Nurses in focus at Vitalis!
20 November / 2019
2020 has been designated as the Year of the Nurse – worldwide. This will also put its mark on next year’s Vitalis, which will focus heavily on the important and driving role of nurses for the innovation and development of eHealth.
On 12 May 1820 Florence Nightingale was born – the founder of the modern nursing profession. In honour of the 200-year jubilee, the WHO has designated 2020 as the Year of the Nurse and Midwife.
“A totally unique event – never before have professions been recognised in this way,” says Johanna Ulfvarson, who is a Nurse, Associate Professor and expert in digitalisation and eHealth at the Swedish Society of Nursing.
But she believes that the timing is perfect and totally in line with Agenda 2030. This has identified nurses as key persons for achieving the goal of global health. Johanna Ulfvarson is a member of the Vitalis programme council and is one of the initiators for the Vitalis 2020 nurse theme. The Swedish Association of Health Professionals is also behind the initiative, which will be marked in a number of different ways. Among other things planned are a full stage programme and conference programme specially aimed at nurses and midwives. There are also outline plans for a special innovation fair.
“There will be a great deal for those who work in out-patient care and the municipal sector. Solutions for remote care, for example,” says Johanna.
Johanna Ulfvarson, Nurse, Associate Professor
and expert in digitalisation and eHealth at
the Swedish Society of Nursing.
Training in virtual och mixed reality is another aspect being considered. There will also be rolling ten-minute presentations of self-help apps for different diagnoses, with the emphasis on the holistic perspective. A conference programme featuring outstanding speakers is also planned One subject being addressed is nursing informatics and terminology questions when writing up patient notes.
Other current items include the national investigation into Digiphysical care choices, which is currently at the consultation stage, and Anna Nergårdh’s investigation og Good, close care, the conclusions of which are expected in March 2020.
“I am looking forward to the panel debates, with representatives of our profession, about these issues that are so important for nurses,” says Johanna.
She underlines the key role played by nurses in the development of eHealth.
“The nurses are those who see the needs, are with the patients 24/7 and are also team leaders. And will also use the new technology.
In spite of this, nurses are often forgotten when new technical solutions and systems are procured,” according to Johanna Ulfvarson:
“The suppliers can confirm the difficulty of implementing something that has already been procured when they meet the nurses for the first time. The nurses are then completely unwilling and say that they don’t need this solution.
“That is very sad. Obviously the nurses should have been brought in earlier in the process, before everything was decided. Unfortunately, we see examples of this all the time.”
Also, many employers don’t want to pay for nurses to learn more about eHealth, by attending a three-day conference for example. But Johanna Ulfveson hopes that the 200-year jubilee and the WHO initiative will give more weight to the nurses argument for being able to go to Vitalis, at least for one day.
“A nurse often feels a bit like Cinderella: she must finish a thousand tasks first or she cannot go to the ball …”
Maria Sterner, commercial manager of Vitalis, obviously wishes to see a record number of nurses in Gothenburg during 5–7 May 2020.
“Absolutely! And we look forward to promoting the important role of the nurse. This topic will permeate both the exhibition and the conference,” she says.
Maria Sterner, Exhibition Manager, Vitalis
To create as important a meeting place as possible, the project management is now inviting all interested parties to submit suggestions for the conference or the stage programme at the exhibition.
“Our ambition is to reach everyone who can and will contribute to the content. Not least, we wish to reflect the innovation being driven forward by nurses all over the country. We welcome contributions from all interested parties!”
