Prof. Dr. Ayla Yava and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Betül Tosun, faculty members of the Department of Nursing at the Hasan Kalyoncu University (HKU) Faculty of Health Sciences, coordinate the ERASMUS+ project BENEFITS (Better & Effective Nursing Education for Improving Transcultural Nursing Skills). At the symposium “Better and Effective Nursing Education for Improving Transcultural Nursing Skills”, organised to share and disseminate the results of the project, 15 scientists from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Spain, Slovenia and Türkiye gave in-person and online presentations. The opening speeches of the symposium, held at the final stage of the BENEFITS project carried out in cooperation with Giresun University and the Gaziantep Provincial Directorate of Health, were delivered by HKU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Lütfi Yola, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Kezban Bayramlar, Prof. Dr. Ayla Yava, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Betül Tosun and Gaziantep Provincial Director of Health Dr. Ümit Mutlu Tiryaki.
IMPORTANT RESULTS HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED FOR THE NURSING PROFESSION
In his opening speech, HKU Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Lütfi Yola said: “Our university’s Faculty of Health Sciences consists of three departments: Nursing, ‘Nutrition and Dietetics’, and Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation. All departments of the Faculty of Health Sciences achieve significant successes through their work and collaborations at both national and international levels. One of these is the project ‘Better and Effective Nursing Education for Improving Transcultural Nursing Skills’, carried out under the leadership of the Department of Nursing and continuing for three years. With this project, an up-to-date curriculum for undergraduate education has been developed, and in terms of project outputs, results have been achieved that will give significant momentum to the field of health and the nursing profession.”
CARRIED OUT SUCCESSFULLY DURING THE PANDEMIC
Noting that a very good project had been carried out under the leadership of Department of Nursing faculty members Prof. Dr. Ayla Yava and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Betül Tosun, HKU Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences Prof. Dr. Kezban Bayramlar said, “Carrying out such a project successfully, especially during the pandemic, is commendable. I thank everyone who contributed to the project.”
CULTURAL SENSITIVITY IS THE KEY TO QUALITY CARE
Prof. Dr. Ayla Yava, faculty member of the Department of Nursing and project coordinator, said in her speech: “Today, individuals belonging to different cultures are increasingly living together. Because of wars, education, and working and living conditions, people now migrate to different countries and receive health care in these countries, which are new to them. This brings with it cultural interactions in perceptions of health, illness and care. Therefore, increasing the cultural sensitivity of healthcare staff, especially nurses, is considered one of the keys to quality care.”
HKU PROVIDES THE HEALTH SYSTEM WITH QUALIFIED NURSES
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Betül Tosun, faculty member of the Department of Nursing and project coordinator, said: “This project is very important because our region has a multicultural structure and our university provides the health system and the nursing profession with nearly 100 qualified nurses every year. Training professional nurses who are culturally sensitive towards all humanity regardless of religion, language, race or ethnic origin, and who are highly aware of their patients’ needs, is a very important step for us, who train qualified workforce for the health system.”
IT IS NOT WHAT YOU DO BUT HOW YOU DO IT THAT MATTERS
Underlining that intercultural interaction is also very important in the health system, Gaziantep Provincial Director of Health Dr. Ümit Mutlu Tiryaki said: “I believe it is truly valuable for institutions to share experiences with each other. In this project, many countries and universities, and we ourselves, are involved. Very good results have emerged. There is something I have always experienced: it is not what you do, but how you do it that matters. I wish the symposium a productive course with even better experiences and mutual sharing.”
