An approach that helps break down gender stereotypes: Research and Commentary

Globally, the use of the skin to skin (STS) contact, also known as kangaroo care, has become widely used within neonatal units. Evidence suggests that STS has a number of significant benefits for both premature infants and their parents. Benefits include physiological stabilization of the infant such as improvement of gas exchange and body temperature regulation, and can provide pain relief. STS has also been found to promote the development of human attachment and bonding and facilitates and improves breastfeeding. Despite well researched benefits of STS, little evidence is available on the psychological benefits of STS for parents, in particular fathers

From The “Cot in the corner”

This concurrent session aims to reflect on the development of a “Flexible learning space” in the University of Huddersfield. Following last years conference, I returned to Huddersfield with renewed enthusiasm regarding children’s clinical skills provision. Whilst Huddersfield has excellent skills facilities, we literally had “the cot in the corner” in terms of child skills provision. Since last year we have developed a flexible learning space, which is not ideal, but has some clear advantages. The area is an extra large classroom, where theory is delivered, with a mini children’s skills area incorporated. This includes a cot, full traction bed, platform and incubator and child specific documentation. The room is fully equipped with relevant equipment, including Sim baby and other lower fidelity manikins that can be used for simulation. Theory can be delivered and interrupted at any time by demonstration of skills/simulation linked to the subject being taught. A one dimensional model of a children’s ward has also been devised to enable students to demonstrate how they would manage a ward, in terms of allocating bed spaces and health and safety issues, for example

SORT:Ed - An Interactive Educational Game for HealthCare Students

This short paper outlines an academic’s entrepreneurial journey from idea conception to the market place. Sort Ed is an interactive board game designed for paediatric student nurses and it set in a child’s ward. There is a huge market demand for this type of educational games in the UK especially by institutions that run healthcare management courses. This learning tool is a major contribution to the limited number of interactive educational games currently available to healthcare tutors and students. Simulated learning benefits of the game enables students to develop required transferable skills needed to succeed in the work place

Huddle Street - A virtual learning environment (VLE) for integrated interprofessional working within a healthcare setting

Huddle Street is a 2D virtual street that will act as the interface for new and existing e-learning materials, digital resources, case studies etc. for health care students from different professions. The Street will support the diversity of the forthcoming new curriculum for nurse education at a university in the north of England and its integration with other professions by providing students and all professions with access to the virtual environment and its occupants. The environment, lives, social and healthcare needs of the street’s occupants will provide a context and shared focus for different professions. Academics will be able to add materials and expand the system over time and evolve the individual profiles and stories of the street’s occupants and the system should recognise and reward students who engage with the virtual inhabitants appropriately. Although this is essentially a simple concept it offers the potential to create a very rich and engaging teaching space. The development of Huddle Street as a completed product is taking a staged approach. Initially we propose to demonstrate proof of concept and provide a detailed design scheme for the street. The authors would like to present at this conference the motivation and context of the development of Huddle Street and would like to present initial development findings and products of this VLE. The authors also report on the research findings from a collaborative focus group held to gain insight and knowledge from all professions, user carers and practitioners who could envisage using such a VLE

Valuable knowledge about how families manage their child’s allergy

The potential and actual financial burden on families with children and young people with food allergies is not well researched or understood (Gupta et al 2013), so Protudjer et al’s (2015) study is a valuable addition to the available knowledge

The academic Experiences of student Nurses who are dyslexic. A small scale phenomenological, explorative study.

Objective: To explore the academic experiences of student nurses with a formal diagnosis of dyslexia, in order to contribute to a gap in knowledge and to improve the support offered to student nurses who are dyslexic. Design: This is a qualitative study, taking a phenomenological, hermeneutical approach. Semi- structured in depth interviews were conducted with student nurses who were dyslexic. Setting: Population consisted of three final year student nurses and one second year student nurse all studying in a North of England University. Participants: Participants were drawn from two branches of nursing – adult and mental health. All were 21 years or over and all had been formally assessed as dyslexic. Findings: All participants reported extremely negative experiences of primary and secondary school education. This contrasted with the largely positive experiences of higher education. Despite indications of dyslexia at primary and secondary school, all were diagnosed as dyslexic in adulthood. In all cases, the personal tutor identified a problem and correctly signposted for assessment. A diagnosis of dyslexia was for all no surprise and brought relief from their self- perceptions of unintelligence. Despite diagnosis, self-esteem and self-worth was significantly affected. This manifested in many feelings of being dyslexic including: Fear; isolation; frustration; panic and of feeling unworthy. Many exceptional and noteworthy talents and abilities were identified in the participants such as: exceptional work ethic; creativity and imagination. Abilities such as perception, intutition and empathy were evident. Participants developed and utilised many innovative coping strategies in order to achieve academically. Participants had a great capacity for humour, were self- aware, intelligent and articulate. Conclusions: Dyslexia affects individuals differently. Dyslexia is a complex and inconsistent collection of difficulties and disabilities, as well as abilities and talents. Dyslexia appears to be poorly identified and managed in many primary and secondary schools. Dyslexia has a marked emotional and academic impact on those affected. Low self-esteem and feelings of unworthiness abound. Participants transformed their difficulties into abilities and talents by determination, ingenuity and courage. Given the appropriate support and encouragement nurses diagnosed as dyslexic nurses can achieve to a high academic level. Recommendations: 1. Universities should forge greater links with primary and secondary schools to allow greater opportunities for cross fertilisation of best practice and knowledge. 2. Training should be given, preferably mandatory, to all teachers whether in primary, secondary or tertiary education on the identification, support and impact of dyslexia. 3. Although, Universities advocate pedagogy, a newly diagnosed dyslexic needs support to come to terms with their diagnosis and as such all students diagnosed as dyslexic at university should receive timely follow up and be made aware of facilities available for them to access. 4. Some academic coping strategies used by dyslexics should be utilised by all students eg, mind mapping computer software. 5. The talents and abilities of dyslexics should be celebrated and highlighted to a greater extent

SORT:Ed

A healthcare simulation board game set in its first application in the paediatric setting. The game is being developed for commercial sale. Future versions are in development including mental health, accident and emergency, schools version. Low fidelity simulation allows participants in the game to gain insight and experience into paediatric nursing and other multidisiplinary team roles. SORT:ED is copyright protected and is being developed with support from grant from Yorkshire forward and Yorkshire enterprise fellowship

Ambulance service provision to people experiencing mental illness

[Extract] Introduction: The following report provides information on an evaluation of ambulance service provision to people experiencing mental illness in metropolitan Melbourne for the 2008/2009 financial year.\ud \ud This research follows on from a previous analysis of mental health related attendances by Ambulance Victoria (previously Metropolitan Ambulance Service) in 2006. The previous study was limited to the identification of mental health patients using Medical Priority Dispatch System (MPDS) codes, which are allocated at the call-taking stage. This limited the ability to identify mental health patients, as the information given at the call-taking stage may differ from the actual condition of the patient.\ud \ud A key finding from the previous study was that over 65% of the mental health patients attended by AV were transported and compliant. However, only 11.5% of total patients received paramedic treatment. This suggested that the transport responsibility for mental health patients warrants further review and that other organisations / services may be able to provide this function more effectively and appropriately.\ud \ud The staged introduction of the Victorian Ambulance Clinical Information System (VACIS), across the AV metropolitan area in December 2006 has meant that it is now possible to identify mental health patients via clinical data gathered by attending paramedics, rather than via MPDS codes. In addition, patient care data can be extracted electronically allowing for increased sampling and more detailed analysis.\ud \ud The purpose of this research was to conduct a comprehensive epidemiological evaluation of mental health patients attended by AV in the metropolitan area using VACIS, CAD and Finance data obtained from Data Warehouse, and supplemented with data from the Referral Service and the Victorian Emergency Minimum Dataset (VEMD). The focus of the research is on patients attended by emergency ambulance.\ud \ud The ability to identify mental health patients via a Data Warehouse filter represents a considerable step forward for AV. However, this report does not include analysis for regional areas as electronic capture of data has only recently commenced.\ud \ud A recent innovation in VACIS software enables paramedics to access hospital and mental health services information while at scene. This will facilitate inter-agency liaison and improve treatment and transport options available to patients.\ud \ud In 2009 the Victorian Auditor General's Office conducted an audit titled 'Responding to mental health crises in the community'. A key finding of the audit was that management is likely to be improved through the availability of more mental health services, so that the need for ambulance assistance in a crisis is minimised. Many of the recommendations specific to AV are currently being addressed

Encompassing design - exploiting the VLE to create the online resource for nursing students planning a voluntary placement

This presentation showcased a new educational VLE based innovation collaboratively developed by a nursing academic and a learning technology advisor. A VLE space has been developed to assist students with their plans for their placement or voluntary experiences. VLE provide a range of simple tools for sharing content and enabling interactivity, but don't necessarily provide the most engaging or visually interesting experience. However with some basic design skills and simple techniques we have provided an inspiring and engaging interactive space for information and advice on how to get started as well as inspirational stories from students who have already planned and undertaken an adventure. The space exploits the universities VLE tools to allow staff and students to share their views and experiences. The context of this development is a recent change to the new nursing curriculum at a North of England University that presented an opportunity to offer undergraduate nursing students the chance to undertake a placement or voluntary experience at home or abroad. The placement is optional and is intended to complement the compulsory placement activity in the course. Undertaking such an experience is potentially enormously valuable , not only at enhancing the students experience whilst studying but also potentially positively affecting employability upon qualification. Future plans include the expansion of the resource across the university and to undertake a research project looking at the benefits of national and international short experiences during undergraduate courses