NATIONAL NEWS - As the world celebrates International Nurses Day, today, 12 May, the nursing profession in South Africa is under huge pressure and locally nurses work under intense strain.
The Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (Denosa) says the nursing profession is facing severe systemic challenges while South Africa is experiencing a critical shortage of nurses, particularly in bedside roles, which has resulted in mounting pressure on those who remain.
Many nursing professionals opt to work abroad as, not only is the remuneration much better, the working conditions and hours are also far less taxing and stressful.
"Compounding this is the failure to revise the Occupation-Specific Dispensation (OSD) policy - initially a successful retention tool implemented in 2007 - which has now become outdated and insufficient in providing competitive benefits," Denosa says.
Denosa says additionally, poor workforce planning continues to leave newly qualified nurses without clear integration pathways into the public health system, despite the escalating demand for healthcare services.
"At the same time, nurses face high levels of burnout and declining mental health, due to long hours, unsafe working conditions, and a lack of institutional support.
"These challenges are not only affecting the wellbeing of nurses but are actively undermining South Africa’s ability to reach its public health goals and achieve universal health coverage."
Memory Booysen, the DA Western Cape Spokesperson on Health & Wellness, expressed his shock at the alarming revelation that more than 2 400 security-related incidents were recorded at health facilities across the Western Cape in the last financial year.
"A recent report presented to a Standing Committee highlighted that the majority of these incidents involved physical assault, with 492 reported cases.
"This was followed by 453 cases of property damage and 380 instances of theft or burglary," he says.
Booysen urges the public to help protect healthcare facilities, especially the healthcare workers who serve our communities.
Denosa calls on government leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders to act decisively by:
1. Overhauling provincial human resource systems to ensure effective deployment and retention of nurses;
2. Revising and modernising the OSD policy to reflect present-day economic and professional realities;
3. Establishing structured pathways for student nurses to enter the workforce upon qualification;
4. Implementing retention strategies that improve work-life balance and mental health support;
5. Creating safe, well-resourced, and dignified working environments across all healthcare facilities.
Move beyond symbolic appreciation
Denosa urges South Africa to move beyond symbolic appreciation and towards tangible reforms that will empower nurses to lead, care, and contribute meaningfully to the country’s development agenda.
Observed globally and championed by the International Council of Nurses (ICN), International Nurses Day honours the legacy of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, and celebrates the indispensable role of nurses in advancing global health.
This year’s theme, “Our Nurses. Our Future. Caring for Nurses Strengthens Economies,” builds on the 2024 focus, “The Economic Power of Care”, which highlighted how investing in the nursing profession yields measurable economic and societal benefits.
"In 2025, the spotlight turns to the health, wellbeing, and sustainability of the nursing workforce itself - recognising that without a healthy nursing population, resilient health systems and thriving economies are impossible.
"This message is especially urgent in South Africa, where nurses continue to form the backbone of the healthcare system, despite operating under increasingly strained conditions," Denosa says.
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