GUEST EDITORIAL
doi: 10.1111/scs.12257
35 years of the Nordic College of Caring Science – heading for the future The Nordic College of Caring Science (NCCS) was formed in 1981 and has a long tradition of scientific work. This year we celebrated the 35th anniversary of NCCS. The aim is still, as it has been from the beginning, to develop, support and contribute to new scientific knowledge on a national and an international level. The endeavour is to represent the interests of all researchers in the field of caring science in the Nordic countries. The 35th anniversary and conference of NCCS took place at Diakonissestiftelsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 19–20 March. The theme was Exploring care for human service professions. For the first time, the conference was arranged in cooperation with The European Academy of Caring Sciences (EACS). This was a great opportunity for researchers across the Nordic and European countries interested in caring science to meet and share ideas. Over 80 delegates participated in the conference, and there were many parallel sessions with interesting oral presentations and a poster exhibition in connection with the theme within different clinical settings. At the annual NCCS meeting, a new member of honour was appointed, Professor Emerita Elisabeth Hall from Aarhus University, Denmark. The main focus of Professor Emerita Hall’s research has been on developing family-centred neonatal and paediatric nursing. Hall has published her caring science research in a vast number of international and national journals, and she is also a lecturer in nursing science. Elisabeth Hall has a personality that brings out the best in everyone. In 2012, at the annual meeting of NCCS in Oslo, Lillemor Lindwall was elected as chair of the board. It has been a great honour during these past 3 years to lead and collaborate with colleagues on the NCCS board, constituted of members from the Nordic countries. The cooperation with the editors of SJCS and the members of NCCS research fund has been fruitful. Together with the board, we have tried to realise several goals. One has been to organise NCCS annual conferences and another to inform others about NCCS, both through our website and by printing ‘go cards’. We welcome all doctoral students and research colleagues to become NCCS members. As a member, you will receive the Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences and you will also benefit from a reduced conference fee at any conference arranged by NCCS. Members can apply for a grant from the NCCS research fund after 2 years of membership in the NCCS. Looking back at the 3 years, we can conclude that our membership rate is stable and that the NCCS is a well-positioned association looking positively towards the future and coming challenges. © 2015 Nordic College of Caring Science
In 2015, at the annual meeting in Copenhagen, Yvonne Hilli was elected as a new chair of the NCCS board. The new board has many challenges ahead of it in the coming years to follow in the footsteps of the former board. The main focus of members of NCCS is our common interest in caring science and how to promote caring science in research, education and in the nursing care of patients and families. In order to do this, it is important to build networks and to strengthen research with a caring science approach. Therefore, one main goal for the new board is to build strategic networks within the Nordic countries. There is a need to gather researchers together and to create communities where research and scientific issues are presented and discussed in scientific terms. Doing research together connects people, and they may feel more dedicated by participating actively. Our hope is that being a member of a network would attract more new members to NCCS. NCCS wants to see more research on theoretical issues, clinical practice, evidence and ethical issues with a caring science approach in the years to come. We want to be a society which discusses theoretical issues, develops clinical methods, and has a focus on ethical aspects regarding research within the caring sciences. Arranging NCCS conferences on a regular basis will be emphasised, since it is at the conferences that members can come together and share scientific knowledge. Networking is also important for arranging conferences. Today, many conferences are arranged with very similar themes and at the same time. This may result in an unnecessary competition of participants. A cooperation between associations with similar aims and scope of interest could be beneficial to everyone, and this may be achieved through increased networking. We hope that the good cooperation with EACS will continue and be further developed. We are also looking forward to cooperating with other associations sharing the same scope of interest. The new board decided that NCCS will arrange conferences every second year. In 2016, a seminar will be arranged in connection with the annual meeting in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2017, the NCCS conference will be arranged at University of Nordland, in Bod€ o, Norway. We would like to see the NCCS association as an important part of the future as well as playing an essential role in collaboration with the journal Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences (SJCS), our own journal with a professional and knowledgeable leadership. We want to thank the editors for its successful work with the journal SJCS. The journal has an impact factor of 1.162 and is ranked by ISI Journal Citation Reports© Ranking: 2013: 407
408
Guest Editorial
32/105 (Nursing (Social Science)). We are living in an ever-changing society. The majority of customers today choose to only subscribe online. Therefore, the board has made a decision to move from print and online to online only from the year 2016. Moving to online only is more in line with sustainable development and more considerate towards the environment. There have been several chairmen before us who in various ways have made groundbreaking progress, showing great dedication to this field. We hope that we have been and still are contributing to this ever-ongoing process that forms the body of knowledge of caring science and leaves a mark in our history.
Lillemor Lindwall RN, PhD Professor, Chairman NCCS 2012–141,2 Yvonne Hilli RN, PhD Professor (Associate), Chairman NCCS 2015–17, Adjunct Professor2,3 1 Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden 2 Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Kjeller, Norway 3 Abo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland E-mail: [email protected]
© 2015 Nordic College of Caring Science
doi: 10.1111/scs.12257
35 years of the Nordic College of Caring Science – heading for the future The Nordic College of Caring Science (NCCS) was formed in 1981 and has a long tradition of scientific work. This year we celebrated the 35th anniversary of NCCS. The aim is still, as it has been from the beginning, to develop, support and contribute to new scientific knowledge on a national and an international level. The endeavour is to represent the interests of all researchers in the field of caring science in the Nordic countries. The 35th anniversary and conference of NCCS took place at Diakonissestiftelsen in Copenhagen, Denmark, on 19–20 March. The theme was Exploring care for human service professions. For the first time, the conference was arranged in cooperation with The European Academy of Caring Sciences (EACS). This was a great opportunity for researchers across the Nordic and European countries interested in caring science to meet and share ideas. Over 80 delegates participated in the conference, and there were many parallel sessions with interesting oral presentations and a poster exhibition in connection with the theme within different clinical settings. At the annual NCCS meeting, a new member of honour was appointed, Professor Emerita Elisabeth Hall from Aarhus University, Denmark. The main focus of Professor Emerita Hall’s research has been on developing family-centred neonatal and paediatric nursing. Hall has published her caring science research in a vast number of international and national journals, and she is also a lecturer in nursing science. Elisabeth Hall has a personality that brings out the best in everyone. In 2012, at the annual meeting of NCCS in Oslo, Lillemor Lindwall was elected as chair of the board. It has been a great honour during these past 3 years to lead and collaborate with colleagues on the NCCS board, constituted of members from the Nordic countries. The cooperation with the editors of SJCS and the members of NCCS research fund has been fruitful. Together with the board, we have tried to realise several goals. One has been to organise NCCS annual conferences and another to inform others about NCCS, both through our website and by printing ‘go cards’. We welcome all doctoral students and research colleagues to become NCCS members. As a member, you will receive the Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences and you will also benefit from a reduced conference fee at any conference arranged by NCCS. Members can apply for a grant from the NCCS research fund after 2 years of membership in the NCCS. Looking back at the 3 years, we can conclude that our membership rate is stable and that the NCCS is a well-positioned association looking positively towards the future and coming challenges. © 2015 Nordic College of Caring Science
In 2015, at the annual meeting in Copenhagen, Yvonne Hilli was elected as a new chair of the NCCS board. The new board has many challenges ahead of it in the coming years to follow in the footsteps of the former board. The main focus of members of NCCS is our common interest in caring science and how to promote caring science in research, education and in the nursing care of patients and families. In order to do this, it is important to build networks and to strengthen research with a caring science approach. Therefore, one main goal for the new board is to build strategic networks within the Nordic countries. There is a need to gather researchers together and to create communities where research and scientific issues are presented and discussed in scientific terms. Doing research together connects people, and they may feel more dedicated by participating actively. Our hope is that being a member of a network would attract more new members to NCCS. NCCS wants to see more research on theoretical issues, clinical practice, evidence and ethical issues with a caring science approach in the years to come. We want to be a society which discusses theoretical issues, develops clinical methods, and has a focus on ethical aspects regarding research within the caring sciences. Arranging NCCS conferences on a regular basis will be emphasised, since it is at the conferences that members can come together and share scientific knowledge. Networking is also important for arranging conferences. Today, many conferences are arranged with very similar themes and at the same time. This may result in an unnecessary competition of participants. A cooperation between associations with similar aims and scope of interest could be beneficial to everyone, and this may be achieved through increased networking. We hope that the good cooperation with EACS will continue and be further developed. We are also looking forward to cooperating with other associations sharing the same scope of interest. The new board decided that NCCS will arrange conferences every second year. In 2016, a seminar will be arranged in connection with the annual meeting in Stockholm, Sweden. In 2017, the NCCS conference will be arranged at University of Nordland, in Bod€ o, Norway. We would like to see the NCCS association as an important part of the future as well as playing an essential role in collaboration with the journal Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences (SJCS), our own journal with a professional and knowledgeable leadership. We want to thank the editors for its successful work with the journal SJCS. The journal has an impact factor of 1.162 and is ranked by ISI Journal Citation Reports© Ranking: 2013: 407
408
Guest Editorial
32/105 (Nursing (Social Science)). We are living in an ever-changing society. The majority of customers today choose to only subscribe online. Therefore, the board has made a decision to move from print and online to online only from the year 2016. Moving to online only is more in line with sustainable development and more considerate towards the environment. There have been several chairmen before us who in various ways have made groundbreaking progress, showing great dedication to this field. We hope that we have been and still are contributing to this ever-ongoing process that forms the body of knowledge of caring science and leaves a mark in our history.
Lillemor Lindwall RN, PhD Professor, Chairman NCCS 2012–141,2 Yvonne Hilli RN, PhD Professor (Associate), Chairman NCCS 2015–17, Adjunct Professor2,3 1 Karlstad University, Karlstad, Sweden 2 Oslo and Akershus University College of Applied Sciences, Kjeller, Norway 3 Abo Akademi University, Vaasa, Finland E-mail: [email protected]
© 2015 Nordic College of Caring Science
