Initiatives  

• Cooperation with the Mpumalanga Department of Health AND Social Development
• Bridging the gap between being a student and being a professional nurse
• Health Education for the Royal Bafokeng (HERB) project.

 Cooperation with the Mpumalanga Department of Health

The Department of Nursing Science offers, in cooperation with the Mpumalanga Department of Health and Social Development, training for professional nurses in physical assessment, treatment and care (primary health care) at clinics in rural areas of the Mpumalanga Province. The students do all their practical training under supervision of preceptors (medical doctors and nurses qualified to facilitate the training of students) in the clinics where they have been appointed to ensure that they acquire the necessary practical skills. Lectures are attended at central clinics and facilities of the University. The Department of Family Medicine of the School of Medicine is also involved in the project.
 

Bridging the gap between being a student and being a professional nurse

For the first time in the history of the Department, the BCur students are given the opportunity to select elective modules during the last six months of their training with the aim to help them to bridge the gap between being a student and being a professional nurse. The students can choose between Surgical Nursing, Medical Nursing, Community Nursing and Midwifery. During the module the students are guided in using the knowledge that they previously obtained during their training in managing nursing care while at the same time being actively involved in taking care of patients and their family members. The assessment is done by means of seminars, workshops for junior students and portfolios.