Since 2018, the Hanover Nursing Practice Centre has been involved in setting up a ‘ward of the future’ in the acute inpatient setting of a university hospital as part of a research project. By using innovative technologies, we aimed to improve the care of patients and support professional carers in their day-to-day work. The focus was on the areas of pressure ulcer and fall prevention, cognitive limitations and work organisation. The technologies were always selected and introduced together with the nursing staff of the project ward, a normal trauma surgery ward with a focus on geriatric traumatology. By creating and implementing training programmes, we have also helped to promote technical skills among nursing staff.

In recent years, we have regularly organised events at which we have also shared our experiences with the interested public. Our purpose-built experimental room on the campus of Hannover Medical School (MHH) offers the opportunity not only to learn about innovative technologies, but also to try them out for yourself. True to our motto: ‘Care technologies should be experienced!’.

As part of the follow-up project ‘Cluster Zukunft der Pflege 2.0’, we would like to bring care technologies to other facilities on the basis of a transfer concept. We would like to use our knowledge to support outpatient care facilities and early rehabilitation centres in northern Germany in the integration of innovative technologies and assist with their implementation.

A key component of this is the digital skills development of care professionals, carers and their relatives and other target groups.