Fundamentals of Care

Fundamentals of care contributes to physical, psychological and social well-being through developing a positive and trusted relationship with the client/patient and their next of kin. For the projects that we fund, fundamentals of care is defined as:

• disease prevention
• carrying out activities aimed at recovery or health
• providing support to deal with the consequences of disease or disability, and contributing to the autonomy of the client/patient

Fundamentals of care is not limited to a certain sector but applies overall (from acute care, long-term care, mental health care and disability care to palliative care) and in all phases of life, from neonates to the eldest of the elderly.

The projects are realised in close consultation with the target groups to ensure that the outcomes can be directly used in practice. Together, the projects awarded funding form a network in which knowledge and experiences are exchanged and mutual collaboration is encouraged. Ultimately, the applicable knowledge yielded by the projects will lead to a better quality of care in daily practice. Furthermore, the projects contribute to making the research and knowledge infrastructure for nursing and care sustainable, leading to a further professionalisation of these professional groups.

The selected intervention(s) will help enhance the quality of care and help solve urgent issues. The research projects should produce:

• Knowledge of the impact of working according to EBP on the 3 fundamentals of care pillars.
• Products related to this knowledge that can be disseminated/published.
• A vision for the consolidation of project results in the long term. The end products should include a consolidation plan.

Nursing and care professionals who are involved in the project and who work in the primary process of care delivery should have an important (autonomous) role in setting up and implementing the study. They must be adequately facilitated at individual, team and organisation level to continue performing interventions based on the latest scientific evidence after the project has ended.