European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care
The European Society of Paediatric and Neonatal Intensive Care (ESPNIC) is a Europe-wide medical association that works to promote paediatric and neonatal intensive care standards among health care professionals, notably doctors and nurses in the field.
Mission
ESPNIC is dedicated to promoting “the delivery of the highest quality of care to the critically ill children throughout Europe.”[1]
History
ESPNIC was founded during the 1980 International Congress on Paediatrics in Barcelona, Spain by a group of physicians attending the congress. They decide to meet annually to discuss paediatric intensive care. The group adopted the name “The Society of Paediatric Intensive Care (ESPIC).” In 1987, the ESPIC Nurse Working Group was founded, which was made into a separate branch of the society in 1994. In 1998 the name of the society was changed to ESPNIC out of the realization of the importance of neonatal intensive care nurses and physicians in the organization. As of 2010, ESPNIC had 700 members from 30 European countries and 16 countries outside of Europe.[2]
Activities
ESPNIC organizes an annual congress to present the latest technological developments in the field of paediatric and neonatal intensive care and provide a forum for health care professionals to discuss their research efforts. The congress takes place in a different European location each year. In even-numbered years, the congress is jointly hosted by ESPNIC, the European Academy of Paediatrics, and the European Society of Paediatric Research.[3] In odd-numbered years, ESPNIC hosts their congresses alone. The 2011 Congress will be held in November in Hannover, Germany.[4]
ESPNIC also maintains a registry of pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) and neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) throughout Europe on their website. The registry lists important PICUs and NICUs in seventeen European countries as well as in Canada, Israel, South Africa, and Turkey.[5]
ESPNIC’s official journal is Intensive Care Medicine (ICM). ICM is also the official journal of the European Society of Intensive Care Medicine. Its impact factor is 5.168. The journal contains reports on original research, reviews of the state of the field, discussions and correspondence, and educational articles on various topics.[6]
Governance
ESPNIC’s Executive Committee consists of the following members:
- Jan Hazelzet, Medical President, Sophia Children's Hospital, Netherlands
- Peter Rimensberger, Medical President Elect, University Hospital of Geneva, Switzerland
- Agnes van den Hoogen, Nursing President, Wilhelmina Children's Hospital, Netherlands
- Odile Frauenfelder, Nursing President Elect, Sophia Children's Hospital, Netherlands
- Joe Brierley, Secretary, Great Ormond Street Hospital, United Kingdom
- Burkhard Simma, Treasurer, Feldkirch University Teaching Hospital, Austria
- Dick Tibboel, Chair Scientific Committee, Sophia Children's Hospital, Netherlands
- Edoardo Calderini, Chair Professional Development Committee, Ospedale Maggiore, Italy
See also
- Neonatology
- Neonatal intensive-care unit
- Preterm birth
- Pediatric intensive-care unit
- Intensive care unit
References
- ↑ Objectives, Vision, and Strategy, ESPNIC
- ↑ History, ESPNIC
- ↑ The 4th Congress of the European Academy of Paediatric Societies, Kenes International.
- ↑ ESPNIC Congress, ESPNIC
- ↑ PICUs/NICUs Registry, ESPNIC.
- ↑ "Intensive Care Medicine". icmjournal.esicm.org. European Society of Intensive Care Medicine. Retrieved 2014-11-28.