Vera, a graduate of the Health Care and Technology program, has been nominated for an Ad Award

April 17 is the big day; two Associate Degree talents will be honored and will thereby become national AD ambassadors. All universities of applied sciences affiliated with the Associate Degrees Consultation Platform, including Fontys, were able to nominate one talent as an AD ambassador. Fontys has nominated Vera Driessen, an alumna of the Associate Degree in Care and Technology program. During her graduation project, Vera investigated how the use of the robot Ivy at the healthcare facility where she works could be made more person-centered by making the impact on clients and staff measurable. 

Vera will represent Fontys at the national AD Day in Groningen. During her Bachelor’s in Nursing, she discovered her interest in innovation in healthcare. “I wanted to further my development, but in a way that has a direct impact on practice. The AD in Care and Technology offered exactly the depth I was looking for,” she explains.

For her graduation project, Vera investigated how social robotics—specifically the robot Ivy—could be deployed in a more personalized and effective way at Kempenhaeghe, the care facility where she works as a nurse. She refined an existing questionnaire, gathered feedback from clients, staff, and other stakeholders, and was thus able to quantify the impact of social robots. The results were valuable: clients experienced greater autonomy and connection, while care staff reported less work pressure and greater job satisfaction.

After completing her degree, Vera now combines her work as a nurse with the role of Social Robotics Project Leader. In this position, she takes the lead in implementing and further developing care technology within Kempenhaeghe.