The Nursing Care Teaching and Research Unit (AIDIR) is a project driven by UIC Barcelona’s Department of Nursing which reflects its commitment to society and nursing students.
AIDIR is a teaching innovation project that promotes cooperation between the university and the professional world, and guarantees excellence in terms of knowledge, skills and care leadership for future nurses. It consists of physical spaces (clinics) for interacting and learning within a social and clinical environment.
Current AIDIR units explore two different realities: Pere Virgili and Ciutat Vella. They are considered dedicated education units where students have a leading role training and educating the community, patients and their relatives and/or carers, under the supervision of a mentor or tutor from the unit. These units are a practical space where students have the opportunity to carry out new initiatives in terms of health education.
Since they were set up, both AIDIR Units have been highly successful, both on the account of the patients and families cared for, and of the students who have undertaken their practicums at these units.
To promote health, empower and increase the control over the health of people within the community in terms of selfcare and self-management, by improving and promoting the development of the necessary behavioural, emotional, social and cognitive skills to maintain a healthy lifestyle through actions led by nursing students.
To empower the nursing students, promoting leadership and competence in education for health by contributing to nursing with more social commitment and more skills in general terms.
To implement Health Coaching techniques to improve health education (literacy), autonomy and selfcare in people, families and groups within the community.
To develop research in the population selfcare and health promotion areas, as well as research in the teaching field regarding leadership in nursing care.
Mission
To provide a service to the community, based on health education to promote the autonomy and selfcare of the population, and simultaneously train students in new nursing roles, encouraging leadership, research and development of new projects.
Vision
To strengthen nursing leadership in promoting health and preventing disease by developing new projects that generate self-knowledge.
Values
The person and family as the centre of the healthcare system. The Nursing professional as the focus of our mission. Nurses as main care leaders.
The teaching methods implemented in these units is key, and is therefore the innovative factor that sets them apart from other conventional practice scenarios. AIDIR is based on:
Tutoring and follow-up with the tutor/mentor for the whole duration of the practicum: enabler role
The student will be the leader of the unit during their stay
Through reflective and cooperative learning
Techniques and care based on the best scientific evidence
All this through supportive learning, where there is a reciprocal relationship between contributing to academic success and providing health education services. This allows the learning process to improve the service to the community and gives it meaning.
