Welcome Message

Dear colleagues,

On behalf of EORNA, the Scientific Committee, and the Local Organising Committee it is our great pleasure to invite you to join the 11th biennial congress of European Perioperative Nurses Association on May 16th – 18th 2024.

In the year 2024, we are hopefully free from the restrictions of the pandemic and can enjoy the congress activities to the fullest.

For 27 years, EORNA has hosted congresses for its members and the international perioperative nursing community at large, attracting a significant number of international attendees from Europe and around the world to share best perioperative practices and research findings that will shape the future of our field and raise the standards of perioperative care.

Following the tradition of previous congresses, a stimulating scientific programme, prepared by the Scientific Committee, will be presented in oral as well as in poster presentations. The attendees are offered an outstanding exhibition, opportunity to meet with colleagues, learn about new developments in perioperative practice, and experience the wonderful hospitality and scenery of Valencia.

The 11th EORNA Congress will take place in Spain, specifically in Valencia, at the Palacio de Congresos.

Valencia is a city well connected to the world through its international airport of Manises, high speed trains (AVE), highways between its cities, extensive metro, and bus network with a cruise terminal in its Mediterranean port. Valencia is known as the “City of Light”, a truly beautiful city that will provide you with a very warm welcome. With 300 days of sunshine a year, on the dates of the Congress, the temperature ranges between 16º and 24º.

You must get to know the essential places of Valencia; The City of Arts and Sciences, the Cathedral, Miguelete and the Chapel of the Holy Grail,  San Nicolas de Bari Church, known as the Valencian Sistine Chapel; La Lonja de la Seda jewel of civil Gothic declared world heritage of UNESCO, the Central Market which is the largest fresh produce market in Europe with all the flavor and smell of the Mediterranean.

You need to have a walk into The Barrio del Carmen ( Carmen’s neigbourhood), Torres de los Serranos and torres de Quart (Serrano’s and Quart’s towers)  two fortified gates of the medieval wall of Valencia that are still standing.

La Albufera, nature in its purest form, Valencia beaches of golden sand, the largest Oceanographic in Europe, the Marina de Valencia has become an emerging socio-cultural focus of the city by the sea.

And some fantastic museums: Fine Arts, Modern Art, National Museum of Ceramics, Centro del Carmen, the silk museum, the Turia Garden, the Bioparc ( Valencia zoo). Cycling around the city is an option, it has more than 150 km of bike lanes. And to top it all off, eat a good paella or enjoy the extensive and varied gastronomy, discovering and enjoying the terraces to eat during the day and have drinks at night.

The theme of the congress is LIGHTS OF HOPE. There are a lot going on in the world now. The political atmosphere is distressing, and the pandemic has had its influence in everyone’s life. Perioperative nurses have struggled with work in their own as well as other units, where their contributions have been significant. Even though the pandemic seems to be reaching its end, we are still paying its consequences for a while. The theme of the congress reflects hope for the better, light at the end of the tunnel. Let’s hope the light shines brightly in Valencia 2024.

The Board of Directors of the Spanish Association of Surgical Nursing (AEEQ), and on behalf of its President Amparo Rubio, opens its arms to EORNA, to its member states, and to all the attendees, perioperative nurses, with the desire to give them a sincere and warm welcome upon their arrival in Valencia.

Our wish is that this Congress, the first EORNA Congress in Spain, shows the development and progress of Perioperative Nursing in Europe and that the city of Valencia becomes the space that favors a magnificent organization, participation, and remembrance.

We look forward to welcoming you to the EORNA 2024 Congress, Europe’s landmark meeting on perioperative nursing, for an inspiring and joyful experience to advance our field a step further.

Jaana Perttunen
EORNA President

Esther Espuñes
Chair of the Organising Committee

Maria Loureiro
Chair of the Scientific Committee