Abstract
Background: In 2007, the Mediterranean Institute of Hematology granted an educational project aiming at the start up of the first Bone Marrow Transplant Centre in Syria. The medicalnurse staff of the Hematology and Bone Marrow Transplant Unit of the San Raffaele Institute in Milan carried out this project in collaboration with the staff of the Tishreen Hospital in Damascus. From May 2007 to October 2008, 8 syrian nurses were trained for assistance in autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HCT) for adult patients. Aim: The aim of the training was to provide the knowledge and skills necessary for optimal nurse-caring of adult patients undergoing autologous HCT. The acquired methodology was used to introduce the nursing procedures and the nursing record method in the daily practice of the Transplant Unit. The program aimed also at obtaining homogenous nurse qualification. Methods: The program was conducted during two training periods, the first one in Italy and then in Syria. The training in Italy was performed at San Raffaele Hospital with the collaboration of italian nurse tutors, being the syrian nurses observers. Each nurse stayed in Italy for 2 months. The training in Syria was performed at the Tishreen Hospital with the collaboration of one italian nurse, supervising the syrian nurses activities. The educational program consisted of theoretical and practical topics, regarding patient's management and transplant procedures. The evaluation of educational objective fulfilment was performed through a check list, assessing the acquisition of the topics by specific indicators. Outcomes: The training in Italy involved 8 syrian nurses and a translator. The training in Syria involved 7 nurses and the head nurse from the Transplant Unit of Tishreen Hospital. At the end of the training, each nurse reached knowledge and skills sufficient to autonomously take care of HCT patients. Nurse proved strong motivation and interest. They developed the first nursing procedures for management of central venous access and begun to apply the daily nursing record. Conclusions: The realization of this project underlines the importance of a constant and adequate training for nurses entering the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, in order to provide a high quality patients' care. Moreover, this experience demonstrated the importance of a collaboration between subjects coming from different countries in order to share and improve professional expertise.