Definition: Nurses and midwifes

Category: Health

The definition of "Nurses and midwifes" varies in the Member States. They are as follows:
BELGIUM:
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DENMARK:
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GERMANY:
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GREECE:
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SPAIN:
Nurses responsible for general care (NRGC): It collects the number of graduate in Infirmary registered in the different Colegios Oficiales de Diplomados en Enferemería. Furthermore it is collected the specialists midwives, physiotherapists, clinical analysis and assistant radiologists in a voluntary basis. It could be possible that the total number collected is undervalued. That means that e.g. a midwife could be registered as nurse but not necessarily as midwife.
FRANCE:
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IRELAND:
Figures refer to all persons on the register of the Nursing Board (An bord Altranais). Some nurses on the register may be inactive.
ITALY:
- Nurses responsible for general care (NRGC): they are qualified general nurses who attended a university course of at least three years;
- Other categories of nurses (non-EC) nursing professionals with an education differing from diplomas mentioned in the EC Nursing Directives: there are specialists nurses and second level nurses;
- Midwives: They are a completely separate group of health professionals who attended a course of at least three years;
- Caring professionals: there is a particular figure Caring technical operator.
LUXEMBOURG:
- Nurses responsible for general care (NRGC): infirmier (EC Directive 77/453 plus amendements;
- Midwives: Sage-femme (EC Midwifery Directives);
- Specialised nurses: NRGC + specialisation (infirmier en anesthésie et réanimation, infirmier en pédiatrie, infirmier psychiatrique, assistant technique medical de chirurgie, infirmier gradué;
- Other categories of nurses (non-EC) nursing professionals with an education differing from diplomas mentioned in the EC Nursing Directives: see specialised nurses above;
- Other categories of health professionals differing from diplomas mentioned in the EC Nursing Directives: assistant technique medical de radiologie, assitant technique medical de laboratoire, laborantin, masseur, masseur-kinesitherapuete, assistant d'hygiene social, assitant social,dieticien, ergotherapeute, ortophoniste, orthooptiste, pedagogue curatif, réeducateur en psychomotricité;
- Caring professionals: no official diplomas, not recognised as health professionals (qualifications as "aide à domicile" and "aide senior" may exist in residential and home services to take care of healthy persons or in charge of logistic services; official data of such personnel are not available.
NETHERLANDS:
Midwives: In the Netherlands midwives (verloskundingen) are considered a completely separate group of medical professionals with their own training programme. The midwife has successfully completed a 3 year full-time training in one of the three vocational colleges. The patient has direct access to the midwife without referral by another medical professional. The midwife has full medical responsibility for antenatal, natal and postnatal care and aftercare during six weeks after birth for low and medium risk obstetrical care. If during the prenatal period complications are encountered or expected, the patient is referred to a gynaecologist/obstetrician in a hospital. The midwife also has an important advisory role with regard to family planning. Moreover, the midwife plays a central role in guiding maternity care at home for women who had a natural or an artificial delivery in a hospital. Up to the late 1970s these professionals were called in Dutch Vroedvrouw (midwife). There are presently also male practitioners of midwifery, and therefore the Dutch name was changed into Verloskundige.
PORTUGAL:
Nurses responsible for general care (NRGC): a nurse applies the concepts and principles of medicine in administering the care needed by the physically and mentally ill, women in childbirth and newborn infants; assists physicians and surgeons in administering preventative and curative medical or surgical treatments, and provides emergency care in their absence; provides care and advice requiring professional qualifications; attends to mothers during and after childbirth and advises on the care of newborn children; manages assistant nurses and possibly supervises other staff.
UNITED KINGDOM:
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FINLAND:
- Nurses responsible for general care (NRGC): Nurses, those training begun after January 1, 1992 (the diploma of nurses at the earliest April 1995);
- Other categories of nurses (non-EC) nursing professionals with an education differing from diplomas mentioned in the EC Nursing Directives: The diploma of nurses before April 1995, the diploma of public health nurses and second level nurses: assistant nurse, practical nurse, practical mental nurse, practical psychiatric nurse;
- Midwives: EC - midwives, those training begun after January 1, 1993 (the diploma of midwifery at earliest April 1997). Non EC - midwifery all others midwifery's;
- Caring professionals: They are not in register - no data.
SWEDEN:
No information available
AUSTRIA:
- Nurses responsible for general care (NRGC): Diplomierte Gesundheits und Krankenschwester pfleger;
- Other categories of nurses (non-EC) nursing professionals with an education differing from diplomas mentioned in the EC Nursing Directives;
- Midwives: Hebammen mit Berufsberechtigung;
- Caring professionals: Pflegehelter od. Pflegehelferin.
ICELAND:
In Iceland the main groups of staff in nursing are general nurses, midwives and practical nurses. There exists a group of caring staff who is not licensed but has some basic training (est. 60 hours) to assist in home care and heath care institutions. Collected information includes number of qualified nursing staff (general nurses), midwives and practical nurses. The number of specialists nurses is not available separately but included with general nurses. The number of caring staff is not available.
NORWAY:
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SWITZERLAND:
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