Free digital training for nurses: how to access in 2026

Key data

Registered nursing professionals in Spain have access to a digital skills training program financed with European funds from the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan. The delivery mechanism is the agreement published on May 4, 2026 between Red.es and the General Council of Official Nursing Colleges, which formalizes the channeling of the subsidy granted to Professional Union through Royal Decree 876/2024, of September 3.

Training does not reach the nurse directly: it goes through the professional college, which acts as manager and is responsible before Red.es. This has practical implications both for professionals who want to access it and for colleges that must execute and justify the expense.

What does this regulation establish?

The Resolution of February 18, 2026 publishes the collaboration agreement between Red.es and the General Council of Official Nursing Colleges. Its function is to establish the legal and operational framework for Next Generation EU funds to reach nurses through their colleges.

The key elements of the agreement are:

• Purpose: Management of the subsidy granted to Professional Union to develop a digital skills training program aimed at registered nursing professionals throughout Spain.
• Legal basis: Royal Decree 876/2024, of September 3, which regulates the direct granting of the subsidy.
• Financing: Next Generation EU funds, integrated into the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan.
• Obligations of the recipient college: Program management, expense justification, internal control and accountability before Red.es.
• Supervision: Red.es acts as supervising entity and may request information and supporting documentation at any time.
• Transparency: The agreement imposes transparency obligations in execution, inherent to Next Generation EU funds.

The structure of the fund chain is as follows:

Economic and operational impact

For nursing professionals, the impact is positive: access to digital skills training co-financed with European funds, at no direct cost or reduced cost, through their professional colleges.

For Official Nursing Colleges, the impact is operational and regulatory compliance. Managing Next Generation EU funds involves:

• Establishing internal expense control procedures compliant with public subsidy regulations.
• Documenting and justifying each expense before Red.es with the level of detail required by European funds.
• Complying with transparency and active publicity obligations inherent to these funds.
• Assuming the risk of reimbursement if justification is incorrect or if the expense is not executed in accordance with the agreement.

Managing Next Generation EU funds is more demanding than managing ordinary national subsidies. Colleges without prior experience in managing this type of fund should strengthen their administrative teams or seek specialized advice.

Who does it affect?

• Registered nurses in Spain: Can access the digital skills training program through their professional college.
• Official Nursing Colleges: Must manage, execute and justify the training program before Red.es, assuming expense control and transparency obligations.
• General Council of Official Nursing Colleges: Is the signatory entity of the agreement and primary responsible before Red.es.
• Professional Union: Is the formal beneficiary of the subsidy granted by Royal Decree 876/2024, which delegates execution to the General Council of Official Nursing Colleges.
• Managers and administrators of professional colleges: Must implement the control and justification procedures required by the agreement.

Practical example

A nurse registered in the Official Nursing College of Valencia wants to improve their digital skills to work with electronic medical record tools and telemedicine. Thanks to this agreement, their college has access to Next Generation EU funds to organize and finance that training.

The nurse enrolls in the program through their college, without assuming the full cost of training, as it is co-financed with European funds. The college, for its part, must document the nurse's participation, the cost of training and justify it before Red.es in accordance with the agreement requirements.

If the college does not correctly justify that expense — for example, if it does not keep attendance records or invoices from the training provider — it may be required to reimburse the funds received, regardless of whether the training was delivered correctly.

What should colleges and nurses do now?

1. Official Nursing Colleges: Review the agreement published in the BOE and verify if your college is included in the scope of the program managed by the General Council.
2. College administrative managers: Establish or strengthen internal expense control procedures and subsidy justification, adapted to Next Generation EU fund requirements.
3. Colleges without experience in European funds: Consider hiring specialized advice in management and justification of Next Generation EU funds to avoid reimbursement risks.
4. Registered nurses: Contact your Official Nursing College to find out about availability, deadlines and conditions for accessing the digital skills training program.
5. All affected parties: Consult the complete resolution published in the BOE on May 4, 2026 to learn the specific conditions of the agreement.