Polish nursing into the future – challenges and opportunities

Introduction. Polish nursing has experienced rapid and unprecedented evolutionary change. Recent and ongoing changes to preparatory nurse education have heralded a profound change for the profession. At the same time the nursing profession itself has experienced unprecedented development in terms of changing roles and expanded practice. While the growth of professional is ongoing there are many challenges to this in terms of staffing shortages, an aging workforce and changing illness trajectories. While a committed workforce, nurses are challenged to maintain quality standards in the context of these challenges.

Aim. This paper explores the responses and responsibilities required of the profession to face ongoing changes in medicine, health and society as well as policy and professional changes. The leadership required to successfully steer and negotiate this ongoing transformation will be discussed.