International Nurse Education conference in Malta
The Department of Nursing, University of Malta, hosted the international conference of the European Federation of Nurse Educators at the University Valletta Campus on 21-23 February. The hosting in Malta of this prestigious and important event in the international world of nurse education is a great honour for the nursing profession in Malta.
Over 200 nurses from around the world attended the conference which addressed the opportunities and challenges for nursing and nurse education, against the backdrop of a changing world.
Conference papers were presented by participants from Norway, Finland, Wales, England, Italy, Portugal, Spain, Ghana, Australia, America, South Sudan, Morocco, Belgium, Slovenia, Sri Lanka, Serbia, Tunisia, Lebanon and Malta. A small number of Maltese nurses engaged in the clinical fields, nurse academics and post graduate students also presented papers on each day of the conference.
The opening address was delivered by Prof. Mary Gobbi, a well-known European nurse education expert and researcher with a focus on nurse education standards and quality assurance, competency based pro- fessional education and professional accreditation and regulation.
Other important addresses included those by Prof. Judith Schamiam, whose term as president of the International Council of Nurses, the largest international nursing entity, came to an end; Dr Nuhad Dumit addressed the conference as president of the Order of Nurses in Lebanon, while a leading Maltese nurse academic, Dr Joanna Depares, spoke about cross border care and education while Prof. Cecil Begley, who chairs the School of Nursing and Midwifery at the Trinity College in Dublin, spoke about advanced practice in nursing.
Prof. Joseph Cacciottolo, University of Malta pro-rector and the dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, Dr Roberta Sammut, addressed the conference, alongside Dr Clifton Grima, parliamentary secretary within the Ministry for Education and Employment, Dr Chris Fearne, deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Health and Dr Deo Debattista, parliamentary secretary for V18 and Consumer protection. For more information visit http://www.fine-europe.eu