Auxiliary Nurse in South Africa
Auxiliary Nurse: A Comprehensive Overview
What is an Auxiliary Nurse? Auxiliary Nurses are healthcare professionals who perform basic nursing tasks and care for patients under the supervision of registered nurses. They are essential in ensuring patients are comfortable, fed, and their basic medical needs are attended to, such as taking temperatures, pulses, and blood pressure.
Eligibility and Demand:
Both men and women are eligible to become Auxiliary Nurses.
There is a high demand for nurses in the healthcare sector.
Key Responsibilities:
Caring for the ill and weak.
Assisting nurses and doctors.
Ensuring patient comfort.
Feeding patients and making beds.
Recording vital signs like temperatures and blood pressure.
Comforting and putting patients at ease.
Assisting with bandages and other medical procedures.
Working in various settings, including hospitals, clinics, healthcare centers, and old age homes.
Providing basic home-care nursing.
Personal Qualities:
Compassionate, gentle, and kind.
Patient and understanding.
A genuine interest in helping others.
An interest in medicine.
Willingness to work unusual hours.
Ability to assist difficult patients.
Path to Becoming an Auxiliary Nurse:
Path 1: Higher Certificate in Auxiliary Nursing
- Minimum Requirements:
- Grade 12/NSC or a Level 4 health-related qualification.
- Communication Skills at NQF Level 4.
- Mathematical Literacy at NQF Level 4.
- Computer Literacy at NQF Level 3.
- Life Science at NQF Level 4.
- Registration: Mandatory registration with the South African Nursing Council (SANC).
- Further Information: Click Here
Path 2: RPL (Recognition of Prior Learning)
Assess your credits for minimum RPL requirements.
Registration with the South African Nursing Council is also required.
Important Warning: Beware of illegal nursing institutions in South Africa. Ensure that any institution and its nursing courses are approved by the Nursing Council. Without this approval, the qualification will not be recognized, making it impossible to practice as a nurse.
South African Nursing Council: For a list of approved nursing education institutions, visit: SANC Approved Institutions
Conclusion: Becoming an Auxiliary Nurse is a noble profession that requires a specific set of personal qualities and qualifications. It is crucial to pursue this career through recognized and approved educational pathways to ensure eligibility for practice. For more information on nursing as a career, Click Here.
