A word of the President
United under the umbrella of ENC, the bodies regulating Nursing across the European Union hope to raise awareness about our discipline, Nursing which is central to all healthcare systems and vital for Public Health and safety.
Nursing regulations are actively working for guaranteeing ethical correctness, respect for patients’ rights and safety, in the exercise of Nursing-related acts
Our commitment to Continuous Professional Development and Research on our discipline guides our actions forward.
Together we are stronger and work better!
As FEPI before, and with a renewed enthusiasm and determination, the European Nursing Council (ENC) strives to become the voice of the European regulatory bodies and competent authorities for nursing in order to protect European citizens and patients by securing excellence in (1) nursing competences and practice, (2) professional standards, (3) continuous education and training and (4) codes of conduct. To realize these objectives, we act as an advocate of patient safety towards the European Institutions in order to promote patient safety and public health at the national and European levels. As a healthcare actor EU-wide, we are a valuable source of information for all stakeholders including nursing professionals, policy makers, patients, educators and researchers about nursing related issues across the EU. Since 2004, ENC is also collaborating with a worldwide network of universities and Nursing Councils in order to facilitate sharing of good practice. ENC strives to promote continuous nursing education and training as well as to lobby for high standards of public protection and patient safety. Towards this end, ENC organises periodic conferences and meetings across Europe with professionals from health sectors to increase good practice exchange and to foster dialogue with political and administrative bodies related to health sectors. To comply with our missions, we focus on three main axes of work:
How do we advocate for you?
EU-related matters, that are of particular interest for Nurses are discussed through the ad hoc Working Groups of ENC. The coordination of all activities falls under the purview of an Executive Board, elected by the engaged ENC members for a four-year term. This board maintains communication with the Union’s institutions and bodies and serves as the representative of ENC in pertinent forums. The Secretariat, staffed by Junior and Senior political scientists with expertise in EU regulations, supports the Executive Board in fulfilling its responsibilities.
Networking
ENC has developed a strong network EU-wide since 2004 and is successfully maintaining close contacts with the European Commission’s Directorate Generals for Health, Research, Competition, Internal Market and Services. Furthermore, our organisation figures to develop strong friendship with several Members of the European Parliament interested in Nursing Professions. ENC is also regularly consulted on issues related to the Liberal Professions more broadly due to its membership of the European Council of the Liberal Professions (CEPLIS).
Information
The ENC Secretariat in Brussels monitors all EU information relating to our profession and forwards it to the member organizations, along with a first analysis, via a monthly newsletter, the “News from Brussels”. Thus, Members come back to the Secretariat with feedback on issues of particular interest to them, sometimes suggesting possibilities of common actions.
