The 1st National Scientific and Training Conference entitled "Modern Practices, Inspiring Challenges" was held on April 18. The Department of Clinical Nursing and the Student Scientific Circle of Clinical Nursing MUW invited to participate in the conference.
The event was held under the patronage of Prof. Zbigniew Gaciong, Rector of MUW, Prof. Mariusz Gujski, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, and the Supreme Council of Nurses and Midwives.
Opening of the conference
The event brought together a large number of students from medical schools across the country. They were welcomed by Dr. Lena Serafin, chairwoman of the organizing committee.
- We listened to the dreams of students, about creating a space for students, those entering the profession, to discuss inspiration, motivation. A space where we will be able to learn from each other, and where young scientists will have a chance to present the results of their research - said Dr. Lena Serafin, opening the session.
The importance and need for the event was pointed out by Łukasz Czyżewski, MD, PhD, Vice Dean for Nursing at the Faculty of Health Sciences.
- The topics of the speeches are amazing, it means that we all feel a deep need for change. Change that will affect innovation, new technologies, patient care. We are also aware that we have to forge these changes ourselves, that no one is going to replace us, we can't buy it, acquire it, upload it, like new software - emphasized Łukasz Czyżewski, MD, PhD.
Inaugural lecture on competencies and qualifications in nursing
It was delivered by Mariola Łodzińska, president of the Supreme Council of Nurses and Midwives.
- You are at an excellent time as far as nursing and midwifery in Poland is concerned - the president said at the outset, stressing that representatives of these professions now have ample opportunities to choose both the field in which they would like to realize themselves and the place of work.
What are competencies and what are qualifications? According to the International Council of Nurses and Midwives, competencies are the level of activities showing the effective application of knowledge, skills and views. Qualifications, on the other hand, such as knowledge and skills, are acquired during pre-graduate and post-graduate education. The speaker likened competencies and qualifications to acquiring a driver's license:
- As you prepare to pass your driver's license, you acquire knowledge and learn to drive, and if you pass your exams, you will get your license. But will this driving be immediately stress-free, smooth? No, you will have to drive a lot to train this skill. And what is important, and what should be kept in mind, is that competence and qualification are followed by responsibility.
Currently, the Supreme Council of Nurses and Midwives, in cooperation with the Ministry of Health, is working on a statutory definition of competencies for nurses and midwives. Defining clear criteria in the form of a legal act is expected to lead to their full respect by medical entities.\
Expert session
The conference experts included Łukasz Czyżewski, MD, PhD, who talked about improving qualifications and their impact on nurses' professional attitudes.
- The best specializations won't work if they aren't covered by empathy, by time devoted to the patient, the vice dean said. - But empathy and a smile alone will not make a patient well taken care of. For that you need the right qualifications and competence.
Lena Serafin, MD, PhD, spoke about professional adaptation in nursing, Dr. Paweł Witt about the challenge for nursing staff when a patient dies. Dr. Natalia Sak-Dankosky shared her experience of a trip to Finland and argued why it is worth keeping an open head, traveling and cultivating foreign friendships.
About the power of social media, the glare and shadows, opportunities and limitations, Weronika Czapska, MS in nursing, author of the profile "W czepku urodzona," who spoke, among other things, about the responsibility of social media activities.
- When you're /followed by 72,000 people on a daily basis and you believe that these are nurses, midwives, physiotherapists, students, doctors, patients, medical companies, the professional community, so every word starts to weigh a ton. It took away some of my creativity, freedom and open-mindedness: now I have to stick to the framework more, but that's a good thing - stressed Weronika Czapska - I think each of us being on social media should think about the words we publish, because it gives legitimacy to the entire professional community.
Next, Dr. Karolina Prasek presented modern approaches to nursing management, Adrian Nowakowski, MS in nursing, talked about the possibilities of AI in medicine and clinical nursing, and Mateusz Sieradzan, Bachelor of Nursing - about professional autonomy.
Student session: outdoor and poster session
Both were competitive. In the outdoor session, students presented the results of their scientific papers. There were 14 presentations in total, and they dealt with a variety of topics: from the formation of health-promoting behavior among the local community, nurses' attitudes toward organ transplantation, the specifics of nursing care for culturally different patients to the assessment of the burden and quality of life of caregivers of patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy as well as the assessment of breast cancer patients' knowledge of possible cardiotoxicity in the course of the anticancer treatment used. Nine papers participated in the poster session. All presentations were characterized by a high level of content, while the students showed great commitment.
The jury selected the following winners:
Plenary Session:
- 1st place was awarded to: Aniela Gołębiewska, Aleksandra Szajko, Katarzyna Wesołowska-Górniak for their paper "How to work not to get sick? Preparing for shift work in nursing"
- 2nd place was awarded to: Iwona Zaporowska-Bugajewska and Aleksandra Śnieg for their paper "Parents' level of knowledge on hospitalization of children admitted to hospital"
- 3rd place went to: Magdalena Kępniak for her paper "Nurse as a health educator in shaping health-seeking behavior among the local community"
Poster session:
- 1st place went to: Zofia Koślacz and Alicja Kucharska for their paper "Culinary Medicine in Nursing: promoting healthy eating and supporting patients in changing their eating habits"
- 2nd place was awarded to: Klaudia Wenderlich, Stanislaw Budnik and Kinga Sobczak for their paper "From qualification to lung transplantation - challenges in nursing care of the organ recipient"
- 3rd place went to: Katarzyna Gryciuk and Katarzyna Wesołowska-Górniak for their paper "Adherence and the risk of complications in people after interventional knee surgery"
Workshops
In addition to presentations and lectures, the organizers ensured that participants would attend workshops on wound cleansing in light of the latest PRLT guidelines, on professional development planning in nursing, and on peripheral venous cannulation. It was an excellent opportunity to network with other students and experienced nurses.
