Research line 1: Global Nursing, Advanced Care, Simulation & Wellbeing.

Coordinated by Sergio Cazorla Calderón

The Research Line 1: Global Nursing, Advanced Care, Simulation and Wellbeing aims to generate knowledge and scientific evidence to transform and improve nursing care across different healthcare settings. It is grounded in a global view of nursing, placing people at the centre of care and considering their physical, emotional, social and cultural needs, as well as those of their families and communities.
This line seeks to promote high-quality, safe, compassionate and evidence-based nursing care. It includes the study of advanced care, understood as specialised and innovative nursing interventions that respond to complex clinical situations, prevent complications, promote people’s autonomy and support continuity of care. It also focuses on improving clinical practice and evaluating health outcomes, with the aim of ensuring that the knowledge generated has a meaningful impact on both healthcare service organisation and the experiences of people receiving care.
Another key area is clinical simulation, understood as a methodology for education, research and innovation that makes it possible to recreate healthcare situations in safe environments. Simulation supports the development of technical, communication, leadership, decision-making and teamwork skills. It also contributes to patient safety by enabling learners and professionals to practise, learn and reflect on clinical scenarios before facing them in real-life contexts. In this sense, the research line also explores how innovative methodologies can improve the preparation of future nursing professionals and the continuing education of healthcare teams.
Wellbeing is another core focus of this research line. It examines strategies to promote health, prevent illness and improve quality of life throughout all stages of life. This perspective encompasses not only the wellbeing of people using health services, but also that of their caregivers and healthcare professionals. Areas of interest may therefore include the experience of illness, support during vulnerable situations, community health, self-care, family support and the prevention of professional burnout.
Its approach is inherently interdisciplinary, as current health challenges require collaboration between nursing and other fields of knowledge, including health sciences, education, psychology, technology and computer science. This collaboration makes it possible to integrate digital tools, innovative teaching methodologies, monitoring systems, data analysis and other solutions that can make nursing care more accessible, efficient, personalised and sustainable.
This research line contributes directly to several United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly:
  • SDG 3 – Good Health and Well-being: by improving the quality, safety, accessibility and equity of care, while promoting prevention, community health and wellbeing throughout the life course.
  • SDG 4 – Quality Education: by developing simulation-based and innovative educational methodologies that strengthen the competencies of nursing students and professionals.
  • SDG 5 – Gender Equality: by incorporating a gender-sensitive approach to health inequalities and recognising the essential contribution of nursing within care systems.
  • SDG 8 – Decent Work and Economic Growth: by promoting healthy working environments, preventing professional burnout and developing competencies that enhance the quality of employment in healthcare.
  • SDG 10 – Reduced Inequalities: by supporting inclusive, culturally appropriate and accessible care for people and groups in vulnerable situations.
  • SDG 17 – Partnerships for the Goals: by fostering collaboration among professionals, healthcare institutions, universities, communities and other social stakeholders.
Overall, this research line aims to strengthen nursing as a scientific, clinical and social discipline, capable of leading innovation and contributing to healthcare systems that are safer, more equitable, sustainable and person-centred.

Research line 2: SHAPE. Social connection, Humanities and Arts, Public health and Ethics

Coordinated by Sergi Blancafort Alias

The research line “Social and emotional wellbeing, bioethics, arts and humanities” is formed by M3O researchers based at UVic-UCC with expertise in those different topics, hence finding bridges and synergies among these areas.

  • Social and emotional wellbeing: in this area we focus on understanding what generates wellbeing at an emotional and a social level, as well as on promoting it along the life course through interventions at micro (intrapersonal), meso (interpersonal) and macro-level (community). Research in this area includes mental health, loneliness and social connection, nature as a source of wellbeing and social policy.
  • Arts in health: This is an emerging research line in Arts in Health, focusing on the integration of artistic practices into healthcare and wellbeing contexts. This initiative aims to explore the impact of the arts on physical, mental, and social health through interdisciplinary collaboration. Among its core activities, the research team offers support and expertise in the design, implementation, and evaluation of Arts in Health initiatives, fostering evidence-based approaches and innovative methodologies.
  • Humanities: in this area we are exploring the intersections between medicine, culture, and the human experience, integrating insights from cinema, TV series, literature, history, and philosophy, to enhance empathy, communication, and ethical understanding in healthcare; aiming for an interdisciplinary approach that enriches health sciences education and fosters holistic care. 

Podcast related to loneliness: “A la recerca de la soledat“, enriched with music and film recommendations.

Research line 3: PCBE. Clinical and Health Psychology, Cognition, Well-being and Spirituality

Co-coordinated by Laia Briones Buixassa and Anna Casellas Grau

This research line is an interfaculty and interdisciplinary space that brings together researchers and professionals interested in advancing knowledge and developing projects related to clinical and health psychology, mental health, cognition, neuropsychology, well-being, spirituality, and other related areas. The line promotes collaboration across disciplines and perspectives, fostering innovative approaches to complex health and psychological challenges. Its members are mainly affiliated with the Faculty of Education, Translation, Sports and Psychology (FETEP) and the Faculty of Health Sciences and Welfare (FCSB), while also welcoming collaborators from diverse academic and professional backgrounds.
The line fosters research that contributes to a better understanding of psychological functioning across the lifespan, the promotion of mental health and well-being, the psychosocial process of illness, the study and assessment of cognitive processes, the relationships between nature and health, and the role of spirituality in health and human development. Through this broad and integrative approach, the line aims to generate evidence-based knowledge with scientific, social, and clinical impact.

Research line 4: Healthy Ageing and Functional Diversity

Coordinated by Javier Jerez-Roig

It studies Healthy Ageing and Functional Diversity from a multidisciplinary and integrated perspective. It brings together 15 members from different disciplines, including physiotherapy, occupational therapy, nursing, etc. The research line covers a range of topics related to healthy ageing, functional diversity, functional health and rehabilitation, and is involved in several research projects and research training activities. The group has also obtained predoctoral and postdoctoral research grants and participates in projects funded by different public and professional institutions.