27 Continental shift
Matter for discussion submitted by the RCN Education Forum
That this meeting of RCN Congress discusses the opportunities to support and enhance the mobility of a pan-European nursing workforce
- Work led by the Public Policy Committee with input from the Nursing Development Committee and Membership, Representation and Diversity Committee
- Lead RCN Council member: Maura Buchanan
During the discussion at Congress 2007, it was identified that working abroad should be encouraged, as it gives nurses in this country the opportunites to learn new languages and skills. Since then, this issue has been taken forward by the RCN Education Forum in close collaboration with the RCN International Department and the European Federation of Nurses (EFN). The initial area of focus was the Bologna process, an EU education initiative.
In June 1999, European ministers met in Bologna to lay the basis for establishing a European Higher Education Area by 2010. In the Bologna Declaration ministers identified key action lines to harmonise the structure of European higher education. The RCN Education Forum, in conjunction with the EFN, made a major contribution to the most recent ministerial 'summit' on the Bologna process, held in London in May 2007.
The second strand of work relates to what is known as the Tuning Project, which addresses several of the Bologna action lines. Its purpose is to ‘tune’ or harmonise education structures in Europe. The project aims to identify points of reference for generic and subject specific competences in nine subject areas. Initially these were in the fields of business administration, chemistry, education sciences, geology, history, mathematics and physics. Nursing joined the project in 2003.
For nursing, the goals of tuning include the development of professional profiles, comparable and compatible learning outcomes, and the creation of a common language understood by all stakeholders. The Tuning Project within nursing has five lines. They are: the creation of generic competencies, identifying those important to subject (degree and masters), the design of subject-based competencies, relating the credit transfer systems to the subject area, and developing good practice examples in learning, teaching and assessment.
The RCN Education Forum has reviewed and commented on draft brochures about harmonising nurse education and the Forum chair attended a seminar held in Brussels. At an EU level, the RCN will work closely with the EFN to maintain and develop an active role with regards to the project. At a UK level, a process is in place to ensure that the RCN can feed directly into national negotiations on nurse education.
As part of its overall strategy, the Forum has worked to ensure that relationships with stakeholder organisations working to influence the European Nurse Higher Education Area are developed and maintained. It is also contributing to the continuing professional development agenda, particularly through involvement in a key area of work being undertaken under the banner of an EU patient safety project.
At Congress 2008, there will be a joint event with the University and College Union and other key stakeholders exploring Bologna issues in the UK and the impact of ‘tuning’ of nurse education.