Framework
The progressive ageing of Europe’s population is an accelerating process that is posing many challenges both at national and EU level. EU recommendations highlight the supporting role of family and community in dealing with the ageing process, and stress the importance of Primary Health Care (PHC), including early detection, diagnosis and prevention of frailty conditions. Reports from the World Health Organisation (WHO) point to the need to implement new healthcare models centred on PHC, whereby care provision services are accessible, sustained, comprehensive and coordinated. In the new PHC model, a gateway is provided between the community and health systems, and to this end the figure of the Family and Community Nurse (FCN) plays a key role.
There is currently no standardized Professional Profile (PP) for FCN at EU level that takes into account WHO and EU recommendations. What’s more, the main EU reference tools and classifications make no mention of this innovative figure.
The ENhANCE Alliance includes 13 partners from five different EU countries. They are providers of Vocational Education and Training (VET) in the field of nursing, regulatory bodies for FCN training, professional associations, and public and private employers.
Objectives
The ENhANCE Project (ERASMUS + Programme - Sector Skills Alliances) seeks to bridge the mismatch that presently exists between the skills PHC nurses now offer and the skills that public and private health care institutions need to deploy via the figure of the “Family and Community Nurse” (FCN).
Major Activities
ENhANCE has investigated evidence-based results from recent research and ongoing EU projects to delineate the Professional Profile of FCNs as the EU benchmark for VET in this field. This competence-based profile has been the baseline for the formulation of an innovative and modular VET Curriculum for FCN that embraces formal, non-formal and informal learning. This core curriculum has sufficient flexibility and modularity to allow for instantiation in national curricula and account for local and contextual constraints. Three national pilot curricula has been designed and delivered in Italy, Greece and Finland to test the effectiveness of the EU core curriculum. ICT tools, open content and detailed guidelines specifically targeting VET teachers and trainers have been provided to support implementation in national curricula.
The project was to be completed in December 2020, but due to the COVID19 oubreak, it was extended until May 2021.
Results
ENhANCE has investigated evidence-based results from recent research and ongoing EU projects to delineate the Professional Profile of FCNs as the EU benchmark for VET in this field. This com