Sigma European Conference Update (18/03/2020)
In light of the COVID19 pandemic we appreciate that attendees will be unable to attend in person. However, we feel it is really important that the conference goes ahead so that we can all benefit from hearing the work that you and nurses from around the world have been conducting to further nursing practice, policy, management and leadership. While to our knowledge this is the first time that Sigma Europe has attempted to provide a virtual conference. Sigma has a strong tradition of firsts, so we are following in that tradition.
The conference will be delivered virtually via Zoom technology. Together with a conference App which we are using that enables chat rooms and social networking which we appreciate is an important part of conference attendance.
As 2020 is the WHO Year of the Nurse and Midwife let’s make it memorable not for COVID19 but to showcase all the excellent work that nurses are doing around the globe and how as usual nurses find a solution to whatever they have to face. Let us lead by example. We are Sigma Nurses.
If you have purchased the conference dinner, we will be refunding that amount. As you will appreciate, we are having to invest in improved IT support and technology to support this virtual conference, but we hope that we may be able to refund the catering cost of your registration. We will inform you at a later date as to the information we will need from you for the refund. At this time, we cannot say exactly how much the refund will be so please bear with us. We will not be offering any full refunds if you choose not to present your work.
The benefits for you of attending are:
• Your abstract will be uploaded to the Sigma repository so that your work is widely available on a global scale
• You will be one of the first presenters to have presented your work at the first Virtual Sigma European conference and may be a trail blazer for future virtual conferences
• You will receive a certificate of participation in the conference as a presenter
• You will have the opportunity to network with colleagues from around the globe in the social networking spaces
• You will be able to listen to nursing pioneers and experts as they deliver their keynote presentations
• You will have no long waits in airports, no jet lag and contribute to improving air pollution and impact positively on climate change
Many thanks
The Sigma European Region and The Sigma European Conference planning committee are closely monitoring the continuing COVID-19 developments in Portugal and how they may affect the 5th European Sigma Conference.
The safety and security of our attendees are our top priorities.
At this time, we are working with the event venue (Coimbra Nursing School) and following the latest recommendations of the Portuguese Directorate-General of Health. The Sigma European Conference planning committee plans to issue an update at the conference website with further details to all registrants on March 17, 2020.
We ask for your patience and understanding as we gather information for this update.
