Student nurses graduate

Six-hundred-and-thirty-one nurses graduated while 1 674 are still expected to complete their studies before the end of August at Netcare Education’s South West Campus.

But the National Department of Health said, it is not enough, and it has not reached its target of ensuring more pupils enter the profession.

Joe Maila, the national spokesman for the Department of Health said, “There is a need for health practitioners not only in the country but Africa as a whole.”

Maila said they are happy Netcare is doing something to turn around the situation.

July’s graduation ceremony was for those who completed various nursing qualifications.

The institution’s director of nursing education Shannon Nell said there were 342 students who qualified as enrolled nurses and 227 received diplomas in general nursing.

“ Twenty-one students received post-basic diplomas in various fields of specialisation including operating-theatre nursing, critical-care nursing, trauma and emergency nursing with 41 for post-basic in-service certificates of competence,” Nell said.

The Netcare Gauteng South West regional director Sandile Mbele explained that the graduation is a success story not only for them but for education in the country.

Awarding the best was also part of the ceremony.

Rosaline Nyesa of Rosebank Hospital won the Enrolled Nurse Academic Award; Moira Relent Bafana of Netcare Milpark Hospital won Netcare Education silver medal; Nqobile Siziba of Netcare Milpark Hospital received the six-month Post-basic Programme Academic Award. The same award, but for the cluster neonatal critical care, childcare, maternity, cardiothoracic and cardiovascular intervention nursing was won by Madeleine Koekemoer of Netcare Olivedale Hospital.

The Netcare Education Campus Manager’s Award for the student who best epitomises the Netcare values – both in her job in a Netcare hospital and at campus went to Bonisile Grace Cele of Netcare Linksfield Hospital.

Netcare Education was established 26 years ago.