In a bid to augment the 791 filled positions for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses, the Gauteng Department of Health is reviewing the current service delivery model on utilising ICU nurses in the four hospital clusters as they are critical scarce skills.
As part of increasing the training of ICU nurses, MEC for Health and Wellness Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko stated during the Provincial Legislature sitting that the Gauteng College of Nursing has submitted an application to the South African Nursing Council to increase the scope of training for ICU nurses from 85 to 100 per annum to address skills shortages.
In addition, there is an 80 hours upskilling programme on ICU that is currently being implemented, where 160 professional nurses from clinical facilities are being trained on an annual basis.
The interventions that are implemented also aim to alleviate the shortage in the highly specialised areas such as oncology, ICU, mental health etc. as the department is currently training 85 professional nurses at a college and another 60 at various universities.
“We acknowledge the implications of the shortage of ICU nurses, which is why ICU is one of the units being prioritised by the Gauteng Department of Health. Moreover, the Department has reviewed its organisational structure to accommodate an increased number of nursing specialty posts,” concluded MEC Nkomo-Ralehoko.
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Motalatale Modiba
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E-mail: healthmediaenquiries@gauteng.gov.za
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