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

This advertisement from the Limpopo Department of Health seeks professional nurses for sessional appointments in specialised clinical areas. The posts are graded as Professional Nurse Specialty (PN-B1) at Grade 1 or Grade 2, and are offered on a sessional basis, meaning work is measured in one-hour sessions up to a maximum of twenty sessions per week per nurse. This flexible arrangement allows the department to cover critical shortages in operating theatres, intensive care units, paediatric wards, trauma units, and other specialist services across public hospitals in the Capricorn, Mopani, Sekhukhune, Vhembe and Waterberg districts. Hospitals include Pietersburg, Mankweng, Letaba, St Ritas, Philadelphia, Tshilidzini and Mokopane, among others. A separate stream for professional nurses with midwifery qualifications is also advertised, covering a wider range of hospitals in the same districts, with similar sessional conditions and grade levels from Grade 1 to Grade 3.

To be considered for the specialty stream, candidates must hold the basic R425 nursing qualification, either a diploma or degree, 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 recognised specialty disciplines, such as operational theatre, critical care adult, child nursing, trauma, advanced midwifery and neonatal nursing science, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, renal, or child critical care. This post-basic qualification must be at least one year in duration and accredited by the SANC, except in the case of neonatal ICU nursing. Current registration with the SANC in the appropriate specialty is essential. For appointment at Grade 1, a minimum of four years of appropriate nursing experience after registration is required. For Grade 2, candidates need at least fourteen years of nursing experience, of which ten years must be in the relevant specialty after obtaining the post-basic qualification. The midwifery stream, while not detailing its experience requirements in the advertisement, would logically require appropriate midwifery registration and experience, but applicants should refer to the relevant application link for full details.

The key performance areas include providing direction and supervision for the implementation of the nursing care plan, ensuring quality patient care, and practising nursing in line with professional standards, quality indicators, legislation and regulations. Nurses will work collaboratively within multidisciplinary clinical teams and must use human, material and physical resources efficiently. Strong knowledge of nursing care processes in the relevant specialty, good communication and report-writing skills, facilitation, liaison, networking, problem-solving, information management and computer literacy are all required. Because these are sessional posts, there is an explicit willingness to work shifts, flexi-hours, weekends, public holidays and overtime when needed.

Sessional remuneration is based on the nurse’s appropriate and recognisable experience after registration with the SANC, calculated according to the sessional rates approved by the Department of Public Service and Administration. The advertisement also mentions a professional nurses database for sessional appointments, suggesting that successful applicants may be placed on a roster or database for periodic work. Interested nurses should apply through the specific application links provided for each hospital and specialty, and should ensure their qualifications and experience are clearly documented. This is an opportunity for experienced specialist nurses to contribute to public healthcare delivery in Limpopo on a flexible, sessional basis.