The training center of the Central Clinical Hospital of St. Alexy, Metropolitan of Moscow, together with the Ministry of Health of the Zaporizhia region and the Berdyansk Diocese, opened a training simulation class on the basis of the Melitopol Medical Specialized College.
"Through joint efforts, we have taken an important step towards increasing the number of specialists in the care of the seriously ill and the wounded in the Zaporizhia region. Our hospital is opening such classes all over Russia. The acquired professional skills allow us to work in medical and social institutions, as well as help in hospitals, hospices and hospitals as volunteers," said Alexey Zarov, Chief physician of St. Alexy's Hospital.
Training in Melitopol is conducted according to two programs: "Junior nurse / nurse for patient care" and "Nursing assistant". After successful completion of the courses, the Training Center issues a document on the assignment of a new profession.
The first module of the patient care training program includes theory, which students study independently on the special online platform of the Training Center. During the study of the second module, they learn practical skills under the guidance of a teacher. Classes are held in a training simulation classroom. The training ends with an internship in medical institutions.
From April 29 to May 2, 2026, classes for the first group of students were held in a classroom in Melitopol. It consisted of 15 students and teachers of the Melitopol Medical Specialized College.
"By performing various techniques, students practice their skills on each other. This helps to better understand the feelings of an immobile patient who cannot take care of himself on his own. A seriously ill person especially needs love, warmth and compassion. That is why it is so important not only to master techniques and procedures, but also to learn how to be careful and respectful," said Natalia Seletskaya, a teacher at the St. Alexy's Hospital Training Center.
During the course, students learn how to perform hygiene procedures in bed, master techniques for transferring a patient from a bed to a chair, methods for controlling falls and accompanying walking, and postural correction using pillows and rollers to prevent pressure sores and sedentary complications.
"Thanks to the opening of the classroom, we have the opportunity to professionally train our students in the care of seriously ill and people with limited mobility. Now we plan to include this course in the curriculum of our college, so that students can simultaneously start practicing in medical institutions in our region. After the course, they will be able to help in intensive care units, surgery, neurology, wherever there are bedridden patients. In addition, we are working closely with the employment center and will be able to train nurses under the "Care Assistant" program for the social service," explained Alla Cherevko, director of the Melitopol Medical College.
With the support of the Christian Charity Foundation, the classroom is equipped with everything necessary for professional training.
St. Alexy's Central Clinical Hospital is a medical institution of the Russian Orthodox Church, a multidisciplinary medical facility with 300 beds. People from all regions of Russia are treated here, regardless of religion. The hospital is located in Moscow. Branches have been opened in Shuya, Ivanovo Region, Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, and Pereslavl-Zalessky, Yaroslavl Region. A Prosthetics and Medical Adaptation Center has been set up in Gorlovka (DPR). There is a licensed Training Center for the training of junior nurses in patient care. The hospital is one of the main centers in Russia for the training of junior nurses in nursing and for the development of sisterhoods of mercy.
The Licensed Training Center of St. Alexy's Hospital was established with the blessing of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill in 2018. The training center provides professional training in the care of seriously ill and bedridden patients. The training takes place throughout Russia, in the Republic of Belarus and in the Republic of Kazakhstan. During this time, more than 8000 people have completed the courses. Classrooms have been opened in Lugansk, Kursk, Sevastopol, Simferopol, Feodosia, Donetsk, Taman, Irkutsk, Vologda, Voronezh, Shuya, Pereslavl-Zalessky, Zhukovsky, Minsk (Belarus) and Kokshetau (Kazakhstan).