The European Erasmus+ project Virtual Children's Hospital for Learning Pediatric Nursing (VLPN) concluded its activities with the international conference "Virtual Learning, Shaping the Future of Paediatric Nursing Education", held on 23 September 2026 at CYENS in Nicosia.
The conference was organised by the Department of Nursing of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), in collaboration with the VLPN project partners, Turku University of Applied Sciences in Finland (the project coordinator) and Tartu Applied Health Sciences University in Estonia, as well as with the Paediatric Nursing Sector of the Cyprus Nurses and Midwives Association (CYNMA).
The conference featured distinguished speakers from Cyprus: Dr Marios Avramides, Professor at the University of Cyprus; Dr Theologia Tsitsi, Lecturer at the Cyprus University of Technology; and Nikolina Dodlek, Research Fellow and Teaching Assistant at the Cyprus University of Technology, as well as from Belgium, Katrin De Winter, Lecturer at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences. The speakers shared knowledge, experiences and good practices on Virtual Reality (VR) and Extended Reality (XR) learning, as well as on the use of technology in education, in the fields of paediatric nursing, healthcare and cognitive psychology.
The central theme of the conference was how innovative digital technologies can transform the education and preparation of future paediatric nurses. Particular emphasis was placed on the contribution of Virtual Reality to strengthening clinical knowledge and skills in paediatric nursing, as well as in other areas of healthcare, education and professional training.
Participants had the opportunity to discover innovative VR applications developed within the VLPN project and the European Erasmus+ project Extended Reality Learning Framework for Pediatric Nursing Students (PeDXR). Through an interactive workshop, participants were able not only to learn about VR-based education, but also to experience firsthand applications developed within the two projects.
The conference provided an important forum for discussing the opportunities and challenges of integrating Virtual Reality technologies into education, and how digital innovation can complement existing learning approaches.
As healthcare education continues to evolve, virtual and immersive learning technologies can offer students and educators additional ways to engage with complex clinical situations interactively and innovatively.
The experience and resources developed within the VLPN project contribute to this ongoing dialogue and provide a foundation for further innovation in paediatric nursing education. The conference also highlighted the importance of international cooperation in developing new approaches to healthcare education.
The VLPN final conference marked an important milestone in the project and was rated very highly by participants, with an overall score of 4.72 out of 5. Participants particularly praised the innovative content, the engaging and interactive format, and the excellent organisation of the conference.
The conference Organising Committee extends its warm thanks to all the speakers for their valuable contributions, and to the technical team (Andrea Papacharalambous, Christos Aristotelous and Savvina Markidou) for their invaluable support in the successful delivery of the event.
Finally, the Organising Committee warmly thanks CUTing Edge and Areti Anniva for the photographic coverage of the event.
VLPN project: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Project details:
Project number: 2023-1-FI01-KA220-HED-000166447
Project duration: 01.10.2023 – 30.09.2026
Lead partner: Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
Partner organisations:
Cyprus University of Technology, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences (Cyprus)
Tartu Applied Health Sciences University (Estonia)
Project research team at the Cyprus University of Technology:
Christiana Nicolaou - Scientific Coordinator - CUT
Joanna Menikou, Koralia Michail, Ioanna Pieri, Ourania Kolokotroni, Nicos Middleton,
Project manager: Marianna Moore
Funding source: Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships
Total project funding: €480,000
3rd CYPRUS POSTER TRIENNIAL 2026
The European Erasmus+ project Virtual Children's Hospital for Learning Pediatric Nursing (VLPN) concluded its activities with the international conference "Virtual Learning, Shaping the Future of Paediatric Nursing Education", held on 23 September 2026 at CYENS in Nicosia.
The conference was organised by the Department of Nursing of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), in collaboration with the VLPN project partners, Turku University of Applied Sciences in Finland (the project coordinator) and Tartu Applied Health Sciences University in Estonia, as well as with the Paediatric Nursing Sector of the Cyprus Nurses and Midwives Association (CYNMA).
The conference featured distinguished speakers from Cyprus: Dr Marios Avramides, Professor at the University of Cyprus; Dr Theologia Tsitsi, Lecturer at the Cyprus University of Technology; and Nikolina Dodlek, Research Fellow and Teaching Assistant at the Cyprus University of Technology, as well as from Belgium, Katrin De Winter, Lecturer at Thomas More University of Applied Sciences. The speakers shared knowledge, experiences and good practices on Virtual Reality (VR) and Extended Reality (XR) learning, as well as on the use of technology in education, in the fields of paediatric nursing, healthcare and cognitive psychology.
The central theme of the conference was how innovative digital technologies can transform the education and preparation of future paediatric nurses. Particular emphasis was placed on the contribution of Virtual Reality to strengthening clinical knowledge and skills in paediatric nursing, as well as in other areas of healthcare, education and professional training.
Participants had the opportunity to discover innovative VR applications developed within the VLPN project and the European Erasmus+ project Extended Reality Learning Framework for Pediatric Nursing Students (PeDXR). Through an interactive workshop, participants were able not only to learn about VR-based education, but also to experience firsthand applications developed within the two projects.
The conference provided an important forum for discussing the opportunities and challenges of integrating Virtual Reality technologies into education, and how digital innovation can complement existing learning approaches.
As healthcare education continues to evolve, virtual and immersive learning technologies can offer students and educators additional ways to engage with complex clinical situations interactively and innovatively.
The experience and resources developed within the VLPN project contribute to this ongoing dialogue and provide a foundation for further innovation in paediatric nursing education. The conference also highlighted the importance of international cooperation in developing new approaches to healthcare education.
The VLPN final conference marked an important milestone in the project and was rated very highly by participants, with an overall score of 4.72 out of 5. Participants particularly praised the innovative content, the engaging and interactive format, and the excellent organisation of the conference.
The conference Organising Committee extends its warm thanks to all the speakers for their valuable contributions, and to the technical team (Andrea Papacharalambous, Christos Aristotelous and Savvina Markidou) for their invaluable support in the successful delivery of the event.
Finally, the Organising Committee warmly thanks CUTing Edge and Areti Anniva for the photographic coverage of the event.
VLPN project: Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor EACEA can be held responsible for them.
Project details:
Project number: 2023-1-FI01-KA220-HED-000166447
Project duration: 01.10.2023 – 30.09.2026
Lead partner: Turku University of Applied Sciences (Finland)
Partner organisations:
Cyprus University of Technology, Department of Nursing, Faculty of Health Sciences (Cyprus)
Tartu Applied Health Sciences University (Estonia)
Project research team at the Cyprus University of Technology:
Christiana Nicolaou - Scientific Coordinator - CUT
Joanna Menikou, Koralia Michail, Ioanna Pieri, Ourania Kolokotroni, Nicos Middleton,
Project manager: Marianna Moore
Funding source: Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships
Total project funding: €480,000
