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: 

Master of Nursing in Mental Health 
SAQA QUAL ID QUALIFICATION TITLE
81339  Master of Nursing in Mental Health 
ORIGINATOR
University of KwaZulu-Natal 
PRIMARY OR DELEGATED QUALITY ASSURANCE FUNCTIONARY NQF SUB-FRAMEWORK
CHE - Council on Higher Education  HEQSF - Higher Education Qualifications Sub-framework 
QUALIFICATION TYPE FIELD SUBFIELD
Master's Degree  Field 09 - Health Sciences and Social Services  Curative Health 
ABET BAND MINIMUM CREDITS PRE-2009 NQF LEVEL NQF LEVEL QUAL CLASS
Undefined  136  Level 8 and above  NQF Level 09  Regular-Provider-ELOAC 
REGISTRATION STATUS SAQA DECISION NUMBER REGISTRATION START DATE REGISTRATION END DATE
Registered-data under construction  EXCO 0324/24  2024-07-01  2027-06-30 
LAST DATE FOR ENROLMENT LAST DATE FOR ACHIEVEMENT
2028-06-30   2031-06-30  

Registered-data under construction

The qualification content is currently being updated for the qualifications with the status “Registered-data under construction” or showing “DETAILS UNDER CONSTRUCTION” to ensure compliance with SAQA’S Policy and Criteria for the registration of qualifications and part-qualifications on the National Qualifications Framework (NQF) (As amended, 2022). These qualifications are re-registered until 30 June 2027 and can legitimately be offered by the institutions to which they are registered.

 

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.  

PURPOSE AND RATIONALE OF THE QUALIFICATION 
The Programme is an academic and vocational programme, which aims to equip students with specialized skills and knowledge in the field of nursing practice, nursing education. It also prepares students to be multi-sectoral leaders, programme managers, consultants, change agents and researchers. 

LEARNING ASSUMED TO BE IN PLACE AND RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING 
A three year B degree nursing with at least five year of professional education at diploma level.

OR

A four year B degree or an Honours degree in nursing.

There is provision in the University rules for students to be accepted based on an equivalent to the entry requirements. This usually refers to published works, research completed, or national or international pioneering work in a field of nursing 

RECOGNISE PREVIOUS LEARNING? 
N 

EXIT LEVEL OUTCOMES 
  • Vases practice on adequate, relevant and contemporary theory from nursing, ethics and related sciences.
  • Demonstrates competence in specialist skills in assessment, intervention and evaluation of care, with each competency including mastery of skills, teaching and researching it.
  • Articulates professional roe within his/her own specialist content.
  • Functions as a nurse scientist within his/her own designated area.
  • Function as a programme manager: assess community and service needs, plan and implement a programme, and evaluate it.
  • Function as a consultant in a specialist field of practice.
  • Motivate for, initiate and stabilize change in a health service.
  • Develop nursing theory in a specialist area through practice and research. 
    		•

    ASSOCIATED ASSESSMENT CRITERIA 
    1. Has demonstrated the ability to base practice on adequate, relevant and contemporary theory from nursing, ethics and related sciences.
    2. Has demonstrated competence in specialist skills in assessment, intervention and evaluation of care, with each competency including mastery of skills, teaching and researching it.
    3. Articulates professional role within his/her own specialist content area.
    4. Demonstrate functioning as a nurse scientist within her/his designated area.
    5. Demonstrated functioning as a programme manager: assess community and service needs, plan and implement a programme, and evaluate it.
    6. Demonstrate functioning as a consultant in a specialist field of practice.
    7. Shown competency in motivating for, initiating and stabilizing change in a health service.
    8. Demonstrate developing nursing theory in a specialist area through practice and research.

    Integrated assessment appropriately incorporated to ensure that the purpose of the qualification is achieved:

    Clinical supervision gives the opportunity for formative integrative assessment of knowledge, skills (cognitive and personal) and attitudes. The research project and many other projects are integrative and authentic. Summative evaluation in each module includes clinical assessment, which represents evaluation of integrated competency in an authentic work setting, for instance:
  • Programme implementation evaluation (Mental Health Nursing)
  • Management of a woman in high risk labour (Adv. Midwifery)
  • A programme evaluation (Community Health Nursing) 
    		•

    ARTICULATION OPTIONS 
    The programme articulates with three year and four year B degree, and leads to further study on a PhD level.
    It draws on the rest of the University for a multidisciplinary approach through the electives students may choose. 

    MODERATION OPTIONS 
  • To school of Nursing and all its programmes are accredited by the South African council every 4 years
  • All papers or examinations are externally moderated.
  • All forms of internal and external moderation are subject to university regulation and rules. 
    		•

    CRITERIA FOR THE REGISTRATION OF ASSESSORS 
    Until the HEQC establishes a registration system for assessors in the HET Band, the University of Natal assumes that on the basis of its rigorous selection criteria for the appointment of academic staff (who also have opportunities for staff development in assessment), staffs are competent to assess students on the modules they teach. This assessment is quality assured via a university system of internal moderation and external examination. External examiners are appointed for their teaching and disciplinary expertise and subject to the approval of Faculty Boards. The University of Natal ruling is that 66 % of all assessments at exit level, i.e. leading to qualifications are externally examined. 

    REREGISTRATION HISTORY 
    As per the SAQA Board decision/s at that time, this qualification was Reregistered in 2006; 2009; 2012; 2015. 

    LEARNING PROGRAMMES RECORDED AGAINST THIS QUALIFICATION: 
    When qualifications are replaced, some (but not all) of their learning programmes are moved to the replacement qualifications. If a learning programme appears to be missing from here, please check the replaced 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. University of KwaZulu-Natal 


    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.