On 19 June, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences organised the graduation ceremony for the Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing’s 14th graduating class. The event, held in the Aula Magna on the Barcelona Campus, was presided over by Dr Encarna Rodríguez, director of the Department of Nursing, and featured UIC Barcelona alum Ainhoa Baucells as guest of honour. A paediatric nurse and founder of the Enfermera de Bebés project, Baucells has built a community of over 380,000 followers, whom she supports by promoting evidence-based parenting, becoming one of Spain’s leading voices in child health. The guest of honour was introduced by Dr Albert Gallart.

In her keynote address, Baucells shared her personal journey with the graduates: from her early years in emergency and neonatal care to her time abroad and her nursing residency, a path along which her true vocation gradually took shape. During her speech, the guest of honour encouraged the new graduates to trust in themselves, in what inspires them and in their aspirations, even when the path does not follow the expected course. “If you're capable of holding on to the enthusiasm and passion you feel now, you’ll be fine,” she affirmed. As an example, she recalled how not earning the mark required to specialise as a midwife led to her discovering her true passion in paediatric nursing: “It was one of the best things that has ever happened to me. That’s why I encourage you to stay positive and strive to become the best professionals you can be. If you do, everything will fall into place, and you’ll see that the best things happen when you least expect them.”

The guest of honour also stressed the importance of maintaining a work-life balance, urging the recent graduates not to put their life plans on hold while waiting for the perfect time. "Be good professionals, but don’t forget to live. While we wait for the perfect moment, life passes by,” she warned. She concluded her address by highlighting the human dimension of the profession: "We are not better nurses simply because we have mastered a technique. We get better by practising with humanity. And that is what you should aspire to: becoming excellent professionals with a strong sense of humanity.”

Following the presentation of diplomas and sashes to the graduates, recognition was given to those with the best academic records: Bea Aumet, Paula Sánchez and Carmen Rodríguez.

Speaking on behalf of the graduating class, Jan Salvó and María Antelo thanked their families and the teaching staff for their support and reflected on the path they have trodden together over the past four years.

The ceremony also featured an address by Dr Lea Martín, the guest of honour chosen by the students, who reflected on the lessons that go beyond textbooks: "You have learned to be present without intruding, to listen without judging and to support when there is no cure." Dr Martín urged the new graduates to preserve their sensitivity and humanity amid the demands of daily life: “Technique may be improved and knowledge expanded, but sensitivity and humanity are things you must protect and preserve every day.”

"First love, then technique”

The ceremony concluded with remarks by Dr Cristina Monforte, vice-rector for Planning, Quality and Strategic Development at UIC Barcelona and the University’s first full professor of Nursing. Her speech revolved around Gaudí’s words that were recently projected in the sky next to the Sagrada Família, “first love, then technique”, and applied them to the definition of nursing, where “the person comes first, then the procedure.” As Dr Monforte noted, although technology is advancing and artificial intelligence is becoming increasingly present in our daily lives, “nothing can replace the patient and their needs. This is where nursing shows its true greatness, as it does not only care for illness, but also for fears, silences, hopes and families.” 

The Vice-Rector also told the new graduates that in the professional path they are now beginning, there will be both rewarding and challenging moments, and that “it is in these moments that you must remember your vocation and keep in mind that nursing is a scientific profession, but also one of courage and bravery.” Before finishing, she encouraged the graduates to aspire to become excellent professionals, “doing everyday things extraordinarily well, with competence, humility, integrity, compassion and a spirit of service.” She then brought her speech to an end by highlighting that, together, the two dimensions mentioned by Gaudí – love and technique – make for the best nurses.

The ceremony concluded with the singing of the traditional Gaudeamus Igitur and the incorporation of the new graduates into the UIC Barcelona Alumni community, a network that will continue to support them as they grow as people and professionals.