[Differenciated function: prospects for the nursing profession in Belgium]

The hospital and medical contexts are undergoing profound change. All professions must follow this evolution, in particular, the nurse profession. The care offer and the care demand are unbalanced: the clinical situations become more complex and the staff is insufficient quantity. The function differentiation can be a solution for the nurse profession. The aim of this study is to evaluate the feasibility of the function differentiation for the nurse profession in Belgium. Based on 364 "patient situations a derived from hospital experiences, required activities and competencies are depicted by more 200 nurses; the complexity of each competency is also evaluated by standardized scales of complexity. A cluster analysis is performed in order to pool all identified competencies. For each department, four groups are identified; each group is relevant on the statistical level but also on the clinical level. The results speak for a function differentiation in a vertical way, but not in a horizontal way between several different departments, in particular for the competencies needed a clinical judgement because these competencies are too specific by department, In conclusion, a function differentiation can be envisaged for the nurse profession in Belgium. Several models from foreign countries set an example for the practical modalities. Several advices in terms of education, lawful framework, interdisciplinary, and collaboration are formulated