50th anniversary of the nursing college of the ljubljana university

Abstract

The article describes the 50 years long history of the University College of Health Studies in Ljubljana. The higher education of health care workers started in year 1954, when Nursing College, Higher Physiotherapy School and Higher Radiology School were founded. They incorporated in year 1962 into College for Health Workers. In 1964 the school’s activities expanded to the syllabus for higher occupational therapists and higher sanitary technicians, in 1985 to the syllabus for stomatologic prothetics and in 1987 to the syllabus for orthopedic technicians. In 1993 the faculty study of health education was organized by University College for Health Studies under the wing of Faculty of Education at the University of Ljubljana. In the studying year 1996/97 the syllabus of gynecological-obstetrics nursing (midwifery) was started. Nowadays University College of Health Studies has seven departments: Department for midwifery, Department for occupational therapy, Department for physiotherapy, Department for orthopedic technique, Department for radiology, Department for sanitary engineering and Department for nursing. In article the history of each department is separately described. When founded in year 1954 all three higher schools registered 108 students, while today 2272 students are registered at the University College of Health Studies. In the period 1996–2003, 2258 students graduated on the higher professional education study programme. The importance of the education of health workers on the higher professional education study level for contemporary work and development of health care in Slovenia is accented.