6 August 2020

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

 

SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS BY NURSING EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS FOR ACCREDITATION OF POST-GRADUATE DIPLOMA PROGRAMMES LEADING TO REGISTRATION AS A NURSE OR MIDWIFE SPECIALIST 

 

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this circular is to:

1.1 Remind/alert Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) of the promulgation of regulations relating to the above-mentioned nursing programmes, thus enabling them to submit applications for accreditation of the said programmes to the South African Nursing Council (SANC); and

1.2 Notify the National Department of Health, Provincial Departments of Health, Nursing Education Institutions and other relevant stakeholders of the availability of education and training guidelines for the programmes.

 

2. BACKGROUND

2.1 Promulgation of the Regulations Relating to the Approval of and the Minimum Requirements for the Education and Training of a Student Leading to Registration as a Nurse Specialist or Midwife Specialist by the Minister of Health, on 5 June 2020 (Government Notice No. R. 635 of 5 June 2020) enables Nursing Education Institutions to design and submit the applications, for accreditation of programmes, mentioned above.

2.2 The Council has approved education and training guidelines for the said programmes, in order to provide further guidance and facilitate the accreditation process. The guidelines are already posted on the SANC website: www.sanc.co.za

 

3. SUBMISSION OF APPLICATIONS

3.1 Nursing Education Institutions that have completed the design of their programmes should submit their applications for accreditation of programmes to the SANC as soon as possible, as the SANC is expecting an influx of applications, considering urgent need for Nurse Specialists and Midwife Specialists in the country; 

3.2 NEIs are implored to submit complete documents at the outset in order to avoid delays caused by sending the documents back to the NEIs, sometimes more than once; 

3.3 Only hard copies shall be accepted;

3.4 The application(s) should be accompanied by proof of payment in terms of the Board Notice regarding the fees and fines payable to SANC for year 2021 as no programme will be evaluated without such proof of payment. (Find attached for ease of reference); and

3.5 NEIs are reminded of the content of the collaborative agreement between the SANC and the Council on Higher Education (CHE), sent to the NEIs on 26 August 2019. One specific provision indicated that the CHE will no longer accept any applications from nursing education providers that do not have a letter of approval from the SANC.

 

4. IMPLEMENTATION

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

 

5. FURTHER ENQUIRIES

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

 

23 July 2020

1. ANNUAL FEES FOR 2021

1.1 NORMAL ANNUAL FEES

The annual fees for the calendar year 2021 for different categories of practitioners are provided in the table below:

CATEGORY	ANNUAL FEE FOR 2021
Registered Nurses and Midwives	R700.00
Enrolled Nurses and Midwives	R418.00
Enrolled Nursing Auxiliaries	R293.00

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 2021 (25% REDUCTION)

CATEGORY	ANNUAL FEE FOR 2021
Registered Nurses and Midwives	R525.00
Enrolled Nurses and Midwives	R314.00
Enrolled Nursing Auxiliaries	R220.00

1.2.2 65 YEARS OF AGE AND OLDER ON 01 JANUARY 2021 (50% REDUCTION)

CATEGORY	ANNUAL FEE FOR 2021
Registered Nurses and Midwives	R350.00
Enrolled Nurses and Midwives	R209.00
Enrolled Nursing Auxiliaries	R157.00

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 2021 must be received by the SANC on or before 31 December 2020.

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

 

2. RESTORATION FEES FOR 2021

The restoration fees for different categories applicable from 1 January 2021 are shown in the following table.

CATEGORY	NORMAL RESTORATION FEE	REDUCED RESTORATION FEE
Registered Nurses and Midwives	R2 100.00	R146.00
Enrolled Nurses and Midwives	R1 254.00	R146.00
Enrolled Nursing Auxiliaries	R878.00	R146.00
Retired Nurses	R146.00	R146.00

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 2021. 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, a voluntary removal of his/her name from the register, by completing the form available from the SANC. If a 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 2021, the closing date for the payment of annual fees is 31 December 2020. 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 and you are therefore advised to pay well in advance to meet 31 December 2020 deadline.

 

5. OTHER FEES

Please note that other fees and fees payable by institutions will be applicable with effect from 01 January 2021.

 

6. PERSAL DEDUCTIONS

The signing of Resolution 3 of 2019 in September 2019 by the National Department of Health together with major trade unions in Public Health and Social Development Sectoral Bargaining Council (PHSDSBC) brought into effect the implementation of Persal deductions in 2020 for all employees falling under the scope of the PHSDSBC.

As a result of this agreement, affected nurse practitioners are urged not to pay the annual fees on their own as the employers are required to pay on their behalf in terms of Resolution 3 of 2019. 

 

7. eREGISTER

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 employment. 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. 

8. 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. 12345678REGFPRA).

5 June 2020

Dear Nurses and Stakeholders

Following the pronouncement of Alert Level 3 by the President of South Africa, the SANC Senior Management team has been working on site since Monday, 1 June to ensure a safe SANC environment for the return of staff to the office and for access by the SANC clients and stakeholders.

The SANC office will therefore be open to the public as of Monday, 8 June with strict measures to protect both clients and staff.

The following will be effected:

• Everyone visiting the office must wear a face mask;
• The required social distancing will be duly applied in and outside the building; 
• Temperature screening at the entrance by Security guards;
• Assessment questionnaire will be provided to be completed by all visitors;
• Sanitizer will be made available at the entrance; and
• Only 10 people at a time will enter the building. This is in compliance with requirements as informed by the building size.

We are looking forward to seeing you again and be of assistance.

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

 

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

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:

 

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:

 

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

 

28 January 2020

 

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

Examinations conducted by the South African Nursing Council

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Circular is to inform/update the National Department of Health, Provincial Departments of Health, Nursing Education Institutions and relevant stakeholders about the following:

	Current and future examination practices of the South African Nursing Council (SANC);
	Language to be utilized for all South African Nursing Council examinations.

2. CURRENT EXAMINATION PRACTICES

2.1 The South Africa Nursing Council has been conducting examinations and appointing examiners and moderators in accordance with section 4 (1) (c) of the Nursing Act, 2005 (Act No. 33 of 2005).

These examinations have been conducted for the following ‘legacy’ nursing programmes:

	First year examination for the Bridging Course for Enrolled Nurses leading to registration as a General or Psychiatric Nurse, in line with Government Notice No. R.683 of 14 April 1989 (as amended);
	Final examination for the Bridging Course for Enrolled Nurses leading to registration as a General or Psychiatric Nurse, in line with Government Notice No. R.683 of 14 April 1989 (as amended);
	Examination for the course leading to registration as a Midwife, in line with Government Notice No. R.254 of 14 February 1975 (as amended);
	Final examination for the course leading to registration as a Psychiatric Nurse, in line with Government Notice No. R.880 of 02 May 1975 (as amended); and
	Examination for the Diploma Course in Clinical Nursing Science, Health Assessment, Treatment and Care, in line with Government Notice No. R.48 of 22 January 1982 (as amended).
	Admission examination for foreign applicants for the following: o Enrolment as a Nursing Auxiliary; o Enrolment as a Nurse; and o Registration as a Nurse.

2.2 From 2024 onwards the SANC will no longer be conducting summative examinations for the above nursing programmes.

2.3 The last date for each examination listed above will be communicated by the end of March 2020.

 

3. FUTURE EXAMINATION PRACTICES OF THE SANC

	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 learners enrolling in academic programmes that are not aligned to the Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework (HEQSF) is 31 December 2019.
	Subsequent to this date, NEIs that are offering nursing programmes towards the HEQSF-aligned nursing qualifications are either registered as higher education institutions (HEIs) if private; or if public, either declared as HEIs or designated to offer Certificates, Diplomas and Degrees in Nursing, which are accredited and registered on the HEQSF.
	The implication of this transition calls for a review of the SANC’s role in assessment. In light thereof, the Council resolved at its meeting held on 26-27 March 2014 that policy guidelines as well as an implementation plan would be developed to embark on a new way of assessment as a pre-requisite for professional registration.
	The SANC is in the process of introducing Licensure examination, which will be a nationwide examination for the licensing of nurses. Licensure examination would also serve as a prerequisite for professional registration with the SANC.
	The examination will be undertaken by students who have successfully completed education and training for the prescribed nursing programme(s) and have been awarded the relevant qualification(s).
	Benchmarking on the Licensure examination was conducted with other regulatory bodies for nurses. The SANC is currently in the process of arranging a workshop on practice analysis in order to link the licensure examination to practice, the findings of which would contribute towards finalizing the framework, which will be workshopped with all stakeholders for their input prior to final approval.

 

4. LANGUAGE TO BE UTILIZED FOR THE SOUTH AFRICAN NURSING COUNCIL EXAMINATIONS

	The NEIs, in particular public nursing colleges and private nursing schools, are aware that the summative examination conducted by the SANC was conducted in both English and Afrikaans, with the exception of the Admission examination for foreign applicants, which was conducted in English only.
	Subsequent to the introduction of a new democratic dispensation in South Africa, eleven (11) languages were granted official status, as per section 6 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 (Act No.108 of 1996).
	After due consideration of the impracticalities of the status quo, the Council has resolved at its special meeting of 05 November 2019 that the summative examinations would henceforth be conducted in English only, with effect from the May 2020 examinations.

4.1 Implications:

4.1.1 The question papers are going to be in the English language only;
4.1.2 Candidates would be expected to use English when writing the examinations;
4.1.3 Should any other language besides English be used when writing an examination, such scripts will not be marked; and 
4.1.4 It is the responsibility of the NEIs to draw the attention of learners to the content of this Circular.

 

5. 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 

 

Kind regards

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

 

17 January 2020

 

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

 

Rescindment of Circular 3 of 2013: Database for post-basic programmes proposal for new fields of specialization in nursing

17 January 2020

By resolution of Council taken at its meeting held on 27-28 November 2019, the South African Nursing Council (SANC) hereby rescinds circular 3 of 2013 in its entirety. As a statutory body established to set and maintain standards of Nursing Education, Training and Practice in South Africa, the SANC supports the need to provide continuing education and training to registered nurses on a variety of clinical specializations in an effort to adequately respond to population health needs. It also recognizes the role played by Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) and other interest groups in identifying and proposing new fields of specializations in nursing. However, the SANC believes that the determination of a need for clinical specializations resides with and should be done based on the support of the National Department of Health as informed by service needs survey.

This is based on the premise that the National Department of Health is the custodian of the human resources for health planning and provision, and as such, determines health priorities in order to ensure that the care provided responds to the quadruple burden of diseases and the constantly changing health needs.
This is also to ensure efficient use of resources, avoid duplication of specializations whose elements are already covered within the existing overall framework and it will also minimise risks of creating specializations whose employment potential is not guaranteed. 

Rescindment of Circular 3 of 2013 provides the SANC with an opportunity to review this matter and together with the National Department of Health, establish a seamless process that will clearly outline the procedure to be followed in the submission of proposals for new fields of specialisations in nursing. 

Kind regards

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

 

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: jnxumalo@sanc.co.za.

 

Yours sincerely

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council