The nursing profession in South Africa - Are nurses adequately informed about the law and their legal responsibilities when administering health care?

Abstract

Is verpleegkundiges op hoogte van die reg en hul regsverantwoordelikhede in die gesondheidsorg? How to cite: Singh & Mathuray 'The nursing profession in South Africa-Are nurses adequately informed about the law and their legal responsibilities when administering health care?

Between a rock and a hard place: Ethics, nurses' safety, and the right to protest during the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…The first right on the South Africa Patients' Bill of Rights states that every patient has the right to a safe and healthy environment. The safety and quality of patient care are determined by the environment in which care is provided (Singh & Mathuray, 2018 ). Unfortunately, the inability of the nurses to provide quality nursing care is often due to a lack of resources beyond their jurisdiction and the State and other healthcare institutions need to provide appropriate resources.…”

“…Nursing has always been an indispensable pillar of healthcare systems; their action or inaction greatly determines patient health outcomes. Nurses are expected to deliver quality healthcare services to patients in healthy and safe environments as clearly articulated in the Patients' Rights Charter (Daniels, 2020 ; Singh & Mathuray, 2018 ).…”

Errors in nursing practices: What are the attitudes of nurses toward medical errors?

“…With so many duties, nurses are at risk of making medical errors in patient care. Nurses are an indispensable part of the health system and are called the heartbeat of health services [14]. Nurses, like all employees working in the health system, must have information about patient safety, medical errors, and notification systems to fulfill their responsibilities.…”

Development of a training programme for professional nurses in South Africa – An educational response to the COVID‐19 pandemic

“…According to the South African Nursing Council (SANC), it is imperative that nursing education and training across South Africa responds to changing needs, developments, priorities and expectations in health and health care (Mahlathi & Dlamini, 2017 ). It has been established that sufficient information is disseminated during the training of nurses to address various needs that apply in the day‐to‐day care of their patients (Singh & Mathuray, 2018 ). The knowledge that is acquired through theoretical education in the classroom, and practical education during clinical training creates the foundation for safe and effective evidence‐based nursing care practices.…”

“…Nurses who are equipped with the knowledge, skills and attitudes that meet the SANC competency framework can work in various roles which include practitioners, educators, managers and researchers. Hence, nurses must keep pace with the newer challenges, advancing technology and growing demands of consumers of health care (Singh & Mathuray, 2018 ). Due to the surge in SARS‐COV‐2 infections in South Africa, the need for expansion of the ICUs, shortage of existing ICU staff resources, the need to upskill professional nurses for the COVID‐19 pandemic and the nursing management thereof, and a request from the National Department of Health (NDoH), this course was developed as an educational COVID‐19 response.…”