NEW SERIES: EXPLORING NEW DIMENSIONS AT #EAPC2021 …
THERE ARE JUST 15 DAYS TO THE 17TH WORLD CONGRESS ONLINE OF THE EUROPEAN ASSOCIATION FOR PALLIATIVE CARE (#EAPC2021) WITH LIVE SESSIONS ON 6 TO 8 OCTOBER, AND LOTS OF ON-DEMAND CONTENT AVAILABLE BEFORE AND AFTER THE CONGRESS.
Ahead of the congress, we’re delighted to give a glimpse of what’s in store at #EAPC2021. Today, we hear from Nicoleta Mitrea, Minna Hökkä and Piret Paal who are part of the new EAPC Innovation in Nurse Education Task Force. Here, they explain why they initiated this task force and how they plan to increase the awareness of, and competencies in, palliative of all future nurses. Consider this an open invitation to join them!
Left to right: Minna Hökkä, Piret Paal and Nicoleta Mitrea
As collaborators in a variety of projects, we meet regularly to exchange thoughts and views. Being members of the NursEduPal@Euro team, we are actively involved in developing new learning methodologies to improve palliative care education for Bachelor degree nurses. Within that context, the idea was born to assemble an enthusiastic group of nurses and nurse educators with a passion for palliative care and initiate an EAPC Task Force for Innovation in Nurse Education. And so it happened: in March 2021, the EAPC board approved our application!
There is a long road ahead before all nurses throughout the world will be aware of palliative care principles, are able to talk about grief and death, and provide best care at any stage of illness by being present, listening and comforting. With our task force, we take up the challenge to decrease the gaps in palliative care nursing knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviours. Our aim is to improve the quality of education of Bachelor degree nurses in the field of palliative care and we plan to achieve that goal in three steps:
- Update the EAPC recommendation for basic palliative care competencies in nursing at undergraduate level.
- Develop innovative educational tools for palliative care education, such as ‘escape rooms’, and simulation labs for training.
- Extend all these innovative tools to educators to promote the implementation of the innovative tools into Bachelor nursing curricula.
We welcome nurses and educators from all over Europe and beyond to join our efforts and become an active member or supporter of our task force. Currently, the international group of enthusiasts that are committed to our goal are: our chairs Minna Hökka (Chair – Finland) and Dr Nicoleta Mitrea (Co-chair – Romania); our founding members Veerle Coupez (Belgium), Danny Vereecke (Belgium), PD Dr Piret Paal (Austria), Anja Oustalet (France), Sandra Neves (Portugal), Dr Huda Abu-Saad Huijer (Lebanon), Elena Chover (Spain), our member Vanessa Taylor (UK) and our supporters Dr Sandra Martins Pereira (Spain) and Dr Pablo Hernández-Marrero (Spain). And, of course, we have the valued involvement of the EAPC with Dr Julie Ling (CEO), Prof Sonya McIlfatrick (EAPC board member linked to the task force), and Dr Cathy Payne (research and project officer, project knowledge transfer and exchange).
Join us for breakfast at the EAPC World Congress Online
If you’re curious about our team and our aspirations, and are attending the congress, come to the breakfast table at the 17th World Congress of the EAPC and meet Minna Hökkä or Dr Nicoleta Mitrea on Thursday, 7 October or Friday, 8 October. Details of how to visit the table are available on the congress platform, which opens to registrants on 27 September. We’ll be delighted to meet you and to explain more. (You can register for the congress here).
Links and resources
- EAPC Innovation in Nurse Education Task Force website.
- NursEduPal@Euro website.
- Follow the NursEduPal@Euro team on Twitter
- Read more posts on Nursing and Education and Training on the EAPC blog.
More about the authors
Nicoleta Mitrea, APRN, PhD, Senior Lecturer at University of University of Transilvania, Brasov, Director of Nursing Education and Development at HOSPICE Casa Sperantei, Romania and Co-chair of the task force.
Piret Paal, Priv.-Doz., PhD, MA, BA, Reader in Nursing Science (Palliative Care), Deputy Director of the WHO Collaborating Centre at the Institute for Nursing Science and Practice, Paracelsus Medical University, Salzburg, Austria.
Minna Hökkä, RN, MHSc, PhDc, Head of School, Kajaani University of Applied Sciences, Kajaani, Finland and Chair of the task force.
EXPLORE NEW DIMENSIONS at #EAPC2021. The EAPC 17th World Congress Online offers interactive online sessions from 6 to 8 October 2021, an entire day dedicated to Paediatric Palliative Care and a selection of pre-congress sessions on 5 October.
- Register for the congress here. (Up to 25% discount for EAPC members)
- View the live scientific programme here.
- View the abstract book here.
- Enter the Science Slam here.
- Enjoy lots of on-demand content from 27 September until 31 January 2022.
- Get a sneak peek of presentations in the EAPC World Congress series on the blog.
- Follow latest congress news @EAPCvzw #EAPC2021and via the EAPC blog.
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