Working session with PHC representatives to discuss the results of the pilot project “Advanced Nurse Practitioner”

First, we would like to congratulate the nursing community on International Nurses’ Day, traditionally celebrated on 12 May – the birthday of Florence Nightingale, a nursing reformer.

We appreciate you very much and wish you success in your professional activities! In the meantime, we are sharing our positive developments!

This week, during a meeting with representatives of the National Health Service of Ukraine, we discussed the results of the pilot project “Advanced Nurse Practitioner.” This Project is an undoubted success that should be scaled up and expanded further.

Key topics of the meeting:

• National Health Service of Ukraine: Primary healthcare and strategic plans
• the idea of the pilot project “Advanced Nurse Practitioner”
• results of the pilot project implementation: managers’ view
• what opportunities do nurses have due to the expansion of their role and powers?
• nurse with extended powers in primary care: helping doctors
• barriers and challenges to further implementation of the expanded role of the nurse in primary care practice

Speakers:

• Matviy Khrenov, co-founder of the Ukrainian Healthcare Centre (UHC),
• Tetiana Chernysh, Head of the Implementation Office of the Ukrainian-Swiss Project “Medical Education Development,” Associate Professor and Researcher, Kyiv Mohyla Academy,
• Natalia Gusak, Head of the National Health Service of Ukraine,
• Viktoriia Pokoievchuk-Zraiko, Chief Physician of the Rivne City Council’s Yuvileynyi Primary Healthcare Centre,
• Myroslava Chubirko, Director of the Mukachevo City Primary Health Care Centre,
• Tetiana Horuk, a nurse at Rivne City Council’s Yuvileynyi Primary Healthcare Centre,
• Natalia Paliy, a nurse at the Kolomyia City Primary Health Care Centre,
• Marianna Marusynets, a nurse at the Mukachevo City Primary Health Care Centre,
• Nataliia Ruzhnytska, family doctor of the Chortkiv Rayon Primary Healthcare Centre.

Back in 2020, when the idea of the Project was emerging, we could only dream of such a level of discussion on nursing. In May 2023, managers, family doctors, and nurses shared their impressions of its implementation. They talked about the opportunities that have arisen due to the expanded role of nurses. They shared the results, obstacles, and plans for the project implementation: “Seeing a patient is a team effort. That’s why we can shift some of the services to nurses, which will be much better for the doctor and the patient. Our nurses teach both other nurses and doctors. Previously, only doctors could teach nurses, but now they learn from each other,” says Nataliia Ruzhnytska.

“The key barrier to implementing such a project is that nothing can be done without the commitment of the institution’s management. There is no universal model for empowering nurses because each institution has its context. In addition, sometimes, competition between doctors and nurses can be a barrier. Not all doctors are ready to recognize the powers of nurses,” says Horishchak.

We remind you that the Project conducted a study “The Role and Responsibilities of Nurses in Primary Health Care in Ukraine”. Read the research report here → https://mededu.org.ua/library/

The National Health Service of Ukraine wants to know about the needs of nurses in primary care and is ready to work and actively support the nursing community. Therefore, the meeting discussed the work of nurses with MIS (medical information system) and, together with representatives of the NHSU, proposed joint working meetings to lobby the interests of the nursing community: “Primary healthcare remains in the focus of the NHSU. After all, the entry point to medical care is a primary care doctor. We started the transformation of the healthcare system with this, and this is what we are striving for in the future,” Natalia Gusak comments.

In the meantime, the Medical Education Development project team is staying with the idea of expanding nurses’ role in the Project’s second phase. It is already working on developing new educational activities for primary healthcare teams. It is very valuable for us that a community of true leaders among nurses is being created and growing together with us, which we plan to continue to support and develop.