17 January 2020

 

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

State of readiness for the offering of nursing education programmes towards Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF)-aligned nursing qualifications

1. PURPOSE
The purpose of this Circular is to provide an update to the National Department of Health, Provincial Departments of Health, Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) and other relevant stakeholders about the state of readiness of public and private nursing education institutions to offer nursing programmes leading to Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework (HEQSF)-aligned nursing qualifications. 

2. INTRODUCTION
The long-awaited implementation of the nursing education programmes towards the HEQSF-aligned nursing qualifications has now materialized. This follows lengthy and drawn-out processes over a period of several years, as well as the South African Nursing Council’s fruitful collaboration with critical partners to ensure that this was achieved. The SANC can now confirm that several educational institutions, both public and private, which have complied with accreditation requirements and criteria are already accredited and their names have been published on the SANC website. 

3. BACKGROUND
A series of processes and events took place, which culminated in the transition from the process of the phasing out of legacy qualifications and the phasing in of HEQSF-aligned nursing qualifications. Several ‘enablers’, both legislative and otherwise, facilitated the transition. This includes the following:

3.1 Promulgation of and proclamation of the provisions of the Nursing Act, 2005 (Act no. 33 of 2005), which inter alia provide for the following: 

3.1.1 Categories of practitioners, in terms of section 31(1) The categories have been proclaimed as follows: Professional Nurse: four-year full-time programme (Bachelor of Nursing); Midwife: one-year full-time programme (Advanced Diploma in Midwifery); Staff Nurse (now General Nurse): three-year full-time programme (Diploma in Nursing); Auxiliary Nurse: one-year full-time programme (Higher Certificate in Nursing); and Auxiliary Midwife: Not implemented.

3.2 Development of competencies and regulations

3.2.1 Competencies and regulations for undergraduate programmes • Competencies for undergraduate programmes were developed through an extensive consultative process with the nursing profession, which informed the development of the scopes of practice for the categories mentioned under section 3.1.1 (above) of this Circular. • The following regulations were developed by Council, published for public comment and promulgated by the Minister of Health in March 2013:  Regulations relating to the approval of and the minimum requirements for the education and training of a learner leading to registration in the category of Auxiliary Nurse (Government Notice No. R. 169 of 08 March 2013); Regulations relating to the approval of and the minimum requirements for the education and training of a learner leading to registration in the category of Staff Nurse (Government Notice No. R. 171 of 08 March 2013); Regulations relating to the approval of and the minimum requirements for the education and training of a learner leading to registration in the categories of Professional Nurse and Midwife (Government Notice No. R. 174 of 08 March 2013); Regulations relating to the accreditation of institutions as Nursing Education Institutions (Government Notice No. R. 173 of 08 March 2013); Regulations relating to the approval of and the minimum requirements for the education and training of a learner leading to registration in the category Midwife (Government Notice No. R. 1497 of 22 November 2019). • The following regulations were also developed by the Council, published for public comment and are yet to be promulgated by the Minister of Health: Regulations regarding the register for learner/student nurses and learner/student midwives;  Regulations regarding the scopes of practice for nurses and midwives.

3.2.2 Competencies and regulations for postgraduate programmes • The following competencies for postgraduate programmes were developed through an extensive consultative process with the nursing profession, which informed the development of the exit level outcomes: Critical care (Adult) Critical care (Child) Nephrology Ophthalmic nursing Orthopaedic nursing Child nursing Perioperative nursing Emergency nursing Forensic nursing Oncology and palliative nursing Infection prevention and control nursing Primary care nursing Occupational Health nursing Nursing education Health services management Mental Health nursing Community Health nursing Midwifery • Regulations relating to the approval of and the minimum requirements for the education and training of a learner leading to registration as a nurse specialist or midwife specialist were developed by Council, published for public comment and are yet to be promulgated by the Minister of Health.

3.3 National Qualifications Framework (NQF) Act, 2008 and its amendments This framework required standardization of qualifications across all fields of learning and the ‘pegging’ of such qualifications on the NQF according to complexity, irrespective of the field of study. It further required standardization in terms of qualification titles and the minimum credit values of qualifications.

 

3.4 Higher Education Act, 1997 and its subsequent amendments  This Act provides for accreditation of programmes in higher education, as well as quality assurance by the Council on Higher Education.

 

3.5 Notices in the Government Gazette  3.5.1 The last date for first-time entering students The Minister of Higher Education and Training has, in line with the provisions of the Higher Education Act, 1997 (Act No. 101 of 1997) declared that the last date for first-time entering students enrolling in academic programmes that are not aligned to the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework (HEQSF) was 31 December 2019.  The implication of this declaration for nursing is that new intakes of students as of January 2020 should be for the new nursing qualifications only. 3.5.2 Designation to offer HEQSF qualifications by public nursing colleges  The Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology issued Notice No. 42774 of 16 October 2019 in the Government Gazette, on transitional arrangements regarding the offering of accredited nursing qualifications registered on the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-Framework of the National Qualifications Framework by public nursing education institutions (commonly known as ‘Nursing Colleges’).  Ten (10) recognized public nursing colleges were designated to offer Certificates, Diplomas and Bachelor Degrees in Nursing, which are accredited and registered on the HEQSF from 2020 until such time as they are declared as one of the institutional types contemplated in the Higher Education Act, 1997.  Subsequent to such publication some of the public nursing colleges that were compliant with the accreditation requirements and criteria of the SANC have been accredited.

 
4. STATE OF READINESS TO OFFER NURSING PROGRAMMES TOWARDS QUALIFICATIONS ALIGNED TO THE HIGHER EDUCATION QUALIFICATIONS SUB-FRAMEWORK (HEQSF)

4.1 Accreditation function
This function involves accreditation of Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) i.e. universities and universities of technology, public nursing colleges and private nursing education institutions as well as nursing education programmes; the monitoring of all assessments by education and training providers; and the conducting of inspections and investigations of NEIs, nursing programmes and health establishments to ensure compliance with the standards as determined by the Council. The accreditation function is supported by various regulations and policy guidelines. 
Some universities, universities of technology, public nursing colleges and private nursing education institutions submitted applications for accreditation of undergraduate nursing programmes

4.2. Accredited institutions

The institutions listed in the tables below complied with accreditation requirements and criteria and were granted accreditation by the Council. These requirements include but are not limited to: 

	Accreditation by the Council on Higher Education;
	Registration with the Department of Higher Education and Training (now the Department of Higher Education, Science and Technology) if private;
	Declaration as a Higher Education Institution by the Department of Higher Education (now the Department of Higher Education, Science and Technology) if public [the Minister of Higher Education, Science and technology has determined to effect designation for public nursing colleges]; and
	Formal agreements with relevant authorities responsible for health establishments, to address the clinical teaching and learning requirements of students.

At the time of publishing this Circular the following NEIs were accredited by both the SANC and the Council on Higher Education (CHE) to offer the HEQSF-aligned nursing qualifications, upon compliance with requirements:

Table 1: Universities and Universities of Technology

Name	Qualification type
1. University of Stellenbosch	Bachelor of Nursing
2. Cape Peninsula University of Technology	Bachelor of Nursing
3. University of the Western Cape	Bachelor of Nursing
4. Nelson Mandela University	Bachelor of Nursing
5. University of the Free State	Bachelor of Nursing
6. Tshwane University of Technology	Bachelor of Nursing
7. University of Pretoria	Bachelor of Nursing
8. University of Johannesburg	Bachelor of Nursing
9. University of KwaZulu-Natal	Bachelor of Nursing
10. North West University: Potchefstroom Campus	Bachelor of Nursing
11. North West University: Mafikeng Campus	Bachelor of Nursing
12. University of Limpopo: Turfloop Campus	Bachelor of Nursing

 

Table 2: Public Colleges

Name	Qualification type
1. Free State School of Nursing o Northern Campus o Eastern Campus o Southern Campus	Diploma in Nursing
2. Gauteng College of Nursing o Ann Latsky Campus o Bona Lesedi Campus o Chris Hani Baragwanath Campus o SG Lourens Campus	Diploma in Nursing
3. KwaZulu-Natal College of Nursing o Addington Campus o Benedictine Campus o Charles Johnson Memorial Campus o Edendale Campus o Grey’s Campus o Madadeni Campus o Ngwelezane Campus o Prince Mshiyeni Memorial Campus o Port Shepstone Campus o R.K. Khan Campus	Diploma in Nursing
4. Limpopo College of Nursing  o Giyani Campus o Sekhukhune Campus o Thohoyandou Campus o Sovenga Campus o Waterberg Campus	Diploma in Nursing
5. Mpumalanga College of Nursing o Rob Ferreira Nursing Campus	Diploma in Nursing
6. North West College of Nursing o Mafikeng Campus o Klerksdorp Campus Diploma in Nursing	Diploma in Nursing
7. South African Military Health Service Nursing College	Diploma in Nursing
8. Western Cape College of Nursing o Boland Overberg Campus o Metro West Campus o Southern Cape Karoo Campus	Diploma in Nursing

 

Table 3: Private Nursing Schools

Name	Qualification type
	Higher Certificate  in Nursing	Diploma  in Nursing
1. Arwyp Training Institute	√
2. Emmanuel Verpleegskool Oudtshoorn (Pty) Ltd	√
3. Life College of Nursing: East London Learning Centre	√	√
4. Life College of Nursing: Port Elizabeth Learning Centre	√	√
5. Life College of Nursing: East Rand Learning Centre		√
6. Mediclinic Pty (Ltd): Tshwane Region Learning Centre	√	√
7. Mediclinic Pty (Ltd): Northern Region	√	√
8. Netcare Education Pty (Ltd): Gauteng North East Campus		√
9. Netcare Education Pty (Ltd): Gauteng South West Campus	√	√
10. Netcare Education Pty (Ltd): Western Cape Campus	√	√
11. Ukwazi School of Nursing: Roodepoort Campus	√	√
12. Ukwazi School of Nursing: Potchefstroom Campus	√	√

4.3 Implications for accredited Nursing Education Institutions

	The accredited NEIs as indicated in the tables above can have intakes in the current year if the accredited qualification(s) has/have been registered with the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) upon recommendation by the Council on Higher Education (CHE). SAQA assigns a SAQA ID number for the registered qualification(s).
	The intake of learners by the NEI must be in line with the numbers of learners approved by Council. It is important to note that no learner/s or student/s in excess of the approved numbers per programme per NEI shall be registered with the SANC. Education and training undergone during the period when persons were not registered as learners/students shall not under any circumstances be recognised by the SANC.
	Once learners/students are registered with the SANC, certificate(s) will be issued to the relevant NEI. It is the responsibility of the Person in Charge of the NEI to hand over the certificate to each learner/student as proof of registration with the SANC.
	All the undergraduate programmes are offered on a full-time study basis only.

 

5. ONGOING PROCESS OF ACCREDITATION

	Accreditation of programmes is an ongoing process and the list of accredited NEIs will be updated and published on the SANC website (www.sanc.co.za) as and when accreditation is granted by Council, subsequent to their compliance with requirements.
	Prospective learners are therefore urged to first check with the SANC whether an institution is accredited by the SANC as an NEI and to offer the new nursing programme(s), before applying for enrolment at such NEI.
	The published list of accredited NEIs on the SANC website denotes that those NEIs are accredited by both the SANC and CHE.

 

For further information in respect of this Circular, you are advised to contact the Senior Manager: Education &Training, Ms J Nxumalo at (012) 420 1022 or on e-mail at: [email protected].

 

Yours sincerely

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

 

11 December 2019

 

TO:	Nursing Education Institutions
	Nursing Stakeholders

 

South African Nursing Council Examination Schedule – 2020

 

Attached is the Examination Schedule for 2020

 

Kindly take note of the following requirements applicable to the Council examinations:

1. The closing date for the examinations should be strictly adhered to and no exceptions or allowances will be made to extend these dates.

2. Only registered learners will be eligible for an examination: The Head of the Nursing Education Institution (NEI) must ensure that all learners are registered with the Council within the prescribed period. Foreign applicants apply as individuals though will have to adhere to the prescribed period.

3. Candidates will not be registered for an examination with only an identity number. Council reference numbers are needed in all cases. Please follow up with the Council Registration department first, if learners are not registered for the course before registering candidates for an examination.

4. The Council will only process applications for entry into a Council examination that meet the following requirements:

a) The Examination Application Form is completed in full, accurately and signed by the relevant person/s. The surname and given names must be those appearing in the identity document.

b) All the required documentation to be included.

c) There is proof of payment of prescribed examination fee into the Council’s bank account; such payment must be done by the Nursing Education Institution (NEI) (group payment) and not by learners, except for foreign candidates.

 

Banking details are as follows:

Name of Bank:     First National Bank
Account number: 51425166282 (Current Account)
Branch:                 Corporate Core Banking – Pretoria
Branch code:        253 – 145
Reference:            NEI S-number followed by the type of fee code ‘EXAMFEE’

The correct reference must appear on all deposits to expedite the processing of your payment. The code ‘EXAMFEE’ must only be used for payment in respect of examination fee. This code must not be used for any other types of payment. Here is an example of what a correct reference will look like for an NEI with S-number S12345:

S12345EXAMFEE

 

NB: The Head of the NEI must ensure that payment of fees by their Provincial Department or Head Office is made separately for each NEI and for each specific examination.

Provincial bulk payments without specifications create administrative challenges and cause a delay in processing of the applications.

5. Only those candidates that have been issued an examination timetable/number will be eligible to write a Council examination.

6. All practical MARK SHEETS must be submitted to the Council by Registered mail/courier by the end of the month in which the examination is written. If the PRACTICAL MARK SHEETS in SANC format are not submitted on time, the examination results will be published without the practical marks, hence qualification certificate will not be issued to the affected candidates.

7. The Council requests Invigilators not to enclose the practical mark sheet or any other documents with the Examination package.

8. The Council reserves the right to cancel an examination reflected on the schedule if there are insufficient candidates for such an examination.

9. The Council request the NEI’s to inform all their candidates of the outcome of the examination results once published. No examination results will be given out telephonically by the Council. However, candidates will receive results via text messages (SMS).

 

NB: Examination fees are non-refundable according to Regulation regarding fees and fines payable to the South African Nursing Council (Regulation No.170 of 8 March 2013)

2 December 2019

TO:	SANC staff and clients
FROM:	Ms SA Mchunu Registrar and CEO

 

SANC opens at 9:30 on Monday, 15 April 2019

 

The SANC offices will be closed for operational reasons at 11:30 am on Friday, 06 December 2019 and reopen on Monday, 09 December 2019 at 08:00 am. 

 

Your co-operation in this regard is highly appreciated.

 

Yours sincerely

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

26 November 2019

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

 

Training of Registered Nurses and Midwives to perform paracervical lock as an aspect of pain management during termination of pregnancy (TOP)

 

The South African Nursing Council (SANC) is cognizant of a number of initiatives by Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s) aimed at improving the health outcomes in an effort to improve the health and wellbeing of South Africans, which is highly commendable. However, it has come to the attention of Council that some of the training provided to nurse practitioners requires them to function beyond their Scope of Practice, as outlined in the Regulations Relating to the Scope of Practice of Persons Who are Registered or Enrolled under the Nursing Act, 1984. (GG No. R2598 of 30 November 1984).

 

This matter was discussed by the Council at its meeting held in September 2019. The Council expressed concern in particular with the training of Registered Nurses and Midwives to perform Paracervical block (PCB) to clients undergoing Manual Vacuum Extraction during Termination of Pregnancy (TOP). The SANC maintains that Paracervical block is an invasive procedure which is outside the current Scope of Practice of Registered Nurses and Midwives. For this reason, training of nurses to perform such a procedure is not supported by SANC. While the SANC supports professional development, it urges and encourages employers to ensure that in-service trainings/capacity building/skills development initiatives provided to nurse practitioners complies with the regulatory prescripts of the nursing profession and does not unduly expose nurses and midwives to potential unprofessional conduct.

 

Nurse practitioners are also reminded that they are independent practitioners who are personally accountable for their decisions and actions while carrying out their responsibilities in the profession and are urged to practice their profession within the ambit of legislation.

 

Kind Regards

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

 

22 November 2019

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

 

South African Nursing Council – Year-end Closure

 

The South African Nursing Council offices will be closed for the year-end from Tuesday, 24 December 2019 at 12:00 midday, and re-open on Monday, 6 January 2020 at 08:00 am. Kindly note that on 24 December, for operational reasons the gates will be closed at 11: 00 am already.

 

Annual fees must be paid into the Council’s bank account on or before 31 December 2019 to avoid restoration fees – note that banks take up to three (3) days to clear payments and thus all bank electronic transfers need to be made by 24 December to ensure it reaches the SANC by 31 December 2019. 

 

The SANC banking details are: 

Name of bank:	First National Bank
Account number :	514 211 86 193
Branch code :	253145
Reference :	Person’s own SANC Reference Number followed by ANLFEES

 

Whilst waiting for the Annual Practising Certificate to be posted by the SANC, the employer can verify the registration status of the practitioner through the SANC website by logging into the SANC eRegister at https://www.sanc.co.za/eRegister.htm. To do this, they will require the practitioner’s SANC reference number or Identity Number (ID No).

 

We wish you all the best over the festive season and look forward to working with you in 2020.

 

Kind regards

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

14 October 2019

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

 

SANC warns against intake for nurses’ Bridging course

 

The South African Nursing Council (SANC) notes with concern that Clinix Health Group/Academy has published an advertisement for applications for admission into the Bridging Course for Enrolled Nurses leading to Registration as General Nurse.

 

“The public is again reminded that the last intake for the Bridging Course for Enrolled Nurses leading to registration as a General Nurse was in June 2019, and this institution is thus not approved for an intake for the Bridging Course. Enrolled Nurses are warned NOT to deposit money into an account of any institution for this programme. The SANC will not register any students who register for this course,” says Ms Sizo Mchunu, Registrar and CEO.

ENDS

Issued by:
Mrs. Adri van Eeden
Senior Manager: Marketing and Communication
South African Nursing Council 
E-mail : [email protected]
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

11 July 2019

TO:	SANC staff and clients
FROM:	Ms SA Mchunu Registrar and CEO

 

SANC open at 9:30 on Monday, 15 April 2019

DATE : 11 JULY 2019

Please be informed that the South African Nursing Council offices will open at 09:30am on Monday, 15 July 2019 due to operational reasons.

Your co-operation in this regard is appreciated.

Yours sincerely

_______________
Ms SA Mchunu
Registrrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

 

7 June 2019

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

This Circular serves as confirmation of the South African Nursing Council’s fees and fines as stipulated in the Government Gazette published on 31 May 2019.

 

1. ANNUAL FEES FOR 2020

1.1 NORMAL ANNUAL FEES

The annual fees for the calendar year 2020 for different categories of practitioners are provided in the table below:

CATEGORY	ANNUAL FEE FOR 2020
Registered Nurses and Midwives	R670.00
Enrolled Nurses and Midwives	R400.00
Enrolled Nursing Auxiliaries	R280.00

 

1.2 REDUCTIONS IN ANNUAL FEES FOR AGE 60 AND OVER

The Council has resolved to introduce reduced fees for nurses 60 years of age and over as per the table below:

1.2.1 60 TO 64 YEARS OF AGE ON 1 JANUARY 2020 (25% REDUCTION)

CATEGORY	ANNUAL FEE FOR 2020
Registered Nurses and Midwives	R500.00
Enrolled Nurses and Midwives	R300.00
Enrolled Nursing Auxiliaries	R210.00

 

1.2.2 65 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER ON 1 JANUARY 2020 (50% REDUCTION)

CATEGORY	ANNUAL FEE FOR 2020
Registered Nurses and Midwives	R340.00
Enrolled Nurses and Midwives	R200.00
Enrolled Nursing Auxiliaries	R150.00

NB: To qualify for the discount amounts, practitioners may be required to submit a certified copy of their identity document in order to confirm their age.

Notes: 

The annual fees for 2020 must be received by the SANC on or before 31 December 2019.

The amounts in the tables above all include 15% VAT.

 

2. RESTORATION FEES FOR 2020

The restoration fees for different categories applicable from 1 January 2020 are shown in the following table.

CATEGORY	NORMAL RESTORATION FEE	REDUCED RESTORATION FEE
Registered Nurses and Midwives	R2 010.00	R140.00
Enrolled Nurses and Midwives	R1 210.00	R140.00
Enrolled Nursing Auxiliaries	R850.00	R140.00
Retired Nurses	R140.00	R140.00

Notes:

The reduced restoration fee only applies to a practitioner:
– Who must have been removed from the register at his/her own request; or
– Who must be 60 years of age or older on 1 January 2020. However, this must be confirmed with the Council before paying the reduced amount.

 

3. VOLUNTARY REMOVAL

A Nurse Practitioner who no longer wishes to practise in South Africa or who is unemployed, may request, in writing, voluntary removal of his/her name from the register, by completing the form available from the SANC. If voluntary removal is granted by the SANC, the nurse practitioner’s name will be removed accordingly on the 31 December of the year in which the application is received. Once removed, the nurse practitioner will no longer be required to pay annual fees while he/she is removed from the register.

If the nurse practitioner requires reinstatement onto the register, he/she will, in addition to paying the reduced restoration fee, be required to complete a Restoration Form. It must be noted that practising while not being registered is illegal.

 

4. CLOSING DATE FOR PAYMENT OF ANNUAL FEES

Please note that for the calendar year 2020, the closing date for the payment of annual fees is 31 December 2019. Payments must reach the SANC bank account on or before the closing date. You are, therefore, urged not to leave payment for the last minute to avoid problems associated with making payments at year end. Remember: Bank transfers from non-FNB banks may take up to 3 working days – pay well in advance to meet 31 December 2019 deadline.

 

5. OTHER FEES

Please note that other fees and fees payable by institutions will be applicable with effect from 1 January 2020.

 

6. E REGISTER

The SANC has made an eRegister facility available on the SANC website which can be utilised by employers to verify the registration status of all nurse practitioners in their employ. Employers are urged to utilise this facility in the absence of a physical Annual Practising Certificate (APC). 

Visit: https://www.sanc.co.za/eRegister.aspx for more details. 

 

7. COMMUNITY SERVICE PRACTITIONERS

Community Service Practitioners are not eligible to be issued with an APC and therefore should NOT pay annual fees. They MUST pay a conversion fee on completion of their Community Service in order to be registered as Nurse Practitioners using the REGFPRA registration fee code instead of ANLFEES (e.g. 12345678 REGFPRA).

 

 

Yours sincerely,

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

 

6 May 2019

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

 

SANC responds to claims regarding training of nurses

 

The South African Nursing Council (SANC) notes with concern the recent article in the news by Solidarity’s Occupational Guild for Nursing regarding the training of nurses in South Africa.

According to the article South Africa is experiencing critical problems with regards to the training of nurses, with Mr Hennie Bierman, Head of the Occupational Guild for Nursing is quoted as saying: “…. the SANC’s ineffectiveness has a negative impact on the finalisation of regulations on nursing training”.

The statement is factually incorrect. The SANC has developed and duly submitted all regulations regarding the offering of the new nursing programmes. Regulations relating to undergraduate programmes were promulgated by the Minister as far back as 2013 including regulations for the accreditation of institutions as Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs). Those regarding the offering of post-graduate diploma programmes were completed and submitted in 2017. The Department of Health has been processing and continues to process these regulations and consults with the South African Nursing Council as it deems fit. It is not clear which Regulations the article is referring to as there are no outstanding regulations for offering of the Undergraduate programmes that have not been developed by the SANC and duly submitted to the Department of Health.

The article further states that “…the SANC’s ineffectiveness has a negative impact on the ……accreditation of new training institutions for nursing training, practice, and programmes, as well as the reaccreditation of existing institutions and programmes offering nurses’ training”. This statement is incorrect and misinformed. The SANC can only accredit institutions that have duly applied and met the set accreditation criteria and requirements. Those training institutions that have met such requirements now have either full or conditional accreditation and will in all likelihood commence offering the new nursing programmes in 2020. These include some universities and private institutions. In addition, the process of reaccreditation is not automatic, and institutions that have the capacity to offer the new nursing qualifications have duly applied. Names of institutions, both private and public, which have been accredited by the SANC will be published on its website www.sanc.co.za to assist the public.

The article proceeded to describe a lack of communication between the SANC and the Department of Higher Education as the main reason for the delay in “……accreditation of all nursing courses and the approval of private training institutions have been dragging on since 2014”. This statement is not just false and generic but malicious as the SANC is in communication with applicant institutions to keep them informed about where they are in the process. Communication with the Department of Higher Education, which is not mandatory, has taken place as and when where both parties had matters to discuss.

Another statement: “Unfortunately, neither the private training institutions nor the new curricula have been approved or accredited. Therefore, nurses’ training has ground to a halt to a large extent. Due to these problems, most private training institutions have not taken in any new nursing students since 2016,” clearly reflects on the author’s lack of information regarding the process that informed the academic and professional reasons for the phasing-out of the legacy programmes that are referred to.

Accusations regarding “…. the delay was impeding accredited private nursing training institutions, and that no private institution had received approval for training over the past three years, and the SANC has suspended many of the courses offered by the existing private institutions back in 2015” is a broad generalisation made without basic insight into facts on why some legacy courses were phased out. Institutions that are a subject of lamentation are also not mentioned in the article, casting doubt on the authenticity of the complaint. Factually, there were only two courses, not many as it is alleged in the article, that were phased out because they were no longer in sync with any framework that located nursing in higher education. Nurses’ training has not ground to a halt as there are still more than twelve (12) programmes that are still offered by qualifying institutions. If the SANC had been contacted, the author of the article would have been enlightened.

The SANC is blamed directly by stating that “This means that even fewer nurses are being trained, putting extra pressure on the existing nurses in the profession, which again impacts service delivery. Given that 60% of the country’s nursing training is done by private training institutions, accreditation of these institutions can prevent shortages of nursing staff in the future.”

The lamentation is not clear and is biased as the author is not specific about the category of nurse that is in short supply and would be resolved by continued training of the two phased-out programmes, which are the one-year auxiliary nursing programme and the two-year programme leading to enrolment as nurse. No evidence exists that products from these two programmes are in short supply.

Claims made that “The SANC and the Department of Health must urgently prioritise their training framework for nursing and they must see to it that they align themselves to avert a training disaster that is in the making,” further demonstrates a total lack of understanding about the required frameworks for training of nurses.

“The SANC would like to make it clear that frameworks that reside within its jurisdiction are in place and are known by its stakeholders, specifically Nursing Education Institutions. There are no training regulations that are outstanding from the SANC’s side, competencies for specialization programmes and curriculum frameworks have been developed and published and accreditation requirements as well as processes are in place. Any statements or rumours made to the contrary are a blatant display of lack of proper communication and consultation by the author involved and could have been avoided had the necessary steps been taken to obtain the correct information prior to publishing defamatory claims against the SANC. The overt lack of basic understanding of these matters on the side of the author is regrettable,” says Ms Sizo Mchunu, Registrar and CEO of the SANC.

ENDS

Issued by:
Mrs. Adri van Eeden
Senior Manager: Marketing and Communication
South African Nursing Council 
E-mail : [email protected]
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: [email protected] 

31 May 2019

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

 

SANC responds regarding nurse videos

The South African Nursing Council (SANC) is shocked by the apparent conduct of nurses during the incidences on video in two separate cases this past week in Mamelodi and Bloemfontein.

“The SANC would like to provide assurance that we view the matters in a very serious light and as such have already started with our own investigations into these matters, to establish facts. As regulator of the nursing profession in South Africa we view any unprofessional conduct as unacceptable,” says Ms Sizo Mchunu, Registrar and CEO of the SANC.

As soon as investigations and possible hearings have been completed the SANC will update the public.

ENDS

Issued by:
Mrs. Adri van Eeden
Senior Manager: Marketing and Communication
South African Nursing Council 
E-mail : [email protected]
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: [email protected]