News from EFN

 

EFN Executive Committee meeting

The EFN Executive Committee met on 14 January 2010, in the EFN Brussels Office, for their first bi-annual meeting, to discuss on EFN key EU lobby priorities and to reflect on the challenges and opportunities 2010 will bring with the appointment of the new European Commission. The EFN Executive Committee also discussed on the outcomes of the first meeting of the EFN Constitutional Working Group and endorsed the Working Group terms of reference. The EFN Executive Committee finally approved the EFN Policy and Position Statements on Nursing Research (to be discussed and approved by the EFN General Assembly in April 2010, Romania) and the EFN Activity Report 2009 highlighting the areas of EFN achievements, influence, involvement and visibility in the European policy-making arena during 2009. At last, a very interesting discussion took place with DG Internal Market on the Commission’s views on DIR36 and the work related to the implementation and the evaluation report by 2012.

 

EFN contribution to the EU Consultation on the future EU 2020 strategy

Working to achieve high quality and equitable health in the EU by a strategic contribution of an effective, competent and motivated workforce of nurses, and being the nurses at the very heart of an effective quality healthcare system, with six million nurses in the EU that will play a key role in ensuring that the EU 2020 strategy can be delivered, the EFN has provided its input to the European Commission public consultation on the future EU 2020 Strategy, highlighting three areas where the EU 2020 Strategy needs to be strengthened to ensure patients access to high quality healthcare also in the year 2020: Education; Skill mix and Workforce planning; and Patient Safety. Projections for the future indicate that the current lack of qualified nurses will persist until 2020, unless the issue is addressed in a wide number of policy areas. The challenge of a changing demography yielding an ageing society in the EU Member States will also put higher demands on the health sector and notably on nurses, making effective healthcare workforce planning essential. 

 

European eHealth Governance Initiative/Joint Action

The EFN participated in the eHealth Joint Action meeting organised by the European Commission DG Sanco in Brussels, on 21st January 2010, as a follow-up of the declaration of the 2009 eHealth conference, the State Secretaries’ meeting on eHealth in Stockholm and the recent adoption of the Council Conclusions on eHealth for a safe and efficient healthcare. The main goal of the meeting was to plan the content and deliverables for the formation of a European eHealth Governance Initiative and plan the next practical steps in the context of the available funding mechanisms. This was also an opportunity for Member States and third countries to reinforce or announce their interest to participate in the upcoming work. Mr Pablo Rivero Corte, Director general of Quality Ministry of health (Spain), explained that eHealth is a most important goal for the Spanish and upcoming Presidencies, and that the success of eHealth will depend on stakeholders’ involvement, and especially health professionals, particularly on the issues of standardization and deployment.

 

New Skills for New Jobs

The EFN participated in the Restructuring Forum on “Sectors' New Skills for New Jobs”, organised on 7-8 December 2009, in Brussels, by the European Commission in cooperation with the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Committee of the Regions. The meeting brought together social partners, EU institutions and national authorities, and professional institutions, to discuss on the main results of the 18 sector-based studies on future skill needs up to 2020 - published by the European Commission as a follow-up of the EU ‘New Skills for New Jobs’ initiative launched in December 2008 -, and on how to reinforce and promote stronger collaboration at European level on skills anticipation, focusing on the sectoral approach. The studies’ results and recommendations form a guide to the attention of European, national and regional actors enabling them to bring and adapt such recommendations to their level by launching actions to promote the strategic management of human resources and to foster stronger synergies between innovation, skills and jobs. In February, the EFN will take part in a meeting of national and international experts organised by the OECD to discuss the preliminary findings of a project undertaken by the OECD Health Division (co-funded by DG Sanco) to review and evaluate recent developments in the implementation of advanced practice roles for nurses in a some OECD countries such as: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Finland, France, Ireland, Japan, United Kingdom, United States. 

 

Girl Child Education Fund

In 2009, in lieu of sending Christmas cards to all of you, the EFN made a donation to the “Girl Child Education Fund” of the International Council of Nurses, which supports the primary and secondary schooling of the orphaned daughters of nurses in developing countries. In the four years since the Girl Child Education Fund (GCEF) launch, the project has grown from supporting 10 girls in each of the four countries GCEF supports (Kenya, Swaziland, Uganda and Zambia) to more than 270 girls. In 2009 the fund received donations from 14 countries, and some gifts from nursing students and staff from various hospitals and nursing organisations. Thanks to the donations received, the GCEF could support 276 girls (63 in Kenya, 54 in Swaziland, 109 in Uganda, and 50 in Zambia). 22 girls have graduated, and many went to University or other studies. Half of the girls supported by the project are still in primary school. They all depend on the project support to remain in school until they graduate.