The nursing of critical care, emergencies, and urgent care is advancing towards the recognition of a specialty of its own. The Human Resources Commission of the National Health System (SNS) has agreed to initiate its processing, with the aim of establishing specific training for professionals who care for patients in life-threatening situations and of high clinical complexity, both inside and outside the hospital.
The initiative comes from the Spanish Society of Intensive Nursing and Coronary Units (SEEIUC) and the Spanish Society of Emergency and Urgent Nursing (SEEUE), which have proposed to integrate these three care areas into a single specialty. The proposal seeks to provide professionals with a common preparation to intervene in the different phases of care, from initial assistance and medical transfer to admission to a critical care unit.
The proposal seeks to provide professionals with a common preparation to intervene in the different phases of care
The agreement represents a step in the recognition of the specific competencies required for this activity, marked by the need to quickly detect clinical deterioration, manage advanced health technology, and act in situations that require immediate decisions. However, the initiation of the processing does not yet equate to the final approval of the specialty.
Two years of training through residency
The training itinerary proposed includes two years of residency, with supervised clinical rotations in intensive care units, hospital emergency services, mobile units, and health coordination centers. The program would combine care activity with theoretical training, clinical simulation, and continuous assessment of the acquired competencies.
Among the skills included in the proposal are the classification of patients according to their care priority, clinical assessment, and the identification of signs of life compromise. It also includes the application of life support measures, care related to assisted ventilation and other advanced support techniques, as well as the coordination of medical transfers.
The training itinerary proposed includes two years of residency, with supervised clinical rotations in intensive care units, hospital emergency services, mobile units, and health coordination centers
The training would also cover the response to incidents with multiple victims and disasters, scenarios in which coordination among professionals and the ability to prioritize care are decisive.
The integration of the three areas aims to promote continuity of care and prevent the preparation of professionals from being fragmented among urgent care, medical transport, and intensive care. The proposal thus advocates for a common base of knowledge and skills for those involved at different moments of the same clinical process.
Communication and care for patients and families
The program would not be limited to technical competencies. The request also incorporates communication skills, teamwork, and support for patients and families in situations of uncertainty and high emotional pressure.
Addressing physical, psychological, and social needs is part of the approach proposed by the promoting societies, which link specialized preparation with the quality and safety of care.
The creation of this specialty would allow for progress towards homogeneous training for professionals working in critical areas, emergencies, and urgent care. Its development is now pending the corresponding processing, which must specify the definitive framework of the specialty and its training program.