From 26 to 28 February 2026, the 29th East Asian Forum of Nursing Scholars (EAFONS) convened at the National University of Singapore, bringing together over 1,800 nursing scholars, educators, clinicians, and postgraduate students from more than 40 countries and regions. Under the theme “Innovate, Integrate, Inspire: Advancing Nursing Excellence in the Digital Era,” the forum spotlighted how nursing is leveraging digital technology, interdisciplinary collaboration, and evidence-based practice to meet increasingly complex health needs.
A ten-member delegation from the First Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine (FAHZU), led by Wang Huafen, Associate Vice President and Director of the Nursing Department, participated in the conference. Nine studies from FAHZU Nursing were accepted by the conference program showcasing FAHZU’s latest advances in chronic disease management, geriatric health, specialty nursing, and digital health, further strengthening international visibility and expanding academic exchange across the Asia–Pacific region.
Research Exchange: Problem-Oriented Outcomes
During the research session, the FAHZU Nursing team presented a portfolio of AI-enabled digital innovations addressing key clinical challenges. The presentations covered chronic disease and functional-decline management, healthy aging, women’s and children’s health, patient safety and quality improvement, service-model transformation, and emerging digital therapeutics.
In chronic kidney disease care, one oral report demonstrated that a 12-week multicomponent exercise program for patients receiving maintenance hemodialysis significantly improved frailty status and physical function, increased serum albumin, and was delivered without adverse events, offering a safe and feasible approach for frailty management. Another randomized controlled study confirmed the benefits of nurse-led multicomponent exercise in improving muscle strength and physical performance among hemodialysis patients with sarcopenia.
For healthy aging, a volunteer-led life review program improved meaning in life, life satisfaction, and quality of survival among functionally impaired community-dwelling older adults, illustrating a compassionate and scalable psychosocial care model. Additional studies included qualitative work on perioperative nutritional-care challenges faced by caregivers of pediatric liver transplant recipients with sarcopenia, and a phenomenological analysis mapping the evolving experiences and needs of patients undergoing nasal packing. Evidence synthesis further identified the most effective mobile-app approaches to reduce anxiety and depression in cancer care. Lean-management-driven standardization for da Vinci robotic instrument reprocessing improved cleaning quality and emergency responsiveness, while network analysis of patient-reported outcomes in liver transplant candidates revealed key symptom nodes and potential intervention pathways. The session concluded with lively discussion, positive feedback, and strong interest in cross-regional collaboration.
International benchmarking: learning from SGH and OCH
During the visit, the delegation visited Singapore General Hospital (SGH) and Outram Community Hospital (OCH) for on-site exchange. The team observed patient-safety-oriented workflows in outpatient and emergency settings, standardized and information-enabled practices in sterile supply management, and elder-friendly ward designs that support people with dementia or cognitive impairment through thoughtful environment cues and individualized care.
Moving forward
Through strong academic output and targeted international benchmarking, FAHZU Nursing reinforced its commitment to transforming evidence into practice, advancing digital health nursing innovation, and strengthening sustainable global collaboration.
