ESENFC The Nursing School of Coimbra

The ESEnfC is a result from the merger of the Nursing School Dr. Ângelo da Fonseca (established in 1881) and the Nursing School Bissaya Barreto (established in 1971).

The Nursing School of Coimbra, heir to the most ancient nursing training in Portugal, is a nationally and internationally recognised public institution due to its quality and innovation, with a recognised intervention in the health system and in the society. Its educative community is committed with the humanist, scientific, technical and cultural training of socially recognised professionals, the promotion of accredited research, the dissemination of knowledge and the provision of services.

Humanism, The School bases its action on the respect for the dignity of the human being and the freedom of thought, assigning responsibility to all the participants in the educational process and promoting the valuation, the creativity and the solidarity in the construction of a learner institution. Citizenship, The School, besides the professional training, also aims at the overall training of citizens according to the principles of solidarity, democraticity and participation. Liberdade, A eFreedom: The School promotes the freedom of cultural, scientific, technical and artistic creation, guaranteeing the freedom of expression and the plurality of ideas and opinions. Excellence, The School develops training, research, innovation and services based on high quality criteria. Cooperation, The School bases its policies on the global social needs, promoting the solidarity action and the close connection with the community. Ethics, The School guarantees the respect for the deontological norms of the profession and the research and for the individual and social rights.

The ESEnfC is a national and international reference in the development and affirmation of the Nursing discipline. It provides training in partnership with national and international health and education institutions. Moreover, the School is oriented towards the new socio-demographic needs and the requirements of the global labour market and lifelong training. It is also students’ first choice for the three training cycles in Nursing.

The ESEnfC is a reference in terms of quality of production, dissemination and transfer of knowledge, and in the training of researchers. It contributes for the development of innovative practices based on the knowledge produced. The School is recognised at the national and international levels because it systematically articulates research, training and practices in the nursing domain.

The School develops consulting and innovation services in nursing in order to meet the needs resulting from social changes, implements scientific evidences and facilitates training, research and entrepreneurship processes in articulation and complementarity with other community institutions.

The ESEnfC is recognised and sought at the international level due to the qualification of the teaching body, its undergraduate and postgraduate training and research in nursing. It promotes scientific, technical and cultural mobility of the teaching staff, the non-teaching staff and students, as well as the development of training and research in collaboration with similar institutions.

The School is a reference in the higher education system at the level of the processes of management, development, consolidation and partnerships. It stands out due to its high level of participation in the decision-making process centred on self-responsibility, the sustained organisation of its processes and the visibility in the community.