History and Mission
HISTORY
Availability of Nursing and Physiotherapy Programmes at the University of the Balearic Islands
As in many other places in the country, Nursing Studies in the Balearic Islands have gone through different stages. Initially known as the Technical Health Assistant programme (ATS), the course was run by the Faculty of Medicine in Barcelona. It then became a university programme thanks to Ministerial Order of 23rd January 1978 and was managed by a University College affiliated to the University of Barcelona. In 1981, the School of Nursing became affiliated to the University of the Balearic Islands.
The seeds of what would become the current University College of Nursing Studies at the University of the Balearic Islands were sown in 1961 with the creation of the Verge de LlucCollege of Health, affiliated to INSALUD (National Institute of Health) and located at Son Dureta University Hospital (now Son Espases University Hospital), which opened officially in 1956 under the name Residencia Sanitaria de Virgen de Lluch.
As an affiliated centre, it was funded by INSALUD (now IB-Salut) until it was transferred to the UIB - a gradual process that took place between 1991 and 1993. The College of Nursing became a full UIB centre in 1993, integrated into the Department of Fundamental Biology and Health Sciences.
The specificity of nursing programmes, the general interests of the lecturers and their constant forward-thinking led to the college requesting a separate department be established for nursing studies. The university approved the provisional establishment of a Department of Nursing in 1997 and once the department housed twelve university school senior lecturers, it became a permanent department in 2001.
The Physiotherapy programme began in the 2001-2002 academic year and the University College of Nursing changed its name to become the University College of Nursing and Physiotherapy.
The commitment of the UIB Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy to Balearic society and, more specifically, to the higher education needs on the islands of Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera should be highlighted: Nursing studies have been part of the island Campus Extens project since the 2001-2002 academic year. This project has placed the faculty on a par with those at other European and Latin American universities in its ability to respond to the challenges the university will face in the future.
Postgraduate Training
New regulations were put forward in 2002 to cover nursing specialities and the Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy became actively involved in the first specialisations such as gynaecology/obstetrics nursing (midwifery), mental health and community health. In this sense, the Department of Nursing and Physiotherapy at the University of the Balearic Islands established a training unit for specialists in gynaecology/obstetrics nursing.
The lecturers in the Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy are part of training and management teams for university specialist courses, masters and PhD studies at the university itself and in collaboration with other national and international universities. The Inter-University Doctorate in Nursing and International Health programme, a first of its kind in Spain, began in the 2004-2005 academic year and was organised alongside the universities of Toronto, Melbourne, Sydney, Finland, Mexico and Brazil. The Master's in Social Sciences Applied to Public Healthcare began in 2008 and the University Master's in Health and Life Quality Research (MSQV) was established in 2014.
MISSION
The Faculty of Nursing and Physiotherapy at the University of the Balearic Islands undertakes to ensure students have the best learning experience possible. Our training programmes are provided by lecturers who are experienced in teaching, research and clinical practice.
Our vision is to be an academic centre of excellence for teaching, innovation and diversity at the service of society. Our mission is to train Nursing and Physiotherapy professionals who stand out locally, nationally and internationally in practice, teaching and research. Training these professionals responds to a social commitment to promote, improve and re-establish public health, using technological, scientific and human resources so as to lead, prescribe and dispense quality treatment for users, families and communities.
Training for students is based on the following foundations:
- Combining advanced scientific, technological and biomedical knowledge of healthcare in their decisions and activities, always in line with ethical principles in application thereof.
- Acquiring the skills to recognise and undertake their role independently and as part of interdisciplinary teams that ensure effective and quality resolution of people's healthcare issues.
- Understanding the complexity and diversity of human beings, taking difference into account as an inherent aspect of individuals who live and work in different political, social and cultural contexts.
- Developing a critical and creative viewpoint to guide them in quality practice and research.
In addition to acquiring knowledge and skills, training will underscore the values of social justice, interdisciplinarity and service.