Training community nurses on supporting families with children who have developmental difficulties: lessons from the former Yugoslavian Republic of Macedonia

Purpose – In the former Yugoslavian republics, community nursing services are not well developed to support families with infants who have developmental problems. The purpose of this paper is to design an in-service training package for nurses on supporting families of children with developmental disabilities.Design/methodology/approach – A conceptual framework evolved to guide the design and content of the training package which was further consulted on with local partners. A cascade model of training was adopted, based largely on experiential learning. A nine-session training package (around 20 hours in all) was devised and a Training for Trainers workshop held to prepare them to use the package in their locality. The in-service training of nurses is ongoing during 2014-2015.Findings – Key findings are presented in relation to perceived training needs; the key features of the Training Framework; the content and teaching methods used and the outcomes of the Training for Trainers workshop. Ongoing evaluations will assess the impact of the training on community nurses and on families.Originality/value – This study provides a conceptual model for the provision of effective in-service training on developmental disabilities for community personnel throughout the region and internationally.