“What day do we need to prepare for?” Readiness and Resilience of Health and Social Care Teams in a Crisis

Lectures and workshops; Virtual Phase: 5 November 2026 (kick-off), Physical Phase: 9 - 13 November 2026 (full-day programme with tabletop exercises, simulation and creative workshops, full participation in all on-site activities is expected). Total number of hours: 50.

Programme Lead: Dr. Akvilė Virbalienė

Academic staff of the Nursing and Social Welfare Department, KVK, and, where relevant, practitioners in health and social care and crisis management.

Compliance with national and EU accreditation standards and with the ECHE.

• Undergraduate students studying nursing and social work
• Minimum English proficiency: B1 level

One online session on 5 November 2026, introducing the programme, the central question of the week (what exactly are we preparing for, and what can each of us do already today?) and the international teams.

Five days, 9–13 November 2026, at KVK, Bijunu str. 10, Klaipėda, Lithuania.

During the week, participants work through one shared question – what exactly are we preparing for, and what can each of us do already today? – in:

• Tabletop exercises
• Simulation
• Creative workshops

The online session (5 November) precedes the physical week (9–13 November) and prepares participants for it by introducing the central question and the international teams, which are then worked on in tabletop exercises, simulation and creative workshops in Klaipėda.

Joint activities in international groups of nursing and social work students, including creative workshops, support intercultural exchange and networking during the week in Klaipėda.

To prepare nursing and social work students from several countries for crisis situations – from a long power cut to an armed conflict – by developing the readiness and resilience of health and social care teams while there is still time to practise.

• Tabletop exercises
• Simulation
• Creative workshops
• International and interprofessional teamwork (nursing and social work students)

• Crisis scenario simulation
• Tabletop exercises on scenarios ranging from a long power cut to an armed conflict

• Crisis scenarios, from a long power cut to an armed conflict
• Readiness and resilience of health and social care teams
• The central question: what are we preparing for, and what can each of us do already today?

By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:

• Identify the types of crisis, from a long power cut to an armed conflict, that health and social care teams may face and their impact on the people they care for
• Explain the roles of nursing and social work professionals in crisis preparedness and response
• Use tabletop exercises and simulation to plan and test team responses to a crisis scenario
• Collaborate in international, interprofessional teams to develop shared solutions for crisis readiness
• Formulate concrete actions that individuals and teams can take already today to strengthen readiness and resilience

• Crisis awareness and preparedness: demonstrated in the analysis of crisis scenarios and in the tabletop exercises
• Professional role clarity (nursing and social work): demonstrated in role-based decisions during the simulation
• Resilience and decision-making under pressure: demonstrated in the simulation
• Interprofessional and intercultural teamwork: demonstrated in international group work
• Creativity and communication: demonstrated in the creative workshops and the presentation of team results
• Personal responsibility: demonstrated in the individual action each participant commits to already today

• Active participation in the online session and in the on-site activities (30%)
• Contribution to teamwork in the tabletop exercises and simulation (30%)
• Team output of the creative workshops and its presentation (25%)
• Individual reflection on what each participant can do already today to strengthen readiness (15%)

 The programme awards 5 ECTS (European Credit Transfer System). Pass/Fail.

Supervised without identity verification.

Materials provided by the organisers during the programme; World Health Organization, Health Emergency and Disaster Risk Management Framework (2019).

• Bachelor-degree students studying “General Practice Nursing” and “Social Work” at a partner institution
• (Students on Erasmus+ exchange during the same period cannot take part with Erasmus+ funding)

• Bachelor-degree students in General Practice Nursing or Social Work
• English, minimum B1 level
• Commitment to complete both the virtual and physical components.

• Nomination by sending university
• Online registration form 

Students will be selected at the sending university. Participants are nominated by the partner institutions; nominations are sent to Monika Pridotkienė (m.teresiute@kvk.lt) and students register through the online form.

• Nominations and registrations: until 19 October 2026, 12:00 (Lithuania time)
• Virtual session: 5 November 2026. Physical component: 9–13 November 2026.

Participants with special needs or fewer opportunities are encouraged to inform UAB and the organisers at the time of nomination, so that reasonable accommodations can be discussed in advance and Erasmus+ top-up funding can be requested through UAB.

Yes, based on ECHE.

Mandatory.

Internal and external quality assurance.

ECHE alignment.

Feedback questionaire.

Mandatory under Erasmus+ programme guide.

Online platform communicated by the organisers; stable internet connection and a computer with webcam and microphone.

Students will arrange their accommodation, local transport and some of the meals. One international dinner and the departure dinner are offered by the organisers, as well as coffee breaks.

Students will make their travel arrangements.

Apply at the sending university. Registration: online form provided by KVK (KVK BIP: “What day do we need to prepare for?”). Student nominations by partner institutions to m.teresiute@kvk.lt. Deadline: 19 October 2026, 12:00 (Lithuania time).