31 May 2019

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

 

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Circular is to update the National Department of Health, Provincial Departments of Health, Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) and other relevant stakeholders about the following matters:

1.1 Special concession granted by the South African Nursing Council to qualifying Nursing Education Institutions to have a final intake of students in 2019 for the following nursing programmes:

•	Course leading to registration as a Nurse (General, Psychiatric and Community) and Midwife (Government Notice No. R.425 of 22 February 1985, as amended);
•	Course in Clinical Nursing Science leading to registration of an Additional Qualification (Government Notice No. R.212 of 19 February 1993, as amended);
•	Diploma course in Clinical Nursing Science, Health Assessment, Treatment and Care (Government Notice No. R.48 of 22 January 1982, as amended);
•	Course leading to registration of the Additional Qualification in Nursing Education (Government Notice No. R.118 of 23 January 1987, as amended);
•	Course for the Diploma in Nursing Administration (Government Notice No. R.1501 of 08 July 1983, as amended).

1.2 De-accreditation of Nursing Education Institutions that are only accredited to offer the phased out nursing qualifications, as follows:

•	Course leading to enrolment as a Nursing Auxiliary (Government Notice No. R.2176 of 19 November 1993, as amended);
•	Course leading to enrolment as an Enrolled Nurse (Government Notice No. R.2175 of 19 November 1993, as amended).

 

2. SPECIAL CONCESSION

2.1. 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) is 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.

2.2. The South African Nursing Council is aware of the importance of ensuring that the transition between the offering of ‘legacy’ qualifications and the offering of the new nursing qualifications does not create a gap in the education and training of nurses.

2.3. The Council is further aware of the following matters pertaining to the education and training of nurses and nurse specialists, which are of paramount importance:

2.3.1 Despite the Regulations for undergraduate programmes having been promulgated by the Minister of Health in March 2013 already, many NEIs, including universities, public nursing colleges and private nursing schools have either not submitted any applications for offering these programmes, or only submitted their applications by late 2018. Some NEIs have been fully or conditionally accredited to offer the programmes applied for, while other applications are currently under review.

2.3.2 In terms of Section 2(1) of the Regulations relating to the accreditation of institutions as Nursing Education Institutions (Government Notice No. R.173 of 08 March 2019) an institution may be accredited as a nursing education institution “if, in the case of a public entity, it is established or declared by the Minister of Education as a higher education and training institution”.

Public Nursing Colleges have not been declared higher education and training institutions as yet, and therefore may not offer the new HEQSF-aligned nursing qualifications in 2020. In this regard, it is important also to note that public nursing colleges produce the majority of registered nurses that are comprehensively trained.

2.3.3 Regulations that regulate the postgraduate diploma programmes and the Advanced Diploma in Midwifery have not been promulgated as yet.

2.4. The Council therefore, at its meeting of 27 – 28 March 2019 resolved that all NEIs that are currently accredited to offer the programmes listed under section 1.1 above are allowed to have a last (final) intake of students during the final quarter of the academic year 2019, prior to 31 December 2019. This is a concession and is not mandatory. It is intended to mitigate the risk of creating a gap in comprehensively trained new nurses entering the profession, while the regulatory/ structural issues around the long term education and training of nurses as referred to above are being finalized. The concession will also ensure that there is no gap in training of nurse specialists.

 

3. IMPLICATIONS OF THE SPECIAL CONCESSION

3.1 The Nursing Education Institutions that are currently approved to have one intake per year (in January) for the programmes listed under section 1.1of this Circular may use the concession to have the last (special) intake in June 2019, rather than during the last quarter of the 2019 academic year. Should the NEI not wish to have an intake in June 2019, they may have their last intake during the last quarter of the academic year. However, if they have an intake in June 2019, they cannot have another (third) intake during the last quarter of the 2019 academic year.

3.2 Nursing Education Institutions who are currently approved to have two intakes per year, one in January and one in June of each year, may have the additional last (special) intake during the last quarter of the 2019 academic year.

3.3 Nursing Education Institutions intending to utilize the special concession during the last quarter of the academic year should ensure that all student applications are submitted to the SANC before 20 December 2019.

3.4 The Nursing Education Institutions must adhere to the approved numbers per intake.

 

4. DE-ACCREDITATION OF THE NURSING EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS THAT ARE ONLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THE PHASED OUT NURSING QUALIFICATIONS

4.1 The phasing out of the two nursing programmes listed under item 1.2 of this Circular was communicated by the Council via Circular 13/2014, published on 30 September 2014. This was further gazetted as Government Notice No. R.928 of 09 October 2015.

4.2 The Regulations relating to the accreditation of institutions as Nursing Education Institutions (Government Notice No. R.173 of 08 March 2019) stipulate all the conditions and requirements for accreditation of an institution as a nursing education institution.

4.3 In terms of the Regulations relating to the accreditation of institutions as Nursing Education Institutions (Government Notice No. R.173 of 08 March 2019), a Nursing Education Institution must be accredited for and offer an accredited Nursing Programme; therefore all the Nursing Education Institutions that were offering only the phased out ‘legacy’ programmes can no longer be recognized as Nursing Education Institutions, as they no longer meet the criteria in terms of these Regulations.

4.4 The Council therefore, at its meeting of 27 – 28 March 2019, resolved that all the Nursing Education Institutions which were accredited to offer only the phased out legacy programmes listed under section 1.2 of this Circular are to be de-accredited, as they no longer offer any nursing programme.

 

5. IMPLICATIONS FOR THE NURSING EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THE PHASED OUT NURSING QUALIFICATIONS ONLY

Based on the content as set out under section 4 above, the SANC would like to notify all the Nursing Education Institutions that were previously accredited to only offer the phased out nursing programmes listed under 1.2 of this Circular of the following: 

5.1 The names of the affected NEIs will be reflected as ‘de-accredited’ in the SANC database.

5.2 These institutions must remove any reference to ‘accreditation by the South African Nursing Council (SANC)’ from all documentation, marketing/advertising material or displays containing such reference.

5.3 These institutions are free to apply to offer the HEQSF-aligned nursing qualifications. In order to be accredited as a Nursing Education Institution, each applicant must not only meet the Council’s requirements and any standards as may be determined from time to time, but all other requirements for the offering of such programmes as well.

 

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 the SANC Senior Manager: Education and Training, Ms SJ Nxumalo at 012 420 1022 or jnxumalo@sanc.co.za.

 

Yours sincerely,

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

04 April 2019

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

 

SANC open at 11:00 on Tuesday, 9 April 2019

 

Please be informed that the South African Nursing Council offices will open at 11:00am on Tuesday, 9 April 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

 

1 April 2019

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

 

SANC announces partnership with Government on Annual Fee collection

 

The South African Nursing Council (SANC) has been and continues to be mindful of the challenges that nurse practitioners, employers and the SANC experience during the annual fees collection period, mostly affecting receipt of Annual Practising Certificates (APCs).

 

“It is therefore our pleasure to announce that a solution we have been working on steadfastly has now come to fruition, and will make a hugely positive impact on the annual registration process – no more queues and no need to travel to the SANC Head Office in Pretoria to make your annual payment,” says Ms Sizo Mchunu, Registrar and CEO.

 

“A proposal made to the Department of Health by the SANC to have annual fees collected through PERSAL, has resulted in the Public Health and Social Development Sectoral Bargaining Council (PHSDSBC) taking the following resolution:

Resolution 02 of 2018: Agreement on Payment of Annual Statutory Registration Fees in respect of Health Care Occupations for the Health and Social Development Departments.”

 

Summarily, the agreement captures the following, among others:

•	Recognition that payment of annual registration fees to statutory bodies is a mandatory legal requirement and that such registration is a requirement for employment and practising in the health and social development sector
•	Deduction of professional registration fees from salaries of employees
•	Payment of such statutory fees to Statutory Council by the employer on behalf of employees
•	The commitment is that the implementation date for this arrangement is year 2019.

 

The implementation process has begun between the Department of Health, PHSDSBC and the SANC for implementation in 2019. Nurses affected will be informed officially as soon as the process is ready. 

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 

1 April 2019

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

 

South African Nursing Council – Easter Holidays Closure

 

Please be informed that the South African Nursing Council (SANC) offices will be closed from Thursday, 18 April 2019 at 12:00 and will re-open on Tuesday, 23 April 2019 at 8:00.

 
We would appreciate it if you could kindly inform all persons in your institutions.

 

Wishing you safe travels over the Easter holidays.

 

Yours sincerely

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

19 February 2019

 

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

 

Amendment of the dates for examinations to be written in May 2019

 

1. PURPOSE

The purpose of this Circular is to: 

Inform the National Department of Health, Provincial Departments of Health, Nursing Education Institutions and all stakeholders about the amendment of the dates for the examinations which were due to be written on 08 and 10 May 2019 respectively.

 

2. BACKGROUND

The President of the Republic of South Africa announced during the State of the Nation address (SONA) that the National Elections will be held on 08 May 2019. As this coincides with the South African Nursing Council examinations scheduled for that date, it became prudent to amend the examination dates in order to accommodate this significant event and afford all concerned the opportunity to exercise their democratic right to vote. 
Therefore, the May 2019 examinations will be written as follows:

•	2.1. FIRST-YEAR EXAMINATION FOR THE BRIDGING COURSE FOR ENROLLED NURSES LEADING TO REGISTRATION AS GENERAL NURSE OR PSYCHIATRIC NURSE

DATE	PAPER	TIME
10 May 2019	Paper 1	09:00 – 12:00
13 May 2019	Paper 2	09:00 – 12:00

 

•	2.2. FINAL EXAMINATION FOR THE COURSE LEADING TO REGISTRATION AS MIDWIFE  REGULATION: R.254 OF 14 FEBRUARY 1975 (AS AMENDED)

DATE	PAPER	TIME
06 May 2019	Paper 1	09:00 – 12:00
10 May 2019	Paper 2	09:00 – 12:00
13 May 2019	Paper 3	09:00 – 12:00

 

•	2.3. FINAL EXAMINATION FOR THE COURSE LEADING TO REGISTRATION AS PSYCHIATRIC NURSE [ONE-YEAR COURSE] – REGULATION: R.880 OF 02 MAY 1975 (AS AMENDED)

 

DATE	PAPER	TIME
06 May 2019	Paper 1	09:00 – 12:00
10 May 2019	Paper 1	09:00 – 12:00
13 May 2019	Paper 2	09:00 – 12:00

 

3. IMPORTANT TO NOTE

3.1. Kindly ensure that all the Students are duly informed of the new dates of the examinations.
3.2. None of the other examinations dates for 2019 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 the SANC Senior Manager: Education and Training, Ms SJ Nxumalo at (012) 420 1022 or jnxumalo@sanc.co.za

 

Yours sincerely

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

19 February 2019

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

 

SANC’s new logo and slogan

This year marks the celebration of the SANC’s 75th anniversary and befitting this milestone the SANC proudly introduces its new logo and slogan – a new identity that reflects its evolution yet emphasises its mandate. The SANC launched its new logo and slogan on 28 January 2019. The symbolism of the logo is explained below.

 

Yours sincerely

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

4 February 2019

 

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

 

Provisions of nursing programmes

 

1. PURPOSE
The purpose of this Circular is to: 

1.1 Update/remind the National Department of Health, Provincial Departments of Health, Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) and other relevant stakeholders about the provisions of the following nursing programmes:

– Bridging course for Enrolled Nurses leading to registration as a General/Psychiatric Nurse; 
– Diploma Course in Midwifery for registration as a Midwife.

1.2 Inform the National Department of Health, the Provincial Departments of Health, Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) and other relevant stakeholders of an amended Learner Application form, which should be submitted to the South African Nursing Council (SANC) upon application for registration of learners with the SANC.

 

2. LEGISLATED DURATION OF THE RELEVANT PROGRAMMES

2.1. Bridging course for Enrolled Nurses leading to registration as a General/Psychiatric Nurse  This programme is regulated by the Regulations relating to the minimum requirements for a Bridging Course for Enrolled Nurses leading to registration as a General Nurse or a Psychiatric Nurse (Government Notice Regulation No.683 of 14 April 1989, as amended). In terms of Regulation 6 (1) of these regulations, the duration of this programme shall be two academic years. An “academic year” as defined in these regulations “shall mean a period of at least 44 weeks in any calendar year”.

2.2. Diploma course in Midwifery for registration as a Midwife This programme is regulated by the Regulations relating to the minimum requirements for a Diploma course in Midwifery for registration as a Midwife (Government Notice Regulation No. 254 of 10 March 1978, as amended). In terms of Regulation 4 (1) of these regulations, the duration of the course shall be two years.  This regulation must be read in conjunction with Regulation 7 of these regulations, which deals with exemptions. One such exemption is provided for in Regulation 7 (2), as follows: “A student who is a registered general nurse or a registered psychiatric nurse, is exempted from one (1) year of the prescribed period for the course”.

 

3. IMPLICATIONS 
Based on the content under point 2 above, the South African Nursing Council would like to remind all Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) that are still offering the above-mentioned programmes of the following:

	3.1 Students are required to undergo the above-mentioned programmes on a full-time basis, as it is practically impossible for any person in employment, especially full-time employment, to achieve all the theoretical and practical requirements of the programmes within the prescribed time frames. The programme shall therefore not be undertaken on a part-time basis.
	3.2 The persons in charge of NEIs, who are responsible for signing the learner application forms, must ensure that employed learners have been granted study leave by their employers and must attach such proof upon submission of the respective learners’ application forms to the SANC, failing which the applications will not be processed. In addition, each learner must declare that he/she is undergoing the programme on a full-time basis.
	3.3 The Learner Application form has been amended to capture the above requirements. The amended form can be accessed under the “Services” link on the home page of the SANC website (www.sanc.co.za) and thereafter by clicking on the “Learners” link on the menu. A sample is attached to this circular as Annexure A, for ease of reference.
	3.4 The persons in charge of NEIs, who are responsible for submission of learner applications to the SANC, should also in their covering letters to the SANC declare that the listed learners are undergoing the programme on a full-time basis.
	3.5 Please note that, should it be discovered that learners followed these full-time programmes while in full-time employment, it would amount to the requirements of the programmes not having been complied with. This would result in the SANC invoking Section 44 (1) (i) of the Nursing Act (Act No, 33 of 2005) which states that “The Council may instruct the Registrar to remove from the register the name of any practitioner whose registration is proved to the satisfaction of the Council to have been made in error or through fraudulent misrepresentation or concealment of material facts or information”.  Consequently, the NEIs involved in such incidents would thereafter be deemed fully responsible for the affected persons and any potential litigation that may ensue.
	3.6 Nursing Education Institutions that were approved by the Council to offer these programmes using a decentralized model, are not exempted from the applicability of these requirements.

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

For further information on this Circular, you are advised to contact the Senior Manager: Education and Training, Ms SJ Nxumalo at (012) 420 1022 or at jnxumalo@sanc.co.za

Yours sincerely

 

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

 

 

4 February 2019

 

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

 

Provisions of nursing programmes

 

1. PURPOSE
The purpose of this Circular is to: 

•	1.1 Update/remind the National Department of Health, Provincial Departments of Health, Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) and other relevant stakeholders about the provisions of the following nursing programmes:

– Bridging course for Enrolled Nurses leading to registration as a General/Psychiatric Nurse; 
– Diploma Course in Midwifery for registration as a Midwife.

•

1.2 Inform the National Department of Health, the Provincial Departments of Health, Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) and other relevant stakeholders of an amended Learner Application form, which should be submitted to the South African Nursing Council (SANC) upon application for registration of learners with the SANC.

 

2. LEGISLATED DURATION OF THE RELEVANT PROGRAMMES

•

2.1. Bridging course for Enrolled Nurses leading to registration as a General/Psychiatric Nurse  This programme is regulated by the Regulations relating to the minimum requirements for a Bridging Course for Enrolled Nurses leading to registration as a General Nurse or a Psychiatric Nurse (Government Notice Regulation No.683 of 14 April 1989, as amended). In terms of Regulation 6 (1) of these regulations, the duration of this programme shall be two academic years. An “academic year” as defined in these regulations “shall mean a period of at least 44 weeks in any calendar year”.

•

2.2. Diploma course in Midwifery for registration as a Midwife This programme is regulated by the Regulations relating to the minimum requirements for a Diploma course in Midwifery for registration as a Midwife (Government Notice Regulation No. 254 of 10 March 1978, as amended). In terms of Regulation 4 (1) of these regulations, the duration of the course shall be two years.  This regulation must be read in conjunction with Regulation 7 of these regulations, which deals with exemptions. One such exemption is provided for in Regulation 7 (2), as follows: “A student who is a registered general nurse or a registered psychiatric nurse, is exempted from one (1) year of the prescribed period for the course”.

 

3. IMPLICATIONS 
Based on the content under point 2 above, the South African Nursing Council would like to remind all Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) that are still offering the above-mentioned programmes of the following:

•	3.1 Students are required to undergo the above-mentioned programmes on a full-time basis, as it is practically impossible for any person in employment, especially full-time employment, to achieve all the theoretical and practical requirements of the programmes within the prescribed time frames. The programme shall therefore not be undertaken on a part-time basis.
•	3.2 The persons in charge of NEIs, who are responsible for signing the learner application forms, must ensure that employed learners have been granted study leave by their employers and must attach such proof upon submission of the respective learners’ application forms to the SANC, failing which the applications will not be processed. In addition, each learner must declare that he/she is undergoing the programme on a full-time basis.
•	3.3 The Learner Application form has been amended to capture the above requirements. The amended form can be accessed under the “Services” link on the home page of the SANC website (www.sanc.co.za) and thereafter by clicking on the “Learners” link on the menu. A sample is attached to this circular as Annexure A, for ease of reference.
•	3.4 The persons in charge of NEIs, who are responsible for submission of learner applications to the SANC, should also in their covering letters to the SANC declare that the listed learners are undergoing the programme on a full-time basis.
•	3.5 Please note that, should it be discovered that learners followed these full-time programmes while in full-time employment, it would amount to the requirements of the programmes not having been complied with. This would result in the SANC invoking Section 44 (1) (i) of the Nursing Act (Act No, 33 of 2005) which states that “The Council may instruct the Registrar to remove from the register the name of any practitioner whose registration is proved to the satisfaction of the Council to have been made in error or through fraudulent misrepresentation or concealment of material facts or information”.  Consequently, the NEIs involved in such incidents would thereafter be deemed fully responsible for the affected persons and any potential litigation that may ensue.
•	3.6 Nursing Education Institutions that were approved by the Council to offer these programmes using a decentralized model, are not exempted from the applicability of these requirements.

 

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

For further information on this Circular, you are advised to contact the Senior Manager: Education and Training, Ms SJ Nxumalo at (012) 420 1022 or at jnxumalo@sanc.co.za

Yours sincerely

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council

14 March 2018   TO: National Department of Health   Provincial Department of Health   Nursing Education Institutions   All Stakeholders   South African Nursing Council – Easter holidays closure   Please be informed that the South African Nursing Council (SANC) offices will be closed from Thursday, 29 March 2018 at 12:00 and will re-open on Tuesday, 03 April 2018 at 8:00.   We would appreciate it if you could kindly inform all persons in your institutions. Wishing you safe travels over the Easter holidays. Yours sincerely (Signed) Ms S Mchunu Registrar & CEO South African Nursing Council

4 December 2017

TO:	All SANC Clients
FROM:	Ms SA Mchunu Registrar and CEO

SANC offices closed from 11:00 on 22 December 2017

The SANC offices will be closed for the year-end from Friday, 22 December 2017 at 12:00 midday however for operational reasons, the gates will be closed at 11:00 am. The office will reopen on Wednesday, 3 January 2018 at 08:00 am.

Reminder: All annual Fees must be paid on or before 31 December 2017 in order to avoid restoration fees.

The SA Nursing Council would like to wish you and your families well during the festive season. Travel safely.

Yours sincerely

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council