The Department of Nursing within the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences has played a prominent role in the latest edition of the conference of the Spanish Society for Simulation and Patient Safety (SESSEP), which is regarded as one of the leading forums in the field of clinical simulation as a teaching methodology.

Among the most notable aspects at the conference was the appointment of Dr Jordi Castillo as the new president of SESSEP, in recognition of his academic and scientific career in clinical simulation. He has previously held a range of roles within the society, including coordinating the Scientific Committee and serving as vice-president.

Through his research work in the University’s Department of Nursing, Dr Castillo has recently promoted innovative projects in simulation and virtual reality applied to resuscitation training, alongside recognised work in basic life support, such as the HandTracking project presented at the most recent edition of 4YFN. His appointment also reflects the Department’s commitment to improving clinical teaching, patient safety and the assessment of competencies, as well as its active contribution to these areas.

Dr Encarna Rodríguez, director of the Department of Nursing, took part in the conference’s opening panel, which focused on Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) and the role of clinical simulation in competency assessment. The session addressed the key elements required to ensure the validity and reliability of these examinations, further strengthening the department’s standing in this field.

During her remarks, she emphasised that “the essential factors to ensure that an OSCE is valid and reliable” include integrating it within the teaching programme, carefully designing assessment rubrics, training assessors and managing logistics to minimise unnecessary stress.

She also noted that “the OSCE is not an end in itself; its value lies in what students gain from it, what it reveals to the teaching team and the educational decisions it enables”, in line with UIC Barcelona’s established work on rubric validation and the integration of patient safety into nursing education.

Taken together, these developments highlight the commitment to innovative, high-quality teaching shown by the Department of Nursing at UIC Barcelona, as well as its active role in shaping key discussions within the sector.