Your nursing supervisor has asked for the “definition of terms” and you are not sure whether to copy a dictionary, quote the Act or write your own. This guide gives you eighteen terms with conceptual definitions taken from South African statutes, an operational definition you can adapt for each, and the rules examiners apply. A section that keeps coming back with comments costs you weeks, so get it right once. Organise your dissertation with Tesify.
What is the definition of terms section in a nursing research report?
In a South African nursing research report or mini-dissertation, the definition of terms (sometimes headed clarification of concepts or definition of key concepts) tells the examiner exactly what each central word means in your study. Faculties differ in the heading and in where the section sits, so follow your faculty template. The content follows one logic: a conceptual definition states what a term means, taken from a source you cite, and an operational definition states how you identify or measure it in your own sample and setting.
Nursing is unusually well supplied with authoritative conceptual definitions, because the Nursing Act and the National Health Act define many of the words nurses use. Quoting a statute is stronger than quoting a textbook, as long as you cite the Act, the year and the section, and check the current version. The site’s general guide to the clarification of concepts section explains the method in an education context, and this guide applies it to nursing.
Which definitions can you quote, and from where?
The conceptual definitions below come from the text of the Nursing Act 33 of 2005, as published in Government Gazette No. 28883 of 29 May 2006, and the National Health Act 61 of 2003, as published in Government Gazette No. 26595 of 23 July 2004. Both Acts have been amended since those publications. Before you quote, open the current consolidated version on the government or Department of Health website and confirm that the wording is unchanged.
Eighteen terms with conceptual and operational definitions
The conceptual column quotes or closely follows the Act. The operational column is illustrative, not a real study: it shows the kind of boundary an examiner expects, and you must rewrite it for your own sample.
| # | Term | Conceptual definition (source) | Illustrative operational definition |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nursing | “a caring profession practised by a person registered under section 31, which supports, cares for and treats a health care user to achieve or maintain health and where this is not possible, cares for a health care user so that he or she lives in comfort and with dignity until death” (Nursing Act, s 1) | The nursing care documented in the ward’s nursing notes during the study period |
| 2 | Midwifery | A caring profession practised by persons registered under the Act, which supports and assists the health care user and in particular the mother and baby, to achieve and maintain optimum health during pregnancy, all stages of labour and the puerperium (Nursing Act, s 1) | Care provided by midwives in the labour ward from admission to six hours after delivery |
| 3 | Nurse | A person registered in a category under section 31(1) in order to practise nursing or midwifery (Nursing Act, s 1) | Any nurse on the unit’s duty roster who holds current registration with the South African Nursing Council |
| 4 | Professional nurse | A person registered as such in terms of section 31 (Nursing Act, s 1) | A registered professional nurse working in the medical wards of the sampled hospital |
| 5 | Staff nurse | A person registered as such in terms of section 31 (Nursing Act, s 1) | A staff nurse working in the surgical wards of the sampled hospital |
| 6 | Learner nurse | A person registered as such in terms of section 32 (Nursing Act, s 1) | A second-year learner nurse allocated to the sampled clinic during the study period |
| 7 | Scope of practice | The scope of practice of a practitioner that corresponds to the level contemplated in section 30 in respect of that practitioner (Nursing Act, s 1) | The tasks listed in the unit’s task allocation sheet for each registered category |
| 8 | Nursing service | Any service within the scope of practice of a practitioner (Nursing Act, s 1) | Services recorded on the monthly activity return of the clinic |
| 9 | Nursing education institution | Any nursing education institution accredited by the Council in terms of the Act (Nursing Act, s 1) | The nursing college or university department where participants completed their qualification |
| 10 | Health care user | The Nursing Act refers to the National Health Act, which defines a user as the person receiving treatment in a health establishment, including receiving blood or blood products, or using a health service, with provision for a parent, guardian or other authorised person where the user is a child or incapable of deciding (National Health Act, s 1) | An adult patient admitted to the sampled ward for at least 24 hours during the study period |
| 11 | Health establishment | The whole or part of a public or private institution, facility, building or place, whether for profit or not, that is operated or designed to provide inpatient or outpatient treatment, diagnostic or therapeutic interventions, nursing, rehabilitative, palliative, convalescent, preventative or other health services (National Health Act, s 1) | One public district hospital in the sampled health district |
| 12 | Health services | Health care services, including reproductive health care and emergency medical treatment under section 27 of the Constitution, basic nutrition and basic health care services under section 28(1)(c), medical treatment under section 35(2)(e), and municipal health services (National Health Act, s 1) | The outpatient services offered at the sampled clinic, as listed on its service board |
| 13 | Health care provider | A person providing health services in terms of any law, including the statutes the Act lists, among them the Nursing Act (National Health Act, s 1) | A nurse or doctor employed at the sampled clinic |
| 14 | Health worker | Any person who is involved in the provision of health services to a user, but does not include a health care provider (National Health Act, s 1) | A community health worker linked to the sampled clinic |
| 15 | Health research | Includes any research which contributes to knowledge of the biological, clinical, psychological or social processes in human beings and of improved methods for the provision of health services, among other matters (National Health Act, s 1) | This study, which examines a nursing practice within a health establishment |
| 16 | Health research ethics committee | Any committee registered in terms of section 73 of the Act (National Health Act, s 1) | The committee at the researcher’s university that granted ethics clearance |
| 17 | Communicable disease | A disease resulting from an infection due to pathogenic agents or toxins generated by the infection, following the direct or indirect transmission of the agents from the source to the host (National Health Act, s 1) | Tuberculosis, as recorded on the clinic’s TB register |
| 18 | Non-communicable disease | A disease or health condition that cannot be contracted from another person, an animal or directly from the environment (National Health Act, s 1) | Hypertension, as recorded in the chronic condition register |
You will not need all eighteen. A typical research report defines only the handful of terms that carry its research question, and eighteen is a menu to choose from, not a target. Notice how each operational definition names a place, a time or a record, which is what makes it checkable.
How do examiners judge the section?
- Does each term carry the question? They look for terms from your title and objectives, not for a glossary of everything.
- Is each conceptual definition cited and current? A statute with the section and version is the strongest source.
- Is each operational definition checkable? It should name the population, setting, record or instrument.
- Are definitions used consistently in the methodology and findings chapters?
- Is there a link to the instrument? If you define a variable, the instrument must measure it. The site’s guide to the operationalisation of variables table shows how.
How do you define theoretical terms that are not in a statute?
Terms such as self-care, caring, burnout or patient safety are not defined in the Acts. For these, cite the scholar or framework, then write your operational definition tied to your instrument. If you use a nursing theory, the site’s guide to applying Orem’s Self-Care Deficit Theory shows how to move from a theory’s concepts to variables and an instrument. If your instrument is a published scale, the guide to validated scales for a nursing research report explains how to cite its definition and report reliability.
A short worked pair for a theoretical term follows. Illustrative example, not a real study. Conceptual: “patient safety” as defined by the source you cite, with author, year and page. Operational: the number of reported medication errors per 1,000 patient days on the sampled ward, taken from the incident register for the study period. Note that the operational definition says nothing about the author’s theory. It states a count, a denominator and a source.
Where does ethics fit in your definitions?
If your study involves patients or health care personnel, your definitions of “health care user” and “health research” also support the ethics application, because the committee needs to know who your participants are and what protections apply. The site’s guide to ethics and consent in a nursing research report explains the approval chain, and your operational definition of the participant group should match the one in your information sheet.
What mistakes get this section sent back?
- Dictionary definitions for professional terms that the Nursing Act defines.
- Quoting an old version of an Act without checking the current one.
- A conceptual definition only, with no operational definition.
- Different wording for the same term in Chapter 1 and the findings.
- Too many terms, so that the central ones are buried.
- Copying definitions from a previous thesis without checking the source and without attribution.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a conceptual and an operational definition in nursing research?
A conceptual definition states what a term means, usually taken from a statute, policy or scholar. An operational definition states how the term is identified or measured in your study.
Where do I find the legal definition of a nurse in South Africa?
Section 1 of the Nursing Act 33 of 2005 defines terms such as nurse, nursing, midwifery, professional nurse and scope of practice. Check the current consolidated version before quoting.
How many terms should a nursing research report define?
Define the terms that carry your research question. Eighteen is a menu to choose from, not a target, and a typical report defines far fewer.
Can I quote the Acts directly?
Yes, with the Act, year and section cited, and with a note that you used the current version.
Do I define theoretical terms such as self-care in the same section?
Yes, but cite the theorist for the conceptual definition and keep the operational definition tied to your instrument.
Is the definition of terms the same as the abbreviations list?
No. An abbreviations list expands acronyms. A definition of terms explains meaning and how you operationalised it.
Will my university accept a research report prepared with Tesify?
Universities set their own rules, so check your institution’s policy. Tesify helps you structure and organise your dissertation, and the text stays 100% written by you.
Organise your nursing research report with Tesify
A definition of terms only works if every definition lines up with your objectives, instrument and findings. 9,000+ students have written 15,000+ chapters with Tesify, which helps you structure and organise your dissertation, and the text stays 100% written by you. Organise your dissertation with Tesify.
Sources cited
- Republic of South Africa (2006) Nursing Act 33 of 2005. Government Gazette, No. 28883, 29 May 2006.
- Republic of South Africa (2004) National Health Act 61 of 2003. Government Gazette, No. 26595, 23 July 2004.