Maintaining Nursing Practice Standards While Changing With Times: SANC Perspective

Abstract

According to the South African Nursing Council (SANC), based on the Nursing Act, 33 of 2005, the practice of nursing/midwifery is grounded and embedded in articulated standards and ethical values and supported by a system of professional regulations (SANC sa). In 2004, the SANC published a Charter of Nursing Practice Draft 1 (chapter 4) on Standards for Nursing Practice [1]. This chapter is discussed in conjunction with the commitment of the profession of nursing [1]. Furthermore, the South African Nursing Council (2013) provided nurses with a code of ethics for nurses to render excellence in professionalism and advocacy for healthcare users. This code of ethics serves as a reminder to nursing practitioners of their responsibilities to protect, promote and restore health, to prevent illness, preserve life and alleviate suffering to their patients and clients. The code of ethics further serves as a declaration by nurses that they will always provide due care to the public and health care consumers to the best of their abilities while supporting each other in the process. This paper highlights the draft standards provided by the SANC and identify desirable behaviours, challenges and solutions for all the nurses registered under the SANC and working in public and private health institutions in South Africa.