Polish nurses with advanced qualifications in primary care will gain authority to issue up to five-day medical certificates under proposed legislation.
Proposed Legislative Change
The Polish government plans to amend the Act on the Professions of Nurse and Midwife to allow certain nurses in primary care to issue certificates of temporary inability to work for up to five days. Deputy Minister of Health Katarzyna Kęcka emphasized this new right will apply only to a strictly defined group of nurses with master’s degrees and specializations, primarily working in primary care, affecting approximately 4,600 nurses nationwide.
Optional Authority with Conditions
The new authority will be optional, meaning nurses can but are not obligated to issue such certificates. The condition for issuing a certificate will be the personal examination of the patient and a full assessment of their health condition. All certificates issued by nurses will be subject to normal control procedures conducted by ZUS (Social Insurance Institution).
Improving Healthcare Access
This legislative change aims to improve access to primary healthcare, reduce waiting times for patients seeking help for seasonal infections, and better utilize the professional competencies of nurses. The proposals result from months of consultations between the Ministry of Health and the medical community.
Addressing Professional Stereotypes
The move addresses persistent stereotypes about nursing as limited to basic tasks like injections or medication administration. Mariola Łodzińska, President of the Main Council of Nurses and Midwives, emphasized the need to recognize nurses as independent medical professionals with higher education and specializations, capable of patient assessment and issuing certificates.