The 4th AIDIR Conference, organised by the Nursing Department of UIC Barcelona in collaboration with the Fundació de l’Esperança from “la Caixa” and the Fundació CMJ Godó, took place on 11 December at the headquarters of the First Foundation in the district of Ciutat Vella in Barcelona. Led by Lorena Moya, coordinator of AIDIR Ciutat Vella, the conference featured the talks by Dr Encarna Rodríguez, director of the Department of Nursing of the University, and Berta Boadas, coordinator of social action of the Fundació de l'Esperança. Both highlighted the importance of the AIDIR units as spaces for learning and personal and professional growth, which allow students to develop care and health education skills in direct contact with people in a fragile environment, as well as gaining first-hand knowledge of the social reality of those who are most vulnerable.
Meanwhile, Lorena Moya and Dr Marian de Juan, teachers and nurses, presented to the audience the main activities carried out by the trainees in the two AIDIR units. They especially highlighted how they contribute to the promotion of autonomy and health management among the patients of AIDIR Pere Virgili, as well as to the promotion of health among users at risk of social exclusion of AIDIR Ciutat Vella. Likewise, the coordinators of the two units reminded the future professionals how the practices carried out through the Learning-Service System (APS) contribute considerably to improving fundamental skills in nursing practice such as teamwork, empathy, resilience, autonomy and leadership.
The conference continued with the presentation by Dr Albert Gallart, deputy director of the Department of Nursing and research coordinator of the two AIDIR units. He spoke about the most recent results of the lines of research that focus on the benefits of the innovative teaching model based on learning and service. More specifically, Dr Gallart pointed out how clinical healthcare leadership has increased considerably among students doing internships in these units, as has the growth in strategic thinking, which has become a key capability fostered in the units. Dr Gallart also shared the progress made in improving patients' health habits, with notable advances in areas such as stress management and physical mobility, although he did draw attention to the pending challenge of introducing more effective strategies to optimise diet and eating habits.
The event included a round table led by students who have carried out their work experience in the AIDIR units. They shared their experiences, explaining how practical training and the support of the professional team help them to be perceived as active and responsible professionals, capable of making a real impact on the care environment.
Afterwards, the participants took part in Learning and Service (APS) dynamics, with the aim of proposing innovative projects focused on the promotion of health and the continuous improvement of patient care. The two best proposals were selected and shown at the end of the day.
"By organising conferences such as this one, the UIC Barcelona Department of Nursing reaffirms its commitment to comprehensive and outstanding training, in which research, healthcare practice and the development of skills, notably leadership and nursing skills, are fundamental pillars that must be closely linked," as those responsible for the conferences explain. “As was evident in the new edition of the conference, the AIDIR units continue to position themselves as the benchmark for innovation and advanced training in the field of nursing,” they added.
