SHORT COURSES

The Council recently resolved that it would no longer be offering short courses of less than one academic year, leading to the issuing of a certificate by the Council.  It was therefore decided that the regulations governing the four short courses in Occupational Health Nursing, Stoma Care Nursing, Renal Nursing and Spinal Injury Nursing be repealed.  This was done under Government Notices R.1746, R.1747 and R.1748 of 17 August 1984.

The Council however, recognises the need for short courses of less than one academic year for registered nurses and resolved further that –

(1)  short courses of this nature:

(a)    be instituted only if a need for a course has been identified on national level and/or regional level;

(b)    be examined locally and not on a national level;

(c)    be recognised only if the course is presented by one of the following:

(i)    departments of nursing science at universities;

(ii)    departments of continuing education at universities with a department of nursing science;

(iii)    hospital nursing schools;

(iv)    nursing colleges;

(v)    technikons;

(vi)    professional education sections of:

• • • • the South African Nursing Association
      • a State Department of Health and Welfare
      • a Provincial Department of Hospital Services

(vii)    in exceptional circumstances any other institution which the Council may approve

(2)  for such short courses:

(a)    the duration of the course shall be at least 160 hours;

(b)    regulations be not published;

(c)    broad national programme objectives be compiled by the Council and published in the form of a directive;

(d)    the programme for the course must be approved by the Council;

(e)    local examinations shall be in agreement with programme objectives of the Council;

(f)    the Council shall have the right to withdraw recognition of the course at any time and shall have the right of inspection;

(g)    the qualification be not registered with the Council as an additional qualification, but be listed merely for statistical purposes;

(h)    proof be given on the annual fee receipt that the qualification is listed by the Council;

(3)  for listing purposes of the qualification the following information be furnished:

(a)    the name of the institution offering the course and the name of the qualification;

(b)    the full names and surname of the holder of the qualification;

(c)    the capacities in which a person is registered;

(d)    the date of the award of the qualification;

(e)    a declaration that the holder of the qualification followed an approved course and complied with all the requirements for listing;

(4)  the certificate obtained after successful completion of the course be issued by the school which presented the course and that the information contained in 3(a), (b), (d) and (e) and the following words be printed on the certificate:

“This qualification is approved for listing by the South African Nursing Council”;

(5)  the principle be adopted that regulations be only published for courses which extend over at least one academic year (44 weeks).  These qualifications to be registered as additional qualifications;(6)  all existing approved schools for courses extending over less than one academic year (44 weeks) shall, within a maximum period of one (1) year, comply with the requirement that the course be offered at a recognised institution (see 1(c) above).