24 January 2022

Publication of SANC national examination results on the website

TO:         NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

                PROVINCIAL DEPARTMENTS OF HEALTH

                NURSING EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS (NEIS)

                ALL STAKEHOLDERS

SUBJECT: RE- PUBLICATION OF THE SOUTH AFRICAN NURSING COUNCIL (SANC) NATIONAL EXAMINATION RESULTS ON THE WEBSITE

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 matter pertaining to the re-publishing of the SANC National Examination results on the SANC website.

2. BACKGROUND

The SANC National examination results are normally published through SMSs to individual students, bulk emails, and hard copies to relevant NEIs and the SANC website. Following the promulgation of the Protection of Personal Information (POPI) Act, 2013, which was initially passed in 2013, the SANC, has to comply with the provisions of this Act.

3. IMPLEMENTATION BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN NUSING COUNCIL

In order to ensure compliance with these provisions the Act, SANC is taking the necessary steps to ensure its clients ‘Personal Information remains protected. The SANC will henceforth not disclose any Personal Information in its custody to any third party.  The publication of the SANC National Examination results will henceforth be send directly to individual students via SMSs, bulk emails, and hard copies to the relevant NEIs. The results will no more be published on the SANC website.

We would appreciate it if you could kindly share this information with all persons in your institutions.

For further information in respect of this Circular, you are advised to contact Ms A. Mnguni, Senior Manager: Learner Affairs at (012) 420 1065/[email protected] or Ms E. Magagula, Manager: Assessment at (012) 426 9596 or/[email protected].

Yours sincerely

(signed)

MS SA MCHUNU

REGISTRAR AND CEO

1 December 2021

Circular 8/2021: Year-end closure

Click the link below to download the signed PDF of Circular 8/2021

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17 November 2021

Circular 7/2021: Uncollected mail from South African Post Office (SAPO)

Click the link below to download the signed PDF of Circular 7/2021

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06 October 2021

IMPLEMENTATION OF PROTECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION (POPI) ACT, 2013 (ACT NO 4 OF 2013) 

TO:      NATIONAL DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH

             PROVINCIAL DEPARTMENTS OF HEALTH

             NURSING EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS

             ALL STAKEHOLDERS

IMPLEMENTATION OF PROTECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION (POPI) ACT, 2013 (ACT NO 4 OF 2013)

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this circular is to inform the National Department of Health, Provincial Departments of Health, Nursing Education Institutions and other stakeholders about the implementation of the above-mentioned POPI Act, 2013 by the South African Nursing Council (SANC).

2. PROMULGATION OF THE ACT

The POPI Act, 2013 was initially passed in 2013 and has since been implemented in stages. The last of these stages has had a very direct and profound impact on the way in which organizations and people deal with other people’s information.

3. PROCLAMATION FOR IMPLEMENTATION- JULY 2021

As of the 1st of July 2021, Sections 55 to 109, Section 111 and Sections 114 (1), (2) and (3) commenced and on the 30^th of June 2021 Sections 110 and 114 (4) commenced.

4. IMPLEMENTATION BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN NURSING COUNCIL

The Registrar of the SANC must, in terms of the Nursing Act, 2005 (Act No. 33 of 2005) keep registers in respect of Nurse practitioners which information includes personal details of Nurses.

In line with the provisions of the POPI Act, 2013 the Registrar is appointed by the Information Regulator as the Information Officer, whose responsibilities flow from the Act.

In order to ensure compliance with these provisions, the SANC is taking the necessary steps to ensure its clients’ Personal Information remains protected. To this end, the SANC will henceforth not disclose any Personal Information in its custody to any third party, unless proper procedure is followed via a fully completed and signed Consent Form (see attached). Only information that has been consented to will then be provided to specifically authorized individuals. This may impact on certain services rendered by the SANC, especially those where a person attempts to solicit services from the SANC on a Nurse’s behalf. This will not affect the processes related to the payment of annual statutory registration fees by Employers on behalf of clients.

We would appreciate it if you could kindly share this information with all persons in your institutions.

For further information in respect of this Circular, you are advised to contact Mr. Benjamin Grobler, Senior Manager: Learner Affairs at (012) 420-1074 or on email address: [email protected]

Yours sincerely

Ms S.A. Mchunu

Registrar and Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

5 October 2021

Re-scheduling of the November 2021 examinations

To:         National Department of Health

               Provincial Departments of Health

               Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs)

               All Stakeholders

SUBJECT:  RE-SCHEDULING OF THE NOVEMBER EXAMINATIONS CONDUCTED BY THE SOUTH AFRICAN NURSING COUNCIL

1. 
   PURPOSE

The purpose of this Circular is to:

• Inform the National Department of Health, Provincial Departments of Health, Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) and relevant stakeholders about the amendment of the dates for the South African Nursing Council (SANC) conducted examinations which are due to be written in November 2021.

2. BACKGROUND
   • The Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Minister, Dr. Nkosazana Dlamini- Zuma, has gazetted the 1st November 2021 as the date of local elections. This date coincides with the SANC examinations scheduled for that date.
   • It became prudent to amend the examination dates to accommodate the significant event and afford all concerned the opportunity to exercise their democratic right to vote. Therefore, the examinations that were due to be written in November 2021 will be written as follows:

Final examinations for the course leading to Registration as Midwife- Government Notice No. R254 of 14 February 1975 (as amended)

Final examinations for the course leading to Registration as Psychiatric Nurse- – Government Notice No. R880 of 2 May 1975 (as amended)

3. IMPORTANT TO NOTE

3.1 Kindly ensure that all students are duly informed of the new dates of the examinations.

3.2 None of the other examinations dates for November 2021 are affected by this notice.

4. IMPLEMENTATION DATE

This circular becomes effective and implementable on the date of publication.

For further information in respect of this Circular, you are advised to contact Ms A. Mnguni, SANC Senior Manager: Learner Affairs at (012) 420 1065 or on email address: [email protected]

Yours sincerely,

 ______________

MS SA MCHUNU                                                                                        

REGISTRAR AND CEO

SOUTH AFRICAN NURSING COUNCIL

For further information in respect of this Circular, you are advised to contact Ms A Mnguni, Senior Manager: Learner Affairs, on (012) 420 1065 or by email [email protected]

15 July 2021

The South African Nursing Council (SANC) Examination schedule – 2022

Click the link below to download the signed PDF of Circular 4/2021

Download PDF

Click the link below to download the signed PDF of Circular 4/2021 ERRATUM

18 June 2021

2022 Annual Fees

Click the link below to download the signed PDF of Circular 3/2021

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25 May 2021

DIRECTIVE FOR CONSISTENT PROVISION OF PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT TO FRONTLINE NURSING STAFF

Click the link below to download the signed PDF of Circular 2/2021

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29 March 2021
 

Please be informed that the South African Nursing Council (SANC) offices will be closed from Thursday, 1 April 2021 at 12:00 and will re-open on Tuesday, 6 April 2021 at 8:00.

Wishing you safe travels over the Easter holidays.

24 December 2020

Requisites to perform functions relating to the profession of Nursing by Nurse Educators/Lecturers

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this correspondence is to reiterate:

1.1 pre-requisites for performing functions relating to the profession of nursing by any person responsible for education and training of nurses and midwives; and

1.2 sanctions/ consequences of non-compliance with the provisions of the Nursing Act and its regulations.

2. LEGAL REQUISITES

2.1 The South African Nursing Council (SANC) is a Statutory Health Professional Council that is mandated to regulate the nursing profession by establishing and maintaining standards of nursing education, training and practice in South Africa. It is an autonomous body established by the Nursing Act, 1944 (Act No. 45 of 1944), and currently operating under the Nursing Act, 2005 (Act No. 33 of 2005).

2.2. The SANC, through the provisions of the Nursing Act, 2005 (the Act), is empowered to, among others:

• accredit nursing education institutions, nursing programmes and monitor assessments by nursing education providers in accordance with this Act or any other law; and
• withdraw or suspend accreditation of a nursing education institution, or nursing programme if the education or training provided does not comply with the prescribed requirements and inform the relevant licensing authority.

2.3. Regulations relating to the Accreditation of Institutions as Nursing Education Institutions (Government Notice No. R 173 of 08 March 2013), prescribes the following requirements, among others:

2(1) An institution may be accredited as a nursing education institution if – 

(a) it has a designated person in charge of the nursing education and training institution who – 

(i) is registered with the Council as a professional nurse;
(ii) has an additional qualification in nursing education;
(iii) is in possession of a management qualification;
(iv) holds at least a bachelor’s degree in nursing; and
(v) holds a nursing qualification that is a level higher than the highest qualification
offered by the nursing education institution or, if the highest qualification offered is a doctoral degree, a nursing qualification at an equal level.

2.4 By virtue of the provisions of section 31(3) of the Act, which states that 

“An employer must not employ or keep in his employment a person to perform the functions pertaining to the profession of, other than a person who holds the necessary qualification and who is registered under section (1) or (2)”.

3. SANC ‘S OBSERVATION

It has come to the attention of the Council of the SANC that some employers, especially in the higher education sector, do not comply with the above prescripts in that they:

• employ and retain in their employ, persons who are not registered with the SANC to perform functions relating to the profession of nursing such as education and training of nurses and midwives; and
• appoint persons who do not possess the required qualifications into a position of a Head of Nursing Education Institution or Head of Nursing.

This is in direct violation of the Act and its regulations. Having noted the concern, the Council of the SANC deliberated on the matter at its virtual meeting of 21-22 October 2020 and resolved that communication be sent to relevant persons and authorities to highlight the gravity of the matter.

4. IMPLICATIONS

Non-compliance with the above –mentioned prescripts may result in:

• Invalidation of accreditation;
• Criminal charges against the person who employed and retained a person that is not registered with the SANC to perform functions relating to the profession of nursing; and
• Criminal charges against a person who performs functions relating to the nursing profession while not registered with the SANC in one of the prescribed categories.

Employers are therefore urged to comply with the provisions of the Act and its regulations.

5. ENQUIRIES

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

Yours sincerely,

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council