The nursing profession is under pressure from many external factors, including rising population figures, increased disease, emigration and a huge variety of career choices.
Photos by Neville Nixon Photography
Add to this the fact that more than 100 nursing colleges closed down 15 years ago, as well as the pull of international contracts, and it’s no surprise that local nursing resources are depleted. This shortage is felt most strongly in specialised fields, such as ICU and theatre.
In order to maintain the high standards it promises, Hillcrest Private Hospital has embarked on an in-house training programme for nurses of the highest quality.
“Education is changing and it’s vital we stay ahead of the curve,” says Lisa Turnbull, Clinical Co-ordinator at Hillcrest Private Hospital. “We are dedicated to service delivery excellence and one of the major challenges facing us is balancing technological advancements with our human resources.”
The South African Nursing Council (SANC) announced recently that in the near future nurses will no longer be able to enter the healthcare environment at a junior level, and train on the job to become registered nurses. Instead, they will have to complete a degree course. As a result, a number of highly-talented enrolled nursing assistants and enrolled nurses will have to remain at that rank, unable to progress their training unless they return to full-time study.
In response, Hillcrest Private Hospital has established itself as a SANC-accredited training provider, and will work in association with an accredited nursing school, which will provide theoretical instruction. Candidates will complete their practical hours at Hillcrest Private Hospital, where nursing is seen as a vocation and the ethos is one of dedication
to the highest standard of patient care.
Following a strict selection process, 16 nurses have been chosen for the first enrolment, which started in June 2013. They will be trained on a broad curriculum, following the SANC Scope of Practice.
“We have a holistic approach, centred around the best possible patient care and it’s essential that we maintain that. We want to be proud of the nurses we produce,” says June Stock, Matron at Hillcrest Private Hospital. “Ultimately, having capable, appropriately-trained nurses with the right attitude will benefit the patients – and that’s who we’re here for.”
Hillcrest Private Hospital
031 768 8000
471 Kassier Road, Assagay
info@hillcresthospital.co.za
www.hillcresthospital.co.za
