Nursing is one of those few professions that demands an individual’s entire being. Knowledge, physical strength, commitment, courage, empathy and compassion are some of the fundamental traits required to be a nurse. Nurses are vital to the sick. Florence Nightingale said, ‘nursing is the gentle art of caring.’  They are the patients’ helpers, confidants and play a critical role in the patients’ journey – whether it is to recovery or to death – making sure it is as comfortable as possible.

On 12 May, the world celebrates International Nurses Day. This day was chosen by the International Council of Nurses (ICN) because it is the anniversary of the birth of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, in 1820. This year celebrates the theme, ‘Nurses: a voice to lead – health is a human right’, advocating that no matter the location or setting, healthcare should be accessible to all.

Head of the Department of Nursing Science at the University of Pretoria (UP), Prof Fhumulani Mavis Mulaudzi recognises the importance and relevance of this year’s theme, particularly in the South African context. Health as a human right has been under the spotlight in recent times because of the National Department of Health’s introduction of National Health Insurance, which is expected to be fully operational by 2025, raising concerns relating to inequality of access to healthcare.

While health has always been recognised as a human right in the Bill of Rights of the South African Constitution (although not always realised), Prof Mulaudzi stresses the need to ensure that the healthcare provided is of a high quality and is accessible to all South Africans. Nurses play an important role in ensuring this human right is realised.

As a pioneer of the nursing profession – having offered the first nursing degree programme in South Africa in 1956 – the Department of Nursing Science is active in ensuring nursing students understand their role as leaders and advocates for the human right to healthcare. Prof Mulaudzi and the UP nursing staff pride themselves on a set of values that strive to better the lives of others. ‘We instil a strong sense of responsibility and accountability in our students, and we see their development from first year until they graduate,’ says Prof Mulaudzi proudly.

The UP nursing curriculum recognises the diversity of South Africa and aims to expose students to all contexts, from community nursing to palliative care to delivering services in informal settlements. This exposes students to the different types of nursing, as well as the challenges inhibiting the human right to health and the right to quality healthcare.

In order to produce nurses who are non-judgemental and supportive to patients, the Department of Nursing Science also offers a module known as Integrative Nursing, in which students are exposed to and taught about alternative treatments such as complimentary medicines and traditional cultural practices of health. This is to ensure students understand that one of the human rights of patients is the right to make their own choices about their health. As nurses, their role is not to judge, but to provide patients with information that is as holistic and as thorough as possible so that the patient is able to make informed decisions.

Another strong area of focus in the Department’s teaching and learning is on the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are particularly relevant to the healthcare system. The Department focuses predominantly on the third SDG, namely, good health and well-being. The reduction in infant mortality rate, mother and child mortality, and diseases such as HIV/AIDS, TB and malaria are some of the focus areas that form part of the nursing curricula.

Prof Mulaudzi says there is a definite rejuvenation and motivation among the nursing community when it comes to the recognition that health is a human right. However, South Africa is still grappling with many challenges that are impeding the realisation of this right. There is a general lack of nurses in South Africa today – largely owing to the fact that qualified nurses emigrate for better remuneration. This shortage is gravely affecting the quality of nursing.

A lack of material resources such as medication and poor infrastructure are also constraints. ‘While nurses are innovative and exceptionally capable of thinking on their feet, the lack of many essential resources prevents them from performing their services to the full and providing quality healthcare to the patients,’ says Prof Mulaudzi. As a training institution, she says it is critical that UP continues training nurses to understand the value of every human being and to be the voice that leads for health as a human right.