“Nursing Research and Artificial Intelligence” was the central theme of the IV Scientific Meeting on Nursing Research, organised by the Northern Regional Section of the Portuguese Nursing Association. Many researchers from the Faculty of Health Sciences and Nursing and the School of Nursing (Porto) of Universidade Católica Portuguesa took part in the event. The event, which brought together healthcare professionals and researchers to discuss the latest innovations and challenges in nursing, provided an opportunity to reflect on the growing importance of technology in transforming healthcare.
The meeting, which took place on 3 December, was attended by renowned experts who delved into the relationship between technology and nursing. Vasco Neves, faculty member of School of Nursing (Porto), took part in the opening session and highlighted the importance of the topic, emphasising the need for innovation in order to respond to the growing challenges in healthcare.
Paulo Alves, dean of the School of Nursing (Porto), presented a lecture entitled “Artificial Intelligence, Education, and Research”, discussing how AI is revolutionising education, clinical practice, and research in health sciences. His presentation provided insights into the use of intelligent algorithms to train future nurses and support more precise and informed clinical decision-making.
Among the notable participants was Rúben Encarnação, faculty member of School of Nursing (Porto) of UCP. He delivered a keynote speech titled “The Future of Nursing Research with Artificial Intelligence: Future Prospects and Ethical Challenges”, exploring the vast opportunities that AI offers for nursing research, including personalised care, outcome prediction, and the optimisation of research tasks.
In his presentation, Rúben Encarnação also addressed the ethical challenges associated with AI, such as algorithmic bias, patient data privacy, and the necessity of ensuring transparency and explainability in AI systems. He emphasised that AI should complement, rather than replace, human judgement. Furthermore, he stressed the importance of equipping future nurses with the skills to use these technologies ethically and responsibly, ensuring that innovation enhances, rather than compromises, the quality of care.
The IV Scientific Meeting provided an invaluable platform for professionals and researchers to discuss the implications of AI in clinical practice, education, and research. The active participation of lecturers from the School of Nursing - Porto reaffirms the Universidade Católica Portuguesa commitment to excellence in education and research, preparing professionals to meet the challenges of the future.
