The postgraduate education of nurses and midwives in the area of the Pomeranian Voivodeship between 1980–2000

The experience of constant economic, social and cultural changes, which has been brought on us along with the beginning of the 21st century, is the result of a dynamic civilized, scientific and technical progress, as well as globalization. Nowadays, in one’s professional life, it is crucial to use modern technologies, computer software and to cope with modern trends as far as organizing one’s workplace is concerned. Such situation causes swift outdating of any acquired professional competence. Constant education seems to be a good way of preventing it from happening. The nurses’ and midwives’ professional competence, gained during their higher education process, allow them to do their work, however it ought to be specifically pointed out that they need to constantly verify and deepen their education due to the dynamic development of medicine. The process of constant studying and education in the reality of a nurse’s or midwife’s professional life is regulated by the act of law pointing out that a nurse or a midwife is obligated to constantly update their knowledge and professional skills, they are also entitled to improve their professional skills by participating in different kinds of postgraduate courses. The purpose of the dissertation is to present historical facts concerning postgraduate education of nurses and midwives from Gdańsk Center of Medical Personnel Development, which was a branch of a Warsaw Center between years 1980–2000. Data gathered for the purpose of this publication was taken from Pomeranian Voivodeship Office in Gdańsk.