Political leadership in Europe--an assessment of the impact of the 2004 EU Accession round on nursing in Europe.

BACKGROUND

The accession of 12 countries to the European Union necessitated mechanisms to be put in place to offer support to the professions to comply with Directives applying to their training. The author led missions to these countries on behalf of the European Union Commission. This paper reports on the issues arising from the accession process in terms of the political leadership of nursing in Central Europe. It places the current developments in historic and geo-political contexts.

KEY ISSUES

The development of nurse leadership is central to the response of the profession to this. Challenges emerging from the history of the region, socio-cultural norms, and current political maturity are addressed.

CONCLUSIONS

The need for nurses in both Western and Central Europe to work together is emphasized. The future challenges to be faced as further accession rounds occur are also identified.