Zdravotně sociální fakulta JU

The Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia once again took part in the nationwide event Night of Scientists, which took place on Friday, 24 September from 5 to 11 pm on the campus of the University of South Bohemia. It allowed visitors to find all faculties in one place. FHSS USB was given the Kampa Club Hall and the space in front of it, where two tents were erected and there was plenty of room.

Our programme was varied as usual and attracted more than two hundred adults and children. The programme was designed to suit everyone, and due to the nature of our faculty, it focused mainly on healthy lifestyle, social topics, physiotherapy, first aid lessons and demonstrations of teaching aids and models.

Guests also enjoyed demonstrations of virtual reality and 3D printing. Outside, visitors had a chance to try on the so-called ‘geronto-suit’, which was specially developed to simulate the movement of an elderly person - with motor, visual and auditory limitations. The suit was worn mainly by children, but also by adults, who experienced how the human body changes in old age. More than forty people wearing the suit completed an obstacle course and realised how difficult it is to sit down and then get up again. A valuable experience that allowed them to better empathise with the everyday life of the elderly.

There was also nutrition advice; an exhibition showed how much sugar and salt everyday foods contain. People were interested in having their health professionally measured and receiving advice on how to improve their lifestyle. The examination of posture and posture counselling was also a big success. The FHS USB Children's University attracted young and old alike. Even foreign participants who work at the Faculty of Science were interested. Once Mgr. Alena Machová had explained in English the essence of the teaching, they immediately showed interest in enrolling their son at our ChUUSB.

Everyone had to comply with governmental measures in connection with COVID-19. The hall was constantly flowing with people, and everyone had to wear respirators, which was challenging due to the capacity and high interest of the participants. Fortunately, the weather was good, so many of the activities could take place outside until late in the evening. The Dean of the FHSS USB, Dr. Ivana Chloubová, thanked all the teachers and students of our faculty for attending the event and representing our faculty in an exemplary manner.

A celebratory meeting of the academic community and employees of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences USB in České Budějovice took place on the 30^th anniversary of its foundation. It was an opportunity to meet, look back, and appreciate.

The event was held on 12 October at 2 pm in the two largest lecture halls, directly after the morning gathering of the Scientific Council of the Faculty of Social and Health Sciences of USB. In the afternoon, the Dean of the faculty, Mgr. Ivana Chloubová, Ph.D., summarized the evolution of FHSS USB in a comprehensive presentation.

The afternoon event in the Vltava/Uran building, which started and ended with a performance by a section of the FHSS USB Choir, was attended by many distinguished guests. The Rector of the University of South Bohemia, Prof. Bohumil Jiroušek, Dr., reminded them that FHSS USB was one of the founding faculties of the university and remains one of its largest. He said: "The faculty has a lot to boast about and plays a very important role, as seen during the pandemic. I wish you every success and thank you all for what you have done for this faculty."

In the hall sat academics, staff and students, as well as directors of South Bohemian hospitals, a number of institutions the FHSS USB has been cooperating with, and other guests. One of the important clinical workplaces is ARPIDA – The Centre for Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities in České Budějovice. The director of ARPIDA, Mgr. Ing. Marek Wohlgemuth, presented the dean with an original gift for the faculty's birthday – a wooden candlestick made in a sheltered workshop, decorated with a heart motif (the heart is a visual symbol of the Faculty of Social Sciences USB).

After the presentation by Dean Dr. Chloubová, 21 personalities who have significantly contributed to the development of our faculty received awards.

On Saturday, June 4, students of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia supported the organizers of the 2022 Mattoni half marathon in České Budějovice. 41 students from the study programmes General Nursing, Medical Rescue and Physiotherapy, helped with this prestigious event. The majority provided medical services on the track, rescuers went to the event on bikes, and six future physiotherapists massaged runners in a tent on Přemysl Otakar II Square. The main race began at 7pm with heavy rain and lightning in the distance, but the rain soon stopped. Rain had also bothered the participants earlier that afternoon, but fortunately it stopped before the family dm run at 5pm, intended mainly for parents with children.

The accompanying programme in the square began in the morning. In the tent of the University of South Bohemia, experts from the Centre for the Prevention of Lifestyle Diseases of the FHSS USB and students of General Nursing offered athletes and members of the public advice on healthy lifestyle based on measuring selected health values. The running service provided our students with valuable experience: for example, two students offered effective help to a thirteen-year-old boy who had an epileptic seizure on the track.

RunCzech project manager, Igor Murko, later thanked our faculty for the cooperation: "We witnessed the determined performances of the runners, but also the great commitment of volunteers, paramedics, and everyone else involved. We appreciate your support and splendid commitment during the preparations and the race itself. Thank you for your cooperation, which was essential for realising this unique race."

The main race of the 10^th Mattoni České Budějovice Half Marathon attracted almost 2,500 runners. About 4,000 competitors took part in all the runs during the day. The České Budějovice race has been awarded a five-star European Athletics Certificate. Once again it attracted hundreds of visitors at the start of the race in the square, as well as around the track.

The International Council of FHSS, the dean's independent advisory and evaluation body, held a meeting from Wednesday, November 30 to Friday, December 2. The Dean, Mgr. Ivana Chloubová, PhD, appointed the members of the body on April 1, 2022. This was their first meeting and introduction to the faculty.

The International Council of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia is composed of five respected international experts in science, research, and innovation. They are focused on health, social, and safety fields:

Prof. Dr Habil. József Betlehem, PhD, vice-rector of the University of Pécs, Hungary, Head of the Institute of Emergency Care and Pedagogy of Health

Prof. Dr Phil. Astrid Hübner, University of Applied Sciences, Emden, Germany, Faculty of Social Work and Health, Director of the Faculty's International Programme

Professor Majda Pajnkihar, PhD, RN, FAAN, EANS, University of Maribor, Slovenia, Faculty of Health Sciences, Director of the Institute of Nursing

Professor Matthias Port, Institute of Radiobiology of the German Armed Forces (Bundeswehr) affiliated with the University of Ulm, Munich, Germany, Director of the Institute of Radiobiology

Professor John Stephen Gary Wells, Waterford Institute of Technology, Ireland, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences

The establishment of the International Council of FHSS is related to the University of South Bohemia's crucial international award in human resources management (it received the HR Award in 2019). This is a prestigious award of the European Committee for excellent care of human resources in a scientific environment. The International USB Council was then created and held its first meeting this September with Prof. József Bethlehem, PhD, as its member. During the three-day conference, the members of the International Council of FHSS met with members of the faculty management and the directors of all institutes and other colleagues. In the individual presentations, they received information about the faculty's activities regarding studies, science and research, internationalisation, and activities for the public. "The goal of this meeting is for the International Council to better know the functioning of our faculty and map out its activities," said Dean Dr Chloubová. On Thursday afternoon, the guests visited the FHSS building at U Výstaviště Street, where they received a presentation on the activities of the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care, and the Simulation Center for Health Sciences.

The International Council of the FHSS deals with conceptual developmental issues and evaluates the professional level of FHSS. It assesses the quality of scientific strategy and outputs from an international point of view and provides recommendations and ideas to improve the quality of the faculty's activities. If necessary, the Council recommends approving the Long-term development plan of FHSS (Strategic Plan for Educational and Creative Activities, Strategic Plan Implementation).

"The implementation of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences International Council's 1st meeting was supported by the European Structural and Investment Funds, specifically within the project USB Development - Capacities for R&D II, reg. No. CZ.02.2.69/0.0/0.0/18_054/0014638 from the Operational Program titled Research, Development and Education."

The fourth annual conference, held last week at the Faculty of Health Sciences, Medical University of Lublin, aimed to support doctoral students in the field of nursing. The conference was attended by doctoral students from the Czech Republic and Slovakia, accompanied by their program supervisors. Their colleagues from Hungary were absent this year. A total of 28 doctoral students presented papers on the research findings of their dissertation topics, while another eight students presented their results in the poster section.

Our faculty was represented by five doctoral students, three from the full-time study programme and two from the part-time programme. The following papers were presented: Mgr. Eva Lužová's "Deactivation of implantable cardioverter-defibrillators in terminally ill patients from the perspective of oncology nurses – a qualitative research." PhDr. Martin Červený's "Self-assessment of the cultural competence of nurses in the Czech and Slovak Republics." Msc. Rehana Sindho Kabooro's "Initial findings on nursing competencies compared to Sweden and the Czech Republic." PhDr. Hana Kubešová's "Medication misconduct and adverse event reporting," and Mgr. Inka Kratochvílová's "Palliative nursing care in different types of healthcare facilities".

Prof. PhDr. Valérie Tóthová, Ph.D., Vice-Dean for Science and Research and the coordinator of the doctoral study program in nursing said: "The presentations by our doctoral students were of a high standard, and they responded with expertise to the questions raised during the discussions." Vice-Dean Tóthová was not the only academic staff member from our faculty who attended the conference to support the doctoral students. The dean of the faculty, Mgr. Ivana Chloubová, Ph.D., and Doc. PhDr. Sylva Bártlová, Ph.D. also travelled to Lublin, Poland. Both appreciated the conference, highlighting the quality of the doctoral students' presentations as well as the workshop that followed the annual conference. This year's workshop entitled "How to prepare a constructive review of a scientific paper?" was led by Professor Alvisa Palesa who is currently serving as a “visiting professor” at the Medical University of Poland.

The cooperation between the team involved in the international BENEFITS project was so good that its members would like to continue even after the project has finished. This resolution was announced during the farewell meeting held in Barcelona on 19 and 20 June. Participants came from 7 universities and 6 countries, namely Turkey, Hungary, Belgium, Spain, Slovenia, and the Czech Republic. The cooperation was realised thanks to the “Better & Effective Nursing Education For Improving Transcultural Nursing Skills (BENEFITS)” project, financed from the programme ERASMUS+ KA203 Strategic Partnerships for higher education.

Prof. PhDr. Valérie Tóthová, Ph.D., Vice-Dean for Science and Research, and Head of the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery, and Emergency Care of the FHSS USB said: “During the two-day meeting, we evaluated the progress, achieved results, and outcomes of the project. The active three-year cooperation brought abundant pedagogical and scientific outcomes. The representatives of individual countries presented the benefits of the project, how the outcomes influenced teaching transcultural nursing in their respective faculties and plans for the future use of these outcomes. Thanks to the project, we created a questionnaire for the assessment of the cultural competence of students of nursing and realised a pilot one-week intensive joint course on transcultural nursing at Giresun university, Turkey. We also published a book on transcultural nursing, articles in impacted journals containing the results of our questionnaire survey, and an analysis of curricula. Those perfect outcomes are evidence of the high-quality work of the whole team.” 

The main coordinator of the project at our faculty was prof. Tóthová. The other participants were Mgr. Věra Hellerová, Ph.D., and doc. PhDr. Marie Trešlová, Ph.D. who carried out some activities. The final meeting took place at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, Faculty of Medicine. The participants were Mgr. Ivana Chloubová, Ph.D. – Dean of the FHSS USB, Associate Professor Trešlová, and Professor Tóthová. Prof. Tóthová concluded: “I am delighted that our faculty had an opportunity to become a member of the consortium and cooperate with foreign experts on transcultural nursing. Our experiences will be used both in teaching and scientific work. I am also glad that, during the final meeting, the Dean had an opportunity to get acquainted with the process of solving the project and all the outcomes, and experienced the friendly atmosphere and excellent cooperation among the team members – which we would like to further develop after the end of the project. The next issue to solve is the final report, which is due by the end of August.”  

From August 22, the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia will host the participants of the International Intensive Week in order to exchange experience with simulation teaching in nursing, improve the skills, make the use of this teaching method more efficient, and establish closer mutual cooperation. The organizers expect about forty educators from 13 European countries and Turkey.

It is the largest event to date, during which the FHSS USB opens the Simulation Centre to the professional public. The head of the Simulation Centre Mgr. František Dolák, Ph.D. said: "The main goal is to improve the quality of teaching by using modern methods. “We offer our students new approaches that can be applied in teaching general and paediatric nursing, midwifery and rescue service." The FHSS USB opened the first comprehensive simulation centre for non-medical health fields in the Czech Republic in autumn 2020. Experts from the FHSS USB gathered inspiration for this project in Finland, Spain, the USA, and Latvia. Several colleagues are now heading to České Budějovice to see the new specialized rooms for healthcare workers which faithfully imitate the reality.

The weekly meeting takes place in U Výstaviště Street 26 building, where hospital rooms, a delivery room, an intensive care unit, and an authentic ambulance cabin are located in the basement. Simulation teaching is made possible by control rooms and other spaces in which pedagogues monitor and evaluate the work of students, who are guided to be as independent as possible. Everything is equipped with functional medical devices and patients are represented by sophisticated computer-controlled dummies that imitate breathing, pulse or heart activity, etc. They can be connected to different devices; simulators react to the procedures performed and allow communication between students and teachers.

Numerous different situations that health professionals have to deal with can be pre-programmed. These scenarios will represent an important part of the programme of the International Intensive Week. Morning sessions which other foreign participants can also join online will offer theory and discussion. Afternoons will be dedicated to workshops held directly in the individual halls of the Simulation Centre. František Dolák explained: "We approached all the partner faculties where Nursing is taught. Among other things, we offered them space so that they can present their own scenarios and participate in the exchange of experience, which is what we are primarily interested in." He specified that the organizing Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care of the FHSS USB invited colleagues who already have simulation centres in their faculties, as well as those who are just thinking about them and want to get to know this form of teaching more closely.

The Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the USB has long-term focus on finding innovative teaching options that will allow students to have the closest possible connection with practice and the best possible training of all skills in the most realistic environment possible, without putting the patient at risk by making beginner student mistakes. That is why our faculty wants to support public schools that already use simulation teaching to cooperate to a greater extent in the future. The present is in favour of such cooperation. Earlier, there was an effort to protect one's know-how in these unique and expensive projects but the development progressed and showed how necessary cooperation in this area is. The dean Mgr. Ivana Chloubová, Ph.D. said: "I am very happy that the offer of our faculty has aroused such great interest among colleagues from abroad. For us, this is not only an important opportunity to exchange experience and gain new ideas, but also an opportunity to contribute to the improvement of the teaching of these subjects at other faculties around the world - including those countries where we previously drew inspiration."

The two-story building of the Simulation Centre for Health-oriented Fields, which is an extension to the existing FHSS USB building, cost about 58 million crowns including equipment. The centre was financed by the EU Research, Development and Education Operational Programme (co-participation of the faculty in the amount of 5%). Construction took two years and classes started there in the autumn of 2020. By observing strict anti-epidemic measures, it was possible to maintain classes here even during the months when most schools were closed due to the covid-19 pandemic. Among other things, she emphasized the indispensability of well-prepared nurses and other health professionals, to which teaching in the simulation centre contributes significantly.

Program HERE:

Starting today, the FHSS USB building in U Výstaviště street 26 is hosting an international event called the International Staff Week which focuses on the instruction of professional subjects in the Nursing study programme. Participants are 34 teachers from 13 European countries and Turkey. Other foreign participants are joining online. In the opening of the event, director of the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care and Vice-Dean for Science and Research prof. PhDr. Valérie Tóthová, Ph.D. warmly welcomed the participants with the following words: “I believe that the exchange of information and comprehensive discussion will contribute to the development of nursing.”

She introduced the main organizers of the event doc. PhDr. Marie Trešlová, Ph.D. and Mgr. František Dolák, Ph.D., Head of the Simulation Centre who later informedthe guests about the foundation of the Simulation Centre for Health-oriented Fields which was launched by our faculty in autumn 2020. He added that as it was the first centre of this type in the Czech Republic, its creators appreciated all the inspiring experience from abroad – namely from Finland, Spain, the USA, and Latvia. Nevertheless, creating and establishing the Centre is just the first step. The most important thing is to provide high quality instruction for students. The instruction of students is conditioned by pre-programming diverse situations which students are supposed to deal with. Those scenarios represent a significant part of the programme of the International Staff Week.

The second speaker was prof. dr. József Betlehem, Ph.D. from the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Pécs in Hungary. He updated the audience on the latest achievements in health care education, current trends in simulation teaching and in teaching based on scenarios. His contribution opened the professional programme comprising of various presentations, a seminar on introducing simulation into curricula, and workshops in the Simulation Centre of the FHSS USB. The participants had an opportunity to visit the Centre on Monday, on the following days they are going to work in individual rooms.

The first simulation centre for health-oriented fields in the Czech Republic was launched by our faculty in September 2020. In U Výstaviště street 26 building were established hospital rooms, a delivery room, an intensive care unit, and a realistic cabin of an ambulance. Everything is equipped with functional medical appliances and patients are represented by sophisticated computer-controlled dummies which simulate breathing, pulse, circulation, etc. They may be connected to machines; simulators react to the procedures performed, and teachers can communicate through them with students. Simulation instruction happens thanks to control rooms and other spaces where teachers watch and evaluate students’ performance which leads to their independence and preparedness for their future profession.

The International Staff Week realized at our faculty concluded on Friday, August 26.  It focused on the instruction of professional subjects using the simulation method in the Nursing study programme. 34 pedagogues from 13 European countries and Turkey gathered at the FHSS USB building in U Výstaviště Street, other foreign participants joined online. The event was an inspiring experience and an opportunity for all participants to meet new colleagues, including those from the organizing Institute of Nursing, Midwifery, and Emergency Care. We also noticed great interest from journalists, who made interviews and reports during the sessions.

The main organizers of the International Staff Week were doc. PhDr. Marie Trešlová, Ph.D., and head of the Simulation Centre Mgr. František Dolák, Ph.D. Both stated that the event met their expectations and enriched the participants with new stimuli and experiences. Associate Professor Trešlová said: "During the discussions throughout the week, we focused on the main priorities in simulation teaching, the issues that teachers face, and on possible future improvement of the quality of simulation teaching. We will send a proposal to the management of the home universities of the participants to inform them about our intention to collaborate on research into simulation from the perspective of students and teachers."

The participants also agreed to create a common and continuously updated "database" of scenarios intended for simulation teaching. They are also planning to organize exchange of students and teachers as part of the Erasmus programme and other "summer schools" similar to the one that was held at the FHSS USB. The aim is to create a project based on the Erasmus programme which will enable cooperation of several countries and help to integrate simulation into practical teaching, strengthening communication, and teamwork in a new environment.

In addition, the meeting in České Budějovice, whose participants were also specialists in the technical side of simulation, brought up some practical ideas, for example, how to set the models and camera positions most appropriately. There was also a lot of talk about virtual reality, which represents the course of development of this teaching method in the future. Some participants of the International Staff Week already had experience with virtual reality which can be used to provide students an opportunity to use devices that are usually unavailable to faculty simulation centres. Foreign guests appreciated the high standard of the FHSS USB Simulation Centre and that it enables a high quality instruction. However, the rapid development in this field brings additional possibilities, challenges and demands. Teachers from the University of Rzeszów in Poland shared their experience with an even newer simulation centre than ours.

Doctor Dolák explained: "The meeting helped us to realize that we all have the same problems and deal with basically the same things. For example, how students feel when they are working in a simulation centre, how to include simulation teaching in the curriculum and in practical teaching, and finally, the motivation of teachers to use these technologies because simulation teaching requires a completely new approach and motivating teachers may be quite challenging". Such teaching requires to pre-programme lots of different situations that students must deal with. These scenarios became an important part of the programme of the International Staff Week. Experts analysed several scenarios in terms of content and form. They agreed that they need specific scenarios "tailored" to the given environment and the rules that apply in specific countries. The head of the Simulation Centre of the FHSS USB summed up: "Some companies operating in this field also offer universal standardized scenarios. Instead, we need specific scenarios because of the diversity of competences that differ in individual countries. In some countries, nurses perform procedures that are not part of their competence in others. This discussion was very beneficial for us and for all the participants."

TV report HERE:

The gateway "Vědavýzkum.cz - Independent information about science and research" has published an article about the project “Model of care for the elderly in residential facilities in the concept of three-tier housing”, which was created at FHSS USB with the aim of improving the lives of seniors in the Czech Republic. The project was supported by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, and the results are currently being applied in the city of Tábor. Its benefits and uniqueness are explained by the project's principal investigator, doc. PhDr. Adéla Mojžíšová, Ph.D., from the Institute of Social and Special Education Sciences.

The main objective of the project Model of care for the elderly in residential facilities in the concept of three-tier housing was to identify modern trends in care, show examples of good practice in care for the elderly in residential facilities, and to create a model of care in three-tier housing for the elderly with an emphasis on connection with the community and with regard to intergenerational solidarity. One of the results of the project is the creation of a model of three-tier housing that takes into account all the essential principles and examples of good practice, and which puts the elderly and their needs and their degree of self-sufficiency at its centre. Doc. Mojžíšová summarized: "The project came about thanks to the interest from the local government sector. Our first application guarantor was the town of Třeboň. The then leadership approached the faculty, expressing their desire to have something like this and to participate in it. The application to the TA ČR was created on this basis."

On Thursday, 24 February 2022, at an event attended by the media, a cooperation agreement between the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice and the town of Volary was concluded. The Faculty of Health and Social Sciences will mainly cooperate with the city in the area of providing care to the elderly with the use the project results. The project entitled: Model of care for the elderly in residential facilities in the concept of three-tier housing has been successfully implemented by the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice since 2018. The aim of the project was to identify modern trends in care for the elderly and examples of good practice in residential facilities, as well as to propose a model of care in the concept of three-tier housing for the elderly, with an emphasis on the connection with the community and consideration of intergenerational solidarity.

The principal investigator of the project, doc. PhDr. Adéla Mojžíšová, Ph.D., from the Institute of Social and Special-pedagogical Sciences of the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia explains: "One of the results of the project is the creation of a model of care for the elderly that takes into account all its fundamental principles and examples of good practice with respect to the degree of self-sufficiency of the elderly person." The model includes the main trends of the current provision of services at the health-social border. It is based on the principles of human dignity, and respect for the client and his/her family.

Professor Susan O'Hara, PhD, MPH, RN, who spent more than a week at the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences USB, returned to the United States with a lot of inspiration for future cooperation, as well as memories of many pleasant meetings. She came from Ohio State University (OSU), a public research university in Columbus, Ohio. Susan O'Hara is a nursing major - and teaches at the College of Nursing at the university. She has known the director of the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care, prof. PhDr Valéria Tóthová, Ph.D., for a long time, since she worked at Clemson University in South Carolina.

Our colleagues from the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care took care of Susan O’Hara’s busy schedule. They presented her with details of the study programmes focused on nursing, scientific research projects and their outputs. Professor O'Hara also met with doctoral students and prepared several topics for them (the reactions of the doctoral students can be found at the end of this article). As well as this, she visited České Budějovice hospital, became a member of the graduation collegium, etc. In her free time, Professor O’Hara managed to visit some attractive sites in southern Bohemia, such as Český Krumlov and Třeboň.

Ohio State University pays great attention to innovation, which is why it offers a master's degree in innovation. The cooperation agreement between our faculty and OSU was signed at the beginning of 2022. In February 2022, the Erasmus+ project KA171 (aimed at developing cooperation between the two universities) was submitted. The OSU research university uses two important and very inspiring centres for our faculty: the Center for Healthcare Innovation and Leadership, and the Ohio State’s Center for Transdisciplinary Evidence-based Practice (CTEP). “This school is very advanced in innovative nursing. I even discovered that I have been using the books of the dean of this faculty for several years for teaching the subject Evidence Based Nursing," said prof. Tóthová, vice-dean for science and research at the SHSS USB, who will visit Ohio State University for the first time in October. A doctoral student from INMEC will also head to the USA.

Professor O´Hara was particularly interested in our faculty's comprehensive understanding of the nursing study programme. “I was very impressed by the combination of research and practical teaching, as well as the involvement of the teachers and their ideas for innovation,” she said. “I am convinced that there are great possibilities for cooperation with our university. It is very important for us to gain experience in nursing in different cultures." She kept the dean of the College of Nursing informed about her journey, also giving her the news that she had become a member of the graduate collegium of a group of graduates of study programs in the INMEC. "It was a great honour for me,” she said. “The atmosphere of your graduations is amazing. I really liked how personal the mutual contact between students and teachers was." She also thanked all the colleagues for their hospitality and for everything they managed to show her during her visit.

A tour of the Simulation Centre for Health-oriented Fields was a great experience for her. She was interested in its equipment and the teaching method. She was particularly excited by the realistic ambulance located in the basement, where future paramedics can get a real idea of ​​the space they have to work in when transporting a patient. In Ohio they also use simulation to teach, but they don't have a real ambulance at the training centre. While they use a lot of virtual reality perceived through 3D glasses, according to the American professor, such a complex workplace equipped with the most modern models is unique. "It must be very beneficial for students,” she said. “It's great to be able to set scenarios of different situations that correspond to reality." She was also impressed by the enthusiasm of the teachers who provide an impressive atmosphere for the training.

Professor Tóthová was very pleased with these reactions, and also believes that the two faculties will work well together. She already has several specific topics that she plans to propose to her American colleagues in the autumn. Our faculty can enter this partnership with great confidence: Susan O'Hara was pleasantly surprised by the comprehensiveness of our study programmes. She was also interested in the achievements of the FHSS USB in scientific research activities. The director of the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care, Prof. Tóthová concluded: "We presented her with some analysis that provided an idea of ​​the number of projects and publication activity. She was also interested in the topics of individual research projects and their results applied in practice. We also presented her with monographs created within previous research projects. She was very surprised by the number of projects we tackle and how intensively our teams work on them."

Reactions of our PhD students:

PhDr. Martin Červený

Prof. Susan O'Hara is a very inspiring person. I was extremely surprised by her view of nursing and the great potential she sees in nurses who can design new innovations and implement them in healthcare to improve patient health or healthcare in general. I would like to adopt this mindset of health innovation and develop it in my field.

M.Sc. Inka Kratochvílová

Our meeting was extremely interesting and inspiring. We were introduced to the topic of Building a Culture of Innovation in the Health System, which was completely new to me. Once again, it showed that American nurses are among the leaders in nursing research and development.

M.Phil. Rehana Kabooro MSc.(doctoral student from Pakistan)

I really enjoyed Susan O'Hara's presentation. She highlighted many important things for students who want to make it in nursing and improve society. She worked on the topic of interdisciplinary nursing in public health, which was very interesting to me. I would like to work with her in the future to strengthen the role of modern innovations to support nursing and public health.

Academic staff and students from the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia will participate in the XV International Nursing Symposium "Nursing in Interdisciplinary Healthcare“, which will take place from 21 to 22 September 2023 in Rzeszów, Poland. The symposium is jointly organized by the College of Medical Sciences of the University of Rzeszów (Poland), the University of South Bohemia in České Budejovice (Faculty of Health and Social Sciences), the Philosopher Constantine University in Nitra (Slovakia) and the University of Pécs (Hungary).

The scientific event demonstrates the increasing importance of healthcare workers in the healthcare system in response to the constantly growing social demands. The lectures in the individual thematic sessions will focus on research and strategies for developing nursing and public health, both globally and locally. The planned educational workshops will provide an opportunity to learn about the latest advances in modern medicine. It is also an excellent opportunity to exchange experiences and ideas and learn about the latest scientific advances in the health and medical sciences. The event will help strengthen the nursing profession's position in partner countries and create an environment conducive to the development of this professional group. The funding granted under the Visegrad Fund highlights the importance of nurses in ensuring universal access to healthcare for society.

Students from the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia will be measuring blood pressure, blood cholesterol, BMI and blood glucose (blood sugar) at the terminal of České Budějovice Hospital on Friday 13 May from 9 am to 1 pm. They will also inform the public on recognizing the first signs of stroke and how to adequately react.

The event is held in collaboration with the hospital's neurology department to mark International Stroke Prevention Day (ISPD), which falls on 15 May each year. It is also related to a project being carried out at the FHSS USB, which aims to monitor health literacy, prevention, and to describe follow-up care for patients with mild disability after an ischemic stroke. This project is implemented by the Faculty of Health and Social Sciences in cooperation with the neurology department of the České Budějovice Hospital. Mgr. Lenka Šedová, Ph.D., the coordinator of the Centre for Prevention of Lifestyle Diseases of the Faculty of Health Social Sciences of the University of South Bohemia, explained: "The purpose of the event is to point out the symptoms of stroke, and also to show that, to some extent, stroke is a preventable disease, the occurrence of which is closely linked to lifestyle.”

Stánek ZSF JU, který vzhledem k širokému a praktickému zaměření naší fakulty nabízel veřejnosti každý den jiný program, byl od pondělka 14. do středy 16. dubna součástí prezentace Jihočeské univerzity na Sokolském ostrově v Českých Budějovicích. V pondělí a v úterý byly fakultní stánky, které dostaly místo hned vedle zóny postavené pro fanoušky Mistrovství světa žen v ledním hokeji, otevřené od 14 do 18 hodin. Středa patřila celodennímu Dni s univerzitou v čase 9-17 hodin. 

Pondělní odpoledne přilákalo díky názornému poradenství o zdravé výživě do našeho stánku řadu návštěvníků, mezi nimiž bylo i hodně dětí. Zaujala je výstava obalů potravin s ukázkami, kolik kostek cukru obsahují oblíbené potraviny a pochutiny, jimiž sytíme hlad, případně si děláme radost či jimi rychle doplňujeme energii. Vyučující Simona Šimková společně se studentkou a studentem 2. ročníku Nutriční terapie vysvětlovali zájemcům složení potravin a odpovídali i na dotazy týkající se tohoto studijního programu na ZSF JU.

V úterý odpoledne nabídly studentky s vyučující Pavlou Moudrou v našem stánku služby Laboratorní diagnostiky – o určování krevních skupin a poradnu o genetice měli lidé obrovský zájem a bylo skvělé, že dostali také přehlednou tabulku s informacemi, komu svou krevní skupinou mohou zachránit život, pokud se rozhodnou stát se dárci. 

Na středeční dopoledne pozvala Jihočeská univerzita k návštěvě střední školy, aby uchazečům poskytla informace o svém zaměření i praktické ukázky výuky. Odpoledne pak bylo opět určené pro veřejnost. V souvislosti s Mistrovstvím světa žen v ledním hokeji byla velmi atraktivní nabídka, kterou na celý den připravily vyučující Fyzioterapie ZSF JU Martina Hartmanová a Zuzana Širůčková. Přivezly řadu pomůcek, díky nimž si lidé mohli ověřit, co obnáší jednostranná zátěž při sportu. Vysvětlovaly, jak ji kompenzovat, radily se správným držením těla a inspirovaly k pohybu.

Zároveň představili ve středu studenti a vyučující další obory ZSF JU, u nichž mohli veřejnosti prakticky ukázat, čím jsou užitečné - a také zájemce něco naučit nebo jim zprostředkovat zážitky, které jim rozšíří obzory. Po celý den studentky Zdravotnického záchranářství učily základy první pomoci a vysvětlovaly, jak užitečně k tomu pomohou přístroje AED (automatizované externí defibrilátory), které jsou jednoduše ovladatelné a dostupné na mnoha veřejných místech. Budoucí porodní asistentky zaujaly nabídkou vyzkoušet si speciální vestu ukazující, jak se tělo změní při těhotenství, a odpoledne patřilo i sociálním studijním programům. Studentky a vyučující Stanislav Ondrášek a Petr Jánský přibližovali život s handicapem, přičemž velkou pozornost poutala možnost vyzkoušet si gerontooblek, v němž člověk rázem zjistil, jaká tělesná i smyslová omezení přináší člověku stáří. 

Výběr fotografií je seřazený chronologicky od pondělka do středy.

Ve třináctém ročníku Studentské vědecké a odborné činnosti, který se na ZSF JU odehrál ve středu 14. května, zvítězila studentská práce na téma Raynaudův fenomén a možnosti jeho ovlivnění vakuum-kompresní terapií od Šárky Trnkové ze studijního programu Fyzioterapie. Na druhém místě se podle rozhodnutí odborné komise umístila práce nazvaná Použití vybraných metod selekce spermií v asistované Reprodukci, jejíž autorkou je Kateřina Zámečníková ze studijního programu Laboratorní diagnostika. Třetí místo získala Michaela Fousová, která studuje Pediatrické ošetřovatelství a do soutěže SVOČ přihlásila svoji práci Specifika ošetřovatelské péče o fyziologické novorozence po císařském řezu ve vybraných nemocnicích Jihočeského kraje.

Odborná komise posuzovala práce ve složení prof. PhDr. Valérie Tóthová, Ph.D., dr. h. c., Mgr. Ivana Chloubová, Ph.D., a doc. Mgr. Zdeněk Chval, Ph.D. Vzhledem k tomu, že letošní ročník soutěže SVOČ charakterizovala velmi vysoká úroveň všech šesti přihlášených studentských prací i kvalita jejich obhajob, rozhodla se odborná komise tentokrát finančně odměnit nejen první tři nejlepší, ale také ostatní soutěžící. Vítězka obdrží 15 tisíc korun, za druhé místo bude vyplaceno 10 tisíc korun, za třetí pět tisíc korun a ostatní soutěžící dostanou po třech tisících Kč. Děkujeme za aktivní účast a blahopřejeme!

Proděkanka pro vědu a výzkum prof. Tóthová ocenila úroveň studentských prací i jejich prezentací. „Děkujeme vám za to, že jste se rozhodli přihlásit a připravili své výzkumné práce. Doufáme že vám vědecká činnost se líbila a že v ní budete pokračovat,“řekla a popřála všem účastníkům mnoho úspěchů ve studiu. Děkanka dr. Chloubová konstatovala, že tento ročník se vysokou kvalitou zapíše k nejlepším v historii této soutěže. „Spektrum témat bylo velmi široké, a to napříč všemi studijními programy, které máme na fakultě,“ zdůraznila. Komise měla velmi těžký úkol vybrat nejlepší práce, protože nezaznamenala žádné větší pochybení a soutěžící dokázali dobře reagovat na všechny otázky členů komise. Poděkovala také školitelům, kteří studenty podpořili i v sebejistotě, takže se nebáli předstoupit a obhajovat své práce. Právě tyto zkušenosti jsou totiž velmi cenné pro další studium i kariéru, proto je užitečné výzvy typu SVOČ včas a dobře využít.  

Gratulujeme studentkám a studentům Zdravotně sociální fakulty Jihočeské univerzity k velkým úspěchům v prestižní soutěži Jihočeská sestřička! Osmý ročník, který se v sobotu od rána až do pozdního večera konal v nemocnici v Prachaticích, naše tři týmy ve své kategorii zcela ovládly. Spolupracovali v nich studentky a studenti Všeobecného ošetřovatelství, Zdravotnického záchranářství a Porodní asistence – natolik skvěle, že všechna tři družstva stanula na medailových pozicích. Tým č. 2 (Vojtěch Andrlík, Adéla Schmidtová, Linda Vávrovská a Radka Janissová) se umístil na bronzové příčce, stříbro získalo družstvo č. 3 (Josef Kostěnec, Lucie Eisenwortová, Anna Fikarová a Tereza Pochová) a první místo vybojoval tým č. 1 (Radek Rothschedl, Adéla Plačková, Kristýna Dvořáková a Roman Klabouch). Naše „jednička“ se zároveň stala i absolutním vítězem této soutěže, která každý rok zábavnou formou prověřuje znalosti a dovednosti týmů složených ze studentů třetích ročníků VOŠ a VŠ a studentů čtvrtých ročníků středních zdravotnických škol, oboru praktická sestra.

Zdravotníci Nemocnice Prachatice, a.s., připravili pro soutěžící 17 disciplín, jejich názvy byly inspirovány písněmi, a tak studenti plnili úkoly „Sanitka“, „Drákula“, „Mravenčí ukolébavka“, „Být stále mlád“ nebo „Medvídek“ – tak byly pojmenovány úkoly, které prověřily teoretické znalosti i praktické dovednosti soutěžících. Museli například ukázat, jak si poradí například s odběrem krve, spontánním porodem v terénu, ošetřením novorozence, úpravou lůžka, podáváním krevních derivátů nebo třeba s cévkováním. V soutěži byli zastoupeni studenti a studentky ze všech středních, vyšších odborných a vysokých škol se zdravotnickými obory, které na jihu Čech působí, včetně detašovaných pracovišť v Prachaticích a Strakonicích. Konkurence tedy byla velká a uspět při rozmanitých úkolech nebylo snadné. „Jeli jsme na soutěž s tím, že to může dopadnout všelijak, ale že bychom chtěli vyhrát. A ono to vyšlo. Celý den jsme si moc užili. Disciplíny byly skvěle připravené, zábavné, figuranti opravdu přesvědčiví,“ shodovali se členové vítězného týmu, které na jaře příštího roku čeká ukončení studia. Většina z nich chce nastoupit do zdravotnictví a studovat dálkově ještě magisterské studium.

Členové vítězného týmu při rozhovoru s redaktorem Jihočeské televize líčili své zážitky – líbilo se jim například inscenované setkání s narkomany v doupěti, k náročným úkolům patřilo stlaní postele na čas či porod v terénu. „Byl to neskutečný zážitek, máme skvělý tým a užili jsme si to. Jsme všichni ve třetím ročníku, takže nám většinu času zabírá škola a práce, čili toto byla i forma relaxu – pojedeme na soutěž a užijeme si ji se svou partou. Připravovali jsme se společně i s ostatními skupinami díky našim kantorům, hodně jsme byli v kontaktu po sociálních sítích a řešili, co bylo třeba. Ale nebylo moc času soustředit se jen na tuto soutěž,“ zavzpomínala Adéla Plačková.

O titul Jihočeská sestřička 2023 bojovalo 5 týmů v kategorii vysokých a vyšších odborných škol a 12 týmů středoškoláků. Fandit a podpořit všechna tři družstva ZSF JU přijeli jejich vyučující z Ústavu ošetřovatelství, porodní asistence a neodkladné péče v čele s ředitelkou UOP a proděkankou prof. Valérií Tóthovou, děkankou ZSF JU dr. Ivanou Chloubovou a proděkanem dr. Františkem Dolákem. Celý den až do pozdního večera na soutěži strávily a mnoho stanovišť navštívily ročníková vedoucí dr. Iva Šafaříková, vyučující dr. Andrea Hudáčková, dr. Drahomíra Filausová a dr. Hana Hajduchová, po ukončení své sobotní výuky přijely také dr. Věra Stasková a dr. Milena Mágrová. Sdílená radost z úspěchu byla díky tomu mnohonásobná. Vrcholem soutěžního dne byl společenský večer s vyhlášením výsledků v Hotelu Park v Prachaticích s hudbou i zábavným programem.

„Jsme hrdí na to, že se naše studentky a naši studenti opět připravili tak dobře a zodpovědně, že reprezentovali naši fakultu a Jihočeskou univerzitu vynikajícím způsobem. Úspěchů v soutěži Jihočeská sestřička dosahujeme pravidelně, což potvrzuje význam vysokoškolského vzdělání sester a kvalitu toho, jak jsou naši studenti připraveni pro poskytování péče v oblasti zdravotnictví. Na stanovištích jsem zaznamenala, že to naši soutěžící pojali jako teambuildingovou aktivitu napříč obory, což se mi moc líbilo, protože zdravotnictví vyžaduje týmovou práci – v týmu jsou lidé schopni zvládnout i různé náročné situace. Viděla jsem, že si naši studenti věřili a šli do akce s odhodláním. Myslím si, že je žádný úkol výrazně nezaskočil. A právě o tom je zdravotnická práce, že musí být připraveni ve všech situacích a umět také improvizovat,“ řekla po vyhlášení výsledků děkanka dr. Ivana Chloubová.

Soutěž je každoročně určená studentům třetích ročníků VOŠ a VŠ, oborů všeobecná sestra, porodní asistentka a zdravotnický záchranář a studentům čtvrtých ročníků středních zdravotnicích škol, oboru praktická sestra. „Vnímáme profesi zdravotních sester jako velmi důležitou a záslužnou, proto jsme ji touto soutěží chtěli více zviditelnit a poděkovat těm, kteří se pro ni rozhodli. Chceme soutěží také podpořit spolupráci mezi jihočeskými nemocnicemi a zdravotnickými školami v našem kraji. Výhody má soutěž jak pro studenty, tak pro nemocnice. Konkrétní zdravotnické zařízení se touto formou studentům a studentkám představí jako jejich potenciální zaměstnavatel. Oni si na oplátku prohlédnou konkrétní moderní nemocnici, ve které by po dokončení studia mohli pracovat,“ uvedl zakladatel projektu, předseda představenstva Nemocnice Prachatice, a.s., a člen představenstva Jihočeské nemocnice, a.s., Ing. Michal Čarvaš, MBA.

O akci a vyhlášení výsledků již informovala řada médií, aktuálně je reportáž v úvodu zpravodajského bloku v živém vysílání Jihočeské televize. Odkazy jsou zde:

https://www.jihoceskatelevize.cz/

https://www.jihnem.cz/aktuality/titul-jihoceska-sestricka-2023-vyhraly-tymy-z-jihoceske-univerzity-a-stredni-zdravotnicke-skoly-pise/

https://www.jcted.cz/prachaticko/77372-titul-jihoceska-sestricka-2023-vyhraly-tymy-z-jihoceske-univerzity-a-stredni-zdravotnicke-skoly-v-pisku/

https://taborsky.denik.cz/z_regionu/jihoceska-sestricka-soutez-zdravotnicka-skola-fakulta-prachatice-nemocnice.html

In April, two educators from the partner Faculty of Health Sciences at the Pan-European University Apeiron (Bosnia and Herzegovina - Banja Luka) visited the FHSS USB. They were Doc. Dr. Sc. Med. Ilija V. Baroš, MD Ph.D. (teacher of preclinical subjects, especially anatomy) and Prof. Dr. Sc. Med. Jiljana-Tadić Latinović MD PhD (specializing in pathology and cytology). It was a teaching stay combined with training, financed by the Erasmus KA107 project 2020, which ends in June 2023. Doc. Baroš already visited our faculty in May of last year.

The programme was provided by colleagues from the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care, the Institute of Physiotherapy and Selected Medical Disciplines, and the Institute of Laboratory Diagnostics and Public Health. The guests were accompanied by Mgr. Zlatana Midžić from the Institute of the Humanities in Helping Professions. They visited the laboratories, the simulation centre for healthcare professions. They were also excited about the new classroom for simulating anatomy and physiology. Then they went on excursions to the hospital in České Budějovice and to the Institute of Anatomy at the 3rd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, where they were received by RNDr. Zdeněk Musil. At the end of their visit, the teachers from Bosnia and Herzegovina praised their stay at the FHSS USB, saying that our faculty was a great inspiration to them. They were especially impressed by the teaching methods, modern teaching aids, and the close cooperation with the regional hospital. They expressed interest in collaborating on potential joint research projects.

Two students from Mae Fah Luang University in Thailand – Hathaikan Wutthimaitrichit and Thanyaporn Rujiworakul, who are in their final year of Nursing studies – were hosted by the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care at the FHSS USB from May 12 to 23. Their professional internship included a rich programme full of professional, educational, and cultural activities.
The students participated in a variety of educational sessions, including simulations, instruction in community health, and the use of modern technologies in nursing education – for example, virtual reality training. They gained practical experience during excursions to České Budějovice Hospital, where they visited the paediatric clinic, neurosurgery, haemodialysis department, traumatology, and internal medicine.
Their stay also included activities at the Centre for Prevention of Lifestyle Diseases and participation in a student research competition. In their presentation for FHSS students, they introduced the Thai community care system and their home university.
“There were also socio-cultural activities – meetings with Czech students, joint cooking, a BBQ with ESN USB Budweis, and evening walks around the city. The mutual exchange of experiences and understanding of different approaches to education and patient care was a valuable and enriching experience for everyone involved,” said Mgr. Hana Hajduchová, Ph.D. from the Institute of Nursing, Midwifery and Emergency Care at FHSS USB. She thanked all the teachers and students who helped organize and carry out the programme.