The Swaziland Nursing Council is an autonomous body which was established by the nurse and midwives Act No. 16 of 1965.

Mission

The Swaziland Nursing council is committed to the promotion of professional excellence and quality nursing care, protection of the public trust by ensuring that nurses who wish to practice nursing in the Kingdom of Swaziland are eligible and qualified to meet licensure and other practice requirements.

Objectives of the Council

1.    To promote, preserve and protect the community health safety and welfare by and through the effective control and regulation of the practice and education of nursing
2.    To ensure that any person practicing or offering to practice of nursing, as define in this Act, or using the title of registered nurse, nurse specialist, or nursing assistant shall before entering upon practice be licenced
3.    To advise the Minister on any matters falling within the scope of this Act
4.    To communicate to the Minister information on matters of public importance acquired by the Council in the course of the performance of its functions under the Nursing Act

Power of the Council

1.    Regulate Nursing Practice and Nursing education to enforce provision of the Act
2.    Develop, adopt and amend rules and regulations
3.    Interpret the act
4.    Inquire and discipline registered and enrolled persons
5.    Set up committee for the purpose of carrying out work if the Council
6.    Establish a board for the purpose of prescribing and conducting bursary examinations for licensure

Functions

1.    Set, monitor, enforce and evaluate standards for registration, nursing practice and nursing education
2.    Ensure up to date register and role of all person mention in the Act
3.    Ensure up to date register of nursing students and roll of nursing assistants students
4.    Prescribe the conditions for the removal, suspension, probation, re-instatement of names from the register or roll and where necessary the restoration of the names to the register or roll
5.    Prescribe distinguishing devices indicating the status of person registered or enrolled by the Council
6.    Approve nursing education institutions; nursing programmes clinical learning/teaching sites and health care facilities do not meet standards
7.    Conduct periodic  evaluation of nursing education institutions, nursing programmes and clinic leaning/teaching sites every three to five years
8.    Develop standards for approval of private facilities owners and operated by registered nurses
9.    Withdraw approval of private facilities owned and operated and registered nurse who fail to meet the standards set by the council
10.    Provide provisional approval of new nursing education institutions programme or private faculties owned and operated by registered nurses
11.    Conduct periodic assessment of the facilities privately owned and operated by registered nurses(s) every three to five years
12.    Reinstate approval of nursing education programme meet the standard established by the council
13.    Assess and set fees for registration and other services carried out by the council including registration, re-registration, approval of education, institutions, programmes and private facilities.
14.    Conduct investigation an hearings into any violations of the Act and Rules and Regulation
15.    Discipline licence holder according to the provisions of the Act
16.    Define scope of practice
17.    Designate and regulate nursing assistant, enrolled nurses, registered nurses and nurse specialist
18.    Develop terms of reference of standing committee and other committee for more effective functioning.
19.    Categories of registration and enrolment

All categories of nurses and nurse specialist are the auspices of the Council