Aim: To analyze the present status and ongoing reforms of nursing education in Europe, to compare it with the situation in Croatia, and to propose a new educational model that corresponds to the needs of the Croatian health care system.
Methods: The literature on contemporary nursing education in Europe and North America was reviewed, together with European Commission directives and regulations, as well as pertinent World Health Organization documents. In addition, 20 recent annual reports from 2003-2009, submitted by national nursing associations to the Workgroup of European Nurse Researchers (WERN), were studied.
Results: After appraisal of current trends, the Working Group on Reform of Nursing Education drafted The Croatian Model for Education in Nursing and developed a three-cycle curriculum with syllabus. The proposed curriculum is radically different from traditional ones. Responding to modern demands, it focuses on outcomes (developing competencies) and is evidence-based.
Conclusions: A new, Croatian concept of nursing education is presented that is concordant with reforms in nursing education in other European countries. It holds promise for making nursing education an integral part of a unified European system of higher education.