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: [email protected].

 

Yours sincerely

(Signed)

Ms SA Mchunu
Registrar and CEO
South African Nursing Council