A Thematic Advanced Training Course for Primary Care Nurses Supported by WHO

From September 29 to October 3, 2025, a thematic advanced training course for primary care nurses was held at the Simulation Training Center of I. Horbachevsky Ternopil National Medical University, with the support of the WHO Country Office in Ukraine. The course was titled “Management of Patients with Arterial Hypertension and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus. Implementation of Updated Standards of Medical Care into Nursing Practice Based on the WHO PEN Tool.”

The training of nurses was conducted using a team-based approach, according to the PEN protocol course program, which was implemented within the framework of the World Health Organization (WHO) initiative. The course aimed to strengthen the role of nurses in the modern healthcare system.

The training was delivered by the faculty of the Department of Higher Nursing Education, Patient Care, and Clinical Immunology of the TNMU Institute of Nursing.

The program covered evidence-based approaches to managing patients with arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus, as well as the development of clinical skills for nurses in accordance with international standards.

An important aspect of the course was the emphasis on teamwork, where the doctor and nurse jointly make clinical decisions, effectively share responsibilities, and complement each other in the process of providing care. This model not only improves the quality of treatment and patient care but also enhances the resilience of the healthcare system in the face of modern challenges.

The participants of the thematic advanced training course were general practice – family medicine nurses from healthcare institutions in Odesa, Zhytomyr, and Ternopil regions.

Upon successful completion of the program, participants received certificates of training with credits for Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

The acquired knowledge and practical skills will serve as a foundation for improving nurses’ qualifications in providing care to patients with arterial hypertension and type 2 diabetes mellitus.

The training also contributed to the dissemination of best practices in nursing education at the national level and to strengthening the primary healthcare system’s capacity in Ukraine.

Conducting this thematic advanced training course helped increase nurses’ confidence in their daily clinical practice, particularly in resource-limited conditions caused by the war, and enhanced their ability to effectively apply modern approaches to healthcare delivery.