Final Activity Report Summary - ASCEND (Advanced Summer Schools For European Nursing Doctorates)
The objectives of this SCF project were to deliver a series of four annual summer schools during 2006-2009 for nurses undertaking doctoral education in Europe to:
- provide a common European perspective for doctoral nursing research;
- create a multi-state learning environment for doctoral students in nursing;
- improve the quality of nursing practice by increasing the research evidence used in nursing within Europe;
- enhance the opportunities for nursing doctoral students to study, work and undertake research in other European States.
These four annual events were hosted successfully in turn by the Universities of Maastricht, York, Dublin City and Turku. 173 individual doctoral level participants from 27 European states (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom), attended up to three annual summer schools as they progressed in their doctoral studies.
Throughout the course of the four year ASCEND programme participants experienced a high quality, coherent and flexible curriculum organised into four themes:
A) Researching health and nursing in Europe;
B) Developing concepts for researching nursing;
C) Research methods;
D) Developing a research career.
Event participants studied each theme in a range of learning environments including: large group seminars, small group workshops, participant presentations to their peers and subject experts, networking groups, informal meetings such as doctoral surgeries and breakfast meetings.
Most event participants attended three consecutive summer schools to form a coherent three year programme of training. Teaching and seminars were provided by a multidisciplinary faculty drawn 40 % from the host university each year and the remainder from the senior fellows of the European Academy of Nursing Science (EANS). To ensure coherence, whilst the organisation of each school was the responsibility of the specific university each year, the programme was overseen by the educational committee of EANS which consists of members drawn from different EU states and includes representatives from previous summer school organisers and participants. The curriculum was designed and updated by this committee and all teaching content driven by the learning outcomes for each theme.
Satisfaction with the summer schools has been very high along a range of indicators, with the balance between staff input and participant participation, opportunities for participant participation and networking being most highly rated by participants. ASCEND has high completion rates with the vast majority of participants attending more than one event.
ASCEND has contributed, therefore, to developing a network of European researchers in nursing, working in European centres of nursing research, increasing the attractiveness of Europe for researchers from a newly academic discipline, increasing opportunities for women researchers and providing a career alternative for these researchers, who are often attracted to Canada and the United States where the field is much more advanced.
Further networking synergies with education at all levels will arise as these early stage researchers develop their careers and as the number of senior nurse researchers in Europe increases, influencing the development of nurse education Europe-wide. Our summer schools have equipped the nurse researchers, leaders and educators of tomorrow with a sound European perspective to their work.
- provide a common European perspective for doctoral nursing research;
- create a multi-state learning environment for doctoral students in nursing;
- improve the quality of nursing practice by increasing the research evidence used in nursing within Europe;
- enhance the opportunities for nursing doctoral students to study, work and undertake research in other European States.
These four annual events were hosted successfully in turn by the Universities of Maastricht, York, Dublin City and Turku. 173 individual doctoral level participants from 27 European states (Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Slovak Republic, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom), attended up to three annual summer schools as they progressed in their doctoral studies.
Throughout the course of the four year ASCEND programme participants experienced a high quality, coherent and flexible curriculum organised into four themes:
A) Researching health and nursing in Europe;
B) Developing concepts for researching nursing;
C) Research methods;
D) Developing a research career.
Event participants studied each theme in a range of learning environments including: large group seminars, small group workshops, participant presentations to their peers and subject experts, networking groups, informal meetings such as doctoral surgeries and breakfast meetings.
Most event participants attended three consecutive summer schools to form a coherent three year programme of training. Teaching and seminars were provided by a multidisciplinary faculty drawn 40 % from the host university each year and the remainder from the senior fellows of the European Academy of Nursing Science (EANS). To ensure coherence, whilst the organisation of each school was the responsibility of the specific university each year, the programme was overseen by the educational committee of EANS which consists of members drawn from different EU states and includes representatives from previous summer school organisers and participants. The curriculum was designed and updated by this committee and all teaching content driven by the learning outcomes for each theme.
Satisfaction with the summer schools has been very high along a range of indicators, with the balance between staff input and participant participation, opportunities for participant participation and networking being most highly rated by participants. ASCEND has high completion rates with the vast majority of participants attending more than one event.
ASCEND has contributed, therefore, to developing a network of European researchers in nursing, working in European centres of nursing research, increasing the attractiveness of Europe for researchers from a newly academic discipline, increasing opportunities for women researchers and providing a career alternative for these researchers, who are often attracted to Canada and the United States where the field is much more advanced.
Further networking synergies with education at all levels will arise as these early stage researchers develop their careers and as the number of senior nurse researchers in Europe increases, influencing the development of nurse education Europe-wide. Our summer schools have equipped the nurse researchers, leaders and educators of tomorrow with a sound European perspective to their work.