Category / Training

New THET project paper published

thet-needs-assessmentToday saw the latest publication on our BU-led THET in Nepal.  The paper ‘Needs assessment of mental health training for Auxiliary Nurse Midwives: a cross-sectional survey’ was published the Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences [1].   This paper reports on a quantitative survey with nearly all Auxiliary Nurse Midwives in Nawalparasi District in the southern part of Nepal. The findings illustrate the lack of training on mental health issues related to pregnancy and childbirth in this group of health workers. Thus the paper’s conclusions stress the need for dedicated training in this field.logo THET

This is the third publication linked to our mental health and maternity care project. In Nepal mental health is generally a difficult to topic to discuss. THET, a London-based organisation, funded Bournemouth University, and Liverpool John Moores University in the UK and Tribhuvan University in Nepal to train maternity workers on issues around mental health.  This latest paper and the previous two papers are all Open Access publications.  The previous two papers raised the issue of women and suicide [2] and outlined the THET project in detail [3].

np-thet-2916-jilly

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

 

References:

  1. Simkhada, B., Sharma, G., Pradhan, S., van Teijlingen, E., Ireland, J., Simkhada, P., Devkota, B. & the THET team. (2016) Needs assessment of mental health training for Auxiliary Nurse Midwives: a cross-sectional survey, Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences 2(1): 20-26. http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/JMMIHS/article/view/15793/12738
  2. Simkhada, P., van Teijlingen E., Winter, R.C., Fanning, C., Dhungel, A., Marahatta S.B. (2015) Why are so many Nepali women killing themselves? A review of key issues Journal of Manmohan Memorial Institute of Health Sciences 1(4): 43-49. http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/JMMIHS/article/view/12001
  3. van Teijlingen, E., Simkhada, P., Devkota, B., Fanning, P., Ireland, J., Simkhada, B., Sherchan, L., Silwal, R.C., Pradhan, S., Maharjan, S.K., Maharjan, R.K. (2015) Mental health issues in pregnant women in Nepal. Nepal Journal of Epidemiology 5(3): 499-501. http://www.nepjol.info/index.php/NJE/article/view/13607/11007

New paper Dr. Catherine Angell on CPD in Nepal

nnaCongratulations to Dr. Catherine Angell (FHSS) who just had her paper ‘Continual Professional Development (CPD): an opportunity to improve the Quality of Nursing Care in Nepal’ accepted in Health Prospect.   The paper is co-authored with BU Visiting Faculty Dr. Bibha Simkhada and Prof. Padam Simkhada  both based at Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), Dr. Rose Khatri  and Dr. Sean Mackacel-logo-weby (also at LJMU), Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen in the Centre for Midwifery and Maternal & Perinatal Health (CMMPH), and our colleagues in Dr. Sujan Marahatta and Associate Professor Chandra Kala Sharma. Ms. Chandra Kala Sharma is also the president of the Nepal Nursing Association (left in photo).  Health Prospect is an Open Access journal, hence freely available to anybody in Nepal (and elsewhere in the world).

dsc_0124This paper is first of several based on a study aiming to improve CPD in Nepal and it is partly funded by LJMU and partly funded by BU’s Centre for Excellence in Learning (CEL).  The CEL-funded part of the project centres on focus group research with representatives of the Ministry of Health & Population, the Ministry of Education, the Nepal Nursing Association and the Nursing Council, and Higher Education providers of Nurse Education (both form Government-run universities and private colleges). The focus group schedule will include starter questions to initiate discussions around the kind of CPD nurses in Nepal need, its format, preferred models, the required quality and quantity, and ways of  checking up (quality control). In addition we will be asking a subgroup of nurses registered in Nepal about midwifery skills as midwifery is not recognised as a separate profession from nursing in Nepal. Hence there will be three focus groups specifically about midwifery CPD: one at MIDSON (the Midwifery Organisation of Nepal), one with nurses providing maternity care in private hospitals and one with nurses doing this in government hospitals.

The research is a natural FUSION project in the field of nursing & midwifery as it links Research in the field of Education to help improve Practice in Nepal.

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

 

Reference:

  1. (CPD): an opportunity to improve the Quality of Nursing Care in Nepal, Health Prospect (Accepted) 

 

 

Postgraduate Short Course Opportunities!

PhD and MSC students! Are you looking to develop additional laboratory skills or about to undertake your own research work? Then now is your chance to get involved in some upcoming short courses at Liverpool Science Park. By working in a laboratory setting, these courses give you a chance to attain or further practical skills. With a high staffing level, this doesn’t just bring a wealth of experience, this also gives you a chance to discuss, interact and ask questions with researchers working both in academia and within the field. Please see below and follow the links for more information on how to book.

24 September- Discovering Practical Microbiology

30 September- Laboratory Skills 

1 October- Introduction to Mammalian Cell Culture 

3 October- Practical Skills in Drug Discovery 

8 October- Genomics and Bioinformatics

5 November- Skills in Analytical Science 

Accommodation? They’ve got you covered with bed and breakfast available for £32-£47 a night at Hatters Hostel

For more information email BioGrad.

AHRC Engaging with Government Programme

The AHRC have launched the Engagement with Government Programme, a three day course taking plan in March 2017 to provide researchers with insights in the policy making process and develop appropriate skills.

It is open to ECRs working in any areas of the AHRC’s subject domain.

The course will be held in London, 7th-9th March 2017. The call for applications closes on 7th October.

This is a great opportunity to develop the skills to ensure your research is shaping policy. Further details can be found on the AHRC’s website.

Bringing FUSION to Nepal

FUSION abroad 2016We have written in many previous BU blogs about progress of our THET-funded project in southern Nepal (e.g. here AND here ). Today’s blog reflects on the use on BU’s unique FUSION approach in our project ‘Mental Health Training for Maternity Care Providers in Nepal‘.

DSC_0151Our BU-led project brings highly experienced health professionals, such as midwives, health visitors or mental health nurses, to Nepal to work as volunteer trainers. The training is aimed at community-based maternity care practitioners and addresses key mental health issues relevant to pregnancy and for new mothers and offers the required communication skills. These health professionals will bring their experience as health care providers as well as trainers in the field of mental health and maternity care/midwifery, mental ill-health prevention and health promotion. They volunteer for two to three weeks at a time to design and deliver training in southern Nepal.

logo THETThe Centre for Midwifery & Maternal Health (CMMPH) collaborates in this project with Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU), the Department of Health, and Physical & Population Education at Nepal’s oldest university Tribhuvan University’s (TU). The project is supported in the field by a local charity called Green Tara Nepal. Our project is part of the Health Partnership such as Nepal. HPS itself is funded by the UK Department for International Development and managed by THET (Tropical and Health Education Trust).

Fusion Diagram Our maternal mental health project is a good example of BU’s FUSION approach as it combines EDUCATION (through the training of Auxiliary Nurse-Midwives in Nepal) by UK volunteers (representing PRACTICE) through an intervention which is properly evaluated (representing RESEARCH) is a perfect example of BU’s FUSION in action. Moreover, the project will be partly evaluated by FHSS’s Preeti Mahato as part of her PhD thesis research. This PhD project is supervised by Dr. Catherine Angell (CEL & CMMPH), BU Visiting Professor Padam Simkhada (based at LJMU) and CMMPH’s Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen.BU’s focus on the FUSION of research, education and professional practice is a unique variant of the way UK universities (and many abroad) blend academic teaching, research and scholarship. FUSION is a key concept derived from BU’s strategic Vision & Values).

 

Prof. Edwin van Teijlingen

CMMPH

Celebrating personal development – Postgraduate Development Award (PGDA)

In a blink of the eye the academic year has evaporated into the fabric of time. As we look back on a hectic year we saw the conclusion of the Postgraduate Development Award (PGDA) with the ceremony being held in the Student Centre on the 19 July 2016 to celebrate the 70 Master’s students who committed over a whopping 1400 hours to the award.

11 awards were also given out for exemplary performance on the award. These awards were given to those students who showed relentless attention to detail regarding the presentation of their development portfolios, outstanding time management, and vigorous reflective writing to strongly evidence personal and professional development.

Xiaohua Zheng, MSc International Risk Management and Finance student and Gold Award winnner, shared “This was one of the best ceremonies I have attended and I was very excited to receive my award. Completing the Postgraduate Development Award programme and all the activities has been a brilliant and unforgettable experience, and this was a great way to celebrate reaching our goal!”.

The PGDA offers students on postgraduate taught courses a range of activities which focus on research skills training, career management and transferable skills. There are also social opportunities encouraging students from all subject background to interact. At the start of the award, all students undertake a skills audit to identify their strengths and areas for development which is then used to focus their work and activities undertaken for the award to enhance their employability.

For further information about the PGDA please email Jay

Best wishes

The Graduate School team

 

PGDA Ceremony mix 2

The Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE) Development Framework: Returning to Academia after a break

dev_frameworkThe Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE) Development Framework,  ‘Returning to Academia‘ pathway targets those academics who may be returning to academia following a break for any reason.  Workshops will focus on topics such as finding research funding for those returning to academia and ‘Building resilience in research and knowledge exchange’.

We’ll be populating the the OD website with more information and the booking link over the coming weeks. We’ll also be providing a timetable of all events as soon as possible. In the meantime, updates will be posted on the BU Research Blog and the Faculty blogs.

Seminar: Blog Writing to Build Bigger Audiences with Kip Jones

WED 20 JULY 11 am – 12:30 pm venue TBA

Please mark your diaries and do let Kip know via email if you are planning to attend and to receive details about what to bring with you. Staff and students welcome!

A recent two-day workshop, ‘Creative Writing for Academics’ was a big success. The Blog Seminar will be based on some of that material.

Much of what is becoming routine in many fields, including academia, is now web-based, magazine style publications.

Jones said, “Blog writing is an important place for those academics with ‘writers block’ to start to get some experience with writing for publication. I like to talk about how blog publications can sometimes develop into full academic articles.  I think there is a particular reluctance by some to start right off by perhaps being rejected by academic journals. Writing for the web offers an opportunity for a bit of success first before going in to the deeper waters”.

Inspiration: http://blogs.bournemouth.ac.uk/research/2013/08/21/the-blogosphere-creative-solutions-to-reaching-bigger-audiences/

BOOK TODAY! Email Kip Jones at kipworld@gmail.com

Introduction to the Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework

We are delighted to announce that the Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE) development framework will launch in October 2016! launching soon pic

The RKE development framework will offer a new range of opportunities for BU academics  to develop their skills, knowledge and capabilities in relation to research and knowledge exchange.

Consultation with academic colleagues has been key to its development, to ensure that the opportunities to be made available match their needs and wishes. We have created an agile and flexible Framework which we trust will appeal to colleagues undertaking research and knowledge exchange activities across the University.

Look out for more information coming each week on the research blog.

Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework : Pre-Award at BU

research_strategyWe have previously posted about the Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE) Development Framework. Here, we introduce another of the pathways: that focusing on the Pre-Award process when applying for funding. Please see the previous blog posts on the Development Framework for information on the separate  pathways.

The ‘Pre-Award at BU’ pathway will provide details about the information and tools that will aid BU academics applying for funding.  Sessions will include details about ‘Searching for research funding’, ‘Getting started on applying for research funding’, understanding ‘Pre-award finances’  and ‘Intellectual property at pre-award’.  Training will also be provided as part of this pathway for those conducting Quality and Financial approvals.  More events will be added to this pathway in 2017-18 and beyond, with a focus on emerging priorties for BU.

We’ll be populating the the OD website with more information and the booking link over the coming weeks. We’ll also be providing a timetable of all events as soon as possible. In the meantime, updates will be posted on the BU research blog and the Faculty blogs.

Research and Knowledge Exchange Development Framework – funding from the major charities

We have previously posted about the Research and Knowledge Exchange (RKE) Development Framework. Here we introduce another of the pathways: that dedicated to funding from the major charities, including Leverhulme Trust and Wellcome Trust.

There will be a range of sessions relating to the charities, including introductions to the Leverhulme Trust and Wellcome Trust. We’ll provide some hints and tips for applying to major charities, and run bid writing retreats for those planning to submit applications to the Wellcome Trust, and for a Leverhulme Trust Fellowship. We’ll also be running a session giving information and examples relating to building partnerships and working with stakeholders. More events will be added to this pathway in 2017-18 as well.

We’ll be populating the the OD website with more information and the booking link over the coming weeks. We’ll also be providing a timetable of all events as soon as possible. In the meantime, updates will be posted on the BU research blog and the Faculty blogs.