Catalan Minister of Health Boi Ruiz Inaugurates International Year of the Nurse at the UIC

More than two hundred and fifty people, including students, guests and nursing professionals, attended the inauguration of "2012: International Year of the Nurse at the UIC", which was organized by the university with the aim of generating a climate of reflection about the profession throughout the year. The event was attended by Boi Ruiz, the Catalan Minister of Health. Also present were Dr. Cristina Monforte, the Director of the Nursing Department, and Dr. Albert Balaguer, the Dean of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences.
Dr. Monforte opened the inaugural session by explaining exactly what the Year of the Nurse consisted of. She described it as "an initiative promoted by the UIC Nursing Department with the aim of generating a climate of reflection about the nursing profession so that the true essence of nursing can be explored, i.e. taking care of patients".
The next speaker was Victor Küppers, the author of the book El efecto actitud (The Attitude Effect) who is also a conference speaker and a trainer in personal and professional development. He read the paper "Motivation: Personal Challenges and the Attitude Effect", which highlighted the importance of the attitude people should have towards their profession and life in general. "People are liked because of their personality and the attitudes they display in their daily activities. That's why the UIC is so concerned about training professionals with a good attitude towards patients."
The paper read by Dr. Josep Antoni Pujante also addressed the values and attitudes required in the nursing profession.  Dr. Pujante is a doctor, writer, diplomat and athlete who works in hospital management. In his paper "The Challenge of Seven Mountain Peaks: The Challenges of Nursing", he compared the nursing profession to his experience as a mountain climber when he climbed the word's seven tallest mountains.
In order to climb the highest mountains, he said, one has to be consistent, persevering, calm and restrained, and these are the same characteristics required to work in the nursing profession.
After the speakers read their papers, Dr. Balaguer took the floor to speak to the nursing students. He said, "We want this year to be one of reflection about nursing and to see it as a profession at the service of others".
When Dr. Balaguer finished his speech, he handed the floor over to Minister Ruiz, who began his speech by highlighting the value and vocation of nursing.
The Minister of Health said that it is currently important to emphasize the vocational nature of the healthcare profession. He said, "By placing value on the vocation, we can move forward and achieve stability in the future".
He also mentioned the importance of research, which he referred to as "a key part of improving the healthcare system".
Finally, before the International Year of the Nurse at the UIC was officially inaugurated, the Health Minister pointed out that health depends on three factors: public health, healthcare and research. "If no one does research, the system will not work. It also helps improve healthcare and public health."
The session ended with a few words of thanks from Dr. Cristina Monforte to all those attending.