SAQA 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.
SOUTH AFRICAN QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY 
REGISTERED QUALIFICATION: 

Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Education 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
122169  Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Education 
ORIGINATOR
Cape Peninsula University of Technology 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Postgraduate Diploma  Field 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services  Preventive 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
Registered  EXCO 0922/24  2024-03-07  2027-03-07 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-03-07   2031-03-07  

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 Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Education qualification has been designed to promote a deeper engagement with knowledge and professional practice at the forefront of the nursing profession. The qualification includes fundamentals in research to enable an understanding of the theoretical and ethical underpinning knowledge of various research methodologies to inform practice as well as to encourage the development of critical and reflective nurse practitioners. The qualification is intended to expose learners to specialist knowledge, and the latest evidence-based practice, as well as theories, emerging issues, and debates in nurse education. This qualification will be useful for professional nurses who wish to progress within the field of nursing and nursing education; persons at a commensurate level in Health and Allied Health Sciences who wish to change direction and move into nursing education, and those wishing to progress towards a qualification such as a master's degree in nursing and beyond.

In addition, this qualification provides a career pathway for professional nurses who want to stay in a clinical context but would like to specialize, with a focus on teaching and learning and add to their depth of knowledge and skills. Persons learning towards this qualification become experts in the teaching and learning field of nurse education.

The qualification aims to broaden the range of the learners' ability and prepare them to be at the forefront of healthcare management and professional practice in general health services, midwifery and speciality units empowered to demonstrate ethical and socially responsible behaviours and effective teamwork, communication and presentation skills. The qualification is also designed to prepare learners for further independent complex, industry-driven research with access to a master's level degree to further develop their professional pathway. The nursing career context is an ever-changing one.

Upon completion of the qualification, the Nurse Educator Specialist will practice as a competent, independent, critical thinker to facilitate, guide, and empower nursing learners to function in a range of health-service settings. The image of this nurse specialist will be upheld through the application of an ethical, legal, and professional framework on an advanced level. Nursing education shapes practice, on completion of this qualification the nurse educator will reflect nursing core values and ethics, and possess analytical, communicative, and negotiating skills that can help improve the healthcare system.

The aim is to provide nurse educators who will:
  • Promote and maintain high standards and quality of nursing and midwifery education and training.
  • Enhance and maintain professionalism and professional ethos amongst members of the nursing and midwifery professions.
  • Promote and maintain an enabling, well-resourced, and positive practice environment for nursing, midwifery, and patients/clients throughout their lifespan.
  • Enable strong leadership at all levels of nursing and midwifery practice.

    Upon completion, a qualifying learner will be able to:
  • Facilitate teaching and learning of learners, patients/clients, families, and communities in conducive theoretical, simulation, online and clinical learning environments.
  • Design, implement, evaluate, or review a qualification or curriculum for teaching and learning of nurse/midwife specialists.
  • Participate in and facilitate internal and external review of the nurse/midwife specialist qualification/curriculum at all levels.
  • Engage in and facilitate assessment and evaluation of learning.
  • Appraise and develop self, peers, and nurse/midwife specialist learners by facilitating self-directedness/leadership and lifelong learning to maintain competence.
  • Practice and facilitate specialist nursing or midwifery, nursing education or health services management within the ethical-legal parameters of the profession.
  • Apply the knowledge of and facilitate evidence-based practice, nursing education or management in the specialist field to solve contextual problems and develop policies and guidelines.
  • Facilitate advocacy for the profession and provision of specialist professional support for personnel, patients, clients, families, and communities.
  • Engage in planning, commissioning, and managing a specialist unit, an educational entity, or a health service.
  • Utilise, manage and communicate data to support decision-making and research.

    In summary, the overall purpose of this qualification is to produce an accountable expert and a competent professional nurse educator capable of implementing evidence-based and business practices as a strategic leader.

    Rationale:
    The current global nursing shortage is distinctly a widespread challenge resulting in a lack of professional and skilled nurses who are needed to care for individual patients and the population. The reasons behind the challenge include nurse short-staffing, inappropriate resources for nursing research and education, the increasing complexity of health care and care technology, and the speedily ageing populations in developed nations. Because studies have shown that an inadequate quantity of professional nurses in clinical settings has a significant negative impact on patient outcomes, including mortality, the nursing shortage is taking lives, and impairing the health and wellbeing of many millions of the world's people. It is a global public health crisis (ICN, 2004).
    The nursing profession is the backbone of health care services, as it forms the core of health care provision. Nursing is the largest occupational group in the health sector, accounting for approximately 59% of the health professions (State of the World Nursing Report 2020). This simply means there can be no health care without nurses while there would be no professionally trained nurses without nurse educators. These nurses must undergo extensive training in Nursing Education Institutions to qualify as competent professionals who can provide quality nursing care that is responsive to the needs of our communities.

    Stakeholders were widely consulted to obtain the necessary information on the required learner profile, knowledge and attributes required by nursing education institutions, and the public and private sectors. National and Provincial policy documents issued by the Department of Health were included in 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) and the SANC as the accrediting body 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.

    This qualification will address the scarce skills in nursing services by producing professionals who can train the different categories of basic and specialist nurses. Nursing and leadership in South Africa are committed to meeting the sustainable development goals (2030) addressing the complex burden of disease, and ensuring responsiveness to population health needs. Nursing education will assist in the preparation of nurse managers to play a leading role in addressing these issues, and an enabling legal, policy and fiscal environment to facilitate their achievement. A postgraduate diploma qualification in nursing education offers an opportunity to articulate with master's degrees in higher education regionally and nationally.

    The new qualification calls for a teaching and learning experience that will equip learners with the knowledge, skills, values, and attitudes they will require to respond creatively to the management of nursing units in all disciplines/specialities in the healthcare services need to address the society as critical and responsible citizens.
    The practical competencies acquired by our learners serve as the foundation for the qualifications offered in the faculty where a WIL methodology is used, following the workplace-based learning strategy. Workplace-based learning is defined as the process and outcomes of learning that individual employees and groups of employees undertake under the auspices of a particular workplace (Holliday & Retallik, 1995).

    In this qualification, learners will use the Department of Nursing Science as the practical setting for their practical learning opportunities. Nurse educators typically work in academic settings at universities, nursing schools, community colleges and technical schools. Some also work in healthcare settings as staff development officers or clinical supervisors.
    The path of the offering will be moving from an undergraduate to a postgraduate level. This offering will address the facilitation of education and training of nurses in a nursing education institution to produce a recognized specialist in the field of nursing education in South Africa. 
    		•

    LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
    Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL):

    The institution has an approved Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) policy applicable to equivalent qualifications for admission into the qualification. RPL will be applied to accommodate applicants who qualify. RPL thus provides alternative access and admission to qualifications, as well as advancement within qualifications.

    RPL for access:
  • Learners who do not meet the minimum entrance requirements or the required qualification that is at the same NQF level as the qualification required for admission may be considered for admission through RPL.
  • To be considered for admission in the qualification based on RPL, applicants should provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that they have acquired the relevant knowledge, skills, and competencies through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to cope with the qualification expectations.

    RPL for exemption of modules:
  • Learners may apply for RPL to be exempted from modules that form part of the qualification. For a learner to be exempted from a module, the learner needs to provide sufficient evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates that competency was achieved for the learning outcomes that are equivalent to the learning outcomes of the module.

    RPL for credit:
  • Learners may also apply for RPL for credit for or towards the qualification, in which they must provide evidence in the form of a portfolio that demonstrates prior learning through formal, non-formal and/or informal learning to obtain credits towards the qualification.
  • Credit shall be appropriate to the context in which it is awarded and accepted.

    Entry Requirements:
    The minimum entry requirement for this qualification is:
  • Bachelor of Nursing, NQF level 7.
    Or
  • Bachelor of Nursing in Education and Administration, NQF Level 7.
    Or
  • Advanced Diploma in Occupational Health Nursing, NQF level 7
    Or
  • A relevant qualification in the related field, NQF Level 7.
    And
    Current registration with the South African Nursing Council (SANC) as a Professional Nurse and Midwife. 
    		•

    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 Project in Nursing Education, 16 Credits.
  • Professional Development, 8 Credits.
  • Management and Leadership, 8 Credits.
  • Paradigms of teaching, learning approaches and methods, 16 Credits.
  • Curriculum design and review, 16 Credits.
  • Assessment and evaluation of Learning, 16 Credits.
  • Governance of a Nursing Education Institution, 16 Credits. 
    		•

    EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
    1. Apply the knowledge of and facilitate evidence-based practice, nursing education or management in the specialist field to solve contextual problems and develop policies and guidelines.
    2. Practice and facilitate specialist nursing or midwifery, nursing education or health services management within the ethical-legal parameters of the profession.
    3. Facilitate advocacy for the profession and provision of specialist professional support for personnel, patients, clients, families, and communities.
    4. Engage in scholarly activities to inform evidence-based practice, education, or management.
    5. Utilize, manage, and communicate data to support decision-making and research.
    6. Appraise and develop self, peers, and nurse or midwife specialist learners by facilitating self-directedness or leadership and lifelong learning to maintain competence.
    7. Engage in planning, commissioning, and managing a specialist unit, an educational entity, or a health service.
    8. Facilitate teaching and learning of learners, patients or clients, families, and communities in conducive theoretical, simulation, online and clinical learning environments.
    9. Participate in the governance structures of the Higher education Institution, mobilise and utilise appropriate teaching and learning infrastructure and resources within the available budget to optimise teaching and learning practices. 

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 1.
  • Engage in specialist practice, demonstrating an understanding of the process of evidence-based practice as applied in research.
  • Apply evidence based on specialist practice in the field of specialisation, taking into consideration the appropriate methodology of gathering research evidence, for example, systematic or scoping reviews, appraisal of articles, practice-based research and publication.
  • Critically analyse various levels of evidence utilising evidenced-based practice, in the field of nursing specialisation.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 2.
  • Apply personal attributes and behaviour that show conformity to the relevant code of ethics in the practice of specialist nursing or midwifery, nursing education and health services management.
  • Account and provide continued competence for own professional judgement, actions, and outcomes in the practice of specialist nursing care and management.
  • Identify and apply applicable legislative and regulatory requirements pertaining to specialist nursing practice.
  • Manage professional misconduct according to institutional and legal protocol and an ethical-legal framework in the practice of specialist nursing or midwifery, nursing education and health services management.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 3.
  • Apply advocacy principles to advocate for safe and quality care in various nursing practice settings.
  • Illustrate understanding and the purpose of the advocacy role for a specialist nurse and midwife for the profession and provision of specialist professional support for personnel, patients, clients, families, and communities.
  • Apply appropriate communication channels and skills of communication in facilitating advocacy for the profession and provision of specialist professional support for personnel, patients, clients, families, and communities.
  • Lobby and participate in interest groups to influence legislation and policy affecting the profession.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 4.
  • Practice in the respective specialisations and show knowledge of appropriate search engines and databases for review of the literature to inform evidence-based practice in nursing education and health services management.
  • Engage appropriate methods to generate evidence for utilisation in specialist practice such as research, systematic reviews in education and health services management.
  • Illustrate awareness of the peer-reviewed journals and use them for sharing evidence to inform evidence-based practice, education, or management.
  • Apply knowledge of and base activities in the specialist practice, education, and health services management on scientifically proven evidence.
  • Actively participate in inter and intra-professional dialogues, debates, or discourses in quality improvement.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 5.
  • Document all data or information gathered in the context of nursing education practice for utilisation and storage in accordance with the set standards.
  • Illustrate the utilisation of comprehensive data, information, and emerging evidence pertinent to nursing education practice.
  • Apply information and base problem identification, diagnoses, and opportunities for improvement on gathered and critically analysed assessment data from the patients or clients, families, communities, learners or employees including current scientific evidence gathered.
  • Apply knowledge of and show respect for intellectual property and all documentation should be without plagiarism.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 6.
  • Illustrate mindfulness of the principles and theories of management and leadership to maintain competence.
  • Create a positive learning climate in the workplace through the processes of mentorship, preceptorship, supervision and performance appraisal.
  • 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 through Continuous Professional Development (CPD) for self and others to facilitate lifelong learning by creating a learning climate in the workplace.
  • Develop a framework to demonstrate the process of self-development in the professional career through feedback gained from self-reflection, peers, learners and management utilised to improve effectiveness in the specialist role.
  • Utilise feedback gained from self-reflection, peers, learners, management and other relevant stakeholders to improve effectiveness as a nurse specialist.
  • Engage in performance appraisal and show an understanding of the purpose and processes of the performance management and development system.
  • Illustrate leadership skills through the application of appropriate leadership styles, principles and theories of health services management as a nurse specialist.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 7.
  • Illustrate an understanding of levels and or classification of the respective specialist units, health services or educational entities.
  • Commission tasks taking into consideration the burden of diseases and priority services as determined by current events.
  • Participate in the evaluation of the existing specialist unit, health, or education entity using knowledge of guidelines for provisioning a specialist unit/health service or an educational entity.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 8.
  • Facilitate learning in a variety of relevant settings, such as classroom, clinical, simulated settings and other relevant teaching and learning platforms including, e-learning and online.
  • Apply appropriate teaching and learning paradigms and strategies according to the maturity of learners or health literacy of the health care users, e.g. predominantly self-directed for postgraduate learners.
  • Develop constructively aligned learning outcomes, teaching and learning approaches based on critical analysis of the different knowledge taxonomies.
  • Facilitate critical and reflective thinking through teaching and learning and create such opportunities for the learners to utilize relevant learning resources appropriately.
  • Plan and structure all teaching and learning activities with some accommodation of flexibility such as learner learning styles and capabilities.
  • Engage in teaching and learning that shows appropriate personal attributes (integrity, confidence, flexibility, mastery of subject matter, etc.) and role model teaching and facilitate learning.
  • Utilize teaching and learning media/resources to facilitate learning.

    Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes 9.
  • Engage in discussion of human resource planning for a nursing education institution, including staffing, recruitment, selection, and placement.
  • Illustrate knowledge pertaining to budgeting, and the purpose of budgeting in a nursing education institution including the staffing pattern as per income.
  • Identify and discuss the governing structures, bodies, and committees related to Higher Education.
  • Identify and debate legislative frameworks and bodies related to the governance of a higher education institution and a nursing education institution. 
    		•

    INTERNATIONAL COMPARABILITY 
    Country: Namibia
    Institution: University of Namibia
    Qualification title: Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Science: Nursing Education & Health Service Management
    Duration: One year
    NQF Level 8
    Credits: 144

    Entry requirements:
  • Comprehensive Diploma in Nursing and Midwifery Level 7
    Or
  • Bachelor 's degree in Nursing level 7
    Or
  • Equivalent qualification at level 7 with, proof of registration as a nurse and midwife with the Nursing Council of Namibia.

    Purpose:
    This qualification provides a career path for professional nurses who want to specialise in Health Service Management and Nursing Education.
    As such, registration with the Nursing Council of Namibia is a requirement. A postgraduate diploma in nursing science would assist in preparing a professional nurse to function with advanced intellectual and clinical competence in specialized nursing settings as a leader, consultant, educator, and nurse manager. In addition, this qualification provides qualified nurses with high-quality career orientations that meet their lifelong learning needs as well as the health needs of the community and society.
    This postgraduate diploma is necessary to develop leadership and ensure effective quality health services within the health care delivery system.

    Course structure:
    Modules
  • Nursing Education: The Science of Teaching similar to Paradigms of Teaching, learning approaches and methods.
  • Foundations of Professional Practice similar to Professional Practice.
  • Health Research Methods similar to Research Methodology.
  • Academic Writing for Post-Graduate Students
  • Dynamics of Advanced Nursing Practice
  • Nursing Education Practicum
  • Specialised Human Anatomy and Physiology
  • Contemporary Issues in Nursing Education
  • Health Research Project similar to Research Project in Nursing Education.

    Similarities:
    The University of Namibia (UNAM) and the South African (SA) qualifications are comparable in many ways.
  • Both qualifications are offered over one year full-time, registered at NQF Level 8.
  • Both qualifications accept learners in their studies who have completed a Bachelor's Degree in Nursing at NQF Level 7 and Diploma in Nursing at NQF Level 7.
  • The UNAM learners must have a current registration as a nurse and midwife, with the Nursing Council of Namibia,
  • Similarly for the SA qualification learners must have current registration with the South African Nursing Council.
    The two qualifications share similarities in their purpose and aims,
  • The UNAM qualification aim is to assist in preparing a professional nurse to function with advanced intellectual and clinical competence in specialized nursing settings as leaders, consultants, educators, and nurse managers.
  • The SA qualification also aims to provide a career pathway for professional nurses who want to stay in a clinical context but would like to specialize, with a focus on teaching and learning and adding to their depth of knowledge and skills. Persons learning towards this qualification become experts in the teaching and learning field of nurse education.
  • Both qualifications have similar modules such as Health Research Project similar to Research Project in Nursing Education, Health Research Methods similar to Research Methodology and Foundations of Professional Practice similar to Professional Practice.

    Differences:
    The UNAM qualification has a total of 144 credits whereas the SA qualifications have 120 credits.

    Country: New Zealand
    Institution name: University of Auckland
    Qualification title: Postgraduate Diploma in Clinical Education
    Duration: One year
    Credits: 120
    NZQF Level 8

    Entry requirements:
    Relevant degree such as medicine, midwifery, nursing, optometry, pharmacy, or physiotherapy at a recognised university (or similar institution).
    Or
    A health professional qualification and have at least two years' relevant clinical work experience.

    You must also be actively engaged in clinical teaching or curriculum development in a health-related discipline.

    Purpose:
    The Clinical Education specialisation offers health professionals the opportunity to learn skills for improving their teaching and assessment strategies. These can then be applied to their speciality areas and contexts.

    The subject introduces health professionals to the most relevant literature and the ideas underpinning clinical education. Health professionals will explore the latest trends in medical education research and will learn skills that they can apply to their teaching and research.

    Clinical Education will be of particular relevance to doctors involved in delivering medical undergraduate or specialist training programmes, clinical nurse educators, and other health professionals with a role in education.

    Course structure:
    Modules
  • Theory and Practice of Clinical Education or Education for Clinical Practice similar to Professional Practice.
  • Assessing Clinical Performance similar to Assessment and evaluation of Learning.
  • Simulation and Clinical Skills Teaching
  • Curriculum and Course Design similar to Curriculum design and review.

    Similarities:
  • The University of Auckland (UA) and the South African (SA) qualifications are both offered over a one-year and have 120 credits.
  • The SA qualification is placed at NQF Level 8, similarly, the UA qualification is paced at NZQF Level 8.
  • Both qualifications accept learners who have completed a relevant bachelor's degree in nursing.
  • Both qualifications vertically articulate to a master's degree.
  • Both institutions share similar modules such as the Theory and Practice of Clinical Education or Education for Clinical Practice similar to Professional Practice, Assessing Clinical Performance similar to Assessment and Evaluation of Learning and Curriculum and Course Design similar to Curriculum Design and Review.
  • The SA qualification aims at providing learners with an opportunity to become experts in the teaching and learning field of nurse education.
  • Similarly, the AU qualification offers health professionals the opportunity to learn skills for improving their teaching and assessment strategies.

    Differences:
  • The SA qualification rationale is to develop a specialist nurse practitioner with advanced knowledge and expertise who will produce competent nurses and midwives within a wide range of service settings.
  • The AU qualification is inclusive to doctors involved in delivering medical undergraduate or specialist training programmes as well as clinical nurse educators, and other health professionals with a role in education. 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    Horizontal Articulation:
  • Bachelor of Nursing, NQF Level 8.
  • Bachelor of Nursing Honours in Education, NQF Level 8.
  • Bachelor of Nursing Science, NQF Level 8.
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing, NQF Level 8.
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing and Health Services Management, NQF Level 8.
  • Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Management, NQF Level 8.

    Vertical Articulation:
  • Master of Nursing, NQF Level 9.
  • Master of Nursing in Education, NQF Level 9.
  • Master of Nursing Science, NQF Level 9.
  • Master of Nursing Science in Community Nursing Science, NQF Level 9.
  • Master of Nursing in Clinical Fields of Study, NQF Level 9.

    Diagonal Articulation
  • There are no diagonal articulation options available. 
    		•

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
    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.
     
    1. Cape Peninsula University of Technology 


    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.