The Swedish Society of Nursing

a meeting place for professional development

The Swedish Society of Nursing (SSF) promotes:

N The professional development of nurses by, for example, the development of clinical guidelines that allow nurses to provide care based on scientific methods and proven experience. N The development of nursing science. SSF strives to obtain more resources for nursing research and grants scholarships for research and development activities. Every two years a conference entitled Nursing Science as an Academic Subject is held. N The development of nursing and its professional leadership. SSF has established a Nursing quality development strategy. The Society develops quality indicators and trains facilitators who support others in their quality assurance activities. SSF also works to strengthen nursing leadership. N The improvement of the quality of nursing education at both basic and post basic levels. SSF participates in and is a referral body for various national projects and government reports. An annual conference on clinical education is organised in cooperation with one of the universities offering nursing education. N Post basic education. SSFs Utbildningsinstitut AB is the organisations own educational institute. It offers courses, conferences and seminars on issues such as quality development and leadership. N Ethics. SSF works to disseminate nursing ethics. The organisation promotes awareness of ICNs Code of Ethics for Nurses and organises ethics seminars.

The Swedish Society of Nursing, SSF, is a professional association of nurses. SSF represents the professions area of expertise with the aim of promoting research, development and education. The Society was founded in 1910. It has no political affiliation and is a non-profit making organisation.
All registered nurses and student nurses may apply for membership of SSF. In addition, foreign nurses, who have qualified in their country of origin but have not yet obtained Swedish registration, may apply for membership. Approximately 90.000 of Swedens nurses are members of the Society. The care provided by nurses is of crucial importance to the health and welfare of the patient. The Swedish nursing corps possesses high levels of competence in the care and treatment of patients as well as leadership. Many nurses are doing research and development activities within the framework of their clinical activities. The majority of nurses specialise after their basic education and the number of nurses completing doctoral studies is increasing steadily. (In 2004 there were approximately 450 nurses holding a PhD.) SSF provides a meeting place for all nurses and also organises courses and conferences through their own educational institute SSFs Utbildningsinstitut AB. Every other year a conference, Lust & Kunskap Sjukskterskedagarna, is organised in which nurses from different backgrounds can meet, learn about the latest developments in nursing science and experience the satisfaction and enjoyment to be gained from being part of the profession. SSF also publishes a nursing journal which is provided free to all members. The journal Omvrdnadsmagasinet consists of articles about research and current themes, reportage and portraits. The organisations website at www.swenurse.se contains information on the Societys activities including the extensive scholarship and fund activities available, as well as how to rent one of its vacation cottages in Hus in northern Sweden. SSF possesses a broad competence base within health care and is consequently asked to submit comments to proposals by the Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs and the National Board of Health and Welfare etc. The organisation can access competence across the entire range of nursing care. These experts are found not only among members of the Board or HQ staff but also in the various affiliated organizations, councils, working groups and other contacts. SSF has also appointed advisory councils, the Scientific Advisory Council of the Swedish Society of Nursing, the Ethics Advisory Council of the Swedish Society of Nursing and the Quality Advisory Council of the Swedish Society of Nursing. The members of these councils are appointed by the SSF Board and are highly qualified nurses who are active within research, education and clinical nursing. The Swedish Society of Nursing works with approximately forty affiliated organisations. These are associations for nurses with special interests such as pain management, nursing of children, pharmacology and psychiatry. These organisations are independent, but work in cooperation with SSF.

PHOTO: KENNETH HELLMAN. GRAPHIC DESIGN: PRESS ART. PRINTED BY: ELANDERS INFOLOGISTICS, 2005. TRANSLATED BY: ANNE FROUDE

THE SWEDISH SOCIETY OF NURSING NEW ADDRESS FROM JUNE 1, 2005: BALDERSGATAN 1 SE-114 27 STOCKHOLM SWEDEN TEL: +46-8-412 24 00, FAX: +46-8-412 24 24 E-MAIL: SSF@SWENURSE.SE WWW.SWENURSE.SE