In this schedule "the Act" means the Nursing Act, 2005 (Act No. 33 of 2005), and any word or expression to which a meaning has been assigned in the Act has such meaning and, unless the context indicates otherwise—

"accreditation"

means certification of an institution, for a specified period, recognising it as a nursing education institution with the capacity to offer a prescribed nursing programme, upon compliance with the Council's prescribed accreditation requirements, criteria and standards for nursing education and training;

"audit"

means the process of systematic scrutiny of a quality management system carried out by an audit team in order to determine whether the institution meets the Council's prescribed accreditation requirements, criteria and standards for nursing education and training;

"audit visit"

means an on-site assessment or appraisal undertaken to confirm, validate and determine if an applying institution or a nursing education institution's statements and claims made in the institutional portfolio and self-assessment meet the Council's prescribed accreditation requirements, criteria and standards for nursing education and training;

"auditor"

means an independent professional nurse who understands the standards and principles of auditing and is appointed by the Council to participate in audits;

"clinical accompaniment"

means a structured process by a nursing education institution to facilitate directed assistance and support to the learners by a nurse educator at the clinical facility to ensure the achievement of learning outcomes;

"clinical facility"

means a continuum of services to promote health and provide care to individuals and groups, used to teach learners;

"clinical learning opportunities"

means the range of learning experiences, including work-integrated and service learning, available in a healthcare setting, which may also include other experiential learning sites where a learner has the opportunity to gain the required clinical skills;

"clinical supervision"

means the assistance and support extended to the learner by the professional nurse, midwife or staff nurse in a clinical facility with the aim of developing a competent and independent practitioner;

"conditional' accreditation"

means approval to operate as a nursing education institution under certain circumstances, for a period determined by the Council, to enable the institution to fulfil ail outstanding accreditation requirements, criteria and standards;

"criteria"

means characteristics or dimensions that are used to judge compliance to a standard;

"de-accreditation"

means the withdrawal of accreditation of a nursing education institution or nursing education programme by the Council;

"fee"

means an amount of money payable to the Council as determined from time to time and published by notice in the Gazette;

"focus visit"

means a site visit which focuses only on certain identified aspects of the portfolio of evidence and compliance with the Council's prescribed accreditation requirements, criteria and standards for nursing education and training as determined by the Council prior to the visit and for a specific purpose;

"full accreditation"

means approval to operate as a nursing education institution and indicates that the institution compiles with all of the Council's prescribed accreditation requirements, criteria and standards for nursing education and training and may operate for a period not exceeding five (5) years;

"governance"

means the system by which a nursing education institution is directed and controlled. It is concerned with systems, controls, accountabilities and decision-making at the highest level of the nursing education institution;

"institution"

means a founded establishment or organisation consisting of a building or complex of buildings and its associated resources for the specific purpose of offering nursing education and training programmes;

"institutional accreditation"

means the act of granting credit or recognition with respect to a nursing education institution that complies with the Councils prescribed accreditation requirements, criteria and standards for nursing education and training;

"institutional portfolio"

means a compilation of several measures of an institution's evidence that the mission and learning outcomes identified by the institution are being realised, institutional portfolios demonstrate accountability to stakeholders and may be used as a vehicle for institution-wide reflection, learning and improvement;

"institutional self-assessment"

means a comprehensive and systematic review of an institution applying for accreditation as a nursing education institution or regular review of an organisation's activities and results referenced against the required Council's prescribed accreditation requirements, criteria and standards for nursing education and training. The self-assessment process allows the nursing education institution or a new institution to discern clearly its strengths and areas in which improvements can be made and culminates in planned improvement actions which are then monitored for progress;

"learner"

means a person registered with the Council in terms of section 32 of the Act;

"learning site"

means the accredited physical location where education and training facilities and resources are available for the delivery of education and training of learners;

"programme accreditation"

means recognition of a learning programme as complying with the Council's prescribed accreditation requirements, criteria and standards for a specified nursing education and training programme; and

"standards"

means a reference point against which aspects of nursing education can be evaluated to assess quality and to make a judgment or decision.