María Pozo: "With EqÜES I have been able to train, educate and improve my communication skills as part of community nursing".

María Pozo, a fourth-year nursing student, is one of those future professionals who is passionate about what she is studying. The pace of classes, exams or practices in these four years of degree program, has not slowed her down to make the most of her university stage. Some time ago she met a group of students who trained in subject first aid in schools, and decided to include the word "nurse" in the same entity. Today, thanks to her work and that of the rest of her colleagues, we know more about project EqÜES, which has just received a award from the Mutua Madrileña Foundation.

What is EqÜES?

We are a national association formed mostly by students of medicine, nursing and pharmacy. We provide free training in first aid and drug prevention to the population in a dynamic, simple and entertaining way. Today, we also have residents, several of them alumni from the university. In addition, for the last two years, we have had a branch in Barcelona thanks to Inés Zugasti, a former student of the University of Navarra and co-founder of association. Students from different universities in Barcelona and medical residents have joined project .

How does it arise?

This initiative arose seven years ago as a result of university students who saw the need to train the population in first aid since, unlike in other countries, there was no rules and regulations that required educational centers to provide this training.

What subject activities do you specifically do?

We offer free of charge training in first aid and cardiopulmonary resuscitation in schools, although we also collaborate with other associations subject . For the last four years we have also been offering talks on alcohol and other drugs prevention, always adapting to the age, needs and social status of student body.

As a novelty, this year I have led the design of a new project in which we are going to adapt this teaching to children of first cycle of primary school since children also play a fundamental role in those time-dependent emergencies.

Tell us about the role of student nurses at association how long have you been around?

It has been four years since we started collaborating and every day we are more and more present in the association. Today, four of the five members of the board board of directors of Navarra are colleagues of the School of Nursing of the University of Navarra. The Education for health is a fundamental intervention and skill for any nurse and this is our goal: to educate in health to the population. 

How is it being working in a team multidisciplinary with colleagues from other careers?

It is a very enriching experience for all of us, both at staff and professionally. We get to see the points of view of different professions that we will be working with in a few months or years and that we would not have even considered if we only focused on our discipline. 

You have just received the award from the Mutua Madrileña Foundation, how did you feel?

It has made us very excited because it is not the first year that we present ourselves. A few years ago we also won the award ABC solidario, and these awards help us to grow and get some economic funds that we allocate in its entirety to material or training. 

You have also done training abroad, where and what did it consist of?

In 2019 we collaborated in Peru, where we provided training in emergency health care and protocols. We also educated hundreds of children in schools in the country, with the same first aid and CPR programs that we teach here in Navarra. This year we were going to return, but we have postponed it due to the current socio-political situation in the country status .

This year we have inaugurated a new project in India during the months of July and August. In this case some of our volunteers will go to a hospital center and will also teach first aid programs in local schools. 

As a final year nursing student, what made you decide to become the president of association?

I started in EqÜES in the first year of degree program because it seemed to me a project with direct impact on society thanks to the effort and training of students. Two years ago I joined board with the desire to learn more about management and try to improve and grow association together with my colleagues. With EqÜES I have been able to train, educate, improve communication skills, live a part of community nursing and, above all, I have made good friends.

To the students who read this interview and are encouraged to participate, what would you say?

Our association is an opportunity to train as future professionals in the Education for health and in the world of emergency medicine. We have attended different congresses, presented posters, we have received training. We are young people eager to learn and teach but, above all, eager to enjoy the process.