Health systems in transition : Uzbekistan

Nurses, midwives and nursing specialties
As part of the reforms of medical education, all nursing schools have been 
transformed into community colleges for health professionals. Currently 
these colleges offer professional education in five specialties: general nursing, 
treatment and preventive medicine (assistants to epidemiologists), pharmacy, 
orthopaedic dentistry and laboratory diagnostics. The training duration has 
been extended to two years for nursing students with high school certificates 
and to three years for students with secondary school certificates. 

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Health systems in transition
  
Uzbekistan
69
For an advanced degree in nursing, higher nursing education has been 
introduced and new faculties were launched in medical schools. The prerequisite 
for admission to the new programme is a nursing diploma from professional 
colleges. In the programmes of higher nursing education, all students can choose 
one of four specialization courses in the last year of their studies: internal 
medicine, surgery, midwifery (obstetrics/gynaecology) and management. For 
those graduating from programmes of higher nursing education, it will be 
possible to pursue Master’s degrees in selected disciplines. Currently, a Master’s 
degree in Nursing Management is offered by medical schools. 
The framework for the continuing medical education of nurses is similar 
to that for physicians. The main entity responsible for the continuing medical 
education of nurses is the Republican Centre of Advanced Education and 
Specialization of Mid-level and Pharmaceutical Personnel, with 13 affiliated 
branches (one in each region). There is a mandatory requirement to attend 
continuing medical education courses at least once every five years, with a 
minimum duration of 144 hours. These courses are offered at 13 specialized 
regional centres for advanced medical education of mid-level health professionals.