15 November 2016

TO:	News Editors
FROM:	South African Nursing Council
SUBJECT:	Nursing Education and Training and Nursing Education Institutions in South Africa

 

The South African Nursing Council (SANC) would like to reiterate that only students that study accredited nursing programs at accredited Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs), will be able to register as students with the SANC, register to write the SANC examinations and ultimately obtain professional registration or enrolment with the South African Nursing Council in the following nurse categories:

•	Registered Nurse
•	Midwife
•	Enrolled Nurse and
•	Enrolled Nursing Auxiliary

 

The SANC is established and functions under the Nursing Act, 2005 (Act No. 33 of 2005).  In accordance with the provisions of the Act, the SANC regulates nursing education and training by accrediting institutions as Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs), among others.  The SANC further approves all nursing programmes offered by NEIs.  NEIs can offer the approved Nursing Programme/s, provided that they meet the set criteria, comply with the provisions of the relevant regulations and are duly registered by all relevant authorities.  All NEIs that are accredited by the SANC are currently offering legacy nursing qualifications.

Says Ms Sizeni Mchunu, Acting Registrar of the SANC: “The names of all accredited Nursing Education Institutions are published, public and private NEIs per province, on the SANC website at www.sanc.co.za. This is done to assist the public and potential nursing students with the correct information in order to ensure that students do not to register with the institutions that are not duly accredited. Nursing Education Institutions include Universities, Universities of Technology, public Nursing Colleges, public Nursing Schools and private Nursing Schools.

The SANC calls on all student nurses to ensure that their training institution is accredited and that they are registered with the SA Nursing Council as students, in terms of Section 32 of the Nursing Act.  The SANC issues a registration certificate to the NEI for each student upon submission of required documentation by the NEI.  Such certificate should be given to the student by the NEI.  Currently the Council is working on a system that will ensure that the certificate is issued electronically to both the NEI and the student simultaneously.

Students are encouraged to check whether they have been registered with the SANC by contacting them at Tel. 012-420 1000.”

The legacy nursing qualifications that are currently offered by NEIs are gradually being phased out so that new ones that are in line with current legislation both in Nursing and Higher Education can be phased-in.  The transition lies with the changes in the nursing legislation and higher education.

The phasing-out process affects both public and private NEIs.  It must be noted that no NEIs have been closed by the SANC as a result of this process.

The gradual process of phasing-out the legacy qualifications has started with two of these qualifications i.e. Course leading to enrolment as a Nurse and course leading to enrolment as a Nursing Auxiliary.  Both these have seen a massive overproductions accompanied by a higher unemployment rate as has been shown by a survey that was conducted by the SANC in 2015.

The last intake date for the courses mentioned above was 30 June 2015.  Communication with Nursing Education Institutions and other stakeholders within the sector was sent by the Nursing Council through a circular 13 of 2014 as well as the formal notice that was published in the Government Gazette R.928 of October 2015.

Phasing out of the legacy nursing qualifications affects both the public and private NEI’s equally.

ENDS

 

For more information or to arrange for an interview, please contact:

Mrs Adri van Eeden
Tel : (012) 426 9542
email [email protected]