Council Directive 77/453/EEC of 27 June 1977 concerning the coordination of provisions laid down by Law, Regulation or Administrative Action in respect of the activities of nurses responsible for general care
Modified by
  • Council Directiveof 10 October 1989amending Directive 77/452/EEC concerning the mutual recognition of diplomas, certificates and other evidence of the formal qualifications of nurses responsible for general care, including measures to facilitate the effective exercise of the right of establishment and freedom to provide services, and amending Directive 77/453/EEC concerning the coordination of provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in respect of the activities of nurses responsible for general care(89/595/EEC), 31989L0595, November 23, 1989
  • Directive 2001/19/EC of the European Parliament and of the Councilof 14 May 2001amending Council Directives 89/48/EEC and 92/51/EEC on the general system for the recognition of professional qualifications and Council Directives 77/452/EEC, 77/453/EEC, 78/686/EEC, 78/687/EEC, 78/1026/EEC, 78/1027/EEC, 80/154/EEC, 80/155/EEC, 85/384/EEC, 85/432/EEC, 85/433/EEC and 93/16/EEC concerning the professions of nurse responsible for general care, dental practitioner, veterinary surgeon, midwife, architect, pharmacist and doctor(Text with EEA relevance), 32001L0019, July 31, 2001
  • Directive 2005/36/EC of the European Parliament and of the Councilof 7 September 2005on the recognition of professional qualifications(Text with EEA relevance), 32005L0036, September 30, 2005
Council Directiveof 27 June 1977concerning the coordination of provisions laid down by law, regulation or administrative action in respect of the activities of nurses responsible for general care(77/453/EEC) THE COUNCIL OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES,Having regard to the Treaty establishing the European Economic Community, and in particular Articles 49,57, 66 and 235 thereof,Having regard to the proposal from the Commission,Having regard to the opinion of the European ParliamentOJ No C 65, 5. 6. 1970, p. 12.Having regard to the opinion of the Economic and Social CommitteeOJ No C 108, 26. 8. 1970, p. 23.Whereas, with a view to achieving the mutual recognition of diplomas, certificates and other evidence of formal qualifications of nurses responsible for general care laid down in Council Directive 77/452/EECSee page 1 of this Official Journal., the comparable nature of training courses in the Member States enables coordination in this field to be confined to the requirement that minimum standards be observed, which then leaves the Member States freedom of organization as regards teaching;Whereas the coordination envisaged by this Directive does not exclude any subsequent coordination;Whereas the coordination envisaged by this Directive covers the professional training of nurses responsible for general care; whereas, as far as training is concerned, most Member States do not at present distinguish between nurses who pursue their activities as employed, persons and those who are self-employed; whereas for this reason and in order to encourage as far as possible the free movement of professional persons within the Community, it appears necessary to extend the application of this Directive to employed nurses,HAS ADOPTED THIS DIRECTIVE:
Article 11.Member States shall make the award of diplomas, certificates and other evidence of the formal qualifications of nurses responsible for general care as specified in the Annex to Directive 77/452/EEC subject to passing an examination which guarantees that during his training period the person concerned has acquired:(a)adequate knowledge of the sciences on which general nursing is based, including sufficient understanding of the structure, physiological functions and behaviour of healthy and sick persons, and of the relationship between the state of health and the physical and social environment of the human being;(b)sufficient knowledge of the nature and ethics of the profession and of the general principles of health and nursing;(c)adequate clinical experience; such experience, which should be selected for its training value, should be gained under the supervision of qualified nursing staff and in places where the number of qualified staff and equipment are appropriate for the nursing care of the patients;(d)the ability to participate in the practical training of health personnel and experience of working with such personnel;(e)experience of working with members of other professions in the health sector.2.The training referred to in paragraph I shall include at least:(a)a general school education of 10 years' duration attested by a diploma, certificate or other formal qualification awarded by the competent authorities or bodies in a Member State, or a certificate resulting from a qualifying examination of an equivalent standard for entrance to a nurses' training school;(b)full-time training, of a specifically vocational nature, which must cover the subjects of the programme set out in the Annex to this Directive and comprise a three-year course or 4600 hours of theoretical and clinical instruction.3.Member States shall ensure that the institution training nurses is responsible for the coordination of theoretical and clinical instruction throughout the training.(a) "Theoretical instruction" shall be defined as:that part of nursing training whereby student nurses acquire the knowledge, understanding and professional skills needed to plan, provide and assess total nursing care. This teaching is provided in nursing schools and other teaching environments chosen by the training institution, and is given by a staff of nursing teachers and other competent persons.(b) "Clinical instruction" shall be defined as:that part of nursing training whereby student nurses as part of a team and indirect contact with a healthy or sick individual and/or a community learn to plan, provide and assess the required total nursing care on the basis of their acquired knowledge and skills. The student nurse learns not only to be a member of the team, but to be a team leader organizing total nursing care, including health education for individuals and small groups in the health institutions or the community.This instruction takes place in hospitals and other health institutions and in the community, under the responsibility of teachers who are nurses and with the cooperation and assistance of other qualified nurses. Other qualified personnel may be involved in this teaching process.Student nurses shall participate in the activities of the departments concerned in so far as those activities contribute to their training, enabling them to learn to undertake the responsibilities inherent in nursing care.4.The theoretical instruction referred to in part A of the Annex shall be balanced and coordinated with the clinical instruction referred to in part B of the Annex in such a way that the knowledge and experience listed in paragraph 1 of this Article may be acquired in an adequate manner.The length of the theoretical instruction shall amount to no less than one-third and that of the clinical instruction to no less than one-half of the minimum length of training referred to in paragraph 2 (b).5.Member States may grant partial exemption to persons who have undergone part of the training referred to in paragraph 2 (b) in the form of other training which is of at least equivalent standard.
Article 2Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 1, Member States may permit part-time training under conditions approved by the competent national authorities.The total period of part-time training may not be shorter than that of full-time training. The standard of the training may not be impaired by: its part-time nature.
Article 3This Directive shall also apply to nationals of Member States who, in accordance with Council Regulation (EEC) No 1612/68 of 15 October 1968 on freedom of movement for workers within the CommunityOJ No L 257, 19. 10. 1965, p. 2., are pursuing or will pursue, as employed persons, one of the activities referred to in Article 1 of Directive 77/452/EEC.
Article 41.Member States shall bring into force the measures necessary to comply with this Directive within two years of its notification and shall forthwith inform the Commission thereof.2.Member States shall communicate to the Commission the texts of the main provisions of national law which they adopt in the field covered by this Directive.
Article 5Where a Member State encounters major difficulties in certain fields when applying this Directive, the Commission shall examine these difficulties in conjunction with that State and shall request the opinion of the Committee of Senior Officials on Public Health set up by Decision 75/365/EECOJ No L 167, 30. 6. 1975, p. 19., as amended by Decision 77/455/EECSee page 13 of this Official Journal..Where necessary, the Commission shall submit appropriate proposals to the Council.
Article 6This Directive is addressed to the Member States.
nullANNEXTRAINING PROGRAMME FOR NURSES RESPONSIBLE FOR GENERAL CAREThe training programme leading to the award of a diploma, certificate or other evidence of formal qualifications as nurse responsible for general care shall consist of the two parts and at least the subjects listed below. Instruction in one or more of these subjects may be given as part of, or in association with, other courses.A.Theoretical instruction:(a)nursing:nature and ethics of the profession,general principles of health and nursing,nursing principles in relation to:general and specialist medicine,general and specialist surgery,child care and peadiatrics,maternity care,mental health and psychiatry,care of the old and geriatrics(b)basic sciences:anatomy and physiology,pathology,bacteriology, virology and parasitology,biophysics, biochemistry and radiology,dietetics,hygienepreventive medicine,health education,pharmacology;(c)social sciences:sociology,psychology,principles of administration,principles of teaching,social and health legislation,legal aspects of nursing,B.Clinical instruction:Nursing in relation to:general and specialist medicine,general and specialist surgery,child care and peadiatrics,maternity care,mental health and psychiatry,care of the old and geriatrics,home nursing.