The XL edition of the Congreso de la Sociedad Española de Calidad Asistencial (SECA) [Congress of the Spanish Society of Healthcare Quality], held in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, has brought together numerous professionals in the field of care and teaching to share experiences, reflecting on the current state of the Spanish health system and defining a common project to transform and renew it.
In this context, and as a leading institution in teaching innovation, the UIC Barcelona Department of Nursing was selected to participate in the congress and present to attendees the innovative teaching model based on learning and service that the university has been implementing for years. Under the title “Learning and Service Units: A real possibility for nurses”, the deputy director of the department, Albert Gallart, presented the results of the study “Enhancing perceived leadership of nursing students through a student-led dedicated education unit in a community setting: A feasibility study”, of which he is the principal investigator and which he has carried out together with another researcher from the department, Marian de Juan.
As he showed in the presentation, included in the Best Communications sessions of the congress, the study highlights the positive impact of the Learning and Service Units in the training of future nursing professionals and in the improvement of knowledge and skills in health of the population. As the authors highlight, “Learning and Service Units, such as the AIDIR units at UIC Barcelona, allow nursing students to integrate their theoretical knowledge with meaningful practical experience in a real environment.” “Through this educational model, students have the opportunity to work directly with the community, improving health promotion, and fostering the development of key leadership and decision-making skills, elements that are decisive for the future performance of our profession," they add.
UIC Barcelona's participation in this congress not only highlights the importance of innovation in nursing education, but also the institution's commitment to finding methodologies that respond to the needs of a constantly changing health system. The presentation made by the deputy director of the Department of Nursing and researcher Albert Gallart was an example of how collaboration between the academic and healthcare spheres can generate significant advances, providing future professionals with a more complete and practical training.
