New academic institutions from Spain and Portugal join RNAO's BPSO program
In September 2024, RNAO launched two unprecedented Best Practice Spotlight Organizations (BPSO) and conducted their training in Europe.
First, the University of Burgos, in Spain, became the country’s first academic institution to join this prestigious program, with a training session held from Sept. 3 to 6, attended by approximately 100 participants. The following week, the Escola Superior de Enfermagem do Porto (ESEP) launched Portugal’s involvement in the program, with the signing of an agreement in the presence of the Canadian Embassy and a training session from Sept. 9 to 12, which included 122 attendees.
RNAO CEO, Dr. Doris Grinspun, and Dr. Amalia Silva, BPSO Host of Chile’s Academic Consortium, led both training sessions.
During both opening ceremonies, representatives from Investén-isciii, Spain’s service BPSO Host and from Brazil’s Ministry of Health joined both training sessions as observers, aiming to incorporate more nursing schools from their countries into the BPSO program.
Burgos University’s School of Nursing had nearly 100 attendances to the BPSO training, with Grinspun and Silva. It included local and external faculty, health professionals from the Burgos University Hospital (HUBU), the mentioned Brazilian and Spaniard guests, and students.
Dr. Raúl Soto Cámara, from Burgos University’s School of Nursing, highlighted how “enriching” the experience was, and how the BPSO training is a perfect way to unite the academic community even more.
“This project has allowed us to bring together students, teachers and clinicians in a joint effort to improve the quality of care and reflect on the centrality that the person and their family should occupy, which without a doubt is the center of all our actions. Being part of this initiative represents an unparalleled opportunity to contribute to the advancement of nursing from the academy” says Soto, adding that “personally, for me, this project represents an exciting challenge and an opportunity for both professional and personal growth.”
The opening ceremony in Porto featured various speakers, including Luis Carvalho, president of ESEP; Jorge de Souse, Portugal’s Ministry of Health representative and Jeffrey Heatons, representative from the Canadian Embassy.
Marisa Lourenço, assistant professor at ESEP, said "the feedback from the training was very positive. The room was always full of highly enthusiastic people until the very end."
Dr. Amalia Silva, highlighted the events saying she was “very pleased” to see how these academic institutions “are embarking on this wonderful journey within the BPSO program."
“I would also like to recognize the motivation, dedication and affection received from the representatives, colleagues and students, and of course to Dr. Doris for her generosity in providing these spaces for mutual learning and considering me for this” she added.
This international growth of the BPSO program will continue in the coming months. In October 2024, Nigeria will begin its own training through the Ministry of Health, and in January 2025, Universidade Atlântica, also in Portugal, will join the BPSO program, further strengthening the global commitment to best practices in nursing.
