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Nurses’ Roles in Primary Health Care across Europe: A Workshop for EFPC Position Paper Development - EFPC Primary Care Nursing WG

Sammul, Sirle ; Campos, Maria Joana ; Ertel, Mascha ; Glasdam, Stinne LU orcid ; Hadziabdic, Emina ; Hämel, Kerstin ; Jacobsen, Frode F. ; Kidner, Maria and Lunežik, Patricija (2026) EFPC Conference 2026: Driving Primary Care Transformation: People, Technology, and Care Navigation p.56-56
Abstract
Purpose: To comparatively map primary health care (PHC) nurses’ roles across European countries (including Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden) identify convergences and divergences in scope of practice, education, roles, and regulation, and explore advanced practice and care navigation functions. The workshop engages participants to discuss experiential, organizational, and policy insights from diverse European health systems.

Context: The absence of a shared European framework for PHC nurses’ roles, advanced practice, and regulatory development limits policy alignment and workforce development. At the same time, health care systems are evolving rapidly, requiring clearly defined and well-integrated... (More)
Purpose: To comparatively map primary health care (PHC) nurses’ roles across European countries (including Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden) identify convergences and divergences in scope of practice, education, roles, and regulation, and explore advanced practice and care navigation functions. The workshop engages participants to discuss experiential, organizational, and policy insights from diverse European health systems.

Context: The absence of a shared European framework for PHC nurses’ roles, advanced practice, and regulatory development limits policy alignment and workforce development. At the same time, health care systems are evolving rapidly, requiring clearly defined and well-integrated roles of nurses within PHC interprofessional teams. However, substantial variation persists across countries
in education pathways, scope of practice, and terminology (e.g., community nurse, PHC nurse), reducing comparability and hindering coordinated policy action. This workshop addresses these challenges by contributing to map these issues and to support the development of an EFPC position paper.

State of the art: The workshop builds on international frameworks from the World Health Organization, the International Council of Nurses, the OECD, and the European Federation of Nurses Associations. Nurses play a central role in primary health care by enhancing integration, coordination, and continuity of services. Their education and professional experience enable them to deliver safe and effective interventions across the continuum of care, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, management, and rehabilitation (WHO, 2020).

Format of the workshop (90 minutes): This interactive session combines short presenters' input with structured group work and real-time consensus building across three themes: (1) education and competencies, (2) roles of nurses in PHC interprofessional teams, and (3) definitions and scope of practice: introduction and overview (20 min), group work (30 min), plenary discussion (30 min), closing (10 min). (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; ; ; ; ; ; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to conference
publication status
published
subject
keywords
Nurse, role, education, role shift, Primary care, Europe
pages
56 - 56
conference name
EFPC Conference 2026: Driving Primary Care Transformation: People, Technology, and Care Navigation
conference location
Stuttgart, Germany
conference dates
2026-09-06 - 2026-09-08
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
22e23b5c-a767-44e2-9130-57571bcaba1a
alternative location
https://euprimarycare.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Program-EFPC-Conference-2026-Stuttgart_final.pdf
date added to LUP
2026-09-16 15:17:10
date last changed
2026-09-16 16:11:06
@misc{22e23b5c-a767-44e2-9130-57571bcaba1a,
  abstract     = {{Purpose: To comparatively map primary health care (PHC) nurses’ roles across European countries (including Austria, Denmark, Estonia, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden) identify convergences and divergences in scope of practice, education, roles, and regulation, and explore advanced practice and care navigation functions. The workshop engages participants to discuss experiential, organizational, and policy insights from diverse European health systems.<br/><br/>Context: The absence of a shared European framework for PHC nurses’ roles, advanced practice, and regulatory development limits policy alignment and workforce development. At the same time, health care systems are evolving rapidly, requiring clearly defined and well-integrated roles of nurses within PHC interprofessional teams. However, substantial variation persists across countries<br/>in education pathways, scope of practice, and terminology (e.g., community nurse, PHC nurse), reducing comparability and hindering coordinated policy action. This workshop addresses these challenges by contributing to map these issues and to support the development of an EFPC position paper.<br/><br/>State of the art: The workshop builds on international frameworks from the World Health Organization, the International Council of Nurses, the OECD, and the European Federation of Nurses Associations. Nurses play a central role in primary health care by enhancing integration, coordination, and continuity of services. Their education and professional experience enable them to deliver safe and effective interventions across the continuum of care, including prevention, diagnosis, treatment, management, and rehabilitation (WHO, 2020).<br/><br/>Format of the workshop (90 minutes): This interactive session combines short presenters' input with structured group work and real-time consensus building across three themes: (1) education and competencies, (2) roles of nurses in PHC interprofessional teams, and (3) definitions and scope of practice: introduction and overview (20 min), group work (30 min), plenary discussion (30 min), closing (10 min).}},
  author       = {{Sammul, Sirle and Campos, Maria Joana and Ertel, Mascha and Glasdam, Stinne and Hadziabdic, Emina and Hämel, Kerstin and Jacobsen, Frode F. and Kidner, Maria and Lunežik, Patricija}},
  keywords     = {{Nurse; role; education; role shift; Primary care; Europe}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  pages        = {{56--56}},
  title        = {{Nurses’ Roles in Primary Health Care across Europe: A Workshop for EFPC Position Paper Development - EFPC Primary Care Nursing WG}},
  url          = {{https://euprimarycare.org/wp-content/uploads/2026/08/Program-EFPC-Conference-2026-Stuttgart_final.pdf}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}