Nursing Specialities and professional practice: current situation and future perspectives.

Area of Science:

• Healthcare quality improvement
• Nursing professional development

Background:

• Nursing specialties were established in 1953, significantly enhancing the National Health System's medical care quality.
• Nurses can obtain official specialist qualifications through various access routes defined by Royal Decree.
• Ongoing development of training programs is necessary to fully establish the regulated specialty catalogue.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the challenges faced by nursing specialists in aligning professional practice with their training.
• To emphasize the need for structured job descriptions and competency identification in recruitment.
• To advocate for the creation of a specialized job position catalogue for nursing specialties.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of the current system for nursing specialty qualification and access.
• Identification of barriers to professional practice for qualified nursing specialists.
• Review of existing regulations and training program development.

Main Results:

• Despite qualifications, many specialists encounter difficulties in practice due to undefined roles and competencies.
• The lack of specific job descriptions hinders appropriate professional performance and career progression.
• Existing training programs require further development to align with the established specialty catalogue.

Conclusions:

• A dedicated catalogue of job positions for each nursing specialty is crucial.
• Implementing this catalogue will meet professional nursing expectations and enhance patient care quality.
• Addressing recruitment and competency identification is vital for effective specialist utilization.