Prof Yolanda Havenga, a registered professional nurse with the South African Nursing Council and associate professor at the Tshwane University of Technology’s School of Nursing Science, has been appointed new Assistant Dean for Teaching and Learning at the Faculty of Science.
She joined TUT in 2013 as a senior lecturer at the Adelaide Tambo School of Nursing Science. From 2014 she held the position of Head of Department and was promoted to associate professor in 2021. Prior to joining Tshwane University of Technology she worked as a senior lecturer at the University of Limpopo (Medunsa campus).
Yolanda holds multiple registrations in general, community and psychiatric nursing, as well as nursing education and management. Her specific interest and area of specialisation is mental health nursing, underscored by a Doctorate in Psychiatric Nursing Science obtained from the University of Johannesburg in 2011, focusing on the mental health of young children living with HIV. She also holds a Master of Business Administration in Education Management from the Haaga Helia University of Applied Science.
She has contributed to the scholarship of nursing science through her extensive supervision of Master’s and Doctoral students and has published widely. She is currently the Head of the Occupational Health and Safety Research Niche are at the Faculty of Science. Her research focuses on mental health interventions, mental health in the workplace and the ethical dimensions of nursing.
Prof Yolanda Havenga
Yolanda has also secured various sources of research funding and actively engages in national and international conferences, further advancing the field of nursing science.
In addition to her academic and professional contributions, Yolanda serves as a board member for the Forum for University Nursing Departments South Africa (FUNDISA) and the Psychiatric Nursing Association where she actively participates in shaping the future of nursing education and mental health nursing in South Africa.
During her career in Higher education, she has contributed extensively to education management, teaching and learning, research and community engagement in nursing science. She looks forward to leading teaching and learning at the Faculty of Science, aligned with the strategic objectives of the University.