The composition of the nursing profession in South Africa in the mid-seventies and its implications for provision of health care.
An analysis of the composition of the nursing profession in South Africa reveals that the nurses were a heterogenous group with diverse dialects and cultures drawn from all social classes. Because of the unifying influence of the statutory control through the South African Nursing Council and the two official languages the nurses were organized into a strong and a stable profession. The predominant religion was Christianity, and the large majority of nurses were female, mainly young and married. The 116 189 member-strong profession was constituted by registered nurses, enrolled nurses, and nursing assistants. Although there was a variety of post-basic specialities for registered nurses there was still a good number of these nurses who were singly qualified, a certain portion who were doubly qualified and a minority who were triply qualified. A number of temporarily or permanently non-practising nurses constitute a reserve force to be relied on in a national emergency. This quantitative and qualitative state of the nursing profession had several implications for patient care. Some aspects reveal weak areas. The recommended remedial planning and re-organization arises from the obvious need and scope for improvement.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D004506:Education, Nursing; D005006:Ethnicity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009726:Nurses / Q000600:supply & distribution*; D012959:Socioeconomic Factors; D013019:South Africa; D013041:Specialties, Nursing; D013223:Statistics as Topic