SPECIAL SESSION: EuroVision 2020: Collaboration for Transformation of the European Region

Description/Overview: The purpose of this session is to share the achievements, activities and challenges experienced by the five Chapters and one honor society in the European Region to delegates and members outside Europe in order to promote collaboration and learning from one another. Whilst the global regions were established in 2013 the European Chapters have been meeting annually and collaborating together since 2007. We have developed a regional strategic plan titled Eurovision 2020 which we reviewed and updated in January 2015 which we wish to share with you and we welcome your views and thoughts on our strategic goals and initiatives. A key goal is to expand STTI across Europe. Currently there are approximately 1000 members (active and inactive) in the five European chapters, although in addition there are European nurses who are members of Chapters especially in North America. To raise awareness of STTI in Europe we have successfully hosted European conferences in Cardiff in 2012 and Gothenburg in 2014 – doubling the number of delegates in two years - and will be hosting our third conference in Utrecht in 2016. To support and expand the development of STTI across Europe including widening access to STTI regional events by European nurses, we have established a European Development Fund (EDF) which is mainly funded through profits gained from the conferences. The purpose and administration of the EDF will be fully discussed during the presentation. In order to set the scene for this session the current state of nursing and nursing education across Europe will be presented, which will highlight the similarities as well as differences across the European countries. The challenges and opportunities arising from the European nursing context will then be discussed in relation to STTI’s mission, vision and strategy for globalisation. Specifically we will explore challenges with respect to recruitment and retention which although not unique to the European Chapters are influenced by the cultural context. We will discuss initiatives we have implemented to seek to aid recruitment especially of students. We will show how the goals of the European strategic plan support and are congruent with STTI’s strategy for globalisation. We have sought to work collaboratively with members outside Europe and initiatives with Gamma Psi at Large Chapter in Hawaii and Omicron Delta Chapter in California will be highlighted. The STTI European Region has expanded since 2007 and we are hopeful of a new honor society being established in Ireland soon. However, there is more to do to raise awareness and widen the membership of STTI across Europe, ensuring that the European region meets the needs of European nurses whilst also ensuring the mission of STTI is retained. As a Region and through this presentation we aim to facilitate collaboration and networking and play an active role in enabling STTI to become the global organisation of choice for nursing it aspires to be. Join us to hear what your European colleagues have achieved and what challenges we still face.