Muscat: As part of the strategic relationship between Sultan Qaboos University (SQU) and the University of Parma in Italy, five students from the College of Nursing, accompanied by Dr. Maryam bint Mohammed AlHarrasi, Associate Professor, participated in the WIDE programme, "Digitally Enabled Nursing Students for an Inclusive, Compassionate, and Nursing Care Provision".
The University of Parma completely supported the endeavor, indicating a significant commitment to promoting academic and cultural collaboration between the two institutions.
The training began with virtual preparatory workshops, followed by a week of on-campus activities at SQU in Muscat focusing on digital health concepts and holistic nursing approaches. The second and final week was held at the University of Parma, where students participated in an intensive schedule of educational activities.
These included workshops that looked at the use of digital technologies into clinical nursing practice, small-group tasks supervised by overseas academic experts, and high-fidelity clinical simulations aimed at improving clinical decision-making abilities. The youngsters also engaged in interactive lectures and role-playing exercises with their counterparts from the University of Parma, promoting the interchange of professional experiences and cultural views.
The presentation emphasized the important contribution of digital innovation in improving patient quality of life and increasing the efficiency of healthcare systems. It also highlighted the ethical and professional characteristics of holistic, compassionate nursing care. Furthermore, it gave participating students with a fantastic opportunity to broaden their knowledge of cultural diversity and build contacts for future research partnerships.
Dr. Maryam AlHarrasi described her experience as follows: "WIDE is a one-of-a-kind educational experience that blended technical knowledge with compassion, increasing students' capacity to drive the digital transformation in the nursing sector. "
SQU's successful participation in this programme demonstrates its continuous dedication to providing internationally recognized educational experiences and matches with its goal of preparing highly competent nursing graduates capable of using technology to serve individuals and communities both locally and globally.
