Comparing differences in heathcare in Europe

<< Background >>The project application was submitted based on the specific needs of students and teachers involved in healthcare schools. The main reason was to respond to differences in nursing practices across Europe, which were identified during previous projects. Students can work in the international labor market, so it is important that they are familiar with foreign approaches to healthcare. The project focuses on developing students' professional competencies in the areas of medication administration, palliative care, and nurses' rights and competencies. At the same time, it helps students prepare for working abroad and overcome their fears of unfamiliar environments. It also supports teachers, who will expand their knowledge and methods of teaching professional healthcare subjects. The output is a publication (in PDF and ePub format) on differences in nursing practices, which can be used in nursing education. The project also strengthens international cooperation between schools in the Czech Republic, Portugal, and Iceland. It builds on previous successful Erasmus+ projects and brings long-term benefits to students and teachers at participating schools.<< Objectives >>By implementing this project, we primarily want to increase the key professional competencies of nursing students by giving them the opportunity to compare nursing practices in the individual project countries based on their own experience, learn new procedures, and gain greater knowledge and skills beyond the scope of regular school instruction. We also want to make students more aware of how selected areas of healthcare work. The project focuses on three areas: palliative care, the handling of medicines in healthcare facilities, and a comparison of the competencies, rights, and responsibilities of nurses in the individual project countries. The project will also contribute to the development of students' language skills, communication and social skills, as well as strengthening their ability to work in an international team. A significant outcome will be the creation of a methodological publication that will contain a comparison of nursing practices in the three countries and will serve as a tool for modernizing teaching. The project will also support the professional growth of teachers and improve the quality of vocational education through the sharing of best practices between schools.<< Implementation >>As part of the project, we carried out three short-term educational mobility programs at each of the partner schools. Each mobility program focused on demonstrations of nursing procedures and their comparison, practical training at a local healthcare facility, and a workshop on one of the selected areas of healthcare. The first mobility program in the Czech Republic focused on comparing palliative care, the second mobility program in Portugal focused on the handling of medicines, and the third mobility program in Iceland focused on the rights and competences of nurses. Before each mobility, the students prepared material on the given topic from the perspective of their country and presented this material during the mobility. By comparing the differences in each country, the final material was created, which is part of the output – a brochure. The materials that the students presented during the mobility programs were prepared between mobility programs at their own school and under the professional supervision of a teacher. During this time, they communicated with other teams from partner schools via a WhatsApp group, where they discussed specific issues related to the topic. << Results >>The main output of the project was a methodological publication in PDF and ePub, presenting identified differences in selected nursing procedures and comparing three areas of healthcare across participating countries: palliative care, medicine handling in healthcare facilities, and nurses’ rights and competences. The brochure summarises findings from three short-term educational mobilities and serves as teaching material for students, supporting the modernisation of professional healthcare education. The project also developed students’ professional knowledge, practical skills, communication, and teamwork in an international context. Teachers gained broader professional perspectives and inspiration for teaching innovation. Cooperation between partner schools was strengthened, creating a basis for further joint activities. An important benefit was also the increased motivation of students for personal and professional growth.