The research
conference “Evaluation Criteria and Projects with a Qualitative Methodology”
was held in the UIC's main lecture hall on Thursday and Friday, 7-8 June 2012.
The conference brought together about 150 professionals, who were mainly from
the field of nursing, but also included doctors, psychologists and
sociologists. They discussed how to generate scientific knowledge that has a
positive effect on people and the nursing profession itself.

The event was
promoted and organized by the Department of Nursing as part of the Year of the
Nurse at the UIC, which is championing nurses and their key role in society.

According to Dr. Cristina Monforte, the director of
the Department of Nursing, the conference was highly productive. She said, “The
interdisciplinary dialogue was very useful. It gave rise to an environment for
reflection on the importance of research, of making advances in the profession
through research and of joining forces for the good of the patient”. The
conference was inclusive and, according to the director, encouraged the
participants to consider new objectives and initiate research projects in the
field of nursing. Dr. Monforte said, “We have
been congratulated on the dialogue we achieved and the quality of the
conference, and we've been asked to hold it again next year, since there are no
other forums like it for researchers”.

The conference
benefited from the presence of international speakers with prestigious
reputations in the field of nursing, including Dr. Marcela Carrillo (Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia),
Dr. William Lauder from the University of Stirling, Scotland, and Dr. Emilio Sanz, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine
at the Universidad de la Laguna in Tenerife. 

Among the
participants were nurses working in the areas of healthcare and teaching, and
nursing professionals from several health centres, including the Hospital General de Catalunya, Hospital de Bellvitge,
Mútua de Terrassa, Consorci Sanitari de Terrassa, Hospital Parc Taulí, the
Clínica Vallés, Hospital Universitari Sagrat Cor,
Hospital de Sant Pau, the Hospital General
de Granollers, Hospital Platón and primary care centres managed by
the Catalan Healthcare Institute.

Also
in attendance were members of the Official Association of Nurses of Barcelona,
Ministry of Health nurses, members of the IDIAP Jordi Gol i Gurina and teaching staff from various
universities: Universidad San Pablo CEU in
Valencia, Universidad de Cantabria, the Universitat de Barcelona, the Universitat de Girona, the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Universitat Ramon Llull, Escola Gimbernat, the Fundació Universitària del Bages, Escola Sant Pau and the Escola d'Infermeria del Mar.

The conference was organized by the UIC
Department of Nursing and received industrial support from the Capio Hospital General de Catalunya, Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge,
the Althaia Xarxa Assistencial de Manresa and the Hospital
General de Granollers.
Eight nursing students also volunteered to help out at the conference and
contributed to its success.