class of 2005/6
14 September 2006
The KZN Department of Health will on Friday, 15 September hold its very
first inaugural under the newly amalgamated KwaZulu âNatal College of Nursing.
National Health Minister Dr Manto Tshabalala-Msimang will deliver the keynote
address at the graduation.
A total of 2 900 nurses will be graduating from various nurse-training
programmes which were offered by the Provincial Department of Health under the
KwaZulu-Natal College of Nursing. The college was formed last year after the
amalgamation of a number of state nursing colleges that were offering nurse
education. The unified college was officially implemented on 1 July 2005 and
the first student intake of the four-year programme commenced on the same
date.
The formation of the college as well as this graduation is a clear
indication of how committed the Provincial Department of Health is in
prioritising nurse training in order to deal with staff shortages that plague
public healthcare facilities. âAs the Provincial Department of Health we have
increased the number of student nurse intakes since January 2002 to address
shortages in the category of health professionals. In addition, the province
has rationalised nurse training, culminating in one KwaZulu-Natal College of
Nursing, hence the large number of students graduating in 2006.
We congratulate all the graduates and wish them all the best in their quest
to improve the health status of the people of our province,â says the MEC for
Health, Mrs Peggy Nkonyeni. The KwaZulu-Natal College of Nursing comprises 11
campuses: four campuses in the northern half of the province and seven in the
southern half of the province. The college has 14 sub-campuses: 11 in the
northern half of the province and three in the southern half of the
province.
Three nursing colleges existed prior to the amalgamation and rationalisation
of nursing education in KwaZulu-Natal. They all offered three different
curricula for the four-year nurse-training programme. The establishment of a
single College of Nursing meant a change in the curriculum and as a result a
unified curriculum was approved by the statutory body or by the professional
council for nurses in October 2004.
The media is invited to attend and report on this historic inaugural
graduation ceremony.
Details are as follows:
Date: 15 September 2006
Venue: Bhekuzulu Hall, University of Zululand
Time: 09h30 for 10h00
Transport for the media is available and will leave outside the Durban
Playhouse at 7h30: Please contact Mbali Thusi on 076 168 2080 to book
space.
Enquiries: Leon Mbangwa
Cell: 083 549 8695
Issued by: Department of Health, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Government
14 September 2006
Source: KwaZulu-Natal Health (http://www.kznhealth.gov.za)
