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SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health Nursing 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
118426  Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health Nursing 
ORIGINATOR
Cape Peninsula University of Technology 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
-   HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Postgraduate Diploma  Field 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services  Curative Health 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  120  Not Applicable  NQF Level 08  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Reregistered  EXCO 0821/24  2021-11-18  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2031-06-30  

In all of the tables in this document, both the pre-2009 NQF Level and the NQF Level is shown. In the text (purpose statements, qualification rules, etc), any references to NQF Levels are to the pre-2009 levels unless specifically stated otherwise.  

This qualification does not replace any other qualification and is not replaced by any other qualification. 

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
Purpose:
The purpose of the Postgraduate Diploma in Occupational Health Nursing is to offer a professional nursing specialisation that combines conceptual and contextual knowledge, skill and the resultant necessary applied competencies, to enable the learner to competently apply scientifically based occupational health strategies and technologies geared towards protecting the health of the worker and providing and managing a safe and healthy work environment. The qualification content will incorporate all the components necessary for the specialist nurse to render an efficient and competent occupational health service. The learner will function independently within the scope of practice of the specialist nurse, as formulated by the South African Nursing Council.

The nature of health care means that nurses must be more diversely competent than previously with a broad spectrum of competencies in clinical care and practice, leadership and management in healthcare services.
The learner will practice as a competent, independent, critical thinker to provide scientific, safe comprehensive quality nursing care. The aim is to promote healing, prevent complications and alleviate suffering based on acquired knowledge, attitudes, skills and competencies.

The purpose of the qualification is to produce an accountable expert and competent professional nurse, implementing evidence-based and business practices as a strategic leader in planning, organising, managing human and financial resources, quality management, and projects within a multidisciplinary team in units of a range of settings, while complying to ethical, legal and professional frameworks to serve the health needs of the community.

The focus of this qualification is to extend the theory of occupational health and its application in practice enabling learners to become experts in the field of occupational health nursing. Typical learning pathways will need to include case studies and practice-based project work. Learning in a clinical context, under the supervision of an advanced health specialist, will guide practice towards higher skills levels with progress and performance measured against set assessment criteria.

This qualification is to produce learners who can function with advanced intellectual and practical competencies, in complex specialised areas of nursing practice as managers and leaders. The learner works within a multidisciplinary team in facilities in a range of settings complying to and aligning with ethical, legal and professional frameworks that prescribe their scope of practice according to the South African Nursing Council (SANC) to serve the health needs of the working community.

In addition, the learner will be able to establish a research culture that will lead to evidence-based and reflective practice as well as lead and manage self and others within the multi-disciplinary team. The image of nursing will be upheld through the application of an ethical, legal and professional framework. Upon completion of the qualification, the learner will be able to progress in the marketplace with advanced knowledge, skills and specific competencies. The learner will be skilled in providing evidence-based care together with other team members. Furthermore, qualifying learners will contribute to the continuous development of occupational health nursing services through the development of scientific and professional knowledge for the advancement of nursing practice, research, management and education. Learners will be independent practitioners in their own right in the area of speciality.

Upon completion of the qualification, the learner will practice as a competent, independent, critical thinker to provide scientific, safe comprehensive quality nursing care. The aim is to promote healing, prevent complications and alleviate suffering based on acquired knowledge, skills and competencies. The purpose of this qualification is to offer a professional nursing specialisation that combines conceptual and contextual knowledge, skill and the resultant necessary applied competencies; to enable the OHNS to competently apply scientifically based occupational health strategies and technologies geared towards protecting the health of the worker and providing and managing a safe and healthy work environment.

Graduate attributes will be developed to recognise that society, technology and science are intertwined, to effect changes in society. Resilience and problem-solving capability will be a focus in the qualification for a learner to recognise the complexity of problem-solving in society and to be able to engage confidently with such complexity. The relational capability will be developed to show empathy to others, to understand their needs, values and cultures so that healthcare delivered can have optimal effects and/or the best chances of success. Learners will be able to demonstrate ethical capability, having an orientation to the well-being and improvement of society rather than just ensuring the well-being and advancement of themselves.

Rationale:
This qualification provides a career path for professional nurses nationally who want to remain in a clinical context, but who would like to specialise, with a focus on occupational health nursing and add to their depth of knowledge and skills. The sector needs qualified occupational health specialists to improve practice, and to train other nurses.

The rationale behind the qualification is to develop a specialist nurse practitioner with advanced knowledge and expert clinical skills in line with the National and Provincial Healthcare Plans and Sustainable Development Goals as guided by the World Health Organization (WHO). This will promote the health status of the South African population and alleviate the lack of skills and practitioners to address the quadruple burden of disease in the healthcare system. The South African Nursing Council (SANC) has developed competencies for and designated this qualification as a specialist nursing qualification.

A strong need exists to bring about alignment to the profession, with nationally recognised qualifications providing for different areas of specialisation. This qualification will be offered to increase the number of qualified nurses who can practice within a specialised field in hospitals, clinics, industries and communities in both public and private sectors. The health sector needs qualified specialists both to improve practice and to train other nurses. The focus of the qualification will be to extend theory and its application in practice. Analytical and critical thinkers must be developed to build the scientific knowledge base of nursing related to the health of persons at the workplace.

The White Paper for the transformation of the Health System in SA (1997) stated that the development of occupational health services is a key priority area of the Reconstruction and Development Programme and the Department of Health. This White Paper identified five principles to be implemented as, in the past, no special effort was made by the public sector to provide occupational health services (DOH, 1997: 147). The National Health Act (No 61 of 2003) Chapter 4, Section 25 (2)(r) clearly states that provincial departments must provide occupational health services.

There is a shortage of OHNSs in the field. Regarding the HRH (2011, 44). Occupational Health Nursing is currently not listed under Nursing Specialist Qualifications and very recently, SANC recognised the need for competencies to define roles and responsibilities of nurse specialists within their respective fields of specialisation. SANC's consultation on competencies, with occupational health nursing being included as one of these specialisation areas, was posted in February 2013 (SANC, 2013). The South African Nursing Council (SANC) has now initiated the developed competencies for and designated this qualification as a specialist nursing qualification. It is estimated that the institution, therefore, needs to train at least 60 Occupational Health Nurses annually. The current output is approximately 60 per annum in the legacy qualification phasing out in 2019.

South Africa requires analytical and critical thinkers to build the scientific knowledge base of occupational health nursing related to the health of persons at the workplace. Restructuring of occupational health services and implementation of scientific principles within the public sector is needed. The quality of occupational health services provided by private sector agencies is regressing and the constant shift of nurses from one service provider to the next caused serious loss of institutional memory and continuity of personnel and services at workplaces (Myers & Jeebhay, 2009).

The Human Resources for Health (HRH) Strategy indicates statistics related to health care professionals. The growth in the number of public sectors health professionals indicates an increase in professional nurses from 40786 in 2002 to 55309 in 2010 (HRH Strategy, 2011:22). However, there is no indication of how many of these nurses are OHNPs in the public and private sectors. The high level of attrition of health professionals from South Africa is creating a shortage of health professionals and it is not known how many OHNSs are being trained nor how many are leaving. The HRH (2011, 44) refers to the Public Health Medicine specialists that work with colleagues in other disciplines and areas of health care, including occupational health, in the prevention of disease and injury and promotion of healthy behaviour.

This qualification will be offered to increase the number of qualified nurses who can practice within this specialised field in hospitals, clinics, industries and communities in both public and private sectors. The National Strategic Health Plan 2010/2011 - 2012/2013 discusses the health sector 10-point plan and related priorities, one of which is "Overhauling the health care system and improving its management". This involves refocusing the health care system on Primary Health Care (PHC), regarding the implementation of re-engineering of PHC, the HRH (2011, 66) refers to the approach and professional and staffing categories required
The ongoing complexity of technology and the increasing acuity levels of the clients being cared for demand a capacity to self-evaluate, to exercise personal responsibility and initiative and indicate a depth of knowledge and an elevated level of skill and competence in occupational health-related care units. To align with the scope of practice to implement research findings in practice.

A Primary Health Care (PHC) approach is the underlying philosophy for restructuring the health system in South Africa. The learner will practice within this realm of expertise requiring independent function and knowledge of their scope of practice. Increasing levels of HIV, TB and chronic diseases of lifestyle in functional working individuals presents a need to address these within the workplace in terms of identification, management and effect control, health promotion and prevention. The specialist nurse is required to address these diseases at various levels. These experts are needed by the health sector, both public and private, to improve occupational health nursing practice and to train other nurses to address the current challenges.

This qualification will be recognised by the South African Nursing Council (SANC), for which learners will register at SANC when they complete. Stakeholders were widely consulted at Fundisa and SANC to obtain the necessary information on the required learner profile, knowledge and attributes required by hospitals and clinics, the public and private sector, including primary, secondary and tertiary levels of care. The competencies for the qualification were issued by SANC. National and Provincial policy documents issued by the Department of Health guided the theoretical component of the curriculum. Guidelines provided by different professional educational bodies, such as the Nursing Education Association (NEA), the Forum for University Deans in SA (Fundisa), and the forum for College Principals' and Staff (CPAS) guided the philosophical approach and the content of the curriculum. The community was represented by the Health Sciences Advisory Board Members and lay activists. Viewpoints were gained from internal stakeholders - the nursing academic and clinical educators from the institution.

The scope of practice for occupational health nurses in South Africa is inevitably much broader with aspects of care for the employee's families and communities. The knowledge and skills obtained will serve as underpinning elements for the learner to provide safe community-based health care in a variety of settings. The learner will be expected to have an understanding of the roles and relationships in health care teams, and settings and display the application of these principles in managing the health care settings. The lower number of doctors available means there is a need for a higher ratio of nurse specialists. This is especially relevant to occupational health where the nurse specialist's hours on-site generally far outweigh those of the medical practitioner.

The needs of the client will be met through a holistic approach by addressing the physical, psychological and social dimensions of the health care user within the public and private healthcare domain. The focus of this qualification is to extend the theory of occupational health and its application in practice enabling persons learning towards this qualification to become experts in the field of occupational health nursing. These building blocks of learning are designed to meet the needs of a specific niche area within the labour market and public/private health services.
Both current legislation and corporate governance principles require compliance by employers to maintain the health and safety of persons in the workplace. Trained, specialist nurses are required to implement and monitor programmes related to occupational health to comply with legislation.
Occupational health services are predominantly funded by private industry and managed by private nurse practitioners thereby relieving the burden of disease on public sector health services. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):
Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) is a process of identifying the knowledge and skills of an applicant against the admission requirements of a qualification and/or for credits against a part thereof. The process involves the identification, mediation, assessment and acknowledgement of knowledge and skills obtained through informal, non-formal and/ or formal learning. The RPL process is multi-dimensional and multi-contextual, aimed at the individual needs of applicants and is applied following an institutional RPL.

The RPL process includes guidance, counselling, and the preparation of a body of evidence to meet institutional requirements. An appeal procedure is also in place to accommodate queries. RPL in this qualification will relate to gaining access to the qualification and/or credits/advanced standing as described in institutional guidelines.

Through RPL learners may receive credit towards the qualification using portfolios, or other forms of appropriate evidence and/or challenge examinations, as agreed to between the institution and SANC. The guidelines of the RPL policy of the institution and SANC will be adhered to.

Entry Requirements:
The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:
  • Bachelor of Arts in Nursing Science at NQF Level 7, granting access to postgraduate studies.
    Or
  • A Relevant qualification in the related field at NQF Level 7, granting access to postgraduate studies. 
    		•

    RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
    Y 

    QUALIFICATION RULES 
    This qualification consists of the following compulsory modules at National Qualifications Framework Level 8 totalling 120 Credits.

    Compulsory Modules, Level 8, 120 Credits:
  • Fundamentals in Research, 8 Credits.
  • Professional Practice, 8 Credits.
  • Research Methodology, 8 Credits.
  • Research Practicum, 16 Credits.
  • Professional Development, 8 Credits.
  • Management and Leadership, 8 Credits.
  • Dynamics of Occupational Health Nursing Management, 16 Credits.
  • Practice of Occupational Health Nursing, 16Credits.
  • Trends in Occupational Health Nursing, 16 Credits.
  • Risk Management, 16 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Apply knowledge of basic research methodology in the appraisal of research articles in occupational health nursing.
    2. Manage a healthcare facility within the ethical-legal parameters of the speciality.
    3. Resolve ethical dilemmas by using decision-making and moral reasoning modals.
    4. Apply knowledge and principles of the systematic review and guideline development process to evaluate the standard of guidelines used in a specific speciality in nursing.
    5. Apply principles of knowledge translation to promote evidence-based nursing education to improve the quality of occupational health nursing.
    6. Develop ownership for own sustained professional development.
    7. Establish and implement mentorship practices in managing a nursing and midwifery service.
    8. Implement mentorship practices in managing a nursing and midwifery service.
    9. Demonstrate advanced management and leadership skills.
    10. Demonstrate foundational and conditional knowledge of inter-professional people-centred occupational health care of people in a variety of settings to promote positive health outcomes.
    11. Render and coordinate comprehensive inter-professional people-centred occupational nursing care to workers in a variety of workplaces to promote positive health outcomes.
    12. Use surveillance data to demonstrate knowledge of and coordinate comprehensive inter-professional people-centred occupational nursing care to a variety of workers to promote positive health outcomes.
    13. Apply and understand theoretical frameworks, principles, models and emerging debates and trends to contemporary occupational health nursing practice in conjunction with the inter-professional team.
    14. Demonstrate knowledge of and render and coordinate comprehensive inter-professional people-centred risk and resource management within occupational health nursing settings.
    15. Participate in the design of and development, implementation and evaluation of occupational health policies, standards, protocols, and guidelines as well as occupational health nursing programmes and projects to facilitate improvement of quality of care, utilizing the process of change management. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 1:
  • Appraise research articles in the speciality field of nursing through the application of basic knowledge of research methodology.
  • Differentiate the qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods research design.
  • Apply standards of the research process in appraising research articles.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 2:
  • Identify and debate applicable legislative and regulatory requirements about healthcare management.
  • Manage professional misconduct according to institutional and legal protocol.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 3:
  • Use decision-making and moral reasoning models to resolve ethical dilemmas within the health system management
  • Use advocacy principles to advocate for safe and quality care.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 4:
  • Evaluate standard guidelines used in the field of occupational health nursing by applying knowledge of the systematic review and guideline development process.
  • Demonstrate academic writing skills in academic writing in nursing.
  • Use the appropriate format such as PICO in formulating research questions.
  • Apply search strategies such as Boolean in conducting searches in different databases in occupational health nursing.
  • Evaluate speciality-based guidelines using standardised evaluation tools.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 5:
  • Promote quality nursing care by implementing evidence-based practice through the knowledge translation process.
  • Compare models of knowledge translation and select the most appropriate model for use in occupational health nursing.
  • Apply knowledge translation model in occupational health nursing to promote evidence-based nursing.
  • Monitor organization and performance by comparing pre-post knowledge translation data.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 6:
  • Demonstrate mindfulness of the principles and theories of occupational health nursing concerning management and leadership.
  • Debate the key concepts of self-responsibility, self-ownership, self-leadership and self-development.
  • Assess the degree of self-ownership in developing professionally to stay a competent practitioner.
  • Develop a framework to demonstrate the process of self-development in the professional career.
  • Draw and apply self-mentoring strategies to develop oneself.
  • Create a plan to establish academic/professional relationships to sustain lifelong learning amongst nurses.
  • Use performance appraisal principles to monitor own development within the context of the programme.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 7:
  • Distinguish between the concepts 'mentor' and 'mentee'.
  • Develop a policy for the unit/formulation in an occupational health service, regarding a mentoring contract.
  • Debate the purpose of mentorship in the nursing units.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 8:
  • Apply a model for implementing mentorship in a unit for novices.
  • Create a positive learning climate by establishing positive relationships.
  • Collaborative leadership styles are explored and debated.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 9:
  • Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the components of the management processes of planning, organizing, staffing, directing and control.
  • Debate the principles and theories of management.
  • Outline the differences between general management and corporate governance.
  • Implement supervisory models to control the quality of management and nursing care.
  • The management of a healthcare system reflects the application of the management process.
  • Evidence based practice indicates that work-related behaviour is grounded in the management processes.
  • Debate the principles and theories of leadership.
  • Debate the difference between management and leadership.
  • Compare and practice different and collaborative leadership styles.
  • Demonstrate team functioning and team leadership with the available best evidence on collaborative group work.
  • Develop a plan to empower nursing staff as leaders.
  • Differentiate between motivational strategies for staff satisfaction.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 10:
  • Promote positive health outcomes by demonstrating foundational and conditional knowledge of the full range of services provided in inter-professional people-centred occupational health nursing care of the workforce in a variety of workplaces; and positioning of this specialist service within the health care system.
  • Identify, scrutinise, know and utilise the applicable legislation, policies, standards, guidelines and protocols in the provision of occupational health nursing care (this specialist field).
  • Demonstrate knowledge and skills in rendering specialist occupational health nursing care following the standards and protocols of the occupational health nursing field.
  • Distinguish between relevant strategies to ensure that the human rights of the workforce are respected; and demonstrate that health care interventions are planned in collaboration with the client, family and relevant members of the health care team.
  • Select and argue the use of data from biomedical and social sciences to explain the interpretation of assessment findings.
  • Interpret and defend subjective and objective assessment findings and results from, for example, side room investigations and laboratory results, to make a diagnosis.
  • Appraise assessment findings and select standardised national and contextually appropriate guidelines to develop comprehensive individual inter-professional people-centred treatment plans for workers with occupational-related and/or chronic conditions (comprehensive care includes the integration of promotive, preventive, curative, rehabilitative and palliative care in a continuum).
  • Debate and apply the principles of health dialogue throughout all occupational nursing care practiced.
  • Select and support nursing interventions that prepare clients, families and nurses in the lower-level care, for continued care in the hospital and community considering the health status and health literacy of the client.
  • Debate and select appropriate nursing care pathways and referral systems including inter-sectoral collaboration.
  • Appraise and argue relevant legislature and nursing care standards to evaluate the health records of workers.
  • Distinguish between the relevant role players in the multi-disciplinary health team to meet the health needs of clients within a specific context.
  • Share, consult and collaborate with the inter-professional team appropriately and timeously to solve problems in practice by informed decisions and sound clinical judgement in the provision of holistic care through awareness of one's own competence.
  • Identify, debate and plan interventions that consider individual clients' needs and are responsive to cultural diversities, values, beliefs, preferences, and psychological and spiritual factors to ensure a holistic approach to people-centred occupational health communication and care

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 11:
  • Promote health outcomes through rendering and coordinating specialist occupational nursing care of workers in a variety of workplaces.
  • Conduct and demonstrate competence in, a physical assessment of a client/worker to determine their fitness for work for a specified job, including history-taking in the assessment.
  • Interpret, plan and implement interventions for, findings of subjective and objective assessments on completion of a physical assessment.
  • Debate, apply and evaluate relevant legislation, policies and guidelines related to occupational health nursing to guide the practice of the occupational health nurse specialist.
  • Develop, implement, and participate in strategies and policy, programme and project development that advocate for and respect the human rights of the workforce, families and communities.
  • Demonstrate accurate analysis and interpretation of clinical data obtained from scientific, laboratory, diagnostic, technological and psycho-sociocultural assessment including consultation of relevant/current literature/evidence.
  • Formulate nursing diagnoses congruent with a client's age and clinical manifestations/data that are based on accurate analysis and interpretation of clinical data.
  • Demonstrate clinical reasoning in considering social determinants of health with all relevant clinical findings to make a diagnosis.
  • Apply specialised knowledge and skills and demonstrate competent execution and coordination of comprehensive individual person-centred treatment plans for workers with occupation-related and/or chronic conditions in collaboration with the inter-professional team.
  • Implement nursing interventions timeously, accurate, safely, and effectively following set standards, guidelines, protocols, algorithms, etc. specific to occupational health.
  • Implement relevant and accepted standards and strategies in the monitoring of at-risk workers.
  • Demonstrate that care pathways and the referral systems are used appropriately, timeously and effectively as dictated by the client's condition and following referral guidelines.
  • Demonstrate that interventions implemented by the occupational health nurse specialist are documented and revised timeously and effectively based on critical analysis of the monitoring and evaluation of data and reaching a sound clinical judgement according to legislature and care standards.
  • Demonstrate that accurate statistics of occupational nurse services are maintained and evaluated.
  • Demonstrate that occupational health nursing care interventions are responsive to cultural diversities and individual psychological and spiritual factors to ensure a holistic approach to people-centred communication and occupational health care.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 12:
  • Understand, examine and interpret surveillance and epidemiological data which would be used to plan appropriate health promotion and workforce awareness campaigns in an occupational health nursing setting.
  • Demonstrate the use of surveillance and epidemiological data through the planning, implementing and evaluating an appropriate health promotion campaign within an occupational health setting.
  • Evaluate the accuracy of data and statistics on occupational health environments.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 13:
  • Demonstrate an informed and critical understanding of the current principles, models and theories in the practice of occupational health nursing care.
  • Select and debate relevant models and theories of occupational health services and the rendering of inter-professional people-centred occupational health care in a specific context.
  • Apply and evaluate theoretical frameworks, appropriate to the occupational health nursing context, in clinical practice.
  • Articulate and demonstrate a substantiated point of view regarding emerging issues, debates, and trends relevant to current/contemporary occupational health nursing practice.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 14:
  • Distinguish between, debate and prioritise occupation-related risks within a specific context/workplace.
  • Identify and debate current guidelines, standards, strategies and protocols for the identification, control and management of occupational healthcare-related hazards and risks.
  • Initiate an assessment of occupation-related hazards and risks and appropriate management policies in specific occupational contexts, recommended through tools such as workplace risk assessments.
  • Conduct a literature review to compare and evaluate surveillance methods of at-risk workers.
  • Design, implement and evaluate risk-related and disaster management programmes appropriate for specific occupational contexts in collaboration with essential interdisciplinary team members, including Occupational Hygienists, Toxicologists, Environmentalists, Safety and Ergonomic specialists.
  • Manage occupational health-related emergencies within the workplace according to the best available evidence and national protocols.
  • Evaluate, revise and monitor developed risk management programmes, by applying standardised guidelines and strategies to minimise and control risks.
  • Assemble information on the infrastructure and equipment required in an occupational health clinic.
  • Demonstrate the ability to operate and monitor equipment used in occupational health nursing practice.
  • Employ sound asset management principles to ensure appropriate, adequate, well-maintained, and up to date equipment in an occupational health clinic.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcome 15:
  • Demonstrate knowledge of the process and/or steps in the design and development of policies, standards, protocols and guidelines, with involvement of the relevant and pre-determined stakeholders in the occupational health nursing field/practice.
  • Evaluate the process of development and testing of guidelines and protocols with appropriate methods e.g., systematic/scooping reviews to inform development; and AGREE tool, Delphi, etc. for testing/appraisal of proposed guidelines and protocols.
  • Criticise the application of the change process when new policies, protocols and guidelines are introduced to occupational health practice in a specific context; to improve quality of care.
  • Evaluate the revision of developed policies, protocols, and guidelines at appropriate intervals according to the institutional policy of the occupational health nursing area
  • Demonstrate understanding of own role and responsibilities in the steps in/levels of design and development of occupational health nursing programmes and projects to promote positive health outcomes.
  • Participate, through appropriate communication (negotiation, bargaining, assertive and persuasive), in the design, implementation and evaluation of project or policy development with the inter-professional project or policy development team and give timeous feedback to own constituency. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    In terms of this qualification, the international comparison exercise revealed that occupational health nurse specialists who obtain this qualification are highly employable globally.

    Diploma in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Occupational Health Nursing) offered at the Teeside University in the United Kingdom, the Graduate Diploma in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Occupational Health) offered at the University of the West of Scotland and the Postgraduate Certificate in Occupational Health Nursing offered at Saskatchewan Polytechnic institution. Similar to this qualification, these three qualifications admit learners who have completed an undergraduate nursing education qualification or Bachelor's nursing degree and are registered with the respective professional bodies as registered nurses or midwives.

    These three qualifications have a similar credit weight to this postgraduate diploma in occupational health nursing. For instance, the United Kingdom and Scottish institutions have credits equivalent to 120 South African credits which are the same as what is offered in this qualification. The qualification offered by the Canadian institution has 31 credits which are equivalent to 124 South African credits (1 USA credit = 4 South African credits). Similarly, these three institutions' qualifications are offered over 1-2 years.

    The qualifications offered at the three institutions have a similar focus to those offered on this qualification. The Postgraduate Diploma in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Occupational Health Nursing) emphasises the development of public health knowledge and skills in addressing health inequalities and needs of the working population, the recognition of hazards and risks within the working environment, health surveillance and protection, sickness absence management, application of safety and health legislation, public health leadership skills and nursing practice, legal and ethical considerations and managing a service.

    Similarly, the Graduate Diploma in Specialist Community Public Health Nursing (Occupational Health) focuses on the health care needs of the working population, public health considerations, identifying and managing health hazards presenting in a workplace setting, sickness absence management, developing research and leadership skills as well as the knowledge and skills as an occupational health nurse practitioner.

    The Postgraduate Certificate in Occupational Health Nursing similarly addresses the assessment of health and disabilities, the exploration of safety systems and assessing hazards for creating safe work environments, managing projects and occupational health service, legal and ethical considerations and providing nursing leadership in the workplace. In addition, emphasis is placed on the basic principles of health assessment including history taking and physical examination and the relation of the principles of health promotion to the occupational health environment which is also included in the proposed qualification.

    The three institutions compared to this qualification all include an aspect of clinical learning as either practice-based learning or fieldwork. The Teeside and West of Scotland universities have 50% theory and 50% practice which is similar to this qualification's 40% theory to 60% work-integrated learning. The Canadian institution only has 80 hours of fieldwork and requires the completion of a professional portfolio related to occupational health nursing. The exposure to occupational health nursing practice is more in the South African qualification which requires 720 hours of clinical placement, which is equivalent to 72 credits covering work-integrated learning. 

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    This qualification allows possibilities for both vertical and horizontal articulation.

    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Primary Care Nursing, NQF Level 8.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Master of Nursing in Research, NQF Level 9. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    N/A 

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    N/A 

    NOTES 
    N/A 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
     
    NONE 


    PROVIDERS CURRENTLY ACCREDITED TO OFFER THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    This information shows the current accreditations (i.e. those not past their accreditation end dates), and is the most complete record available to SAQA as of today. Some Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionaries have a lag in their recording systems for provider accreditation, in turn leading to a lag in notifying SAQA of all the providers that they have accredited to offer qualifications and unit standards, as well as any extensions to accreditation end dates. The relevant Primary or Delegated Quality Assurance Functionary should be notified if a record appears to be missing from here.
     
    NONE 


    All qualifications and part qualifications registered on the National Qualifications Framework are public property. Thus the only payment that can be made for them is for service and reproduction. It is illegal to sell this material for profit. If the material is reproduced or quoted, the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) should be acknowledged as the source.