Abstract
M.Cur.
A single comprehensive, equitable and integrated National Health System must be created for South Afiica (ANC, 1994:19). This will be achieved by the ANC's commitment too promotion ofhealth through prevention and education. The Primary Health Care approach is the tenet for the restructuring ofthe health system.
To be able to create a Health System which is single, comprehensive, equitable and integrated the system should be accessible, effective, acceptable, affordable and just.
Community health nursing should be restructured to comply with these conditions. In this study the functions ofthe district nurse as a component ofthe Community Health Nursing Service within the National Health System is described.
The aim ofthis study is to render more prominence to the promotive, preventive, curative
and rehabilitive aspects ofcommunity health nursing in the home environment. Criteria for the delivery ofa district nursing service as component ofa community health nursing service will also be set and the position ofcurrent district nursing services investigated.
An explorative, descriptive study was performed. The functions that the district nurse is
supposed to perform will be obtained, by analysing duty sheets, a questionnaire and a
literature review, to set guide lines for the delivery ofa district nursing service.
Most ofthe district nurse's functions were found to be corresponding, in the duty sheets
and questionnaires. But there were also some differences. The final findings are described