UKZn – Bachelor of Nursing Advanced Practice (BNAP)
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
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