The IENE Conference London, September 13th 2012 CULTURAL PREPARATION OF NURSES FOR A WORK EXPERIENCE IN EUROPEAN HEALTH SYSTEM Project implemented by EDUNET, Romania The IENE Conference London, September 13th 2012

The migration of both nurses and populations is a challenge to deliver culturally competent care. In Romania, a massive migration is registered among nurses. Last statistics show that 4.398 medical assistants and nurses requested approval to practice abroad. There are some inherent language and cultural barriers to nurses’ mobility. Nurses shall be educationally prepared to promote and provide culturally congruent health care.

AIMS OF THE PROJECT To adapt the nursing transcultural Model to different categories of nurses and create an innovative Curriculum for improving nurses cultural competent care of patients from other cultures and developing abilities of working in a multicultural team. To test and evaluate the PTT/IENE2 Model, the web platform created and the project outputs

The target groups The target groups included: 40 student nurses from the Ecological School of Nurses in Craiova, Romania, participants in the Leonardo Vinci Mobility project titled “Diversification and development nurses of competencies required in the labor market” 40 registered nurses from the Romanian Association of Nurses –Dolj Branch, participants in the Leonardo Vinci Mobility project titled “Facilitate the inclusion of nurses in the labor market”. The trainers team, coordinated by Mr. Victor Dudau from EDUNET, included: teachers from Ecological School “Sfantul Stefan” from Craiova, Romania (Pasare Cornelia and Olaru Tanti) a trainer from Romanian Association of Nurses –Dolj Branch (Viorel Gavrilescu,) trainers from EDUNET Association (Vasile Dana and Fageteanu Carmen Teodora).

STRATEGY OF DEVELOPING IMPLEMENTING THE CURRICULUM PROJECT The curriculum was implemented during 20 hours of cultural training for the two groups This curriculum was approved by the National Agency Some cultural content was also included in the pedagogical training and linguistic preparation modules.

The content of cultural training Cultural identity: habits, cultural beliefs Practices and beliefs about the health of patients from different cultures and their influence on patients behaviour - searching information on the Internet and www.ieneproject.eu site. Stereotypes, prejudice and discrimination aspects in the care of patient from different cultures and ethnicities - case study Values and attitudes in interpersonal relationships with patients from different cultures: empathy, trust, closeness, acceptance, respect - role play Developing the ability to relate to the medical team - simulation of intercultural communication Barriers in intercultural communication - problem solving

THE RESULTS The participants acquired knowledge about the care system in the country they will make the practical stage in and about the working experience in other health system in Europe. Following the implementation of the PTT/IENE model, the participants were better prepared to work and easily integrate into different cultural contexts. This training will also increase their employability on the European labor market.

Further development The PTT/IENE model is an adequated approach to teach intercultural content to nursing and other health care professionals. It fits very well with the aims and objectives of the preparation of the nurses who are going to work abroad. The PTT / IENE model can be useful for designing cultural training curriculum addressed to professionals from other fields More transcultural nursing modules need to be introduced into curricula for in-service training of nurses. This curriculum will be used again to prepare a group of 25 registerd nurses, who will participate in a training mobility in Italy, in June-July 2013. The Romanian Association of Nurses-Dolj Branch intends to authorize a cultural training course and include it in their training offer for Registered Nurses Nursing schools need to refine their attitudes about the importance of cultural aspects of patient care within nursing education. Some cultural content based on the PTT/IENE model can also be included in the pedagogical training and linguistic preparation of nurses.

Thak you for your attention!