What Are the Requirements to Study Nursing in South Africa? 

South Africa arguably has the best medical care facilities in Africa and requires a lot of professionals to keep this enviable position on the continent. A lot of nurses are required in the healthcare sector yearly and with many interested in the field, knowing the requirements to study nursing in South Africa is always an added advantage.

If you are looking forward to becoming a nurse in South Africa, then this piece will definitely answer most of your questions with respect to the requirements you need to meet in order to achieve your dreams. We have carefully outlined all that the South African Nursing Council – the body regulating the Nursing profession in South Africa, requires of you in order to be admitted into accredited Nursing Education Institutions and ultimately become a registered nurse.

Requirements To Study Nursing In South Africa

Nursing, just like other professions in the Healthcare delivery system, is a very important life-saving job, and one which no country takes for granted. There are several laws and laid down guidelines that regulate and govern how individuals are trained to become nurses, and what rules and regulations they must abide by in the discharge of their duties when they eventually become qualified practitioners.

The South African Nursing Council is the body that determines the requirements to study nursing as a profession in the country, and they have listed three major undergraduate paths to becoming a nurse in the country, as well as a post-graduate Diploma or Degree that those who intend to further their education can go for.

Before we look at the requirements to study nursing in South Africa as an undergraduate, let’s have a look at the particulars aspiring student nurses must provide, as stipulated by the Nursing Act, 2005 (Act No 33 of 2005). They are:

  • Full Names (of the applicant)
  • South African Identity Number, or crucial information from the Passport of International students – Passport Number, Issued and Expiry Date, Issuing Country, etc
  • Residential Address (of the applicant)
  • Postal Address (of the applicant)
  • Telephone numbers of the applicant, email address, and other useful contact information
  • Date Of Birth (of the applicant)
  • (Nursing) Program (the applicant intends to study)
  • Date of Commencement or Resumption of the program
  • Nursing education institution (the applicant is currently studying in)
  • Other particulars or details of the program that the Nursing Council may require

Note: The particulars listed above are required by the nursing council from all students or professionals seeking to be listed in the council’s register.

Undergraduate Nursing Requirements

As stated earlier, there are 3 main undergraduate paths and requirements to study nursing in South Africa. The paths and their requirements are listed below:

1. Higher Certificate In Nursing

This study path is a one-year program and students during this period will be trained on the basics of taking care of patients in whatever condition they present themselves at the healthcare institution. Students who successfully complete this program are very important in the healthcare delivery ecosystem as they are the ones who work directly with patients and give reports periodically to doctors and registered nurses in their respective hospitals or clinics.

After completing the program, they would be required to register with the South African Nursing Council, and are mostly referred to or designated as Auxilliary Nurses. Though they do not work independently, they are very important in the healthcare delivery system and are probably the healthcare practitioner that spends the most time with the patients.

Requirements For The Higher Certificate In Nursing

As part of the requirements to study nursing in South Africa, students interested in this certificate must have –

  • National Senior Certificate Pass
  • English language pass
  • Life Sciences and/or Biology pass
  • Overall National Senior Certificate score of 16 points (at least)

2. Diploma In Nursing

Any individual who wishes to obtain a diploma in nursing has to enroll in this three-year program, which would equip them with the skills to provide essential services within the healthcare sector. Upon the successful completion of this program, the individual would be required to register with the South African Nursing Council as a General Nurse (formerly referred to as a Staff Nurse)

Nurses in this category usually have better knowledge of the system than auxiliary nurses, and they are a very essential part of the medical team in any hospital or clinic. According to details available on the Nursing Council’s website, nurses in this category can be involved and useful in all aspects of today’s modern and sophisticated healthcare delivery and administration ecosystem.

Requirements For The Diploma In Nursing

As part of the requirements to study nursing in South Africa, students interested in this certificate must have –

  • National Senior Certificate Pass
  • English language pass
  • Mathematics pass
  • Life Sciences and/or Biology pass
  • International students would be required to produce South African equivalent qualifications that would allow them to study nursing in the country

3. Bachelor Of Nursing

This can be regarded as the highest undergraduate requirement to study nursing in South Africa. Students would be required to undertake a 4-year course that would not only teach them the theoretical part of becoming a nurse, it would also impart them with the practical hands-on experience needed to become a nurse capable and competent enough to discharge patient care duties to the best of their abilities.

Upon the successful completion of this program from a South African Nursing Council-approved tertiary institution, the individual would be required to register with the SANC as a Professional Midwife and Nurse. These professionals work hand in hand with the other medical professionals in various hospitals and clinics.

Requirements For The Bachelor Of Nursing Degree

As part of the requirements to study nursing in South Africa and obtain a Bachelor of Nursing degree, students interested in this degree must have –

• National Senior Certificate Pass

• English language pass

• Mathematics pass

• Life Sciences and/or Biology pass

• Computer Literacy skills

• Overall National Senior Certificate score of 16 points (at least)

If after successfully completing either the Diploma in Nursing or the Bachelor of Nursing degree, you still wish to further your education in this chosen field, the South African Nursing Council has prescribed two major ways to further your education.

Post Graduate Diploma in Nursing

Nursing is a wide-ranging profession and body of knowledge, and after completing your Diploma in Nursing or Bachelor of Nursing degree, you can decide to go for post-graduate diplomas in a specialized field of nursing such as trauma, public health, dialysis, infectious disease control, clinical, neo-natal, critical care or emergencies, just to mention a few. The choice of the field to specialize in is yours and it may depend also on your area of interest, career fulfillment, or financial rewards.

Advanced Degrees At Honours, Masters, And Doctorate Levels

With your Diploma or Bachelor’s degree in Nursing ready, you can decide to further your education in your chosen field to a Master’s in Nursing degree level and later go for a Doctorate in Nursing degree from any tertiary institution that is approved and accredited by the South African Nursing Council.

The choice of the level of post-graduate degree is entirely yours, and it’s worth noting that each additional level comes with more expertise, recognition in your field, and better financial returns.

Qualities Required To Become A Nurse In South Africa

The South African Nursing Council on their website produced a comprehensive brochure on all the requirements to become a nurse in South Africa. Alongside the academic requirements listed, they have detailed some qualities needed to become a nurse in the country some of which includes –

  • Interpersonal skills
  • Communications skills
  • Empathy
  • Honesty
  • Compassion
  • Sympathy
  • Patience

How to Become A Registered Nurse In South Africa

 

In order to become a nurse and practice this very humble and life-saving profession in South Africa, there are a few stipulated steps you must follow to turn your dream into a reality. These steps have been stipulated by the South African Nursing Council (SANC) – the organization that controls all affairs related to the nursing profession in South Africa.

You would be required to do the following in order to be registered as a practicing nurse in South Africa –

  1. Apply and get admission into an accredited nursing school as approved by the South African Nursing Council. This can either be a public or private institution, but you must visit the SANC’s website (www.sanc.co.za) to be sure you have applied to an accredited institution on their list.
  2. After successfully completing your diploma or degree program from the accredited institution, you would be required to complete one year of mandatory community service before you can join the healthcare workforce in South Africa.
  3. After you have graduated from the accredited nursing institution of your choice, your institution will be required to send a Certificate of Completion to the South Africa Nursing Council.
  4. You will then be required to register personally with the South African Nursing Council and provide the following documents-
  • Proof of identity
  • Certificate of Good Character and Standing
  • Proof of your qualification obtained
  • Pay the prescribed registration fees by the SANC
  • Provide further information and reports pertaining to your application, as may be required by the Registrar of the Council
  • You will sit for Nursing exams administered by the SANC that fits the very specific qualification that you may desire to obtain from the Council.

5 Best Colleges To Study Nursing In South Africa

One of the major requirements to study nursing in South Africa is to get admission or be enrolled in one or any of the many accredited Nursing Education Institutions (NEIs) approved by the South African Nursing Council (as listed on their website). There are both private and public NEIs listed on SANC’s website and the choice of which to apply to is left to your discretion. The following are our top 5.

  • Western Cape College of Nursing (Metro West Campus)
  • Gauteng College of Nursing.
  • ARWYP Training Institute (Pty) Limited (Gauteng Province)
  • KwaZulu-Natal College of Nursing
  • Mediclinic Pty Ltd (Training Institute)
Feyisayo Oluokun
Feyisayo Oluokun
Feyisayo is a passionate writer, voracious reader and a lover of romance. She is interested in doing intensive research, traveling and exploring new things.

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