The scientific director of the IIS La Fe, Guillermo Sanz, is committed to nursing research at the XVI Nursing Activity Conference and VII Conference on Innovation and Evidence in Care

The scientific director of the La Fe Health Research Institute (IIS La Fe), Dr. Guillermo Sanz, has assured that it is essential that nurses dedicate part of their activity to research so that care is based on scientific evidence and improve the health outcomes that citizens need. This is what he said during the inauguration of the 16th Conference on Nursing Activity and the 7th Conference on Innovation in Care, which took place in the Assembly Hall of the Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe.

Dr. Sanz, who was accompanied at the opening table by the Director of Nursing of the València La Fe Health Department, Ana María Regueira, and the Deputy Director of Nursing of the Subdirectorate of Care, Research and Teaching of the València La Fe Health Department, María Salud Girbés, highlighted the importance of nurses in the health system as a capital and exponential part in this last decade. In this regard, she recalled that they are the health staff in closest contact with patients, relatives and carers and, therefore, "the last and main responsible for their care".

For all these reasons, he emphasised the need to continue researching and innovating in one of the most sensitive and closest areas to people such as nursing. "As scientific director of the IIS La Fe I encourage you to research and innovate and you have our support. In addition, the current Nursing Management has sown the ground, paved the way and developed a specific strategic plan to carry it out", he said.

A return to face-to-face sessions

After two years of hiatus, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, both conferences have been organised again so that nurses, specialists and physiotherapists of the València La Fe Health Department could present the work they have done from January 2020 to November 2022 in various formats such as long oral communication, short oral communication and/or poster. Thus, nearly 200 professionals from La Fe Hospital and 70 students from the La Fe School of Nursing did not miss this event in which 35 posters and 70 communications made by these health professionals during the last two years in congresses and scientific conferences were presented.

The aim of the conference is none other than to make visible the initiatives and innovative projects carried out in the Valencia La Fe Department; to share research projects in care implemented in the different care areas of the València La Fe Department; to disseminate the scientific activity developed by the disciplines under the Nursing Management and its results in health and, finally, to know the research activity of the new promotions of health professionals: Final Degree Project (TFG), Internal Nurse Resident (EIR), Master's and Doctorate.

In this sense, around thirty papers have been presented that seek to improve patient care and to continue advancing in this field of research.  In addition, it should be noted that the organisation of both conferences has applied for accreditation from the Continuing Education Commission and the declaration of professional interest by the Nursing Council of the Valencian Community (CECOVA).

Past, present and future of nursing research

For his part, the nurse from the Perinatology research group at IIS La Fe and currently head of Nursing Research at the Hospital Universitari i Politècnic La Fe, Álvaro Solaz, gave an introduction to nursing research at the València La Fe Health Department in which he analysed its present, past and future. Solaz highlighted that 7.27% of the research staff at IIS La Fe are nurses, a figure that will probably increase in the coming years thanks to the joint work being carried out with the Scientific Area and other departments and groups at the research centre.

Awards Ceremony

At the end of the day, the awards were presented by the scientific director of IIS La Fe, Dr. Guillermo Sanz, the president of the Nursing Council of the Valencian Community, Juan José Tirado, and the nursing director of the Valencia La Fe Health Department, Ana Maria Regueira, as follows:   

Award for the best Communication sponsored by CECOVA.

Intervención educativa de salud sexual y reproductiva en 6º curso de Educación Primaria. María González Garrido, María Sol Albert Velert, Carla Gómez García.

Award for the best Scientific Publication sponsored by IIS La Fe.

The condition of the contralateral knee may induce different degrees of knee extensor strength asymmetry and affect functionality in individuals with unilateral or bilateral osteoarthritis. Fernando Domínguez-Navarro, Sergio Roig-Casasús, Beatriz Díaz-Díaz, Antonio Silvestre, Ignacio Martínez-Garrido, José Pérez-Maletzki, Luís Pinazo, David Hernández-Guillen, José-María Blasco.

Award for the most informative poster.

Skin to Skin and Delayed Cord Clamping Changes Oxygen Saturation and Heart Rate Patterns in the First Minutes after Birth. Celia Padilla- Sánchez, Nerea Valles Murcia, Álvaro Solaz García, Pilar Saenz González, Máximo Vento Torres.

Award for the best teaching work.

Exposición y percepción de las enfermeras ante la violencia laboral en urgencias hospitalarias. Revisión sistemática. Néstor Montoro Pérez, María Isabel Mármol López, Raimunda Montejano Lozoya.

Cuidados enfermeros a la persona con Alzheimer en fase inicial. Revisión sistemática. Marta Ruiz Hernández.

Award for communication with the greatest transfer to clinical practice and care.

Consulta Enfermera de Manejo Intestinal. Eva María García Peña.