Legislative issues impacting on the practice of the South African nurse practitioner

PURPOSE: To present an overview of the impact of the nurse practitioner (NP) on the South African health care arena and describe the legislative framework for NP practice. DATA SOURCES: Statutes and laws of the government of South Africa; published professional guidelines; authors' experiences. CONCLUSIONS: The key challenges for NPs in South Africa lie in lobbying for enabling legislation, obtaining access to education and training opportunities, and managing risks within the rapidly changing environment. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE: Some aspects of the NP's accountability and responsibilities have as yet not been adequately addressed in the current legislative framework and will certainly increase the risk for malpractice. South African NPs will have to establish partnerships with important role players, not only in South Africa, but also internationally, to ensure that an enabling environment for quality health services is created.