Nursing and the enlarged European Union

摘要

In his Guest Editorial Tom Keighley provides valuable information on nursing and the European Union (EU) accession process. He points out that the EU is predominantly an economic trade block. Despite challenges by nurses, the first concern of the new EU Directive on the Recognition of Professional Qualifications (2005/36/EC) is with free-movement opportunities for health care staff rather than with patient safety or quality of care. Nevertheless, colleagues in accession countries are using the content of this Directive to pursue much needed reforms in nursing. Three original articles from former Warsaw Pact countries (Estonia, Latvia and Poland) make the point.