Check Online Application Status 2025-2026How to Apply Online 2025-2026Check Admission Requirements 2025-2026
Tvet Colleges Online Application Form

Bursaries Closing in November 2024

Application Forms 2025-2026

UKZN Bachelor of Nursing Advanced Practice (BNAP)

UKZN Bachelor of Nursing Advanced Practice (BNAP)

BACHELOR OF NURSING -ADVANCED PRACTICE (BN-AP) PROGRAMME

BACKGROUND

A Bachelor of Nursing (Advanced Practice) is a three year degree (if taken full time) which is offered post registration as a general nurse. The aim is to allow these nurses to advance themselves academically and clinically.

If a student completes less credits than is necessary for a degree, s/he can obtain either a Diploma in Nursing or a Certificate in Nursing, depending on the number of credits obtained.

There are the following BNAP options Or streams:

*One can work towards a BN (Adv Prac) through one of the following streams:

  • A Comprehensive Practice Degree: This is aimed at people who need one or more of the four basic registrations (General Nursing, Community Health Nursing, Mental Health Nursing and Midwifery). The student will choose the necessary modules which will lead to comprehensive registration, and also to a degree.
  • An Advanced Clinical Degree: A person can also obtain one or two advanced practice (post-basic) registrations by choosing from a series of specialist modules. For instance, a BN (Adv Prac: Oncology and Palliative Care) will demand that one completes Core, specialisation and elective modules. Refer to qualifications matrix, page 8
  • A Non-Clinical Degree: Nurses interested in nursing education or management can take a degree in which these qualifications are obtained and in addition complete the core and elective modules.

The school works with the School of Open Learning, which offers foundational and elective courses.

Open Learning is a modern trend in education which tries to remove the barriers which keep adults from learning. Nurses who have to work full time to support themselves and their families, who cannot obtain study leave, and who are far from educational facilities have found all these factors barriers to further education. The University of KwaZulu-Natal addresses these barriers by making some modules available at a distance, in a mixed mode.

Distance Learning means that the student and the teacher are separated by distance for most of the period of study.

The teacher bridges the distance by using aids such as workbooks, study guides, telephone contact, and decentralised libraries and other resources. Some of the nursing modules are offered in this way.

Mixed Mode means that the teaching/learning process includes both face-to-face contact, as well as resource-based teaching. For instance, the General Nursing 1 module is a mixed mode module. Students are given cases which they have to study and prepare at home. They also have classroom sessions, which allow face-to-face teaching. Usually the balance between resources and contact is 50:50.

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

  • All students who register for any of these programmes must be a registered nurse.
  • Since these are university programmes, all students must have University exemption. Please remember that even if you did not have
  • University Exemption based on your matric certificate, you can obtain mature age exemption if you are 24 years or older.
  • One cannot register for a specialist module namely, Advanced Mental Health Nursing and Advanced Midwifery, if you do not have
  • the basic module on which it is based.

International students:

These students must process their registration with the South African Nursing Council prior to registration with the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

Their qualifications must have been evaluated by the South African Qualifications Authority.

PROGRAMME OPTIONS

TABLE 1: STUDENTS WHO EXIT WITH 384 CREDITS OBTAIN A DEGREE IN NURSING

Compulsory Core Modules:

  • General Nursing 1a 32C
  • General Nursing 1b 32C
  • General Nursing 2a 32C
  • General Nursing 2b 32C
  • Nursing Research Theory 16C
  • Nursing Research Project 32C
  • Nursing Philosophy 16C
  • Fundamental modules Non-Nursing 64C

Subtotal: 256 Credits


 QUALLIFICATION  SPECIALIZATION
MODULES
 CR   ADDITIONAL
REQUIREMENTS
 ELECTIVES
 B Nursing Adv.
Prac.:
Comprehensive
Practice
 Mental Health Nursing 1
Mental Health Nursing 2
Community Health Nursing 2a
Community Health Nursing 2b

Subtotal = 128

 32
32
32
32
 Midwifery
(compulsory)
 No electives
required.
 B Nursing (Adv.
Prac.: Primary Care)
 Primary Care 1
Primary Care 2
Evaluation Health Care  Programmes
Managing Learning  Organizations

Subtotal = 96

 32
32
16
16
 Community Health
(Note: Pre-  Registration
Community Health is
not for credit)
 A further 32 credits
for modules inside or
outside the School.
(Note: Post-
Registration Community
Health can  be credited
(32 credits) in lieu of these  electives)
 QUALLIFICATION  SPECIALIZATION
MODULES
 CR  ADDITIONAL
REQUIREMENTS
 ELECTIVES
 B N (Adv Prac:
Adv Mental Health)
 Advanced Mental Health
Nursing 1
Adv Mental Health
Nursing 2
Evaluation of Health Care  Programmes
Managing Learning  Organizations (16C)

 Subtotal = 96

 32

32

16

16

 Mental Health  A further 32 credits
from inside or outside
the School.
 B N (Adv Prac:
Oncological and
Palliative Care  Nursing)
 Foundations of Oncology
Oncological Conditions
Oncological and Palliative  Nursing
Evaluation of Health Care  Programmes
Managing Learning Organizations

Subtotal = 96

 16
16
32

16

16

 A further 32 credits
from inside or
outside the School.
 B N (Adv Prac:
Advanced Midwifery
and Neonatal
Intensive Care)
 Foundations of Neonatology
Neonatal Nursing
Advanced Midwifery
Evaluation of Health  Care  Programmes
Managing Learning Organizations

Subtotal = 96

 16
16
32
16

16

 Midwifery  A further 32 credits
from inside or
outside the School.
 B N (Adc Prac:
Critical Care and
Trauma Nursing)
 Critical Care Nursing 1 Critical  Care Nursing 2

Issues in Critical Care Nursing
Trauma Nursing

Evaluation of Health Care  Programmes OR

Managing Learning Organizations

Subtotal = 96

24
24

16
16

16

16

 A further 32 credits
from inside or
outside the School.
 B N (Adc Prac:
Nursing Education)
 Theories of Learning for Health    Professional’s Education

Principles and Methods of Teaching and  Evaluation in HP

Curriculum Development for Health  Programmes

Issues in Health Professional Education

Facilitation of recognition of prior  learning

16

16

16

16

32

 A further 32 credits
from inside or
outside the School.
 B N (Adc Prac:
Nursing Management)
  Nursing Management 1

Nursing Management 2

Managing Learning Organizations in the  Health Sector

Evaluation of Health Care Programmes

Subtotal = 96c

 32

32

16

16

 A further 32 credits
from inside or
outside the School.
Foot note: Students doing BN-AP (Comprehensive Practice) Midwifery is a requirement but does not count as a credit

DIPLOMA IN NURSING

TABLE 2: STUDENTS WHO EXIT WITH 256 CREDITS OBTAIN A DIPLOMA IN NURSING

Core Modules:

  • General Nursing 1a 32C
  • General Nursing 1b 32C
  • General Nursing 2a 32C
  • General Nursing 2b 32C
  • Fundamental Modules 64C

Subtotal: 192 Credits

 
 QUALLIFICATION  SPECIALIZATION
MODULES 
 CR  ADDITIONAL
REQUIREMENTS 
 ELECTIVES
 Dipl. in Nursing
(Adv. Prac:
Community Health
Nursing)
 Community Health Nursing 1
Community Health Nursing 2

Subtotal = 64

 32
32
 Dipl in Nursing:
(Adv. Prac: Primary
Care)
 Primary Care 1
Primary Care 2

Subtotal = 64

 32
32
 Dipl. in Nursing
(adv. Prac.: Mental
Health)
 Mental Health 1
Mental Health 2

Subtotal = 64

 32
32
 Dipl. in Nursing:
(Adv. Prac.: Adv
Mental Health)
 Advanced Mental Health Nursing 1
Adv Mental Health Nursing 2

Subtotal = 64

 32
32
 Dipl. in Nursing:
(Adv. Prac.:
Oncological
and Palliative
Care Nursing)
 Foundations of Oncology
Oncological Conditions
Oncological and Palliative Nursing

Subtotal = 64

 16
16
16
 Dipl in Nursing:
(Adv. Prac.: Advanced
Midwifery and Neonatal
Intensive Care)
 Foundations of Neonatology
Neonatal Nursing
Advanced Midwifery

Subtotal = 64

 16
16
32
 Midwifery
 Dipl in Nursing:
(Adv. Prac.: Critical
Care and Trauma
Nursing)
 Critical Care Nursing 1
Critical Care Nursing 2
Issues in Critical Care Nursing
Trauma Nursing

 Subtotal =80

 24
24
16
16
 Dipl. in Nursing:
(Adv. Prac.: Nursing
Management)
 Nursing Management 1
Nursing Management 2

Subtotal = 64

 32
32
Foot note: Students taking Critical Care Nursing and Trauma as a speciality will take 16 credits less from the fundamental modules.
Overview of MBA
Choosing Your MBA
MBA Schools in SA
How to Apply