18th April 2020 is the annual European Patient’s Right Day, which is an important day for the nursing community. Patients are at the cornerstone of healthcare, and nurses are the healthcare professionals that are 24/7 at the bedside with them when needed. There are many surveys showing that nurses are the most trusted healthcare profession by patients, which demonstrate the intimate link that there is between them.
In the context of the ongoing COVID-19 outbreak, nurses are at the frontline with patients who needs them, doing their utmost to take care of them. Therefore, the EFN calls all EU institutions and health stakeholders for greater involvement of nurses in the co-design of healthcare policies to ensure those respond to frontline needs and support them in further supporting and empowering patients.
The EFN is working hard towards patient empowerment and has published a position paper. Moreover, empowering patients and citizens are part of nurses’ curricula in the EU (Article 31 of EU Directive 2013/55/EU).
For all the reasons above the EFN’s Secretary General recorded a video message (it can be watched above this text) supporting European patients in cooperation with the Active Citizenship Network (ACN).
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