Gauteng Health to fill vacant posts for ICU nurses
The MEC recently stated that the Gauteng College of Nursing has applied to the South African Nursing Council (SANC) to increase the scope of training for ICU nurses from 85 to 100 per annum to address skills shortages.
SEDIBENG. – In a bid to enhance the 791 filled positions for Intensive Care Unit (ICU) nurses, the Gauteng Department of Health recently said that it is reviewing the current service delivery model for utilising ICU nurses in its four hospital clusters.
As part of increasing the training of ICU nurses, MEC for Health and Wellness, Nomantu Nkomo-Ralehoko recently stated during the Provincial Legislature sitting that the Gauteng College of Nursing has applied to the South African Nursing Council (SANC) to increase the scope of training for ICU nurses from 85 to 100 per annum to address skills shortages.
In addition, she said, there is an 80-hour upskilling programme that is currently being implemented, where 160 professional nurses from clinical facilities are being trained on an annual basis.
She further added that the interventions that are implemented also aim to alleviate the shortage in highly specialised areas such as oncology, ICU, mental health, etc., as the department is currently training 85 professional nurses at a college and another 60 at various universities.
“We acknowledge the implications of the shortage of ICU nurses, which is why the ICU is one of the units being prioritised by the Gauteng Department of Health. Moreover, the department has reviewed its organisational structure to accommodate an increased number of nursing specialty posts,” concluded Nkomo-Ralehoko.
