During the twentieth century, Nursing Education in South Africa was
traditionally provided by the public sector and religious orders. Sr
Henriëtta Stockdale played a major role in the development of nursing
education and the governing thereof.
In 1914, the establishment of the South African Trained Nurses’ Association (SATNA)
marked the drive for an improved system of education for professional nurses. Medical
practitioners and members of the Colonial Medical Council supported this initiative. The
Provincial Medical Councils recommended a uniform system of education, to abolish the
apprenticeship system of training and that students should be supernumerary. However, it
was difficult to persuade authorities to accept the recommendations. The apprenticeship
system prevailed, except for Groote Schuur Hospital where a block system was introduced
(Searle, 1965b:287).
Nursing training at university level has been advocated by SATNA since 1914. Due to
financial responsibilities and the limited number of recruits that met the entry requirements of
tertiary institutions, it was unsuccessful. Furthermore, university training of nurses restricted
the placement of student nurses at large hospitals linked to universities. In 1933, the
University of Cape Town and the University of the Witwatersrand became the first two
universities in South Africa to have nurses on campus (Potgieter, 1984:1).
In 1916, the training of male nurses in the mining industry was allowed for the first time. All
training interventions were funded by mining houses and could therefore be regarded as the
first Private Nursing Education Institution (PNEI). In 1946, a small nursing school was
established on the East Rand under the Simmer and Jack Native Hospital. The purpose was
to train white male orderlies for medical stations at mines. This was the beginning of PNEI in
South Africa. PNEI are still functioning presently. The role and contribution of these
institutions to nursing education in South Africa are often ignored.
The researcher strove to answer the following question: What is the history and
development of PNEI and their contribution with regard to nursing education in South Africa
from a historical perspective? The objectives of the study were to explore, describe and
record the history of the development of PNEI and their contribution to nursing education in
South Africa. The motivation for the private health care industry to embark on the
establishment of Nursing Education Institution (NEI) was investigated and described. A qualitative research design and an explorative, descriptive, contextual, historical research
approach were applied. Explorative research involves the exploration of the phenomenon to
divulge its core components. A descriptive study design aimed to find more information on
the topic within this particular field of study was also used. The topic and context of this
study is PNEI in South Africa between 1946 and 2006. The purpose of the study is to
preserve the history of the development and contribution of PNEI including Gold Fields
Nursing College, Netcare Training Academy, Life Nursing College, Medi-Clinic Learning
Centres and Gandhi Mandela Nursing Academy between 1946 and 2006. This research
study is presented as a chronological narrative report (Objective 1).
Data collection was done by individual oral history semi-structured interviews with
information-rich individuals as well as document analysis. Oral history semi-structured
interviews had been recorded after which each interview was transcribed verbatim. Data
analysis was done by narrative and document analysis. Scientific rigour was ensured
throughout the study. Objective 2 and Objective 3 were achieved through data collection and
analysis.
Recommendations based on the findings are made for nursing research, nursing education
and nursing practice. / Thesis (PhD (Nursing))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2012
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:NWUBOLOKA1/oai:dspace.nwu.ac.za:10394/8436 |
| Date | January 2012 |
| Creators | Kotze, Frederika Jacoba |
| Publisher | North-West University |
| Source Sets | North-West University |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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