European Cancer Nursing Day (ECND23) – 18 May
Driving innovation in Cancer Care – #ECND23Go4Innovation
This year’s celebration took place on Thursday 18 May in Edinburgh, Scotland, and across social media, with the theme Driving innovation in Cancer Care. Our focus was on pioneering new approaches in cancer care through nursing innovation and how this extends across the 5 P’s: Policy, Prevention, Personalised Care, Patient Involvement, and Practice Education.
The EONS Board and Working Groups came together on 18 May for a special celebratory event in Edinburgh with the UK Oncology Nursing Society (UKONS). The morning featured a range of high-profile speakers and the afternoon focused on planning the ongoing work of EONS at a variety of meetings and workshops. (You can download the agenda from the Further Information column of this page.)
EONS members across Europe took part in a social media campaign to celebrate the day and highlight our theme – cancer nursing innovation. Check out this celebration of everything we do, at the hashtag #ECND23Go4Innovation
EONS President Johan de Munter on ECND23
Johan said: “On European Cancer Nursing Day (ECND23) on 18 May, EONS will shine a light on cancer nurses and recognise and celebrate the positive impact that our profession has on the quality of cancer care across Europe. This year’s ECND23 theme is Driving innovation in Cancer Care. The campaign will have a strong emphasis on how cancer nurses are innovating in five key areas: policy, prevention, personalised care, patient Involvement, and practice education.
“EONS is helping cancer nurse members build new skills, take new approaches, use new technology, supporting their development in research, education, clinical work, management and policy – all of which play a crucial role in the provision of high-quality patient care and sustainable healthcare systems. Cancer nursing is a critical component of cancer care, and full recognition of the profession is essential.
“Please download the toolkit, get involved and help ECND23 make a difference.”
UKONS President Mark Foulkes – ‘Proud to be hosting ECND23 in Edinburgh’
UKONS President Mark Foulkes said: “We are so proud to be hosting ECND23 in Edinburgh, Scotland, this year. I am pleased that one of the main themes is ‘Practice Education’. This will be one of the main solutions to the current international workforce crisis. It will be amazing and useful to share best practice with colleagues across Europe.”
European Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides paid tribute to the dedication and commitment of cancer nurses at #ECND23 and hailed their crucial role in cancer care
Cancer nurses across Europe highlight their role at the heart of cancer care
More ECND23 Video Messages
View EONS President Johan de Munter’s video message
ECND23 Task Group Chair Mary Tanay explains the significance of European Cancer Nursing Day 2023
Karen Campbell, UKONS President-Elect welcomes cancer nurses arriving in Edinburgh for ECND23 on 18 May
EONS President-Elect Helena Ullgren on the importance of cancer prevention, one of the themes of ECND23
About European Cancer Nursing Day (ECND)
ECND focuses on a different theme each year, based on EONS’ strategic priorities – it is all about recognising and celebrating the positive impact that cancer nurses have on the quality of cancer care across Europe.
The EONS cancer nurse membership is invited to take part in a Europe-wide social media campaign to bring awareness to the campaign themes and messages.
(*We would ask all those attending to note that they will shortly receive an email with guidelines for the correct procedure for reimbursement of their expenses and that claims should NOT be made until after the event.)
European Cancer Nursing Day 2023 – Competition winners announced!
This year’s competition invited entrants to show how they and/or their team are innovating in their workplace.
Innovation could mean a new idea, a new method of working, a new technology or a new way of public or patient involvement. To demonstrate the innovation, entrants could submit a short movie (maximum 45 seconds to 1 minute) in MP4 format, or a photo montage maximum 10 images in a PDF. The competition was open to all registered cancer nurses across Europe.
And the joint winners are….!
Congratulations to ESRA IBEK from Bursa Uludağ University Medical Faculty Hospital Health Application and Research Center, Bursa, Turkey, and Derya Cinar from İzmir Bakırçay University for the video Distraction-Based Interventions During İmplanted Venous Port Catheter Needle Insertion: A Virtual Reality Application.
Esra explained: With virtual reality glasses, patients watch three-dimensional video nature images, which we determined according to the patient’s preference, accompanied by music. They put on the virtual reality glasses before the process started and removed them after the process was over.
As a result, we saw that the virtual reality application used during the needle insertion of the implanted venous port catheter increased the comfort level and satisfaction of the patients and changed their perception of time (making it go more quickly). Virtual reality applications, which is a new technology, can make a positive difference in cancer care and increase the comfort and satisfaction levels of cancer patients.
Congratulations also go to MIRIAM HERNANDEZ BAILON and team at The Supportive Care Department at Clinique de Genolier, Switzerland for their video on their innovative workshops.
Miriam explained: Our workshops programme changes every month, and we adapt it according to the season and to patients’ wishes. In the winter, we do snowshoes walks and enjoy from Swiss mountains. In the summer we spend time in Léman Loch. We do simple paddling, we swim, and we sail in different types of boats. All through the year we do fencing, different techniques of relaxation, beauty workshops, cooking workshops with the chef of the Clinique and we walk in the forest with the help and suggestions of our physiotherapist and occupational therapist (among others).
All these complementary therapies alleviate patients’ and families’ physical and psychological pain and suffering.
They really appreciate this different way to deal with their disease and they do appreciate to talk to nurses and other health professionals outside the hospital environment. Patients do love to participate in our innovate workshops and we see how their conditions improve in a substantial way.
The winners will receive free registration to attend the EONS16 conference in Madrid, 21-23 October 2023.
The ECND23 Task Group thanks all the other entrants for their contributions. The standard was high this year and all should be proud of their work.
Apply for a grant to attend ECND23 – Call now closed
The Cancer Nursing Fund – “Friends of Fund” will be supporting up to seven Early Career / Young Cancer Nurses by providing support grants of up to EUR 500 each to attend and participate in the European Cancer Nursing Day (ECND23) on Thursday 18 May 2023, in Edinburgh, Scotland.
ECND23 took place in association with:
