[Nursing manpower status in South Africa--a comparative 5-year perspective: 1989 and 1993]

A retrospective, non-experimental, descriptive study was undertaken to determine the trends in nursing resources in South Africa between 1989 and 1993. Results obtained from data-analysis in 1993 were compared to a similar study done by Professor Kotze in her capacity as president of the South African Council of Nursing in 1989. It is shown that there was a continuous decline in the growth rate of registered nurses over the period from 9.4% in 1989 to 1.88% in 1992, with a slight increase of 3.18% in 1993. In the student category, a negative growth was found during 1990 (-6.05%), 1992 (-1.69%) and an even worse rate of -25.91% in 1993. The ratio of registered nurses versus the subprofessional group worsened and varied between 0.94% in 1988, 1.02 in 1989 and 0.98 in 1993. Generally spoken, it can be said that the negative trends described by Professor Kotze in 1990 (1990:65-76) in the Curationis, is still continuing. To avoid a forthcoming crisis in the supplying of nursing power, these problems must be addressed even more firmly than previously.