The MEC for Health, Mathabo Leeto, presided over the post-nurses graduation ceremony that was held at the Kingdom Academy in Welkom on 6 June.
This event saw 288 students graduate. From these, 113 received a higher certificate in Auxilary Nursing, 115 received a diploma in General Nursing, and 60 received a diploma in Nursing Science and Midwifery.
The 60 students who received the diploma in Nursing Science and Midwifery are the final students of the legacy qualification as it is being phased out.
Leeto wished the graduates well on their new journey of life.
She told them that they are an asset to the province and that they are well-equipped to become the best of the best in the entire world.
Leeto emphasised that, essentially, the Free State serves as the breeding ground and a feeder to the high national and international demand for nurses.
Leeto further acknowledged that nurses are the foundation, the spine, the backbone and the pillar upon whom the health care system is established.
“It is befitting, therefore, that they are emotionally equipped to know what suffering is and what it means to be in need, so that in their professional journey, they know and do not wish pain and suffering for any of the persons they are destined to take care of in the future.”
She urged the nurses to be ready in their mindset to practice nursing in the new National Health Insurance (NHI) dispensation with the Act being recently signed into law.
“It is Youth Month and many of these graduate nurses are youths; they should be ready to carry out the implementation of the NHI with great vigour and enthusiasm. Also, they should be technologically aware as the Free State Department of Health is implementing a new dispensation of digital health systems,” she said.
The overall top achiever is Thatohatsi Selepe. She received top accolades and was awarded several trophies amongst which is the Dr Mantoa Augustina “Stonko” Mofokeng trophy for the student who attained the highest combined marks in theory and practical, but not less than 65%, in general nursing science-related modules.
Dr Elna van Dyk, manager of the Academic Planning unit, also donated the Dr Elna Van Dyk trophy for the best student in first-year general nursing science, theory and practical, but not less than 65%, in general nursing science-related modules.
