Four go mad in Prague?

Professor Julie Jomeen, Catriona Jones, Lynda Bateman and Olanma Ogbuehi, four midwifery academics from the University of Hull, Faculty of Health and Social Care, recently attended the International Confederation of Midwives 30^th Triennial Congress in Prague: 1^st and 5^th June 2014.

More than 3000 midwives from around the world attended, from developed and developing economies, representing Northern and Southern hemispheres, Eastern and Western countries, climates and cultures. Researchers and practitioners from other professions were also among the delegates. Speakers were academics or clinical practitioners who demonstrated significant commitment and tenacity in fighting to protect and enhance pregnancy and childbirth for women and babies. It felt good to be a midwife among midwives.  The research presented was clearly driven by clinical practice.

Catriona's presentation

Catriona presenting

One of many highlights of the conference was Professor Cecily Begley, Chair of Nursing and Midwifery in Trinity College Dublin, giving a keynote address on, “Education: the bridge to midwifery and women’s autonomy.” She urged and challenged midwives to deliberately engage with research, either by doing it or by obtaining and acting on its findings.  Failure to do so, she warned, would cause future generations of mothers and midwives to accuse us of wilful ignorance and complicity with unjustifiable practices.

On Monday 2^nd June 2014:  Olanma Ogbuehi presented a paper, “Midwives’ Guardianship of Normal Birth”: impact of conflicting discourses of birth in the United Kingdom; a metasynthensis conducted with Julie Jomeen. This paper presented themes from qualitative research published in the 20 years since the publication of the seminal report “Changing Childbirth” on what factors influence UK midwives to either support of negate normality in childbirth.

Catriona & Ola

On Wednesday 4 June 2014:

·         Professor Julie Jomeen facilitated a symposium on, “Perinatal Mental Health: a continuum module of perinatal mental health: implications for midwives” representing the Society for Reproductive and Infant Psychology.

·         Catriona Jones presented a paper, “The impact of peer support in the context of perinatal mental health: a meta-ethnography”: a study conducted with Professors Julie Jomeen and Mark Hayter, published in Midwifery, 30 (5), 491–498         DOI: 10.1016/j.midw.2013.08.003 (Jones, Hayter, and Jomeen, 2013).  This paper is a report of a systematic review and meta-ethnography of women’s experiences of peer support for perinatal mental health problems.

On Thursday 5^th June 2014: Lynda Bateman presented as part of a satellite symposium sponsored by Kellogg’s All Bran on, “Motivating women to change dietary habits in pregnancy: practical tips.”  The presentation comprised contrasting videos of midwifery team members Julie Flint and Louise Lewis demonstrating the importance of clear, accurate communication when giving information in respect of diet. It also discussed the role of the midwife in inculcating good dietary habits in pregnancy and beyond.

 We all felt privileged to have been part of this congress and have designs on the next, in Toronto 2017. 

The congress organisers have produced a short montage of highlights which can be accessed here: ICM 30th triennial Congress highlights.

Lynda presenting

Jeremy meets friends old and new in Brunei

Dr Jeremy Jolley with Izma (coming to Hull next year),
elephant (not coming to Hull next year),
Rosni and Peng (alumni).

"Whose problem is it: Communicating with older adults

Following her successful  Mary Seacole Award, Dr Gloria Likupe conducted a symposium on 16 June 2014 to disseminate the results. Speakers included Dr David Foster Assistant Director of Nursing from the Department of Health, Mohamed Jogi from NHS employer and our own  Professor Kate Galvin.

These pictures were taken at the event:

Jeremy Jolley in Brunei

I arrived at the University of Brunei Darussalam - unexpectedly, apparently but this has not dampened their enthusiasm to work together.

I arrived at the airport yesterday after 36 hours travelling to find that all the cash machines were out of action – so I had no money for a taxi! Fortunately, I had £25 with me but I had to go back into the airport as if I was flying out somewhere to find a money-changer. The £25 was enough to get me to the hotel, but I didn’t have any money for taxis today; I had enough to get to the university but not enough to bring me back to the hotel. There are few cash machines in Brunei – although I knew of one opposite the town (built on sticks) and thought I was going to have to get there somehow and then get back to the university for 10:30.  All this complicated by the fact that everyone has a car in Brunei, so there is little public transport and few taxis.  Of course, I assumed that that cash machine was working – otherwise I would be stuck in the town, and all this with jet lag  The desire to stay in bed was strong. I should have known, always take cash with you, preferably US dollars, sometimes they are the only thing that works!  However, after a long discussion with a member of hotel staff, they agreed - reluctantly -  to use my debit card to give me some money. 

Jeremy's new friend

Anyway, job done for today; made new contacts, the will is there and that’s what we want. Nice university, science faculty built in the shape of an atom; something you can do when you have money.

The view from my window is nice – feels like 35 degrees centigrade; nice actually, but too hot to walk more than half a mile.

My room was flooded but this has receded. Love the way the water comes through the walls when it rains, why can’t we have that in Hull?

Jeremy's accommodation

New PLOS One paper by Roger Watson

Professor Roger Watson has co-authored:

Roger Watson

Shenkin SD, Watson R, Laidlaw K, Starr JM, Deary IJ (2014)  The Attitudes to Ageing Questionnaire: Mokken Scaling Analysis PLOS One 9, e99100

Of the paper, Roger says: this was a collaboration with colleagues in Edinburgh and the data come from the Lothian Birth Cohort 1936 study which is producing a lot of interesting data about ageing and psychology.  The paper shows the value of applying alternative methods of analysis to large datasets; in this case, Mokken scaling revealed some new dimension to attitudes to ageing not seen using factor and Rasch analysis.

Paper at Oxford by Professor Galvin

Professor Kathleen Galvin has presented an invited paper at St Catherine’s College Oxford, Advanced Studies seminar: Aesthetics and Mental Health.

Professor Galvin

The interdisciplinary event was sponsored by the International Network for Philosophy and Psychiatry; Philosophy Special Interest Group, Royal College of Psychiatrists; Philosophy and Humanities Section of the World Psychiatric Association.

Hull colleague elected to Phi Mu Chapter Board

Dr Mary Laurenson Deputy Head of the Department of Health Technology and Perioperative Practice 

Mary Laurenson

has been elected Chair of the Governance Committee of the Phi Mu Chapter (England) of Sigma Theta Tau International (STTI), Honour Society of Nursing

New publications by Dr Gloria Likupe

Gloria Likupe has published:

Dr Likupe

Likupe G (2014) Communicating with older ethnic minority patients Nursing Standard 28:40, 37-43

And co-authored:

Likupe G, Baxter C, Jogi M and  Archibong U (2014) Managers' perspectives on promotion and professional development for black african nurses in the UK  Diversity and Equality in Health and Care 11, 113-23

From Uganda by one of our students: Anna Pringle

I went to Uganda with the hope to develop myself both professionally and personally and I can

MMRH

honestly say I achieved this 100%. Working in Mbarara Regional Referral Hospital (MRRH) for two weeks was one of the most physically and emotionally challenging experiences of my life. Some of the things we take for granted in the NHS: patient identification numbers, patient records and privacy are not as important here.  Doctors are scarce and beds in maternity are only available for mothers who have had cesaerean sections.

Staff at MMRH

Largely, the patient's family and friends become their 'attendant' and assume responsibility in all aspects of cares for the patient. The attendants had to bathe, feed and record vital signs and they even had to collect the medication from the drug trolley.

I kept a diary whilst I was out there which I completed every day, now three months later it still surprises me
when I pick it up to read it again. It's surprising how quickly you forget how overwhelming each day was.  Much of the care I witnessed was below the standard we would expect in the NHS, mainly due to resource limitations. It was difficult at times to see a patient suffer and be able to do little about it; being unable to help a patient because they could not afford to pay for treatment was incredibly difficult.  My time in Uganda has left a lasting impression.

Anna (left) with fellow students
Jayne Dangerfield (right) and
Georgina Wood (centre)

Faulty involvement in NIHR HTA eczema and clothing project

Dr Fiona Cowdell and Eileen Wake are collaborating in the CLOTHES (Clothing for the Relief of Eczema Symptoms) trial which is the first large-scale independent, randomised controlled trial of silk clothing for the

Fiona Cowdell

management of eczema in children to establish the effectiveness of these new products. The research team is being led by Professor Kim Thomas from the Centre of Evidence Based Dermatology at The University of Nottingham. The trial has been funded by National Institute for Health Research Health Technology Assessment (NIHR HTA) Programme and is being co-ordinated from the Nottingham Clinical Trials Unit.

Eileen Wake

Two clothing distributors have donated the clothing for the trial. Members of the trial team Dr Fiona Cowdell and Eileen Wake from the Faculty of Health and Social  Care, University of Hull are working with parents and children at the end of the trial to assess their qualitative experiences of day-to-day use of the silk garments.

Faculty runners in Humber Bridge 10k

Dr Janet Kelly and Professor Roger Watson both ran in the Humber Bridge 10k race 2014 on Sunday 1 June

Janet and Roger
Before the race

Roger and Janet
after the race