UPDATING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE TRAINING OUTCOMES OF FUTURE NURSING PROFESSIONALS IN MEDICAL ACADEMIES: FROM KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES TO COMPETENCIES

Abstract

The purpose of vocational training is currently the formation of competent specialists who can maximize their potential in a certain field of work. At the current stage of transformations in the education of future nursing specialists, its focus on international standards, the problem of improving the quality of the content of the training of medical specialists is becoming more acute. Medical education, according to its purpose, carries out the professional training of a competent specialist who is able to both ensure the provision of appropriate medical services and improve the level of quality of health care in general. The traditional system of training medical specialists is based on the transfer of a certain amount of theoretical knowledge and practical skills to students. However, in the conditions of modern society, this approach is not enough. Instead, the competence approach involves the formation of students not only knowledge and skills, but also the ability to apply them in different situations, adapt to changes and make responsible decisions. A professionally important quality of a nurse, for example, is developed empathy as a leading success factor in the treatment process, which helps, provided trusting, intimate communication, penetrate into the patient’s mental experiences, empathize with him (show selfless sensitivity, mercy, compassion). Therefore, modern clinical practice requires specialists who possess the latest technologies for patient care and the provision of appropriate medical services in accordance with existing European requirements. According to the modern concept of the development of nursing, great attention should be paid not only to the psychological, but also to the legal training of a middle-level specialist capable of independent work as part of a single team. In the conditions of a paradigm shift in the provision of medical care, the professional competence of future nursing specialists involves not only the presence of certain psychological knowledge, but also the formation of some special skills to establish contact, listen, “read” the non-verbal language of communication, build a conversation, and formulate questions. Updating the requirements for the results of the training of future nursing specialists in medical academies is a necessary step to improve the quality of medical education and ensure a high level of medical care. The transition to a competency-based approach will allow training specialists who are able to work effectively in the conditions of modern medicine, adapt to new challenges and provide high-quality and safe medical care.