South African Nursing Council

Regulations Regarding the Distinguishing Devices and Uniforms for Registered Nurses and Midwives and Registered Student Nurses and Student Midwives

The Minister of Health, in terms of section 11(1) of the Nursing Act, Act 69 of 1957, has approved of the following regulations regarding the distinguishing devices and uniforms for registered nurses and midwives and registered student nurses and student midwives, made by the South African Nursing Council in substitution for the regulations published under Goverment Notice R.937 of 28 June 1963, as amended by Notices R.1641 of 25 October 1963 and R.1285 of 26 August 1966:

1.    Except as provided in regulation 7, a registered nurse or midwife shall, in all areas of clinical nursing practice, wear the distinguishing devices consisting of cloth epaulettes of the prescribed colour to which shall be affixed the prescribed badge of the Council and prescribed bars as applicable, unless the Council determines otherwise.

2.    The badge of the Council shall be the design appearing below. The badge shall be of silver with the outer lettered border enamelled blue.

3. (1)    Epaulettes of the following colours shall be worn by persons registered in the various branches of nursing and as midwives:

• General nurse: Dull cherry.
• Psychiatric nurse: Navy blue.
• Mental nurse: Dark saxe blue.
• Nurse for mental defectives: Light saxe blue.
• Fever nurse: Yellow.
• Sick children’s nurse: Mauve.
• Midwife: Green.

(2)    A person who is registered in two or more branches of nursing or as a midwife and in one or more branches of nursing, shall wear epaulettes of the colour prescribed in paragraph (3) and to such epaulettes shall be affixed rectangular metal bars enamelled in the colours prescribed for epaulettes in paragraph (1) in respect of the other registered qualifications; provided that registration as a sick children’s nurse or as a fever nurse shall not be indicated by way of bars on the epaulettes.

(3)    Where a person is registered in two or more branches of nursing or as a midwife and in one or more branches or nursing, and where-

(a)    such person is, inter alia, registered as a general nurse, dull cherry epaulettes shall be worn;

(b)    such person is not registered as a general nurse, but is, inter alia, registered as a psychiatric nurse, navy blue epaulettes shall be worn;

(c)    such person is not registered as a general nurse, or as a psychiatric nurse, but is, inter alia, registered as a mental nurse, dark saxe blue epaulettes shall be worn;

(d)    such person is not registered as a general nurse, or as psychiatric nurse, or as a mental nurse, but is, inter alia, registered as a nurse for mental defectives, light saxe blue epaulettes shall be worn;

(e)    such person is not registered as a general nurse, or as a psychiatric nurse, or as a mental nurse, or as a nurse for mental defectives, but is, inter alia, registered as a sick children’s nurse, mauve epaulettes shall be worn;

(f)    such person is not registered as a general nurse, or as a psychiatric nurse, or as a mental nurse, or as a nurse for mental defectives, or as a sick children’s nurse, but is, inter alia, registered as a fever nurse, yellow epaulettes shall be worn.

(4)    A person against whose name any one or more of the following additional qualifications are registered shall wear the appropriate rectangular metal bar/s on the prescribed epaulettes, horizontally below the badge of the Council:

• Tutor: White.
• Diploma in Nursing Administration: Silver.
• Diploma in Public Health Nursing: Yellow.

4.    [Deleted by R.1378 of 13 August 1971.]

5.    Distinguishing devices shall be worn only on a uniform which complies with the following requirements:

(a)    The uniform shall be of a plain tailored style and may include respectable full length tailored trousers. In the case of women, the skirt shall be at least knee length. In the case of men, long or short trousers may be worn;

(b)    The full uniform shall be of a plain colour;

(c)    The accessories shall be-

(i)    plain matching shoes in a matching colour;

(ii)    full length stockings for females and hose for men wearing short trousers;

(iii)    a tailored jacket/jersey or coat or cape of a plain colour, if worn.

6.    The distinguishing devices shall be worn only as prescribed and not as part of or in combination with any other device or badge. A registered person who contravenes any provision of this regulation shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding twenty rand (R20).

7.    Notwithstanding the provisions of these regulations, a registered person who is a member of the South African Military Nursing Services, or of the Nursing Services of the Prisons Department, need not wear the prescribed distinguishing devices when wearing military uniform, or the uniform of the Prisons Department, unless the Council determines otherwise.

8.    Any person who manufactures, sells or supplies any distinguishing device prescribed in these regulations without the written authority of the Council, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine not exceeding fifty rand (R50).

9.    These regulations shall also apply in the territory of South-West Africa.