Students in the Post-School Education and Training Sector, specifically Universities, ordinarily have recesses in line with university calendars. o Student Nurses and Student Midwives in the rest of Nursing Education Institutions do not have recesses but normally take an annual leave which is scheduled by the respective Nursing Education Institutions, in collaboration with health establishments where they are placed for clinical teaching and learning.
	2.3 Despite these different arrangements, Student Nurses and Student Midwives are expected to meet the same specified theoretical and clinical/practical requirements in line with the requirements of the relevant nursing programme.
	2.4 The pronouncement by the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, that all Post-School Institutions must close on 18 March 2020 is inclusive of “the CET Colleges, private higher education institutions and colleges, as well as all training colleges which are managed by other ministries, such as Nursing, Agricultural and other Colleges”.

3. IMPLICATIONS

While theoretical provisioning may continue through various distance learning modalities, Student Nurses and Midwives may not be able to meet the clinical/practical requirements of the their respective programmes, depending on the duration of the academic interruption.

4. WAYFORWARD

The Heads of Nursing Education Institutions are advised to:

	4.1 Comply with the pronouncement by both the President of the country and the Minister of Higher Education, Science and Innovation;
	4.2 Explore, while contact teaching is hampered, various alternative methods to enhance theoretical provisioning; and
	4.3 Work on tentative recovery plans for implementation once the academic activities resume, that will ensure that more attention is given to clinical/ practical teaching and learning. The recovery plans should be kept as reference records for possible future discussions with the South African Nursing Council, where necessary.

5. ON SANC EXAMINATIONS

The examination conducted by SANC will go ahead as planned unless circumstances regarding the outbreak warrant that the SANC reschedules and in that event, the SANC will inform the candidates and the relevant stakeholders in due course.

6. IMPLEMENTATION

This Circular becomes implementable and valid on the date of issue.

For further information in respect of this Circular, you are advised to contact Ms SJ Nxumalo, SANC Senior Manager: Education &Training at (012) 420 1022 or on e-mail at: jnxumalo@sanc.co.za

Yours sincerely,

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

Circular 4/2020: SANC office shutdown as per Presidential pronouncement

25 March 2020

TO:	National Department of Health
	Provincial Departments of Health
	Private Health Care Providers
	All Stakeholders

SANC office shutdown as per Presidential pronouncement for control of Coronavirus outbreak spread

1. Following the President’s pronouncement of a nation-wide lockdown, on 23 March 2020, in order to curb the transmission of the Covid-19 virus, the South African Nursing Council will be shutting down operations at the SANC building as of midnight of 26 March 2020.

During this crucial period, the SANC services will not come to a standstill. Several measures have been put in place to ensure business continuation with key staff members working from home.

You are also reminded that you can use the tools already made available by the SANC for service delivery e.g. the eRegister to verify registration, the service emails as posted on the SANC website and social media pages, faxes, etc.

2. In addition, payments can still be made via electronic banking. A reminder about the relevant codes and banking details to be used when you do make a payment is attached to this communication for your convenience.

As distinguishing devices need to be posted or collected physically, we regret that this service will not be available during the shutdown period. All orders received will be processed as soon as the building has opened for operations again.

CODES TO BE USED BY INDIVIDUALS:

Description	Code
Admission of guilt fines	ADGUILT
Annual Fees	ANLFEES
Application Fees (foreign applications)	APPFEES
Certificate of Status Fee	CETSFEE
Replacement Certificate Fee	DUPCFEE
Examination Fees (foreign application exams)	EXAMFEE
Extract Fees (extract from the register)	EXTRFEE
Late Entry Fees (foreign exam applicants)	LATEFEE
Registration Fees (additional qualifications)	ADDQUAL
Registration Fees (assessors, moderators, verifiers)	ASSESSR
Registration Fees (practitioners)	REGFPRA
Remarking Fees (exams)	REMAFEE
Restoration Fees	RESTFEE
Transcript of Training Fees	TRANFEE
Verification Fees	VERIFEE
Purchasing of Distinguishing Devices	SALEDDS
Purchasing of Printed Matter (Nursing Act, regulations, etc.)	PRINMAT
Postage	POSTAGE
Other fees or payments (not mentioned above)	OTHRFEE

SANC Banking details for INDIVIDUAL payments:

Bank Name:	First National Bank
Business Trading Name:	S A Nursing Council
Account Number:	514 211 86 193
Branch Code:	253145
Reference:	SANC reference number followed by the relevant code

CODES TO BE USED BY INSTITUTIONS / ORGANISATIONS/ COMPANIES:

Description	Code
Accreditation Fees – Nursing Education Institution	ACFLEEN
Accreditation Fees – Reaccreditation of a Nursing Education Institution	ACFRENE
Accreditation Fees – Nursing Education Programme	ACFNEPR
Annual Nursing Education Institution Fee	ANNFNEI
Application Fees	APFAPCE
Audit Visit Fees	AUDVFEE
Examination Fees (candidates)	EXAMFEE
Focus Visit Fees (clinical facilities)	FVFCLNC
Focus Visit Fees (nursing education institution)	FVFENEI
Late Entry Fees (exam candidates)	LATEFEE
Registration Fees (additional qualifications)	ADDQUAL
Registration Fees (learners)	REGFLEN
Registration Fees (practitioners)	REGFPRA
Purchasing of Printed Matter (Nursing Act, regulations, etc.)	PRINMAT
Other fees or payments (not mentioned above)	OTHRFEE

SANC Banking details for BULK payments:

Bank Name:	First National Bank
Branch Name:	Corporate Core Banking – Pretoria
Branch Code:	253145
Account Name:	S A Nursing Council
Account Number:	514 251 66 282
Reference:	Company Name or School S-number

Please Note: To expedite the processing of transactions for payments made by direct deposits, nurse practitioners are requested to fax or email the proof of payment and prescribed SANC forms such as restoration forms, distinguishing devices form, registration form etc. to the contact details as provided on the form

Your co-operation is appreciated. We pray for your well-being during these trying times.

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council