Ireland is a leader in advanced healthcare nursing, with practitioners trained to a high level. Not everywhere, however, has the same infrastructure. Developing countries and those impacted by conflict or health crises may not always have the resources to provide health care to their citizens.
This is why RCSI has a history of not only being responsive to global humanitarian disasters, but also providing education and training to support the sustainability of health care systems.
Ireland in general, and RCSI in particular, have long-standing connections with the World Health Organization (WHO), and RCSI has worked with the global organisation on projects relating to mental health, human trafficking and human rights, among others.
In December 2023, the WHO arranged a meeting between Ukraine and Ireland’s chief nurses. Professor Mark White, the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery at RCSI, and Dr Mary Boyd, the Faculty Dean, were both involved.
When they met Ukraine’s chief nursing officer, Kateryna Balabanova, they agreed to deliver a short leadership programme for Ukraine’s senior leaders in order to bring them up to speed on professional developments in nursing across Europe.
In particular, Balabanova was interested in advanced nurse practitioners, who can prescribe medications and whose work and ability to make big decisions is instrumental in reducing wait times and helping patients progress through the system. Ukraine has a different system, whereby healthcare professionals generally have to pay for their own continuous professional development, and where there is less emphasis on CPD for nurses.
Advanced practice
RCSI brought the directors of nursing at Ukraine’s major hospitals, and the directors of nurse education programmes, to Ireland. Over the course of the week, Ukraine’s nursing leaders learned about Ireland’s healthcare system and how advanced practice works here.
The biggest challenges facing the nurse leaders are similar to Ireland’s before the introduction of advanced practice over a decade ago: culture change and bringing other health leaders with you. The pace of change can be slow but the experience in Ireland has shown that advanced practice makes a difference to patient care, professional standards, access to care and the quality of that care.
The learning and insights were not all one-way, however, with Ukraine having a single patient electronic record – which is something not yet established in Ireland.
White says that similar training on advanced practice could work in other countries, too, with RCSI having previously carried out similar work with Romanian nurses – although different nations have different healthcare models, so it is not a one-size-fits-all model.
RCSI’s commitment didn’t end with the participants returning to Ukraine, however, as more online sessions and meetings are now planned.
As well as providing critical professional development skills, it was an opportunity for healthcare professionals who stayed in Ukraine during the war to have a much-needed break.
Insights from Ukraine’s nursing leaders on training at RCSI
- “It will inspire us to make changes to our practice.”
- “I am interested in the scientific approach to nursing and the different levels of practice that you have, including advanced practice, which would be of great help in Ukraine.”
- “Thank you for sharing so much knowledge in different fields – from regulation to legislation, to nurse education. It has really inspired me to change practices in Ukraine.”
- “You gave me power, knowledge and a reason to develop clinical leaders.”
- “You have treated our heads, hearts and emotions this week. I will remember it for a long time.”
RCSI is committed to achieving a better and more sustainable future through the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
