Perceptions of the functioning and effectiveness of nursing regulators in Ghana and South Africa: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

ObjectiveNursing regulators are important governance structures for nurses who are critical to the achievement of universal health coverage (UHC). This study examined the perspectives of the heads of nursing education institutions (NEIs) in Ghana and South Africa on the functioning and effectiveness of the respective nursing regulators.DesignThis was a cross-sectional survey.SettingThis study was conducted in Ghana and South AfricaParticipantsHeads of accredited NEIs in Ghana (n=65) and in South Africa (n=39).ResultsIn South Africa, the mean score for overall functioning of the South African Nursing Council (SANC) was 4.6 (SD 1.97), whereas the mean score for overall functioning of the Nursing and Midwifery Council of Ghana (N&MC) was 7.1 (SD 1.7) (p<0.0001). Similarly, the mean score for effectiveness of the SANC by NEIs was 5.1, compared with the mean effectiveness score of 7.2 for the N&MC (p<0.001).Compared to the SANC, the heads of NEIs scored the N&MC higher on each of the six functional areas of policy-making (Ghana=7.06; SA=4.56); accreditation (Ghana=7.40; SA=4.10) legal and disciplinary actions (Ghana=6.45; SA=5.52); examination (Ghana=7.84; SA=5.00); registration (Ghana=8.27; SA=5.96) and communication and transparency (Ghana=6.87; SA=6.05).ConclusionBoth the N&MC and SANC are well-established regulators and are vital to ensure that the nursing workforce in each country is able to deliver quality healthcare, thereby contributing to UHC and population health improvements. However, the study findings suggest the need for concerted efforts to improve the functioning and effectiveness of the regulators, especially the SANC. The six functional areas could guide the necessary improvements in regulator functioning and effectiveness, in partnership with relevant stakeholders.

Facilitating the Development of Clinical Competence in a Low-Resource Setting: Perceptions and Challenges of Nurse Educators

“…Meeting the demands of various patient populations and promoting global health requires a competent nursing workforce. This is particularly important because nurses make up the majority of the global healthcare workforce and play critical roles in providing universal health coverage (UHC) (Christmals et al, 2021;World Health Organization, 2018). Given the crucial role that nurses play in the health delivery system, nursing education is expected to produce competent nurses to meet the ever-changing challenges of the health care environment in terms of disease burden and technological advancements.…”