Nursing students and teaching staff participate in cognitive behavioural therapy training in Iceland

From 15 to 19 May Ilona Zariņa, lecturer at the Department of Nursing and Midwifery, together with 4th year Nursing students of the Faculty of Public Health and Social Welfare paid a five-day visit to the University of Iceland to participate in an intensive training session on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) with emphasis on life-long changes.

The training session covered both national and international treatment methods, contained materials and discussions on changes associated with various approaches and application of CBT in treatment, by facilitating the affected processes for all age groups for preventive and therapeutic purposes. Among other things we had the opportunity to listen to multiple theoretical and scientific research outcome presentations, student case analyses, likewise participate in discussions, group work and visit rehabilitation centres: Reykjalundur, NLFI Spa ­and Medical Clinic to see a practical application of CBT.

As recognised by lecturer Zariņa, “We have acquired new and useful knowledge and experience and have discovered a lot in common also from the perspective of life changes of individuals belonging to different cultures. However the journey is not over yet, since every training participant has taken the challenge to search for, find and integrate the recent acquisitions in one’s practice."

The training was organised within the framework of the Nordplus network Nordsne and was provided by the University of Iceland, Faculty of Nursing. The training was attended by students and teaching staff from Rīga Stradiņš University, Lund University (Sweden), University of Bergen (Norway), University of Iceland, University of Akureyri (Iceland) and University of Minnesota (USA).