First national training course for CF nurses in Germany

The nurse working group of the German CF association organised the first national training course for CF nurses. The course consists of 3 main components: an intensive 3-day block of instruction at the beginning and at the end of the 6-month program and a weeks placement in a large CF centre between the 2 blocks.
The first block was held from September 25. - 27. 2003 in Frankfurt/Main, Germany. Twenty nurses from 15 CF centres took part in the course.
In this block the focus was on basic information about the disease and its treatment. Nine experienced specialists presented sessions covering the patho-physiology of the disease and the pillars of treatment of CF patients which lead to better life quality and increased life expectancy.
Topics included:
· basic nutritional therapy and enteral and parenteral supplements
· management of the home i.v. antibiotics therapy
· psychosocial care of patients including transition from paediatrics to adult centres
· foundation for patient and family training
· quality management at all levels.
In addition to theory, there was an opportunity to practice various procedures which are necessary for nursing care of CF patients, e.g. handling of port- or PEG-systems.
The participants expressed satisfaction with the high quality of the course and are looking forward to the observation week and the final block which will be held in February. The focus in this block is hygiene, methods of physiotherapy and the nursing of severely ill patients until lung transplantation.
This course will be repeated in the second half of 2004 and beginning 2005.

Information can be obtained from:
Dr. Brigitte Roos-Liegmann, R.N.
Klinikum der Johann Wolfgang Goethe-Universität
Pädiatrische Gastroenterologie und Mukoviszidose-Ambulanz
Theodor-Stern-Kai 7
D-60590 Frankfurt/Main
email: brigitteroos@hotmail.com