Ruth Pel-Littel

Dr. Ruth Pel-Littel is a **Special Professor of Shared Decision-Making with Older Adults with Complex Care Needs** at HAN University of Applied Sciences, appointed since May 2023. Her role is part of the **Community Nursing Research Group**, collaborating with Vilans and the Jo Visser Fund. She focuses on advancing person-centered Shared Decision-Making (SDM) in elderly care, particularly for those with limited health literacy. Her inaugural speech highlighted SDM's evolution and future research directions. She holds a PhD from Radboud University (2020) and is affiliated with Vilans as a senior researcher.

**Research & Education**: Her work bridges practice, education, and policy, emphasizing SDM in community nursing. Projects include:

• "Samen Beslissen" initiative to strengthen SDM roles in nursing education/practice
• PRO-DEM platform for dementia-related research across 13 universities
• Academic Workplace for Community Nursing in Nijmegen

**Awards**: Recipient of the 2022 Anna Reynvaan Science Prize.

**Grants & Collaborations**: Supported by Jo Visser Fund, collaborates with UKON (Nijmegen elderly care network), Radboud University Medical Center, and national platforms like the Sustainable Healthcare Knowledge Center.