The evaluation of one public nursing college in terms of the programme criteria of the higher education quality committee

Abstract

The purpose of the study was to do an evaluation of the KwaZulu-Natal College of Nursing against the seven input criteria of the Higher Education Quality Committee and make recommendations about improvements necessary in order for the College to become accredited with this body. The evaluation was based on a survey of all teaching sites of the Nursing College, involving an architect and nurse educators. Questionnaires, interviews and site inspection check lists were developed and used to collect data. An initial data summary was done by the team leader, and this was first discussed with the evaluation team and then validated in a meeting with the College staff. The results addressed each of the seven criteria and it was found that only one (assessment) was met, while three were partially met and three not met. It became evident that 70-80% of the KZN CN budget is spent on salaries of staff and students. The implication is that a minimal percentage could have been spent on teaching and learning. South African Colleges of Nursing will never be able to adhere to the standards of higher education, except if the governance context changes to favour the autonomy of these colleges. The biggest challenge lies in adequate funding to ensure quality standards within the college teaching and learning environment, although system development and adequate facilities are also serious limitations.