South African Nursing Council

Regulations for the Course for the Diploma in Midwifery for Registration as a Midwife

The Minister of Health, in terms of section 11 (1) of the Nursing Act, 1957 (Act 69 of 1957), as amended, has approved of the following regulations for the course for the diploma in midwifery for registration as a midwife, made by the South African Nursing Council in substitution for the regulations published under Government Notice R. 84 of 16 January 1970, as amended by Notices R. 1379 of 13 August 1971 and R. 1739 of 29 September 1972:

Conditions for the approval of schools

1. (1)    A school may be approved if-

(a)    the organisational structure and the facilities for the conduct of the teaching programme are satisfactory in the opinion of the Council;

(b)    the educational programme is satisfactory in the opinion of the Council;

(c)    a person who is registered both as a general nurse and as a midwife and against whose name an additional qualification in nursing education and an additional qualification in nursing administration are registered, is designated to the Council as the person in charge of the school;

(d)    facilities for clinical practica are satisfactory in the opinion of the Council;

(e)    facilities for practica in preventive and promotive health care are satisfactory in the opinion of the Council.

(2)    Notwithstanding the conditions prescribed in this regulation, the Council may approve a school even if all the conditions cannot be complied with. Approval may be granted upon such conditions as the Council may determine.

Admission to the course

2.    A candidate shall submit to the person in charge of the school proof of current registration as a general nurse or as a psychiatric nurse, or proof of current enrolment as a nurse. This registration or enrolment shall be maintained throughout the course and until the results of the final examination are published, failing which the period of the course undergone from the date of removal from the register or roll to the date of restoration, shall be forfeited.

Registration, restoration, termination and completion of the course

3.    In terms of the regulations regarding the registers for students-

(a)    a student shall apply for registration or for restoration to the register;

(b)    the person in charge of a school shall notify the Council if a student terminates the course for any reason before completion, including a transfer to another school;

(c)    the person in charge of a school shall notify the Council when a student completes the course. With this notice a record of the theoretical and clinical instruction undergone by the student shall be lodged.

Duration of the course

4. (1)    Except as otherwise prescribed in regulation 7, the duration of the course shall be two (2) years. The leave of absence which may be granted in terms of paragraph (2) and the sick leave which may be granted in terms of paragraph (3)(a) are included in this period (not additional sick leave which may be granted in terms of paragraph (3)(b)).

(2)    A student may be granted leave of absence as follows at such times during the prescribed course as the person in charge of the school may decide upon:

(a)    If the prescribed course extends over less than one (1) year – nil;

(b)    if the prescribed course extends over at least one (1) year but over less than two (2) years – not more than thirty (30) days in all;

(c)    if the prescribed course extends over at least two (2) years but over less than three (3) years – not more than sixty (60) days in all.

(3) (a)    A student may be granted sick leave calculated at the rate of twelve (12) days for each year of the course and a proportionate number of days in a lesser period. Sick leave maybe granted at any time during the prescribed course.

(b)    Additional sick leave may be granted, but this sick leave shall be made up so that the prescribed period for the course is completed.

(4) (a)    The course shall be commenced de novo if a break occurs before the completion of six (6) months of the prescribed course, unless the Council determines otherwise.

(b)    The period of any break shall be made up so that the prescribed period for the course is completed.

(c)    For the purpose of this regulations the expression “break” means-

(i)    any absence which is not authorised in this regulation;

(ii)    a transfer from one school to another.

The curriculum

(The curriculum must be read in conjunction with
the directive obtainable from the Council)

5.    Note.–

(i)    All the subjects of the curriculum shall be taught at an applied level throughout the course;

(ii)    the ethical foundations of midwifery shall be emphasised throughout the course;

(iii)    the law governing the practice of midwifery, including the regulations regarding the conduct of registered midwives which shall constitute improper or disgraceful conduct and the conditions under which they may carry on their profession, shall be taught at an applied level throughout the course;

(iv)    medico-legal risks shall be emphasised throughout the course;

(v)    the science principles underlying midwifery shall be emphasised throughout the course;

(vi)    Microbiology, Parasitology and Pharmacology shall be emphasised throughout the course.

(1)    Basic sciences:

(a)    Social Sciences, Social Care and Mental Health Care.

(b)    Natural sciences. – Applied Medical Biophysics and Applied Chemistry.

(c)    Biological sciences. – Anatomy, Physiology and Microbiology, Parasitology and Pharmacology.

(2)    Science and Art of Midwifery, Neo-natal Care and Mothercraft (from infancy to the pre-school child).

(3)    Preventive and Promotive Health Care and Family Planning.

(4)    Principles of Professional Practice.

(5)    Ward Administration and Clinical Instruction.

(6)    Records.

Lectures, clinical instruction and practica

6. (1)    Except as otherwise prescribed in regulation 7, a student shall throughout the course receive instruction both theoretically and clinically in the subjects prescribed in the curriculum in regulation 5.

(2)    The clinical instruction and practica shall include (the instruction need not be continuous)-

(a)    sixty (60) hours in an ante-natal department or clinic. The student shall examine and receive instruction in the supervision of at least thirty (30) pregnant women;

(b)    witnessing under instruction of five (5) deliveries before the student is allowed to do deliveries;

(c)    fifteen (15) deliveries by the student personally. At least the first five (5) deliveries shall be done in the school;

(d)    fifteen (15) internal examinations by the student personally. The findings shall be checked by a medical practitioner or a registered midwife;

(e)    breathing and relaxation techniques, ante-natal exercises, post-natal exercises;

(f)    performance of episiotomies;

(g)    suturing of first and second degree tears of the perineum and of episiotomies and administration of a local anaesthetic, excluding pudendal block.

(3)    During the instruction, a student-

(a)    shall keep records of ante-natal patients and of the patients personally delivered by the student;

(b)    shall nurse ante-natal patients suffering from abnormal conditions;

(c)    may receive instruction on a district approved by the Council.

(4)    A student shall receive clinical instruction, including practica in the wards and departments in delivering and nursing patients at night, for at least a twelfth (1/12) and for not more than a quarter (1/4) of the prescribed period for the course. These periods need not be continuous.

Exemptions

7. (1)    Students referred to in this regulation-

(a)    shall comply with the provisions of regulation 3;

(b)    shall not be granted exemption under more than one of the succeeding paragraphs.

(2)    A student who is a registered general nurse or a registered psychiatric nurse, is exempted-

(a)    from one (1) year of the prescribed period for the course; and

(b)    from the preliminary examination and the lectures, demonstrations and clinical instruction prescribed for this examination.

(3)    A student not being a registered general nurse or a registered psychiatric nurse, but who has passed in the common preliminary examination for general nurses and psychiatric nurses and midwives is exempted from the preliminary examination, but shall attend the lectures and demonstrations and undergo the clinical instruction prescribed for this examination.

(4)   [subregulation DELETED]

(5)    The Council may grant other exemptions.

Examinations

8. (1)  [subregulation DELETED]

(2)    The preliminary examination shall consist of a written portion of one combined paper of three hours on the subjects Natural Sciences and Biological Sciences.

(3)    The final examination shall consist of two portions, namely-

(a)    a written portion of three papers of three hours each; and

(b)    a practical portion conducted by the nursing school.

(4)    The examinations shall be conducted in accordance with the regulations relating to examinations of the council.

(5)    The course referred to in these regulations shall, for the purposes of applying the regulations referred to in subregulation (4), be called a basic course.

Admission to examinations

9. (1)    In order to be admitted to the preliminary examination, the candidate shall-

(a)    complete at least nine months of the prescribed period for the course by the end of the month in which the examination is held; and

(b)    by the date of the examination have attended the course of instruction in the subjects prescribed for the preliminary examination.

(2)    A student shall be admitted to the second year only after he has completed the first year of the course and has passed the preliminary examination.

(3)    In order to be admitted to the final examination, the candidate shall-

(a)    complete the prescribed period for the course by the end of the month in which the examination is held;

(b)    subject to the provisions of regulation (7), complete by the end of the month in which the examination is held at least one year of the prescribed period for the course subsequent to the date of the preliminary examination which he passed; and

(c)    subject to the provisions of regulation 7, comply with the provisions of regulation 6 by the date of the examination.

(4)    A candidate who does not comply with the requirements for admission to an examination because of additional sick leave referred to in regulation 4(3)(b), which has to be made up, may be admitted by the council to the examination if-

(a)    the person in charge of the nursing school submits a written application for the admission of the candidate to the council not later than the prescribed closing date; and

(b)    it is possible to make up the additional sick leave not later that the end of the month in which the examination is held.

Registration

10.    A candidate who has successfully completed the course shall be registered without the payment of a fee as a midwife in terms of the regulations regarding registers; provided the notice and record prescribed in regulation 3(c) have been lodged.

Application of regulations

11. (1)    Subject to the provisions of regulation 12, these regulations shall apply to all courses in the Republic leading to registration as a midwife.

Transition clause

12. (1)    Subject to the provisions of subregulation (2), these regulations shall not derogate from the provisions of-

(a)    the regulations referred to in section 46(2) of the Nursing Act, 1978 (Act No. 6 of 1978) (Transkei), and published by Government Notice No. R. 254 of 14 February 1975, as amended by Government Notice No. R. 479 of 10 March 1978, hereinafter referred to as ‘the 1975 regulations’, which shall remain in force until 31 December 1998;

(b)    the regulations published under the Nursing Act, 1984 (Act No. 13 of 1984) (Ciskei), by Government Notice No. 86 of 1986, hereinafter referred to as ‘the 1986 regulations’, which shall remain in force until 31 December 1998;

(c)    the regulations published under the Health and Related Professions Act, 1985 (Act No. 33 of 1985) (Bophuthatswana), by Government Notice No. 63 of 23 March 1990, hereinafter referred to as ‘the 1990 regulations’, which shall remain in force until 31 December 1998.

(2)    Notwithstanding the provisions of subregulation (1), no person shall be permitted to register for a course referred to in the 1975, 1986 or 1990 regulations, after 28 February 1997.