A series of focus groups on the development of nursing standards were held with the participation of the Ukrainian Red Cross

As part of the effort to develop new professional nursing standards, the Ukrainian Red Cross, together with the State Agency “Centre for Nursing Development of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine,” organised focus group meetings with practising nurses across seven regions of Ukraine.

A total of 190 participants from various regions of Ukraine shared their experiences and completed a survey. We received 4,305 responses, which will help us better prepare future drafts of professional nursing standards.

Working meetings with the practitioner community were held at:

• St. Panteleimon’s Hospital of the First Lviv Territorial Medical Union, with the participation of Andrei Krupynsky Lviv Medical Academy, the Unbroken National Rehabilitation Centre, the Superhumans Centre, and the Halychyna Rehabilitation Centre. The discussion focused on the role of rehabilitation nurses.
• The Amosov National Institute of Cardiovascular Surgery, where the peculiarities of wound care in various types of surgical interventions were discussed.
• Cherkasy Regional Hospital, with the participation of representatives from the Cherkasy Medical Academy, where wound care issues were addressed.
• Zhytomyr Medical Institute, with the participation of representatives from urban and rural outpatient clinics, where the role of primary care nurses in urban and rural areas was reviewed.
• Chernihiv Regional Hospital, with the participation of representatives from specialised care facilities, where the specifics of home-based patient care were discussed.
• The Dnipro Regional Clinical Oncology Dispensary, in cooperation with the Health Department of the Dnipro Regional Military Administration, where a meeting with senior nurses was organised.
• City Clinical Hospital No. 4 of the Dnipro City Council, with the participation of rehabilitation specialists from City Clinical Hospital No. 6 and City Multidisciplinary Clinical Hospital for Mothers and Children Named After Prof. M. F. Rudnev.
• The Medical and Social Care Centre of the Korostyshiv City Council, where the issues of home-based patient care were discussed from the perspective of family medicine.
• Ternopil Regional Clinical Hospital, with the participation of specialists providing palliative care and teachers from Ternopil National Medical University.
• The Hospice Hospital in the Sambir District, Lviv region, where the staff discussed the organisation of nurses’ work in inpatient palliative care and shared their experience in organising mobile palliative care.

In total, the initiative aims to develop six documents that will align with European standards and serve as the foundation for regulating the nursing profession in Ukraine. Nursing currently plays a vital role in the healthcare sector, which is why surveying professionals and analysing their practices is a crucial step in developing new professional standards. This process will help make the service more efficient and accessible to the public.