Nursing Education Evolution & Degree in Spain
Nursing Education Evolution in Spain Since 1977
A momentous event for the nursing discipline occurred in 1977: it acquired the status of a university degree. Since then, nursing has experienced impressive development in all aspects, especially in teaching. Nurses are aware they must play a central role in education, training their own colleagues, emphasizing collaboration rather than exclusion of other professionals.
The law establishing the Diploma of Nursing curriculum outlined the different subjects, their characteristics, areas, and descriptors. Therefore, the teaching provided in nursing colleges differs significantly in quality and quantity from that offered in the pre-1977 ATS (Ayudante Técnico Sanitario) schools.
For professionals certified as ATS, academic authorities offered the option to validate their ATS title for the new Diploma in Nursing. This allowed nursing professionals to align their qualifications and obtain the benefits granted by the new law.
The curriculum for the Diploma of Nursing, established following the 1977 university status change, was aligned with other Spanish universities, representing a further step towards the eventual establishment of a full nursing degree.
Nursing Specialties and Postgraduate Training
Also noteworthy is the emergence of nursing specialties in 1992, regulated by the decree for the Internal Specialist Nurse (EIR). This began with Midwifery (Matrona) and later Mental Health Nursing. Currently, a package of five additional specialties is awaiting approval.
Furthermore, significant progress has been made in postgraduate training, evidenced by:
- Development of research in different nursing fields, conducted by research groups consisting of nurses.
- Establishment of specialized associations in various areas of nursing knowledge.
- Conducting meetings, conferences, and congresses on subjects related to nursing, as well as publishing works written by and for nurses.
- Organization of postgraduate courses to update professionals’ knowledge.
Nursing Degree in the European Higher Education Area
An international agreement prompted the reorganization of university studies to facilitate the mobility of nurses within European Union countries. The European Higher Education Area (EHEA) structures university education into two levels: undergraduate and postgraduate, eliminating previous cycles and the university diploma.
Consequently, the implementation of this agreement signifies the eventual disappearance of the previous Diploma in Nursing title, replaced by the nursing degree.
Achieving the new nursing degree has been a long-desired goal in Spain. The teaching load and responsibilities in the nursing career significantly exceeded the previously recognized academic level. Therefore, the new degree justly recognizes the academic level corresponding to the nursing profession.