A profile of nurses who requested the removal of their names from the SAINC's registers during 1996. South African Interim Nursing Council.

Abstract

Annually a number of nurses request to have their names removed from the registers and rolls of the South African Nursing Council (SANC-currently called the South African Interim Nursing Council or SAINC). Having their names removed from the SAINC's registers/rolls implies that they cannot practise their nursing profession. A total of 1,139 persons requested the removal of their names from SAINC's registers and roles at the beginning of 1996 (statistics supplied by SAINC). Name and address stickers were obtained for all persons who requested the removal of their names from SAINC's registers/rolls. A total of 71 persons supplied permanent addresses in foreign countries and were excluded from the study. The research population consisted of 1,068 persons, from which 20%, or 214 persons, was selected using a table of random numbers to comprise the research sample. Questionnaires, based on literature studies, and on previous studies undertaken by the researcher, were posted to 214 persons. The first part of the questionnaire requested autobiographic information, including the respondents' ages, marital status, qualifications and involvement in further studies. Other sections of the questionnaire endeavoured to obtain information about the reasons why the respondents requested the removal of their names from SAINC's registers and thus by implication why they left nursing; under what conditions they would consider re-entering the nursing profession; and whether they considered doing a re-entry course. Although this research could be regarded as being an exploratory descriptive survey, the research results do provide information which nurse researchers, educators and managers can use.