The aim of AccelEd project is strengthening nursing education on Master level, establishing and launching PhD nursing science in Kazakhstan through changes in policy, legal framework and institutional structures, involving ministries, universities, healthcare institutions, associations (both in healthcare and education), and international nursing communities. AccelEd focuses on modernization of policies, governance and management of higher education system in Kazakhstan on local and national levels by promoting evidence-based nursing science for improved quality of healthcare services.

Target groups: master and PhD students of medical universities, teaching staff of nursing faculties of medical universities and colleges in Kazakhstan, nurse practitioners, nursing associations, MoH, MoES, National Center for Health Development, local and regional health institutions and medical centers.

Objectives:

1. To strengthen nursing science in Kazakhstan through the capacity building of teaching staff based on contemporary issues in global nursing (WP2.1): developing competencies of nursing faculty members of KZ medical universities in order to ensure smooth implementation of three cycles of Bologna-type reforms in education, and enacting the trinity of the education, practice and research of nursing in the country. Åbo Akademi University/Health sciences is responsible for this work package.
2. To build the capacity of nursing faculty in nursing research methodologies by joining to the broader international community of nursing researchers (WP2.2): best European practices and methodologies should be transferred to be applied in nursing faculties of KZ medical universities by the teachers of nursing research, including peer-learning, counselling and internship experiences.
3. To create sustainable structures and systematic processes for cooperation on nursing research between medical universities and healthcare institutions in order to foster evidence-based nursing (WP2.3): new approaches and tools should be introduced to the project target groups to facilitate creation of sustainable continuation and application of nursing education and research to practical innovation development in healthcare system.
4. To initiate structural and institutional changes in managing Master and PhD level nursing education and quality assurance of post graduate education in nursing according to best European practices (WP2.4): improvement of quality assurance system in nursing Master and PhD level education, developing competence in nursing research and final theses development and setting clear guidelines for graduates and evaluators of nursing faculties of KZ medical universities.
5. To strengthen the role of nurses in healthcare system of Kazakhstan and promote the development of nursing science and research on PhD and higher levels (WP4): stakeholders of nursing science and research should be approached and encouraged to apply the experiences developed by the AccelEd project in teaching of nursing science and research, as well as developing policy framework for the benefit of nurses as significant element of healthcare services’ modernization.