Page 8 - Lessons learned from Ebola & COVID19 - June 2020

iii. European Pillar of Social Rights

The European Commission developed the European Pillar of The European Pillar of Social Rights in 20 principles
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Social Rights , designed to act as a policy tool for EU policy
makers to foster the involvement and rights of the civil society Chapter I: Equal opportunities and access to the labour
market
on the EU’s policy development and outcomes. Including 20
1. Education, training and life-long learning
principles aiming to address crucial topics such as equal 2. Gender equality
opportunities and access to the labour market; fair working 3. Equal opportunities
conditions; and social protection and inclusion. 4. Active support to employment

Chapter II: Fair working conditions
When the Pillar was launched in 2017, EFN members fully
5. Secure and adaptable employment
supported the intent of the policy and selected 4 Pillar 6. Wages
priorities, Education, Wages, Access Health care, Long-term 7. Information about employment conditions and protection
care, which are for preparedness essential. Lessons leaned in case of dismissals
8. Social dialogue and involvement of professionals
from COVID-19 shows the importance of CPD, the importance 9. Work-life balance
of elderly care, the importance of keeping the nurses in the 10. Healthy, safe and well-adapted work environment and
profession, and having access to healthcare facilities. The EFN data protection
has stated that designing the key milestones for a Triple ‘A’
Chapter III: Social protection and inclusion
Europe, implies supporting and engaging frontline in policy-
11. Childcare and support to children
design, and putting in place concrete actions that facilitate the good quality
daily work of the EU nurses. 12. Social protection
13. Unemployment benefits
14. Minimum income
Therefore, addressing the unmet needs of nurses throughout
15. Old age income and pensions
the EU is a priority, with the situation for nurses working 16. Health care
environment deteriorating impacting on their ability to deliver 17. Inclusion of people with disabilities
appropriate safe and quality care (demonstrated during the 18. Long-term care
19. Housing and assistance for the homeless
COVID-19 pandemic) many nurses only choice is to leave the 20. Access to essential services.
profession. Without appropriate and timely policy measures
from within the European Pillar of Social Rights, nurses will become difficult to be recruited to and retained in
already challenged healthcare delivery services. Anyone who has ever experienced, either as patient or relative,
the need of receiving healthcare recognises that without the nurses these essential life changing and saving
services could be no longer provided. Again, this has been demonstrated during this current COVID-19 pandemic
crisis.

iv. Professional Qualifications Directive
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The key EU legislation for the nurses, is the Directive 2013/55/EU and it is vital that it is adequately transposed
into national education programmes to further develop nursing education curricula and ensuring nurses have
the right competencies to shape and deliver effective nursing and health care.
One of the important competencies the European Commission should be cognisant of in the Directive refers to:
“To independently initiative life-preserving in crises and disaster situations”. This shows that in their education,
nurses learn how to be prepared for a crisis such the COVID-19 one. All our nurses in the EU are prepared for
crisis management. Therefore, it is vital that the EU Institutions recognises nurses’ expertise and best practices
in the field of health delivery and health promotion. Engaging with EU nurses and empowering them to do so.
The EU Member States need to take this into account when developing any new policies. Nurses are essential
to contribution to the solution of any problem and ensuring it is fit-for-purpose and can be implement with
efficiency and effectiveness

26 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/priorities/deeper-and-fairer-economic-and-monetary-union/european-pillar-social-rights/european-
pillar-social-rights-20-principles_en
27 Recognition of professional qualifications Directive. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/single-market/services/free-movement-
professionals/policy/legislation_en

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