EU population ageing is a long-term trend, placing many challenges at EU and national level. EU and World Health Organization reports point out the importance of family and community in the ageing process, emphasizing the need to implement new Primary Health Care (PHC) models. In these documents the Family and Community Nurse (FCN) is identified as a key actor in innovative PHC models. Despite this, no standardized Professional Profile for FCN existed at EU level.To fill in this gap, the project defined a Professional Profile for FCNs. This competence-based profile was the baseline for the definition of a Curriculum for FCN, that is European, innovative, learning outcome-oriented and modular. The EU Curriculum was then instantiated into 3 local Curricula so as to take into consideration inevitable national and contextual constraints; to do so, Guidelines for designers and for teachers were implemented, to support this localization process. The 3 local Curricula were then implemented in 3 pilot courses run in Italy, Greece and Finland, to test effectiveness. A technological platform, called the Open Online Tool (OOT), was also produced to support pilot delivery. Moreover, a teacher training path was delivered to support pilot teachers’ uptake of the project’s innovative tools and methods, along with a set of Open Contents made available in the form of teaching/learning materials. Lastly, a set of recommendations for efficient investments on FCN professionals was delivered. As far as impact is concerned, the participating organizations benefitted from project outcomes in the following ways:•150 graduate nurses were successfully trained according to the innovative EU Curriculum, thus becoming FCNs (at EQF6 or EQF7, depending on the country). After less than 3 months by the end of the training courses - more than 30 FCNs already got employed. Others will be employed soon, to demonstrate effectiveness of the training offer and the need of the labour market. •FCNs took part in training using the OOT, which allowed formal and non-formal networking and learning, as well as practice sharing. The OOT is still available to sustain FCNs’ professional communities.•VET providers of the project benefited from the reference EU Curriculum for FCN and from the related Guidelines supporting the instantiation of the EU Curriculum.•VET teachers of the project benefited from the teacher training path, the Open Contents, the OOT, as well as the Guidelines, aimed to support them in the design and delivery of effective and innovative teaching and learning activities for FCNs. In terms of benefits for other stakeholders, we can mention: •Nurse professional associations across Europe can benefit from the EU Professional Profile and Curriculum for FCN and the OOT for networking. These makes it possible for them to promote professional development and practice sharing within the FCN community. •Regulatory bodies in the healthcare sector in Europe can benefit from the EU Professional Profile for FCN through recognition of the curricula and of the related competences, thus promoting EU mobility. •VET providers in Europe can develop and deliver their own Curriculum, using the European one as a basis and thus being able to offer ECVET/EQF-compliant programmes for FCNs. To do so, they can be supported by the Guidelines, which guide them in creating their own instance of the EU Curriculum. This will allow further adoption of the Curriculum and upscaling.•Teachers in the field of nursing education can benefit from the specific Guidelines, as well as the set of Open Contents, supporting them in the design and delivery of innovative teaching and learning activities for FCNs. •Public and private healthcare organizations/institutions benefit from the recommendations on how to achieve efficient investments in FCN professionals, as well as indications on future investments.
Main objective was to increase the specialization level of nurses working in PHC regarding Family and Community Nursing skills. Moreover, the project aimed to foster the development of FCN curricula based on a formalized EU profile drawing on WHO and EU recommendations. Ultimately, the goal was to enhance the shift from old PHC models to new ones.
Family and Community Nurse (FCN) is identified as a key actor in the new Primary Health Care (PHC) models. Despite this, no standardized Professional Profile nor training path are defined at EU level. ENhANCE targeted an existing mismatch between the skills offered by nurses working in PHC and those actually demanded by the health care sector. To be noted that the recent pandemic has made even more evident the (already existing) need of FCNs, to decentralize our PHC on the territory.
<< Background >> Family and Community Nurse (FCN) is identified as a key actor in the new Primary Health Care (PHC) models. Despite this, no standardized Professional Profile nor training path are defined at EU level. ENhANCE targeted an existing mismatch between the skills offered by nurses working in PHC and those actually demanded by the health care sector. To be noted that the recent pandemic has made even more evident the (already existing) need of FCNs, to decentralize our PHC on the territory. << Objectives >> Main objective was to increase the specialization level of nurses working in PHC regarding Family and Community Nursing skills. Moreover, the project aimed to foster the development of FCN curricula based on a formalized EU profile drawing on WHO and EU recommendations. Ultimately, the goal was to enhance the shift from old PHC models to new ones. << Implementation >> Implementation encompassed the development of:- A EU Professional Profile for FCN - A EU Curriculum for FCN - Guidelines supporting VET designers and teachers to design effective training for FCNs- An Open Online Tool supporting practice sharing for FCNs- A European e-learning for VET teachers in the field of nursing- Free Open Contents targeting VET teachers - Design documents of 3 localized curricula in Italy, Finland and Greece. - 3 pilot courses in Italy, Finland and Greece. << Results >> - 150 graduate nurses were trained according to the EU Curriculum and became FCNs; more than 30 already got employed. Others will be employed soon- Nurse professional associations and Regulatory bodies across Europe can benefit from the EU Professional Profile for recognition and mobility of the profession - VET providers and teachers acrosso Europe can offer innovative and standardized training for FCNs