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

This is a sessional appointment opportunity for experienced professional nurses to provide specialist care within the Limpopo provincial health system. Appointed on an hourly-session basis, each nurse may work a maximum of twenty sessions per week, with one session equal to one hour. The posts are based at a network of hospitals across the Capricorn, Mopani, Sekhukhune, Vhembe and Waterberg districts, including Pietersburg, Mankweng, Letaba, St Ritas, Philadelphia, Tshilidzini and Mokopane hospitals opportunistically. The purpose of the vacancy is to build a database of qualified sessional professional nurses who can be called upon to support clinical services, particularly in high-demand specialty areas, when the need arises. The positions are graded on the professional nurse specialty scale, and sessional remuneration is determined according to the Department of Public Service and Administration approved rates, based on the nurse’s recognisable experience after registration with the South African Nursing Council.

The specialty disciplines open for appointment include Operating Theatre, Critical Care Adult (ICU), Child Nursing (Paediatrics), Child Critical Care Nursing (Paediatric ICU), Trauma, Advanced Midwifery and Neonatal Nursing Science, Ophthalmology, Orthopaedics, and Renal nursing. Applicants must hold a minimum basic R425 qualification, such as a diploma or degree in nursing or an equivalent that allows registration as a Professional Nurse with the South African Nursing Council. In addition, they must possess a post-basic nursing qualification of at least one year, accredited by the SANC, in the relevant specialty, with the exception noted for Neonatal ICU nursing. Current registration as a Professional Nurse with the SANC in the appropriate specialty is essential. Entry at Grade 1 requires at least four years of appropriate experience in nursing after registration in general nursing. Entry at Grade 2 requires a minimum of fourteen years of appropriate experience, of which at least ten years must be in the specific specialty after obtaining the post-basic qualification. Candidates must also demonstrate knowledge and skill in the nursing care processes and procedures relevant to their specialty.

Candidates should be effective communicators with strong report-writing, facilitation, liaison, networking and problem-solving abilities. Information management skills and computer literacy are also important. The main duties involve providing direction and supervision in the implementation of nursing care plans, ensuring quality patient care, and practicing nursing in line with professional standards, quality indicators, legislation and regulations. Sessional nurses will work collaboratively within multidisciplinary clinical teams and are expected to utilise human, material and physical resources efficiently and effectively. Willingness to work shifts, flexible hours, weekends, public holidays and overtime whenever required is a condition of appointment. This is a demanding but rewarding environment for nurses who are committed to maintaining high standards of care across the province’s public hospitals.

In addition to the specialty posts, the vacancy announcement also includes a separate category for Professional Nurse with Midwifery Grade 1 to 3 sessional appointments, with positions available at a wider list of hospitals across the Vhembe, Waterberg, Capricorn and Mopani districts. These follow the same sessional model and are also remunerated by sessional rates. The intention is to create a flexible pool of midwifery professionals who can be deployed to hospitals as service demands fluctuate. Applicants interested in either category should note that appointments are not permanent, but rather sessional, with the number of hours per week capped at twenty. This structure offers qualified nurses the chance to contribute to the public health sector while maintaining flexibility around their professional practice.