Health Sciences and Social Services Preventive Health

Ethical and Legal Nursing Practice in South Africa Training

SAQA US 252080 | NQF 5 | Credits 8 | Duration 5 Days
From $1,242 per delegate

Description

This course equips nursing professionals with the knowledge and skills to practice in accordance with the ethical and legal codes of nursing and the laws of South Africa. Participants will learn to apply ethical principles, legal frameworks, and professional standards to ensure safe, competent, and accountable patient care.

Learning Outcomes

  • Apply the ethical principles of autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, and justice in nursing practice.
  • Analyze legal frameworks governing nursing in South Africa, including the Nursing Act, Health Professions Act, and related legislation.
  • Evaluate ethical dilemmas using appropriate decision-making models and justify actions taken.
  • Demonstrate compliance with the South African Nursing Council (SANC) code of ethics and professional conduct.
  • Implement measures to protect patient rights, including confidentiality, informed consent, and refusal of treatment.
  • Integrate legal and ethical standards into documentation, reporting, and patient advocacy.

Target Audience

Registered nurses, enrolled nurses, nursing auxiliaries, and nursing students who need to understand and apply ethical and legal requirements in their daily practice.

Prerequisites

None — open enrollment. However, participants must be currently registered with the South African Nursing Council or enrolled in a nursing programme.

Course Outline

Day 1: Foundations of Ethical and Legal Nursing Practice

Objectives:
• Understand the South African legal framework governing nursing practice.
• Identify key ethical principles and their application in nursing.
• Differentiate between ethical and legal responsibilities.
• Recognize the role of the South African Nursing Council (SANC) and relevant legislation.
• Explore the concept of patient rights and professional accountability.

Topics:
• Introduction to ethics and law in nursing
• Constitution of South Africa and the Bill of Rights
• Nursing Act, 2005 (Act No. 33 of 2005)
• Health Professions Act, 1974 (Act No. 56 of 1974)
• South African Nursing Council (SANC) regulations and scope of practice
• Ethical principles: autonomy, beneficence, non-maleficence, justice
• Patient rights and the Patients' Rights Charter
• Professional accountability and responsibility

Day 2: Legal Frameworks and Professional Regulation

Objectives:
• Analyze key health-related legislation impacting nursing practice.
• Understand the disciplinary processes of SANC.
• Apply legal principles to consent and patient confidentiality.
• Evaluate the implications of the National Health Act and Mental Health Care Act.
• Discuss the legal aspects of medical records and documentation.

Topics:
• National Health Act, 2003 (Act No. 61 of 2003)
• Mental Health Care Act, 2002 (Act No. 17 of 2002)
• Children's Act, 2005 (Act No. 38 of 2005)
• Consent: informed, implied, and written consent
• Confidentiality and privacy: legal obligations and exceptions
• Medical records: ownership, storage, and access
• SANC disciplinary procedures and code of conduct
• Professional indemnity and malpractice

Day 3: Ethical Decision-Making and Dilemmas

Objectives:
• Apply ethical frameworks to resolve nursing dilemmas.
• Analyze case studies involving ethical conflicts.
• Understand the role of ethics committees in healthcare.
• Discuss ethical issues in end-of-life care and resource allocation.
• Develop skills in ethical reasoning and justification.

Topics:
• Ethical decision-making models (e.g., Beauchamp & Childress)
• Moral distress and ethical resilience
• End-of-life care: advance directives, euthanasia, palliative care
• Resource allocation and distributive justice
• Ethical issues in reproductive health and genetics
• Role of institutional ethics committees
• Cultural and religious considerations in ethical decisions
• Case study analysis: ethical dilemmas in nursing practice

Day 4: Professional Boundaries and Accountability

Objectives:
• Define professional boundaries and identify boundary violations.
• Understand the legal implications of scope of practice.
• Recognize the signs of impairment and duty to report.
• Discuss the role of peer review and quality assurance.
• Explore legal aspects of delegation and supervision.

Topics:
• Professional boundaries: therapeutic vs. personal relationships
• Scope of practice: limitations and extensions
• Delegation and supervision: legal responsibilities
• Impairment: substance abuse, mental health, and reporting duties
• Peer review and clinical governance
• Whistleblowing and protection for reporters
• Legal consequences of negligence and misconduct
• Case law examples: disciplinary hearings and outcomes

Day 5: Integration and Application in Practice

Objectives:
• Synthesize ethical and legal principles into a personal practice framework.
• Develop a plan for maintaining ethical competence.
• Apply legal knowledge to clinical scenarios.
• Discuss strategies for promoting ethical culture in healthcare teams.
• Prepare for continued professional development in ethics and law.

Topics:
• Developing a personal ethical practice framework
• Strategies for ethical advocacy and patient safety
• Continuing professional development (CPD) in ethics and law
• Collaborative ethical decision-making in interprofessional teams
• Legal risk management and documentation best practices
• Review of key legislative updates and trends
• Final assessment: case study integration and reflection
• Action plan for ethical and legal nursing practice

Practicals

No practicals for this training.

This course is made up of exercises and case studies delivered alongside the theory — no separate practical sessions are required to complete it.

Summatives

Each delegate is assessed continuously throughout the course and a final summative test at the end.

Daily Exercises — 30%

Every training day ends with a multiple-choice exercise scored out of 100%. The scores from each daily exercise are averaged across the duration of the course to produce a Daily Average mark, which contributes 30% to the final total.

Final Test — 70%

On the last day a final summative test is written. It is a multiple-choice paper with multiple-answer questions: each question may have more than one correct option, and a single wrong selection on a question marks the entire question wrong — no partial credit. The final test is scored out of 100% and contributes 70% to the overall mark.

Final Total
Component Out of Weight
Daily Average (multiple choice) 100% 30%
Final Test (multi-answer multiple choice) 100% 70%
Final Total 100%

All marks are recorded on the AATICD LMS and visible to each learner under their account.

Certificate

Certificate of Completion

Awarded to delegates who achieve an overall mark of 50% or higher on the Final Total (Daily Average 30% + Final Test 70%).

How it works
  • Certificates are auto-generated on the AATICD LMS as soon as the marks pass the 50% threshold.
  • Each certificate is a branded PDF with the delegate's name, the course title, the unit standard ID, NQF level, credits, and the date of issue.
  • You can download or print your certificate from your LMS dashboard at any time after issue — there's no reissue fee and no expiry date.
  • If you scored under 50% you can sit the final test again at the next scheduled session at no extra cost.
Where to find it

Sign in to the LMS, open your dashboard, and your certificates appear under My Certificates. Each entry has a View / Download button and a print option.

Training Discounts

Group discounts apply automatically — the more delegates you enrol, the greater the saving. Discounts are calculated at 3% per 5 delegates, scaling up to 40% off for 100+ delegates.

Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% discount per 5 delegates, up to 40% off for 100+ delegates. Contact us for a custom group quote.

Upcoming Training Sessions
Online training — attend live sessions from anywhere via our virtual classroom.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 07 Sep 2026 Fri 11 Sep 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 28 Sep 2026 Fri 02 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 19 Oct 2026 Fri 23 Oct 2026 Virtual Spring 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Dec 2026 Fri 11 Dec 2026 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 11 Jan 2027 Fri 15 Jan 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 15 Feb 2027 Fri 19 Feb 2027 Virtual Summer 2026 $1,242 Register
Mon 01 Mar 2027 Fri 05 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Fri 19 Mar 2027 Virtual Autumn 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 07 Jun 2027 Fri 11 Jun 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 28 Jun 2027 Fri 02 Jul 2027 Virtual Winter 2027 $1,242 Register
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Mon 18 Oct 2027 Fri 22 Oct 2027 Virtual Spring 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 06 Dec 2027 Fri 10 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 27 Dec 2027 Fri 31 Dec 2027 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
Mon 17 Jan 2028 Fri 21 Jan 2028 Virtual Summer 2027 $1,242 Register
On-Campus training — face-to-face sessions at our training venues across Africa and beyond.
Showing all 492 sessions across 26 venues
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Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Durban, South Africa Winter 2026 $2,916 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Abu Dhabi, UAE Winter 2026 $5,238 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Pretoria, South Africa Winter 2026 $1,863 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Dubai, UAE Winter 2026 $5,238 Register
Mon 10 Aug 2026 Fri 14 Aug 2026 Cape Town, South Africa Winter 2026 $3,078 Register
In-House training — we bring the trainer to your organisation, tailored to your team.
Start End Delivery Season Price Action
Mon 14 Sep 2026 Fri 18 Sep 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 05 Oct 2026 Fri 09 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 26 Oct 2026 Fri 30 Oct 2026 Your Premises Spring 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 14 Dec 2026 Fri 18 Dec 2026 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 18 Jan 2027 Fri 22 Jan 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 22 Feb 2027 Fri 26 Feb 2027 Your Premises Summer 2026 $1,615 Register
Mon 08 Mar 2027 Fri 12 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 15 Mar 2027 Fri 19 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 22 Mar 2027 Fri 26 Mar 2027 Your Premises Autumn 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 14 Jun 2027 Fri 18 Jun 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 05 Jul 2027 Fri 09 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 26 Jul 2027 Fri 30 Jul 2027 Your Premises Winter 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Sep 2027 Fri 17 Sep 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 04 Oct 2027 Fri 08 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 25 Oct 2027 Fri 29 Oct 2027 Your Premises Spring 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 13 Dec 2027 Fri 17 Dec 2027 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 03 Jan 2028 Fri 07 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Mon 24 Jan 2028 Fri 28 Jan 2028 Your Premises Summer 2027 $1,615 Register
Training Discounts
Delegates Discount
5 3% off
10 6% off
15 9% off
20 12% off
25 15% off
30 18% off
50 30% off
75 35% off
100 40% off

3% off per 5 delegates, up to 40% for 100+

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