Bachelor of Nursing
Health Sciences and Social Services - Curative Health
Purpose and Rationale
Purpose:
According to the Nursing Act No. 33 of 2005, a professional nurse is a person who is qualified and competent to independently practice comprehensive nursing and midwifery in the manner and to the level prescribed and who is capable of assuming responsibility and accountability for such practice. More specifically, the qualification aims to prepare learners to practice safely and provide quality care according to the Scope of Practice for a Professional Nurse and Midwife as follows:
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Assume full responsibility and accountability for:
- The provision of comprehensive nursing treatment and care of persons in all healthcare settings throughout the lifespan of a person.
- The management of nursing care of individuals, groups, and communities and providing emergency care.
- Ensuring the safe implementation of nursing care.
- The care of persons with health conditions in all settings.
- The delegation of nursing care, ensuring that nursing care is only delegated to competent practitioners or persons.
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Practice ethically and professionally by:
- Providing comprehensive nursing care and management for the nursing treatment and rehabilitation for all health problems of individuals, groups, and communities as an independent practitioner in all clinical areas.
- Participating in and developing a program to ensure the quality of nursing practice.
Rationale:
The South African Nursing Council has changed the requirements for qualifications leading to registration as a Professional Nurse effective as from 2018. The regulations now require learners to follow a 4-year Bachelor's qualification in General Nursing and Midwifery only - the previous components of Psychiatric Nursing and Community Nursing will no longer be included. The qualification also seeks to prepare the nurses to function independently in the district health services and requires them to be competent to work in clinics, community health centres, and all levels of hospitals within the system.
With the promulgation of the Regulations leading to the Registration in the Categories Professional Nurse and Midwife, all professional nurses will have to obtain a Degree. Currently, Nursing Colleges are not in a position to train this category of nurses.
Fifty percent (50%) of all newly qualified professional nurses are currently qualifying as Enrolled Nurses with a two-year qualification and can be registered as General Nurses, meaning only half of the newly qualified professional nurses have a midwifery qualification. Forty-six percent (46%) of all learners are training in the private sector, indicating that the private sector will effectively not be able to train professional nurses except for those who have registered at Higher Education Institutions.
This shift puts the onus on existing Universities offering Nursing qualifications to considerably increase the number of learners they educate and to make the qualification accessible to both school leavers and currently qualified nurses in General Nursing without a Degree or a midwifery qualification. The Department aims to address issues in nursing education, such as the heavy emphasis on content and compartmentalization of the curriculum into modules that did not foster critical thinking and application.
The Department is focusing on incorporating e-learning into the qualification to align nursing education at the university with the information age. Upon successful completion of this qualification, learners will be eligible to register with the South African Nursing Council (SANC) as a Professional Nurse and a Midwife, being licensed to practice as defined in the Nursing Act No. 33 of 2005.
Outcomes
- Apply knowledge of biological and natural sciences, psycho-social sciences and pharmacology in the provision of safe nursing and midwifery care, throughout the life span, in a variety of health care settings and communities in response to population needs.
- Identify and address ethical and legal issues based on critical reflection on the suitability of different ethical value (and legal) systems to the nursing and midwifery practice within the legal framework.
- Manage a health care unit and health facility based on the understanding of the roles and relationships within the multidisciplinary team.
- Access, produce and manage information effectively to a range of audiences, including health information systems.
- Conduct research in investigating nursing and health-related problems in order to improve quality of care.
- Apply learning strategies effectively to address own and other's professional and personal ongoing learning needs in a self-critical manner.
- Apply knowledge of theories, methods and techniques in the practice safe clinical nursing that is responsive to the needs of the individual, the family and the community, in accordance with national legislative and policy frameworks at all levels of health care.
- Provide safe and quality midwifery and neonatal care in a scientific, integrated and evidence based approach in all health care settings.
Assessment Criteria
Exit Level Outcome 1:
- Apply knowledge of psychology and sociology in nursing and midwifery practice to benefit health care delivery.
- Demonstrate knowledge of bio-natural sciences for professional health care.
- Provide assistance to clients and identify indicators of relapse or complications.
- Use technology for effective diagnosis and treatment.
- Initiate treatment for common conditions, including prescribing medication.
- Understand pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and standard treatment protocols.
- Apply pharmacological principles in care and control of drugs for neonates.
Exit Level Outcome 2:
- Advocate for individual, group, and community rights in health care provision.
- Apply South African Nursing and Health Care legislation.
- Interpret and apply ethical codes and standards for nursing practice.
Exit Level Outcome 3:
- Plan and provide health care based on sound assessment and informed decision making.
- Involve patients and stakeholders in planning.
- Develop unit philosophy, policies, and procedures that comply with regulations.
- Manage resources effectively and implement quality management systems.
Exit Level Outcome 4:
- Organize and communicate professional information accurately.
- Promote community involvement in health care.
- Document accurately and promote effective service delivery.
- Monitor and improve standards of health care delivery.
- Communicate effectively using various media and technology.
- Establish supportive relationships and therapeutic rapport.
Exit Level Outcome 5:
- Conduct research based on identified needs and ethical principles.
- Develop strategies based on research findings and epidemiological principles.
- Provide care based on scientific evidence.
Exit Level Outcome 6:
- Maintain emotional balance and promote professional service delivery.
- Engage in professional development activities.
- Investigate research activities to develop professional knowledge.
- Direct learning and mentoring activities effectively.
Exit Level Outcome 7:
- Provide appropriate health care based on comprehensive assessments.
- Implement nursing care according to plans.
- Diagnose and manage conditions accurately.
- Provide support for patients recovering from illness.
- Deliver nursing care for long-term and terminally ill patients.
- Demonstrate competent clinical skills and make clinical decisions.
Exit Level Outcome 8:
- Prepare women and families for pregnancy, childbirth, and family.
- Conduct comprehensive obstetric assessments and manage labour and delivery.
- Monitor foetal wellbeing and manage emergencies.
- Deliver postnatal care for the wellbeing of mother and child.
Integrated Assessment:
- Learners will be assessed for competency in all Exit Level Outcomes.
- Assessment will be conducted by registered assessors and guided by criteria.
- Formative clinical assessment will be conducted in real-life situations.
- Continuous assessment will be done throughout the study period.
- Formative assessments will identify learning needs and provide feedback.
- Summative assessment will be conducted at the end of each academic year.
- Formative assessment strategies may include written assignments, tests, projects, clinical assessments, and more.
- Summative assessment strategies may include selected response items, performance assessments, research reports, and more.
Qualification Details
- Type
- National First Degree(Min 480)
- NQF Level
- 08
- Min. Credits
- 480
- SAQA Source
- More Information
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