Changing rooms in NICU : a comparative descriptive study of parental perceptions of the physical environment of neonatal intensive care units : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree in Master of Philosophy in Nursing at Massey University

The physical environment of a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) is unique and can be challenging and stressful for families. As infant survival rates and technology improved, many NICUs became 'busy', overcrowded, noisy environments. New directions in the design of newborn nurseries highlight the potential for the physical environment to support parental needs and optimise the parenting experience. In October 2004 the NICU at National Women's Hospital (NWH) in Auckland (New Zealand), relocated to a new facility at Auckland City Hospital (ACH). A key principle in the design of the new NICU was improvement of family space at the cot side. This non-experimental study sought to describe and compare parental perceptions of the physical environment of a traditional NICU configuration with a new custom built NICU. A sample of parents with infants hospitalised in NICU from NWH (n = 30) and a different group of parents from ACH (n = 30) completed a self report Likert-type questionnaire (with a scale from 1 = strongly disagree to 7 = strongly agree). Qualitative data was sought using open ended questions. Significant differences were found between the old NWH NICU and the newly designed ACH NICU. Parents perception of the space at the cot-side was more adequate (p = 0.001), lighting levels more comfortable (p = 0.002), the cot-side was quieter (p = 0.02) and technology less intrusive (p = 0.03) at ACH NICU when compared to NWH NICU. Impact of these design changes on privacy, sense of belonging, and socialisation of parents did not show significant differences. Lack of cot-side space for NWH parents was the predominate theme from the open-ended questions. Parents viewed the family space and aesthetics of the new ACH rooms positively. Providers of newborn services contemplating redesign need to consider that increasing cot side space and decreasing infant numbers in clinical rooms can significantly improve a parent's view of NICU and therefore provide an environment that is supportive to parent's needs

Where's the evidence? Obstacles to impact-gathering and how researchers might be better supported in future

Despite the increased importance of demonstrating impact, it remains a concept many academics feel ill-equipped to measure or evidence. Clare Wilkinson reveals how researchers from a broad range of disciplines think about evidencing impact, what obstacles might stand in their way, and how they might be further supported in future. Knowledge around research impact continues to exist in siloes, with those at early-career stages often less clear about it. Researchers are eager to see best-practice examples and information on the types of evidence that could be collected, but are less receptive to support mechanisms that more obviously add to bureaucracy. Interestingly, academics rarely consider how their own research backgrounds, methodologies, and tools may feature in their impact activities

What role can Athena SWAN play in gender equality and science communication?

This essay discusses how gender-focused culture change initiatives developed for science (like Athena SWAN) might offer models for science communication. Such initiatives can seek to mobilise change amongst university departments and practices, but there are also potential pitfalls in such approaches. Using experiences in a department at UWE Bristol as a basis, the article will consider whether such schemes in science offer potential for science communication to reflect on its own gender imbalances

Engaging with strangers and brief encounters: Social scientists and emergent public engagement with science and technology

Social scientists operate in a range of roles within the public engagement with science and technology (PEST) agenda. Social scientists strengths in respect to ‘translation’ and ‘intermediary’ skills have captured attention at a time of disciplinary pressure to demonstrate impact. This article explores how social scientists engaged in PEST consider their role(s), drawing on 21 semi-structured interviews and Horst and Michael’s (2011) proposals of an emergence model, in addition to ongoing discussions related to expertise. The findings suggest there are many benefits when social scientists engage with ‘strangers’, both scientific and public, but that focusing only on pragmatic elements misses the true opportunity such working relationships can offer amongst critical friends

UWE Science Communication Postgraduate Papers

The Science Communication Unit in the Faculty of Health & Life Sciences at the University of the West of England (UWE) has a vibrant postgraduate community. Each year approximately twenty students undertake a Masters level project in order to complete the requirements for an MScScience Communication. This publication is a celebration of the work carried out during such projects.This collection of papers is based on a selection of projects occurring between 2006 and 2008. Whilst they cover a range of topics and a variety of methods, they are not a comprehensive representation of the broad variety of projects undertaken by science communication students.A number of students were invited to participate in this publication and those featured here represent only a small sample of the animated and innovative work carried out by the postgraduate community

MULTIPLE EXPERTS: SCIENTIFIC, MEDICAL, MEDIA AND LAY DISCOURSES ON 'NEW GENETICS'

The significance of public relationships with scientific and medical expertise has increasingly been highlighted as an area of importance in governmental policy formulation and scientific activities. Central to this relationship has been the role of the media, frequently depicted as increasing the strained communications between science, medicine and the public in the present UK 'crisis' of expertise. Sociological research has contributed to our understandings of science, medicine, the media and lay knowledge. The research presented in this thesis correlates these contributions. It focuses on 'new genetics' to elicit the views towards communication and understanding expressed by three groups; media professionals, members of the public and medical and scientific experts. Utilising a range of quantitative and qualitative methods, this research reflects on the relationships and identities created during interactions between these three groups, ignored by prior studies that have frequently focused on one or two participants in such relationships. This thesis contributes to present debates surrounding the role of the media and public, concluding that the present climate for dialogue is a politically motivated, theoretical context, challenged by a lack of practical methods to confront long-held notions of understanding and communication between expertise and lay persons. This offers original insight into the identities members of the media, public and scientific and medical experts create, maintain and displace in their interactions. The 'crisis' in science and trust instead comes 10 represent a manufactured perception of the public and media, which continues to exclude the public from true dialogue with medical and scientific experts and maintains traditional notions of the media as incompetent

Evidencing impact: the challenges of mapping impacts frompublic engagement and communication

Clare Wilkinson and Emma Weitkamp from the University of the West of England, Bristol offer support for researchers looking to track and evidence the unique, creative and often qualitative outcomes of public engagement and communication activities. Rather than an add-on to the research, it may be possible to embed evaluation within the research project itself

Into the digital wild: Utilizing Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook for effective science and environmental communication

Recent years have seen an upsurge in the digital environment and the reliance placed upon it by society. This case study reports on a project which sought to examine how the digital environment can be utilized for science communication, exploring the role of social media and particularly short online videos, as an effective means through which to engage the public with science, environment and conservation messages. Using as its focus a 300-mile trek around the coast of Cornwall (Sophie's Wild Cornwall) we examine how science was communicated real-time using online videos and social media over a 5-week period, as well as data from an online public opinion survey (n = 129). The observations gleaned identify a number of key themes for others wishing to adopt digital approaches within their science communication activities, including the role of web-based presenter-led narratives, the value of accessibility and interaction on social media platforms, and online videos potential for stimulating proactive, participatory engagement, and interest in an environmental context. Effective online video use requires a balance between crafting an informative yet entertaining narrative without compromising scientific accuracy; yet ultimately, social media platforms may represent a potential "stepping-stone"for practitioners to consider implementing in a journey toward "upstream engagement"