you have always been interested in devoting yourself to your community, becoming a nurse is one of the ways you can achieve this goal. However, along the way, you must know everything about nursing education and careers in South Africa to become the best one.
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Qualified nurses are needed around the country for a variety of jobs, including bedside care, leadership, teaching, and advocacy. Compassionate, savvy nurses have an opportunity to make a difference as patient numbers rise and the population ages.
In becoming a nurse, you have to take many paths, from the preparation stage for admission to obtaining your qualifications. Even though it won’t be easy, your hard work is worth the results you’ll get. Keep reading to learn how to become a nurse, nursing education and careers in South Africa.
How to Earn a Nursing Education in South Africa
There are many different sorts of nurses in South Africa, including nurse auxiliaries, midwives, and even psychiatric nurses. As a result, there are various nursing degrees available.
You must first be educated at a nursing school, which can be a part of a training hospital or a university, regardless of the type of nurse you wish to be. Before you may enter the workforce after finishing your studies, you must first complete a year of community service.
First of all, determine the type of nursing program you want to pursue, as there are numerous options. Some offer Baccalaureus Curationis, or BCur, undergraduate degrees, while others allow students to pursue a post-graduate nursing degree.
In four to five years, you can complete an undergraduate degree. A Master’s degree in psychiatric nursing, general nursing, or midwifery can be obtained by nurses with an undergraduate degree in nursing sciences. A PhD in Nursing or a Doctor Curationis degree, commonly known as DCur, is another option for some.
Next, fill out an application for the nursing program of your choice. Your chosen nursing program will most likely be determined by the location of the nursing school, the courses provided, and whether an undergraduate or post-graduate nursing degree is desired.
Then, complete the required courses of study and register with the South African Nursing Council (SANC). You must register with the SANC, attend classes, and complete the nursing program once admitted into the program.
The nursing school will provide a Certificate of Completion to the SANC after graduation. The certificate serves as formal notification to the Council that you have successfully completed the training course.
A Brief Overview on SANC
South African Nursing Council is the body entrusted to set and maintain standards of nursing education and practice in the Republic of South Africa. It is an autonomous, financially independent, statutory body, initially established by the Nursing Act, 1944, and currently operating under the Nursing Act, 2005.
South African Nursing Council is involved in the monitoring of nursing standards by:
- Accreditation of new nursing education institutions and nursing education programmes;
- Constantly reviewing nursing education and training to be in line with the needs of the Republic of South Africa;
- Inspection of nursing education institutions and clinical facilities;
- Providing counselling and guidance to the nursing profession regarding the implementation of the nursing education and training policies; and
- Registering nurse practitioners, therefore permitting them to practise as nurses.
In order to register as a professional nurse in person, you must go to the South African Nursing Council’s office. Visit the office and fill out an application form for Professional Nurse Registration, if it is required.
Make sure you have all of the necessary documentation. Fill out the application form with the facts and requirements that apply to you. Attach all relevant documents to the completed application form and submit it to the SANC’s appropriate department.
The application form and any accompanying documentation will be checked and validated by the appropriate personnel after submission. After you’ve completed all of the necessary steps, you’ll be given a Professional Nurse Registration Certificate.
Where to Look for Nursing Vacancies in South Africa
Once qualified, you can work for the Department of Health at public health establishments like hospitals and clinics, or join one of the private hospitals or clinics. Nursing jobs in South Africa are also available in municipalities, medical laboratories, and the military.
Below are some institutions in South Africa where you can find nursing roles:
1. Hospital and Clinics
Both clinics and hospitals in South Africa offer opportunities for you to specialize in nursing areas of care that interest you.
On the clinic side, you can choose to see a variety of patients in a general family care clinic, or you can develop a speciality by working in a healthcare facility that focuses on a particular type of care, such as dermatology, gynaecology, mental health or paediatrics.
Hospital nurses also enjoy plenty of positions to choose from. Thanks to the variety of departments and the number of patients hospitals care for, you are needed to fill speciality roles, patient care positions and management jobs.
The following are names of hospitals and clinics in South Africa holding nursing job openings around the clock:
2. Department of Health
If you decide to work for the Department of Health, you’ll be developing knowledge on subjects such as:
- Differing health needs;
- What influences our health and wellbeing; and
- How to prevent ill-health and promote health.
Moreover, you’ll also develop skills in areas such as:
- Analysing and interpreting information on people and health;
- Reviewing the literature on what works to make a difference; and
- Effective communication, joint working and leadership.
If you can make change happen and believe passionately in improving and protecting people’s health and wellbeing, then working for the Department of Health is the right career for you.
You can easily find Department of Health nursing vacancies in all provinces in South Africa. We’ve even listed them for you here.
3. South African Defence Force
Military nurses care for patients within the armed forces at bases and in war zones all across the globe. As a military nurse, you will have the unique opportunity to care for others while serving our country and experiencing other places and cultures.
You’ll also be required to live up to the high standards of your military branch in addition to all the usual requirements of a medical professional.
4. Municipalities
As a whole generation of baby boomers begins to retire, municipalities are searching for energetic learning-oriented younger nurses.
If you’re looking for stability, great benefits, lots of learning opportunities, and the chance to really make a difference in your community, then a nursing job in municipalities is right for you.
Working for your municipality may provide you with more opportunities than you might think. Municipalities provide many of the same career opportunities as private industry. While many of the tasks are similar, important differences between public and private service make working for them attractive on many levels.
Check your municipality’s website for available nursing vacancies.
5. Nursing Agencies
With nursing agencies becoming more popular, finding nursing jobs has never been easier in South Africa.
If you enjoy the freedom and flexibility of choosing when and where you want to work and what shifts you prefer to work, agency nursing is a good fit for you. You get to focus on patient care and reap the benefits.
You get to organise your schedule around your personal and family responsibilities, which is something everyone wants. You can enjoy great pay and a higher quality of life, and never missing out on valuable time with your family and friends.
Here are some of the leading nursing agencies in South Africa where you might want to try your luck: