PROFESSIONAL NURSE: SPECIALTY [PN-B1] GRADE 1–2 SESSIONAL APPOINTMENTS: MAXIMUM OF 20 SESSIONS PER WEEK PER PN (1 SESSION = 1 HOUR)

The Limpopo Department of Health is filling sessional professional nurse posts on a part-time, hourly basis for specialist nursing services and midwifery across its hospital network. These are not permanent full-time appointments; instead, successful candidates are engaged for a maximum of twenty sessions per week, with each session representing one hour of service. The specialist posts, graded as Professional Nurse Specialty PN-B1 Grade 1 and Grade 2, are available at selected hospitals in the Capricorn, Mopani, Sekhukhune, Vhembe and Waterberg districts, including facilities such as Pietersburg, Mankweng, Letaba, St Ritas, Philadelphia, Tshilidzini and Mokopane hospitals. The specialty disciplines open for these sessions are broad and cover operational theatre nursing, critical care for adults in intensive care units, child nursing and paediatric critical care, trauma, advanced midwifery and neonatal nursing science, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, and renal nursing. A parallel set of sessional appointments is also advertised specifically for professional nurses with a midwifery qualification, at grades one through three, and these posts are spread across a wider list of hospitals in the Vhembe, Waterberg, Capricorn and Mopani districts.

To be considered for the specialty posts, applicants must hold the basic R425 nursing qualification, namely a diploma or degree in nursing that allows registration with the South African Nursing Council as a professional nurse. In addition, they must have completed a post-basic nursing qualification in one of the listed specialty areas, with that qualification being accredited by the South African Nursing Council and lasting at least one year, except for neonatal ICU nursing, where a different standard applies. Current, active registration with the South African Nursing Council in the appropriate specialty is essential. Experience thresholds are set by grade: Grade 1 requires a minimum of four years of appropriate nursing experience after registration as a professional nurse in general nursing, while Grade 2 requires at least fourteen years of relevant nursing experience, of which ten years must be in the specific specialty after obtaining the post-basic qualification. For the midwifery posts, applicants would need the appropriate midwifery qualification and registration, with grading based on years of recognisable experience. All sessional appointees must be willing to work shifts, flexible hours, weekends, public holidays and overtime when required, as hospital services operate around the clock.

The core responsibilities of these sessional professional nurses include providing direction and supervision for the implementation of nursing care plans and ensuring quality patient care in the relevant specialty area. They are expected to practice nursing and healthcare in line with professional standards, quality indicators, legislation and regulations applicable to nursing in South Africa. Working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary clinical team is a key part of the role, as is the efficient and effective use of human, material and physical resources. The job also requires sound knowledge of nursing care processes and procedures in the specialty area, good communication and report-writing skills, facilitation, liaison, networking and problem-solving abilities, information management skills and computer literacy. Sessional remuneration is determined according to the Department of Public Service and Administration approved sessional rates and is based on the candidate's appropriate and recognisable experience after registration with the South African Nursing Council. These posts offer a flexible way for experienced specialist nurses to contribute to public hospital services while maintaining a manageable weekly workload.