The HCEU competence matrix "Professional Care" provides a comprehensive tool in order to support transnational mobility of healthcare professionals (primarily professionals in nursing and elderly care) with regard to recognition of formal learning abroad as well as training in order to prepare for a qualification standard in the targeted country.

The core of the HCEU tools and overall approach is the HCEU competence matrix "Professional Care" that describes the overall field of general nursing and elderly care in one comprehensive competence matrix. The competence matrix is divided horizontally into (sub-) work processes / competence area and  vertically into steps of competence development (to be red from left to right with increasing competence). According to the level of competence development reached with a certain programme/ qualification it is possible to compare different qualifications based on so called "Organisational Profiles" (two different Organisational Profiles are displayed in green and blue in the figure).

In this way it is possible to identify gaps in between two qualifications relevant for training as well as recognition processes in the context of transnational mobility of healthcare professionals.