Takeaways and highlights from the 2026 AMEEFRHS Congress

Editor’s Note: The AMEEFRHS 2026 Congress was supported by the International Nursing Knowledge Association (INKA), formerly NANDA® International (NANDA-I). INKA leaders and experts contributed to keynote presentations, plenary sessions, workshops, and panel discussions throughout the Congress, including Drs. Míriam Rodríguez-Monforte, Hortensia Castañeda-Hidalgo, Marcos Lopes, and Viviane da Silva

The Future of Nursing Education in the Digital Era

The recent AMEEFRHS 2026 Congress, held in the cultural hub of Mérida, Yucatán, successfully brought together global academic leaders, clinical experts, and nursing students. In collaboration with the Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY) and backed by INKA, the event established clear paths for evolving nursing classrooms and practices.

Here are the key takeaways and highlights from this international gathering:

Key Takeaways

• Standardized Language Integration: Nursing curricula must systematically incorporate standardized nursing languages to reinforce diagnostic accuracy.
• Digital Transformation in Education: Academic programs must embrace digital learning tools to bridge the gap between classroom theory and clinical application.
• The Evolving Nursing Process: Nursing faculty need active training in advanced methodologies to teach the Nursing Process effectively to the new generation.
• Global Educational Alignment: Collaborative frameworks between national bodies and international organizations like INKA optimize global health care competencies.

Event Highlights

• Academic Keynotes & Panels: Global experts led specialized workshops focused on modernizing teaching methodologies and expanding nursing diagnostics.
• Solid Collaborative Networks: The event strengthened ties between Latin American nursing schools, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán, and INKA.
• Interactive Faculty Workshops: Hands-on clinical reasoning workshops provided educators with clear frameworks for digital-era student evaluations.
• Cultural & Academic Synergy: The vibrant setting of Mérida provided an inspiring environment for essential professional networking.

With more than 200 people in attendance at the event venue, from Mexico, Peru, Costa Rica, and Ecuador, and more than 100 participating online, this conference is shaping up to be one of the most successful and the first to provide information on the changes to the expanded NANDA 360 classification and its ecosystem as an infrastructure for nursing care grounded in solid scientific foundations, which will contribute to the holistic training of new generations of nurses.

About the Author

Dr. Hortensia Castañeda-Hidalgo, RN, PhD, is President of the International Nursing Knowledge Association (INKA), formerly NANDA International (NANDA-I), and Professor Emerita and Full-Time Professor at the Universidad Autónoma de Tamaulipas, Mexico. She has contributed to NANDA-I since 2012, initially as a translator for the Latin American edition of NANDA International Nursing Diagnoses: Definitions and Classification, and later as a member of the Diagnosis Development Committee. An internationally recognized speaker on the nursing process and nursing diagnoses, she has held numerous leadership, research, and advisory roles across nursing education, public health, scholarship, and international collaboration.