Funding: Erasmus+ Capacity Building in Higher Education

Duration: 2023 – 2026

UniCamillus Project Team: Prof. Dr. Fabio D’Agostino, Dr. Noemi Giannetta, Dr. Ilaria Erba

Cooperation Partners: University for Health Sciences, Medical Informatics and Technology in Austria (Project Leader), Universum International College and Center of Competence in Kosovo, Holon Institute of Technology and Sheba Medical Center in Israel, Italian National Nurses Association in Italy, CreativeThking Development in Greece

Digitalization in our society and in healthcare is increasingly affecting the work of nurses. Nurses play a crucial role in using and promoting digitalisation, yet they often lack the needed skills to efficiently use digital tools. Including nursing informatics skills in Vocational Education and Training would enhance their employability in various roles, support their personal development and foster modern health care.

Our aim is thus to promote competencies in nursing informatics for nursing VET students (“initial VET”) and for professional nurses (“continuing VET”). In Kosovo, in line with the Kosovo Education Strategy Plan, the focus of this project is on providing nursing informatics skills for nursing students in secondary education and on offering C-VET for nursing professionals. In Israel, our focus is on training professional nurses in telehealth and telenursing as part of the national strategy on digital health care.

The project will involve market actors, develop a curriculum adapted to the local needs, and pilot and evaluate shorter nano courses and more intensive certificate courses (up to 20 ECTS) in nursing informatics. At least 10 nano-courses and at least one certificate course for at least 15 participants will be implemented in each country. A web-based repository of OER learning materials will be available and hosted also after the end of the project. In Kosovo, the Chamber of Nurses expects to recognize the courses. In Israel, accreditation by Ministry of Health will be sought.

The project is fully tailed to the objectives of the program by enhancing the capacity of the involved VET providers to build sustainable digital educational programs for nursing professionals, to offer modern VET programs, and to build a repository of learning materials and instructional designs for professional VET education in blended-learning format.