Valerie Slaats

Valerie Slaats serves as a Lecturer-Researcher at the End-of-Life Care research group within the Centre of Expertise Perspective in Health at Avans University of Applied Sciences. She concurrently holds a position at WSD Ouderen (WSD for the Elderly) since May 2023, focusing on elderly care initiatives and community-based support systems.

Her educational foundation includes an HBO-level nursing degree and a Master's in Nursing and Midwifery from the University of Antwerp, earned while working full-time as a hospital nurse and research coordinator. This dual clinical-academic trajectory established her expertise in evidence-based healthcare practices.

Valerie's research centers on end-of-life care models, particularly Compassionate Communities for dementia patients in Breda, examining how healthcare and social workers collaborate in community settings. Her clinical background spans ICU research (influenza, delirium interventions, long-term ICU outcomes) and neurological drug trials (MS, stroke, meningitis), bridging practical care with academic rigor. Current projects like DeathTalks with WSD Elderly emphasize culturally sensitive death conversations in aging populations.

As a core member of Avans' End-of-Life Care lectorate, she integrates teaching with applied research, developing educational frameworks that translate Compassionate Community principles into actionable healthcare training programs for professionals and community volunteers.