Sílvia Caldeira, a lecturer at the Nursing School (Lisbon) of the Institute of Health Sciences of Universidade Católica Portuguesa, was a guest speaker at the most recent edition of the 'Research Meetings' of the Francisco Gentil Portuguese Institute of Oncology of Lisbon (IPO Lisbon), on February 23. Her conference was entitled "Implementing spiritual care in oncology contexts: from evidence to urgency".

For the expert, it is important to value holistic care that considers "suffering, the possibility of finitude and the ultimate questions of life" in this context of "increased vulnerability" of cancer patients, "which emphasizes the spiritual dimension of life and health".

This session was aimed at all health professionals, as well as all those interested.

Researchers Hugo Reis and Gonçalo Garcia, from the research project "Ethics4Care", of the "Centre for Interdisciplinary Health Research" of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa, participated with two free peer-reviewed papers at the "World Congress on Nursing Education & Practice" that took place on 17 and 18 July 2023 in Frankfurt, Germany.

Nursing PhD student Hugo Reis presented the paper "The study of guilt in the post-caregiver: the ethical concerns of a nursing research", with preliminary results of his ongoing study.

The researcher Gonçalo Garcia, presented the communication "Healthcare Politics Portugal", with results of the first phase of the study on health policies in Portugal.

The interest of the congress in the communications was demonstrated, both in the discussion they raised and in the international contacts that were made, for future partnerships in these studies and in others of "Ethics4Care".

On the 12th of May, the International Nurses Day is celebrated. Created by the International Council of Nurses, this occasion refers to the birthday of Florence Nightingale, considered to be the founder of modern nursing.

On this special date, "the professors of the School of Nursing of the Institute of Health Sciences of Universidade Católica Portuguesa wish all Nurses a happy International Nurses Day, in the dignification of their profession and in the edification of the discipline of Nursing!

We continue to train Nurses in an academy where teaching and learning take place through research, within the scope of university extension projects linked to real health-disease phenomena, in an inclusive dialogue of various areas of knowledge and in a university culture."

Three teachers of the Nursing School of the Institute of Health Sciences of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa received the Value and Excellence Award at the II International Nurses' Convention "The Future is Health", which took place on 11 May.

Beatriz Araújo, "who has stood out for her dedication to teaching nursing and accompanying hundreds of nurses in their lifelong training", in the words of Júlio Magalhães, presenter of the Convention, received the Award in the category of Teaching and Training.

Élvio de Jesus, with a "vast career dedicated to the strengthening of nursing and health, which goes beyond borders with contributions in the areas of teaching, research and also politics" according to Júlio Magalhães, was distinguished with an Honourable Mention.

Sérgio Deodato was the distinguished professor in the category of Ethics and Deontology in Nursing, "for the relevant professional course and effective participation for Nursing", according to the presenter.

The Dean of the School of Nursing (Lisbon) of the Institute of Health Sciences (ICS), Universidade Católica, Amélia Simões Figueiredo, was in international mobility and visited the Universidad Mayor and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. 

The visit began at the Huechuraba Campus, Universidad Mayor, to learn about the academic functioning of the Nursing course. The Dean of the ICS met with the Directors of the Facultad de Medicina y Ciencias de la Salud, of the Escuela de Enfermeria and of International Relations.

In addition, the Director also had the opportunity to meet, as an advisor, with the team of researchers of the Fonis project "Evaluación de los efectos del capital social de que disponen las personas mayores sobre la utilización de prestaciones preventivas en Atención Primaria y en el bienestar personal", and with the directors of the Sociedad Científica de Estudiantes de Enfermería de Universidad Mayor SOCIEEUM. 

Amélia Simões Figueiredo finished her week of international mobility with a meeting with leaders and academics from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. 

These visits established not only academic mobility agreements but also a partnership in postgraduate training and research.

Read here all the details of the visit to Universidad Mayor.

Universidade Católica Portuguesa announces the creation of the new Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing (FCSE). The new Academic Unit is the result of the strategic plan implemented in the area of health and nursing, integrating all the courses that have been taught at the Institute of Health Sciences (ICS) until now.

The consolidated growth of the ICS over the decades, as well as the increasing diversification of knowledge and the training and research offer, have given rise to a new multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary faculty.

The ICS, founded in 2004, has given way to this new faculty, also of national scope, operating in Lisbon and Porto. The FCSE will be dedicated to areas of knowledge ranging from Nursing, Neurosciences, Palliative Care, Language (biolinguistics / evolution of language in the human species, sign languages), Cognition and even neuroscience-based Inclusive Education.

According to Ana Mineiro, the Faculty's director, "the new faculty will be dedicated to teaching and scientific research into the themes that make up the spectrum of life, health and illness, encompassing the different levels of care".

In the near future, FCSE intends to integrate new fields of health sciences to provide effective responses with an impact on society, health and disease, especially in key areas such as new emerging careers.