Professional nurses' requests to remove their names from the South African Nursing Council's register, Part 1: introduction and literature review

Abstract

Worldwide a severe shortage of professional nurses is expected to occur between 2005 and 2020 - when the ";baby boomers"; born between 1947 and 1962 reach retirement age. This shortage will differ from any previous shortage because there will be no large pool of non-practising professional nurses as was the case during the nurse shortages encountered during the 1980s. The countries paying better salaries will continue to attract professional nurses from the poorer paying countries (including the Republic of South Africa); further depleting their supplies of professional nurses. This scenario makes it imperative for poorer paying countries to start monitoring the professional nurses who leave the nursing profession, and make plans to address the potential crisis which could be precipitated by a severe shortage of professional nurses. This article discusses the shortage of nurses in South Africa and in other countries. The literature review addresses the anticipated shortage of professional nurses in a number of countries, concluding that a global shortage of nurses could be anticipated between 2005 and 2020 when the majority of nurses are expected to reach retirement ages. This discussion is followed by the problem statement, as well as the objectives for this research and the significance of investigating why South African nurses request their names to be removed from the SANC's register. The next article will describe the research process and results indicating why nurses in South Africa requested their names to be removed from the SANC's register.


Wêreldwyd word daar tussen 2005 en 2020 'n ernstige tekort aan professionele verpleegkundiges voorspel - wanneer die ";baby boomers"; wat tussen 1947 en 1962 gebore is, gaan aftree. Hierdie tekort gaan verskil van enige vorige tekort omdat daar dan nie groot getalle nie-praktiserende professionele verpleegkundiges gaan wees soos tydens die 1980s se tekorte nie. Die lande wat beter salarisse betaal, sal voortgaan om professionele verpleegkundiges vanaf swakker betalende lande te werf (insluitende die Republiek van Suid-Afrika) - wat die swakker betalende lande se professionele verpleegkundiges verder gaan verminder. Hierdie scenario noodsaak die swakker betalende lande om daadwerklik die verpleegkundiges wat die verpleegberoep verlaat te monitor, ten einde die moontlike krisis wat kan ontstaan weens 'n ernstige tekort aan verpleegkundiges, aan te spreek. Hierdie artikel bespreek verpleegtekorte in Suid-Afrika en in ander lande. Die literatuuroorsig spreek die verwagte tekort van verpleegkundiges in verskeie lande aan, wat lei tot die gevolgtrekking dat daar 'n wêreldwye tekort aan verpleegkundiges tussen 2005 en 2020 verwag kan word, wanneer die meeste verpleegkundiges aftreeouderdomme sal bereik. Die bespreking word gevolg deur die stelling van die navorsingsprobleem en doelwitte vir die studie asook 'n aanduiding van die belangrikheid van navorsing oor redes waarom Suid-Afrikaanse verpleegkundiges versoek dat hulle name van die SARV se register verwyder word. Die volgende artikel bespreek die navorsingsproses en resultate aangaande redes waarom professionele verpleegkundiges in Suid-Afrika versoek dat hulle name van die SARV se register verwyder word.


Key words: Baby boomers, Migration of nurses, Non-practising nurses, Nurses' turnover, Nursing shortages, Professional re-entry of nurses, Retirement of nurses.


(Health SA Gesondheid: 2003 8(2): 63-69)