News and Events
Nursing & Health Care success at the 2012 BMA Book Awards
Spiritual Care for Healthcare Professionals is a new textbook published by Radcliff and launched at the University of Glasgow in November 2011. Selected from among 681 entries the book was one of five textbooks shortlisted in the Basis of Medicine section of the British Medical Association Book Awards announced on 13th September 2012. The new textbook was written by Rev. David Mitchell, the Programme Leader for Healthcare Chaplaincy in Nursing & Health Care, University of Glasgow; Ewan Kelly, Programme Director Spiritual Care and Healthcare Chaplaincy NHS Education for Scotland; and Tom Gordon, Chair of the Chaplaincy Training Advisory Group, Scotland.
This book offers a practical and in-depth exploration of spiritual care as it can be practiced by all healthcare professionals and supports the Postgraduate Certificate in Healthcare Chaplaincy and spiritual care teaching in the School. In his forward Stephen Thornton CBE, Chief Executive of the Healthcare Foundation, describes it is “a book that fills a gap for all those seeking to understand the spiritual components of healthcare and how to meet them.”
The authors, including Rev. David Mitchell, attended the British Medical Association in London to receive a ‘Highly Commended’ certificate for their book. The textbook is commended as follows:
“I shall recommend this book to all healthcare professionals who want to differentiate between spiritual and religious needs of a person. This book clarifies contentious areas of spirit (soul), religion, non-religious persuasion and atheism based on science which significantly differs from religious views and facts. Reading this book would improve understanding, debate, needs of every patient (and health professional) of spiritual care and why it is helpful in clinical practice today. All Health professionals should benefit from this book.” BMA Medical Book and Patient Information Awards 2012.
The Nursing & Health Care School is very proud to offer such a successful and unique inter-professional course of study in its portfolio. While doctors, nurses and allied health professionals follow professional standards and guidelines that say spiritual care is inherent in their practice what that spiritual care is appears vague and unclear. Working in partnership with NHS Education for Scotland the University of Glasgow developed the programme of professional education in Spiritual Care in Healthcare. Originally developed as a programme of courses for healthcare chaplains the courses are now available to all healthcare professionals. The courses enable healthcare professionals to study what providing spiritual care actually means and how it can be integrated into their professional practice.
New PhD Research Project in Nursing & Health Care
Performance and patient experience of Coban2 compression system for lymphoedema
Lymphoedema is a long term condition which has significant impact on quality of life, mobility and independent living. The 3M Coban2 Compression system has recently been introduced to the market. It is reported to be effective in reducing limb volume in people with upper or lower limb lymphoedema. However little is known about how the system performs in relation to patient activity over time while limb volume is reducing and to what extent compression levels are maintained.
The aims of the PhD are:
- to examine short and long term effects of 3M Coban2 Compression system in terms of the interface pressures (i.e. the pressure between the skin and bandaging)
- to evaluate the effect of physical activity on limb volume and interface pressures of people with lymphoedema when using the 3M Coban2 Compression system
- to examine the effectiveness of the 3M Coban2 Compression system from the patients perspective i.e. in terms of pain, comfort, function.
See http://www.findaphd.com/search/ProjectDetails.aspx?PJID=39204 for more information.
To apply, please send a CV, covering letter (clearly stating in your letter why you would like to be considered for this studentship) and the details of two academic referees to Emma.Fisher@glasgow.ac.uk.
28th March 2011 Best Practice Statement: Pain Management Following Acute Stroke
A national best practice statement and accompanying quick reference guide has been published today on pain management following acute stroke. This statement is designed to support stroke nurses in delivering high quality care to stroke patients. The statement will also be of interest to all members of stroke teams.
The statement covers key issues in pain management: recognition and assessment of pain, approaches to pain management and interventions for common types of pain such as headache or central poststroke pain (CPSP).
The project was funded by the National Advisory Committee for Stroke, supported by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and led by Nursing & Health Care, University of Glasgow. The project has worked closely with The Scottish Stroke Nurses Forum who represented and involved in every stage of the process and with a Scotland-wide group of nurses, doctors, AHPs, patient representatives and charities to produce this Best Practice statement, taking on board the Scottish Government’s health priorities
The statement and accompanying quick reference are available below (pdf) and at http://www.nhshealthquality.org/
If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact Professor Lorraine N Smith at lorraine.smith@glasgow.ac.uk
University of Kobe Visit
The Nursing & Health Care School welcomed a delegation of 6 visitors from the University of Kobe and University Hospital in February. The aim was to gather information and advice on nurse education and effective integration and development of clinical skills. This is part of a large project worth over £1,000,000. Pictured with them are Margaret Sneddon (Head), Joan McDowell (Senior Lecturer) and Noriko Tanashima (PhD student) from the Nursing & Health Care School, Lisa Ballantyne (Senior International Officer) and Annie McLaughlan (International Officer) and Yushin Toda (International Business Liaison Manager in Research and Enterprise).
The visit was a great success and the delegation were very impressed by the University, the School and the students. A number of visits and meetings were arranged to aid understanding of the successful interface between the University and the NHS as they would like to emulate some of the strategies to manage ongoing development of clinical skills and education more effectively. They have requested a reciprocal visit from a senior member of staff in the Nursing & Health Care School to assist with the project once it becomes established.
Prof Benlan Ye
The visitor is Prof Benlan Ye, Head of Nursing Department in Xiamen University, China, visiting Nursing & Health Care on 14th January. Xiamen university is one of the top universities in China. Its Nursing Department is newly established. The visit was to explore opportunities for the development of the department and to promote international interaction and collaboration in nursing education. We hope to be able to collaborate and assist Xiamen University develop postgraduate courses. Prof. Ye is a Physiology Professor who studied clinical medicine.
1st December 2010 Best Practice Statement: End of life care following acute stroke
A national Best Practice Statement and accompanying Quick Reference Guide has been published today on ‘End of life care following acute stroke’. This statement is designed to support stroke nurses in delivering quality end of life care to stroke patients. The statement will also be of interest to all members of stroke teams.
The statement covers key issues in end of life stroke care including ethics and decision making, symptom management, nutrition and hydration, the role of the multidisciplinary team, spiritual care and family/carer support.
The project was funded by the National Advisory Committee for Stroke, supported by NHS Quality Improvement Scotland and led by Nursing & Health Care, University of Glasgow. The project has worked closely with The Scottish Stroke Nurses Forum who represented and involved in every stage of the process and with a Scotland-wide group of nurses, doctors, AHPs, patient representatives and charities to produce this Best Practice statement, taking on board the Scottish Government’s health priorities.
Download:
- Best Practice Statement: End of life care following acute stroke
- Quick Reference Guide: BPS End of life care following acute stroke
If you have any further queries please do not hesitate to contact Professor Lorraine N Smith at lorraine.smith@glasgow.ac.uk
British Lymphology Society Prizewinner
Congratulations to Yolande Borthwick, University Teacher in Nursing & Health Care for scooping the prize for the best research presentation from a novice researcher at the British Lymphology Society’s Annual Conference in Manchester on October 5th! The photo shows Yolande receiving her award from Cheryl Pike, Chair of the British Lymphology Society.
Yolande's presentation was on "The reliability and validity of the figure-of-eight method of measuring hand size in patients with breast cancer related lymphoedema". The study, funded by the Physiotherapy Research Foundation, is important for clinical practice as it demonstrated that a very simple measurement technique for swollen hands was both reliable and valid. Yolande is now taking her research onto a second phase to determine the degree of sensitivity to change in hand swelling and its usefulness as an objective outcome
26 July 2010 Glasgow students host visit from Malawi
Students at Glasgow hosted a visit recently from the director of the Kamuzu College of Nursing in Malawi. Dr Address Malata, who was in Scotland as part of a visit organised by the Scotland-Malawi Partnership, was invited to the University by nursing students who volunteer in Malawi as part of the Students for Kids International Project (SKIP). SKIP is a healthcare-student-led UK-based charity supporting child welfare in communities throughout the developing world; Malawi is the focus of the Glasgow branch of SKIP. The charity aims to develop and maintain sustainable, community-based projects to improve the health, education and welfare of vulnerable children, as well as developing globally and culturally-aware healthcare students who can advocate for local and international health progress as future healthcare professionals.
Each year SKIP Glasgow sends about 40 nursing, medical and dental students out each summer, in four teams, over a period of 13 weeks. Anna Pomfret, a third year nursing student at Glasgow and one of the coordinators of SKIP Glasgow, said: “For the past three years, we have received a sizeable grant from the Chancellor’s Fund, which we distribute to the students who are volunteering. The students fund their whole trip themselves, through acquiring sponsorship and fundraising, as well as taking part in fundraising for the charity as a whole. As part of our project in Malawi, we have set up links with Kamuzu College of Nursing, KCN, which is part of the University of Malawi, and has its main campus in Lilongwe, where our project has been based.We have a partnership with KCN students, and last year we hosted a joint community health day at the centre we work in, where the KCN students were able to provide health advice in the local language, Chichewa.We learnt that Dr Malata, the principal of KCN was coming to Scotland as a guest of the Scotland Malawi Partnership, an organisation which we are members of, that works to increase links with Scotland and Malawi, so we invited her to the University. Nursing & Health Care hosted an event during which I gave a presentation on SKIP's work. Dr Malata then gave a presentation about nursing in Malawi, and the challenges they face. She talked about the problems KCN had, with understaffing, and poor facilities. She was very inspiring, and talked about how Malawi needs to work to reduce deaths from AIDs, and maternal deaths. She was pleased about our project, but suggested we could do more help in the rural areas. This is certainly something we would like to look into for our next project, and hope that Dr Malata can assist with this. She was extremely supportive of SKIP, and gave us her contact details so we can contact her directly. The team out in Malawi just now are contacting her to hopefully arrange another health day. I think as we look to the future of SKIP Glasgow, and moving to a new project, this meeting will prove very useful, as we are able to utilise local knowledge, in order to give help where it is needed most.”
Nursing & Healthcare is keen to support students in their work with SKIP Glasgow and is also interested in exploring partnership working opportunities with Dr Malata and KCN.
For more information contact Stuart Forsyth in the University of Glasgow Media Relations Office on 0141 330 4831 or email s.forsyth@admin.gla.ac.uk
Nurses brave the elements for earthquake appeal
On 29 January the University’s Nursing Society donned fancy dress and raised an astonishing £1,295.60 for the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) Haiti earthquake appeal.
Staff and students from the Nursing School were encouraged to come to lectures in fancy dress and, during breaks, take collection buckets around the campus collecting on behalf of the appeal.
Not content with parading around the University in the bitter cold, surviving nurses later took their appeal to the general public and hit Byres road after lectures in a last push to raise cash.
However, the tenacity and bravery of Glasgow’s nurses paid off at the end of the day with their fantastic haul of nearly £1,300, all collected in just six hours. May we offer our most sincere congratulations to first year society rep, Caroline McCaw, for organising the day and to the rest of the Society for helping to make it such a resounding success!
For more information on making a donation to the DEC Haiti Earthquake Appeal please visit the DEC website: www.dec.org
Lymphoedema Recruitment
We offer a comprehensive range of educational opportunities for nurses, physiotherapists and occupational therapists from any setting to develop knowledge and skills in the assessment, diagnosis and management of people with lymphoedema or chronic oedema with lymphatic insufficiency.
More Information >
RAE Results
Nursing & Health Care are delighted with their RAE results (Research Assessment Exercise) announced December 18th, 2008. With their HealthQWest partners, Nursing and Health Care are rated joint 7th in the UK and joint 1st in Scotland according to the Times Higher Education Table of Excellence for Unit of Assessment 12.
Honorary Professor Christine Moffat
Honorary Professor Christine Moffat CBE has recently received the accolade of the Nursing Times Diamond 20 award, which recognises the 20 most influential nurses of the last 60 years, who have changed the face of the profession from the inception of the National Health Service and made a significant contribution to health care. The award was in recognition of Christine's transformation of leg-ulcer management and her contribution to wound care and lymphoedema management.
11th Annual Spring Meeting on Cardiovascular Nursing
Congratulations to Meghan Bateson who presented a poster at the 11th Annual Spring Meeting on Cardiovascular Nursing between the 1st and 2nd April 2011.
Her poster was "Experiences of Nursing Conscious Heart Failure Patients".
11th Annual Spring Meeting on Cardiovascular Meeting