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JESENICE, June 1, 2020 – On June 1, Assist. Prof. Ivica Avberšek Lužnik, MSc (Pharm) was appointed new Dean of the Angela Boškin Faculty of Health Care (ABFHC). The election for the new dean took place on May 25, 2020, at the faculty premises in Jesenice and Ljubljana. Ms. Avberšek Lužnik, who is a biochemistry and biophysics professor and has been working at the ABFHC since its foundation, was appointed to a four-year term. She has more than 28 years of leadership experience in different positions, including the Head of the Laboratory Diagnostics Department at the Jesenice General Hospital. As part of her agenda, she emphasized the need to further develop study programs from the first cycle all the way to the doctoral level, and the need for the ABFHC to get actively involved in solving the issue of nursing shortages (including both registered nurses and physiotherapists) in Slovenia.

“I would like to thank all professors, students, and employees for the trust they have placed in me. This is a great recognition of my work at the Faculty where I have been involved since its beginnings and my work in the broader healthcare, research, and academic arenas. Being appointed the Faculty Dean represents a great responsibility to ensure that the future development of the ABFHC is based on the highest academic values and all-around professional, scientific, and career development of its students,” said Assist. Prof. Ivica Avberšek Lužnik, the ABFHC Dean. “I have and will continue to direct all my knowledge and efforts into the development of nursing and physiotherapy study programs from the undergraduate level all the way to the doctoral level. To this end, I will support the expert research work of our graduates in the clinical setting and the ambitious development strategies for modern nursing and physiotherapy. I also firmly believe that the ABFHC can decisively contribute to finding systemic solutions to the issue of nursing shortages (including registered nurses and physiotherapists).”

Assist. Prof. Ivica Avberšek Lužnik, MSc (Pharm), received her undergraduate and postgraduate education in pharmacy, medical biochemistry, laboratory biochemistry, and didactics. At the ABFHC, she has been teaching biochemistry and biophysics. She is an established researcher in the field of healthcare sciences, especially in biomedicine. She has over 28 years of leadership experience: she has been the Head of the Laboratory Diagnostics Department at the Jesenice General Hospital since 1992 and, in addition, served as the Head of the Research Unit at the Jesenice General Hospital from 2008 to 2018. She gained important leadership experience as the President of the Slovenian Chamber of Laboratory Medicine from 2006 to 2014. From 2008 to 2020, she was a member of the ABFHC Senate, and since 2015 she has been the President of the ABFHC Management Board.

 

“The Angela Boškin Faculty of Health Care is an ambitious faculty which has emphasized continuous development since its beginnings. In the last 14 years, we have expanded the number of study programs offered and the scope of research and development projects. As a result, we have become increasingly recognized in the scientific and research arenas both in Slovenia and abroad. I would like to congratulate Assist. Prof. Ivica Avberšek Lužnik for getting elected and for setting an excellent development agenda which is bound to solidify the position of our faculty as one of the best,” said Senior Lecturer Sanela Pivač, MSc (Nursing), who served as the acting Dead of the ABFHC since December 2017. 

Many different development and research activities

Recently, the ABFHC has added to its range of study programs offered, namely by establishing the study program Physiotherapy (undergraduate level). This program represents a new, fresh approach to the role and development of physiotherapy as a profession and a science in Slovenia. In addition, we started implementing a new, accredited training program Mentorship in the clinical setting with the aim of empowering clinical mentors to work with students. The program—the first of its kind in Slovenia—was developed based on clinical mentors’ evaluations. The ABFHC obtained the consent of the Nurses and Midwives Association of Slovenia to develop specialist knowledge as part of the program.

 

By establishing a new Ljubljana Study Center, obtaining additional premises in Jesenice, and ensuring new clinical learning centers for students’ clinical training, the ABFHC also ensured excellent spatial resources, human resources, and other resources for implementing high-quality study programs and ensuring further development.

 

Of all the existing projects, a special mention goes to the development and research project ProCare which was selected at the Knowledge Alliances public call as part of the Erasmus+ program. Of the total 160 applied projects, 31 were selected. The ABFHC works on the project together with partner higher education institutions and hospitals from Slovenia, Italy, Ireland, and Spain, and has the role of lead partner for the first time.