TRANSFORMATION OF NURSING EDUCATION IN ARMENIA AND GEORGIA: COMPETENCY-BASED EDUCATION, EUROPEAN INTEGRATION, AND DEVELOPMENT PROSPECTS

Abstract

Nursing education in Georgia has undergone substantial transformation over the past decade in response to healthcare reforms, European integration, and the growing demand for a competent nursing workforce capable of meeting contemporary healthcare challenges. Recent legislative reforms, including the regulation of the nursing profession, implementation of updated national educational standards, and introduction of continuing professional development requirements, have fundamentally reshaped nursing education and professional practice. The alignment of Georgian nursing education with the principles of the European Higher Education Area has encouraged educational institutions to redesign curricula around measurable learning outcomes, clinical competencies, patient safety, and evidence-based practice. At the same time, significant progress has been achieved in strengthening clinical education, expanding simulation-based learning, and improving quality assurance mechanisms. The effectiveness of a healthcare system largely depends on the professional preparation of the nursing workforce, including their knowledge, skills, and capacity for continuous professional development. In the twenty-first century, the healthcare sector faces new challenges, including population aging, the rising prevalence of chronic diseases, the rapid advancement of medical technologies, digitalization, and increasing expectations regarding the quality of healthcare services. Under these conditions, traditional models of nursing education are gradually being replaced by Competency-Based Education (CBE), whose primary objective is to develop not only theoretical knowledge but also practical, communication, analytical, and leadership competencies. In Armenia, the modernization of nursing education is also driven by the country's integration into the European Higher Education Area, the implementation of the principles of the Bologna Declaration, and the alignment of educational programs with international standards for quality assurance.