The Department of Nursing and Health Studies at St. Angela’s College, Sligo are the Irish partners in a significant trans-European training project involving nurse educators and trainers. The EU funded project - TraNSforM  – ‘Training Requirements and Nursing Skills for Mobility in health care’ is a partnership project involving organisations who offer work based education and training to nurses in seven European countries (Ireland, UK, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, Finland and Turkey). 

Thursday 12th May is International Nurses Day when nursing organisations from across the world celebrate and acknowledge the remarkable work carried out by nurses.

“There’s a shortage of nurses in Europe and migration both within and outside of the EU is a growing reality, so it’s essential that nurses have the skills and competence to adapt and practice in different health care systems” said Edel McSharry, Nursing Department lecturer from St. Angela’s College.

“The project has two main aims” said Evelyn McManus, also from the Nursing Department at St. Angela’s College. “It will identify the specific skills and training that nurses require to work across Europe, and it will also identify the training needs for nurses caring for people from other countries. The project will also give participants the opportunity to share their professional expertise and to understand the health care systems and cultures in other European countries” finished McManus.

The Irish project team, Evelyn McManus, Edel McSharry and Lisa Winters, all lecturers from the Nursing and Health Studies Department at St. Angela’s College, Sligo met with their European counterparts in Turkey in March. “It was great to meet our European colleagues and review our progress on the project.  The trip was also really useful as it gave us all great insight into the health care and education systems in our partner countries”.