Faculty of Health Studies Participates in Developing New Nursing Qualification Standards

Assist. Prof. Ivica Matić, Acting Dean of the Faculty of Health Studies at the Catholic University of Croatia (CUC), participated on 1 December 2025 in an initial meeting dedicated to the development of qualification standards and the revision of the Common Core Curriculum for the undergraduate Nursing programme. The meeting was held at Juraj Dobrila University of Pula and brought together leading representatives of higher education institutions that deliver nursing study programmes. This marked the first step toward harmonising nursing education at the national level.

The process was initiated following the inclusion of the occupational standards for Bachelor of Nursing and Master of Nursing in the Croatian Qualifications Framework Register on 14 November 2025. This officially launched work on defining new qualification standards and revising the foundational curricula used in nursing programmes at higher education institutions across Croatia. As nursing is a regulated profession whose education must align with European guidelines and the evolving needs of modern healthcare practice, this initiative is of particular importance for the profession’s continued development.

During the meeting, participants discussed the goals of the process, the methodology for developing the standards, and the planned workflow for the coming period. Special emphasis was placed on the modernisation of the existing Core Curriculum, which was last comprehensively revised in 2013. Since then, the needs of the healthcare system, the competencies expected of future graduates, and the content of nursing education have changed significantly, making the creation of a new common curriculum an essential prerequisite for consistent, modern and high-quality education of future nurses and medical technicians.

The Faculty of Health Studies at the Catholic University of Croatia will continue to actively contribute to all phases of this process and to the advancement of the nursing profession through constructive dialogue, exchange of expertise, and participation in national working groups.