title: Undergraduate oncology nursing education in the Balkans and the Middle East.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The levels of undergraduate oncology nursing education in the Balkans and the Middle East had not been determined.
  
  
  METHODS
  The authors used a questionnaire to survey representatives of nine Balkan and Middle East countries about the oncology nursing education available in undergraduate nursing programs in their countries. Admission criteria, the educational requirements for teachers providing the education, and the levels of nursing credentials in the country were investigated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Years of schooling needed for admission ranged from eight to 12. Requirements for teachers varied widely, from none to academic degrees and experience, as did levels of nurses in the countries. Israel, Slovenia, and Greece had fairly substantial oncology nursing education programs, while some countries, especially in the Balkans, offered none at all.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  There is a need for routine inclusion of required oncology training in the nursing programs of these countries.
authors.affiliation: Nursing School, Technological Educational Institute, Athens, Greece.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Savopoulou
mesh_terms: D004508:Education, Nursing, Baccalaureate / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000592:standards*; D005061:Europe, Eastern; D008877:Middle East; D009859:Oncology Nursing / Q000193:education*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires