348 students at the School of Nursing have begun the second semester of the e-practicum, a pioneering practical training system which involves 508 professionals in 2014-2015. It is a computer program specifically designed by the School of Nursing to facilitate the management and development of Supervised Clinical Practices (Practicum).

According to Virginia La Rosa, the Practicum coordinator, "the human component of our profession calls for nurses with scientific knowledge who are capable of reflecting on their roles,, making decisions, and foreseeing the actions required in response to the needs of each person". So, she continues, "the e-practicum helps our students to express their critical thinking in a progressive and continuous way, and to receive enabling feedback from their tutors (registered nurses), which is so important in any reflective process".

Students in the second, third and fourth years of the Degree in Nursing program are supervised and advised by a multidisciplinary team, made up of experienced nurses, supervisors, mentors, teachers and managers. These professionals work with students at 80 Teaching Units in the many Navarrese health centers with which the university has partnership agreements. Therefore, as part of their training, students can do clinical rotations in the Clínica Universidad de Navarra, Clínica San Miguel, Clínica Padre Menni, Hospital San Juan de Dios, Servicio Navarro de Salud SNS-Osansunbidea (Navarrese Healthcare Service)  and a number of geriatric healthcare centers.

Using new technologies for new training in Nursing

The e-practicum is a computer tool created to facilitate the development of the practical training process of the University of Navarra's nursing students. It is a system for managing the entire practicum, from the assignment of students to their learning modules and units to online communication with all stakeholders. In addition, it allows an in-depth student-training evaluation process thanks to the reflective journals, a unique self-assessment guide compiled by the student. The final grade takes into account the result of these reflective journals together with the evaluation of the mentor and the experienced nurses.

Juan María Senosiáin, the professor in charge of Practicum I, explains that, "this pioneering tool offers students active and participatory learning through which they will acquire the professional skills needed to provide comprehensive care and individualized patient-centered nursing".