Nursing Science in a World of Crises

This was a premiere for the Easter Switzerland University of Sciences: For the first time, it was the venue for the EANS Summer School and Summer Conference. Prof. Dr. Heidrun Gattinger (director of the Institute of Health Sciences) and Prof. Dr. Tove Aminda Hanssen (chair of the EANS Scientific Committee) welcomed over 280 participants to the conference. Three keynote speeches, 48 oral presentations, 68 poster presentations and three workshops led to an intensive exchange of ideas: How do health science researchers shape policy and practice in the healthcare sector? What solutions and innovations do they contribute to the public in times of crisis?

EANS: Strengthening nursing and health sciences in Europe

Through inspiration, collaboration and academic leadership, EANS aims to support highly engaged nursing and health sciences researchers in European countries. To this end, it organises an annual Summer Conference. Within this framework, EANS members, as well as interested researchers and practitioners, gain insights into the latest research projects¹. They exchange views on current and future-oriented topics. At the same time, a Summer School for PhD students takes place². Both formats “strengthen the contribution of science to patient care in Europe”, as Prof. Dr. Ingalill Rahm Hallberg (Lund University) und Prof. Dr. David Richards (Western Norway University of Applied Science) emphasised in their keynote. Excellent science asks the right questions – and selects appropriate methods to answer them. This is not self-evident, as the speakers explained: 
“85 per cent of research activities in the healthcare sector are ʹwasteʹ”. To promote results of maximum practical value, the EANS Summer School is based on the ʹComplex Intervention Research Methods Frameworkʹ³. This should contribute to research with significant impact on society. Equally important are theories of ʹImplementation Scienceʹ. They ensure that innovations are rapidly put into practice. The general public should clearly benefit.

¹ Participants at this year’s Summer Conference comprised one-third EANS members and two-thirds non-EANS members.

² 104 PhD students took part in this year’s Summer School.

³ Guideline developed by the UK Medical Research Council (Skivington et al., 2021). 

Shaping resilient healthcare systems

Margrieta Langins, policy adviser at the WHO Regional Office for Europe, introduced participants to key aspects of the latest ʹEuropean Health Reportsʹ. She outlined the following challenges:

• The proportion of older people in the European population is rising. This increases the need for care.
• Across Europe, almost 50 per cent of older people with significant self-care difficulties do not receive the necessary support.
• Climate-related challenges are to be expected: 19 of the 23 heatwaves in Europe since 1950 occurred after the year 2000. Fifty European countries have been affected by flooding in recent years.
• The number of annual acute emergencies has doubled in Europe between 2013 and 2023.
• Mental health issues represent a key area for action – for patients and healthcare professionals.
• The likelihood of a pandemic caused by zoonotic diseases will triple in the coming decades.

These growing challenges are contrasted by the declining number of nursing staff: More than 35% of nurses in Europe are over 55 years. Furthermore, 72% of nurses trained abroad come from non-European countries. To this overall situation, the WHO responds with the ʹHealth and Care Workforce Framework 2023–2030ʹ. Margrieta Langins outlined several areas for action:

• Investing in the health and care sector
• Modernising education and training – building digital skills
• Improving working conditions for nurses
• Making the sector more attractive to young students
• Strengthening recruitment in rural and underserved areas
• Optimising performance: redefining teams and skills mix, improving interactions with patients, making services more efficient
• Anticipating and planning future needs.

These wide-ranging measures are intended to make European healthcare systems more resilient. Nursing and health scientists can make a key contribution to this – by fostering resilience-enhancing change at various levels.

Using evidence to influence policy

“Translating scientific findings into policy and practice – that’s not easy,” said Prof. Dr. Jonathan Drennan (University College, Dublin). His message: Direct contact with policy-makers is important for researchers. This involves ʹtranslatingʹ complex data into concrete possibilities for action. This forms the basis for lobbying to pave the way for evidence-based policy decisions, for example with regard to nurse staffing in hospitals. Convincing the public plays a key role in bridging the gap between scientific evidence and practical implementation. 
The “art” of argumentation featured also the end of the conference. Second-semester PhD students were invited to participate in a debate: Should artificial intelligence play a key role in addressing workforce challenges in hospitals? “Debating competently is important for acting as an advocate – for patients, for the profession and for oneself as a professional‟, emphasised Prof. Dr. Catherine McCabe (Trinity College, Dublin), who chaired the debate. The students welcomed the opportunity to develop their skills: How do I formulate my arguments clearly and convincingly? How do I interact with previous speakers and with the audience? How do I underpin my arguments with evidence? At the end of the debate, the students received constructive feedback from EANS experts. Thus, they also took home many valuable ideas, insights and inspirations from St. Gallen. 

Next year, EANS members will meet in Maastricht – under the heading ‟Crossing Borders in Nursing Science‟.