Academic Collaborative Centre for Community Nursing – Northern Netherlands | NHL Stenden university of applied sciences

The demand for community nursing is growing rapidly, while the pressure on community nurses continues to increase. The Academic Collaborative Centre for Community Nursing in the Northern Netherlands brings together healthcare organisations, education and research to develop future-proof community nursing. The centre focuses on appropriate care, social and technological innovation, and healthcare professionals. Challenges from everyday practice form the starting point, leading to solutions that support the daily work of community nurses and meet the needs of clients and their families.

Background

Community nursing is changing. People are living independently at home for longer, care needs are becoming more complex and healthcare professionals are facing increasing pressure. At the same time, the sector is experiencing staff shortages. These developments call for new knowledge, effective collaboration and ways of working that meet the needs of both today and tomorrow.

Through the Academic Collaborative Centre for Community Nursing in the Northern Netherlands, healthcare organisations, education and research strengthen the connection between professional practice, learning and research. Community nurses, lecturers, researchers, students and clients work together to address challenges from everyday practice. By directly linking practice-based research to education and professional development, the centre generates knowledge that can be applied in practice. In doing so, it contributes to strong, future-proof community nursing that puts clients, their families and healthcare professionals at the centre.

Who is the projectteam?

The project is led by the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), with NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences as one of its partners. Edwin van Adrichem has been appointed project leader by UMCG and carries out this role through the Research Group on Living, Wellbeing and Care in Later Life.

The NHL Stenden team consists of:

The Academic Collaborative Centre for Community Nursing also provides students with assignments based on current challenges from professional practice. Bachelor of Nursing students in particular work on assignments and subprojects throughout different years of their studies. Students can also conduct their action-oriented graduation research at the Academic Collaborative Centre for Community Nursing in the Northern Netherlands.

Project approach

Within the Academic Collaborative Centre for Community Nursing in the Northern Netherlands, healthcare professionals, researchers, lecturers, students and client representatives work together to address challenges from everyday practice. In so-called Learning Communities, professional practice, research and education continuously come together. This creates an environment where current challenges are identified, knowledge and solutions are developed collaboratively, and new insights are immediately applied and further refined.

Research questions are identified and explored within themes such as appropriate care, social and technological innovation, and the retention of healthcare professionals. The findings are translated directly into practical solutions for community nursing. Through close collaboration, knowledge is not left unused but actively contributes to better care and future-oriented education.

The Academic Collaborative Centre for Community Nursing in the Northern Netherlands also collaborates and exchanges knowledge with the four other Academic Collaborative Centres for Community Nursing in the Netherlands: www.awwijkverpleging.nl.

What are the main (or preliminary) results?

The Academic Collaborative Centre for Community Nursing in the Northern Netherlands aims to contribute to future-proof community nursing by establishing lasting connections between professional practice, research and education.

The project aims to achieve:

a strong regional knowledge infrastructure for community nursing;
practice-based knowledge and innovations that can be directly applied in professional practice;
stronger connections between education and professional practice;
greater knowledge sharing between organisations;
improvements in the quality of care, quality of working life and quality of life for clients;
the retention and professional development of community nursing professionals.

Project partners

The Academic Collaborative Centre for Community Nursing in the Northern Netherlands is a partnership between healthcare, research and educational organisations, as well as client representatives. The University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG) is the lead organisation, under the leadership of Evelyn Finnema.

Regional community nursing organisations, vocational and higher education institutions, and practice-based researchers also work together to develop knowledge and drive innovation in community nursing.

Partners in the Friesland region include:

The centre also collaborates with Revalidatie Friesland on community-based projects.