The KZN College of Nursing has achieved a major milestone after receiving approval for its Bachelor of Nursing degree at NQF Level 8 from the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA), reports The Witness.
The approval, granted by SAQA’s NQF Qualifications Committee, means it can now offer a Bachelor of Nursing qualification at NQF Level 8, carrying a minimum of 480 credits.
KZN Health MEC Nomagugu Simelane described the achievement as a proud moment for the province’s nursing education system and a reflection of the good work being done by the college’s management and staff.
The degree will help create a stronger academic pathway for nurses who want to move into specialised fields. Unlike previously, where nurses would first have to complete lower-level qualifications before progressing academically, the new qualification will now put them in a stronger position to progress to postgraduate studies and specialist nursing programmes.
The MEC said the college had given the province several reasons to be proud in recent months, including the launch of its nephrology nurse specialist programme – among the first programmes of its kind in the public nursing education sector in South Africa.
The Witness article – KZN College of Nursing gets NQF Level 8 degree approval (Open access)
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