UNews - nursing professor

A Window to the World

david.kirby — Fri, 22 Nov 2013 15:57:22 +0000

The Dalai Lama once wrote, “With realization of one’s own potential and self-confidence in one’s ability, one can build a better world.”

It’s a timeless quote with universal relevance, and one that is particularly meaningful to students at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge who have travelled to Africa as part of the Malawi Field Study program.

Since the Faculty of Health Sciences began offering the field study in 2008, 48 U of L students have taken their learning to Malawi and 14 more are registered to go this spring. Their objective: to conduct culturally relevant health-promotion activities in Malawi in relation to the diseases of malaria, tuberculosis and HIV-AIDS, and to explore the complexities that arise in such an endeavour due to cultural differences, traditional practices and societal beliefs.

“The program is designed to help students learn about global health and how populations achieve health in other parts of the world,” says U of L nursing professor Dr. Jean Harrowing (BSc ’78), who along with U of L fine arts professor Lisa Doolittle, established and now co-ordinate the program. “The students come to understand that global is local, and local is global – that some of the challenges people face in a place like Malawi aren’t necessarily all that different than some of the challenges people face here.”

The Malawi program is one example of the Faculty of Health Sciences’ aim to provide transformational education, nurture intellectual curiosity, engage with diverse populations and promote responsible global citizenship. The Faculty’s dean, Dr.Christopher Hosgood, says that instilling a global perspective in students is every bit as important to the Faculty as providing solid clinical knowledge.

“We offer very different kinds of programming. Some of it is very practice-ready in terms of focus, and some of it is a lot broader with an emphasis on learning how to support populations or individuals on the path toward health and wellness,” he explains. “In either case, our primary goal is to graduate health-care professionals who understand that health is multifaceted and affected by many different factors related to location, culture, history, politics and more.”

Photos submitted by Mandy Pack (BA '09), Stacy Peleskey (BN '08) and Anuva Pradhan (BN '09)

The Malawi program is open to U of L students from all disciplines, and instils lessons in community building and cultural understanding.

“The program helps students understand how complex the world really is, and to see that there is no such thing as a one-size-fits-all solution to any issue,” Harrowing says. “It offers an ongoing, broad-spectrum type of learning that’s applicable in many ways.”

When U of L alumna Stacy Peleskey (BN ’08) went to Malawi, she connected with Malawian children and delivered important health messages in ways she never anticipated.

“Song and dance are integral to Malawian culture, so it was important that we share some of our Canadian culture in that way,” says Peleskey. “I did the ‘moose song’ in almost every classroom we went into. The kids loved it. It gave us an immediate connection and helped break down any barriers getting in the way of the teaching and learning we were there to do.”

Animal antics aside, the Malawi field study was a deeply moving experience for Peleskey, one that changed the trajectory of her life and continues to resonate with her today.

“The Malawi trip was one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done. It impacted my life at the time and continues to do so even now five years later,” says Peleskey, who works as a nurse in public health. “The opportunity to experience such a diverse culture was unbelievable. It fuelled my nursing career, gave me skills I use today and helped me grow as a person.”

Peleskey’s feelings about the program are shared among her classmates.

“We hear it again and again – the program changes a student’s way of thinking,” says Aaron Maluwa, director of Education Services with Museums of Malawi.

Maluwa is the U of L’s key contact in Malawi, laying all the groundwork for each trip. In addition to the innumerable logistical details he hammers out, Maluwa plays host, translator and mentor to the student travellers. Simply put, the program wouldn’t be possible without him.

Maluwa met Harrowing in 2007 when he visited the Galt Museum in Lethbridge as part of a Commonwealth Association of Museums tour, and played a key role in establishing the program that would benefit U of L students and the people of Malawi alike. In recognition of his work, Maluwa received the 2013 Friend of Health Sciences Award, an annual honour given by the Faculty of Health Sciences that recognizes an individual or agency who has made a significant contribution to health education and research at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge.

While he is honoured to be recognized, his focus remains on the program and the difference it makes in the lives of those affected.

“Through the fundraising efforts of U of L students, more than 3,000 mosquito nets have been distributed and given to children and pregnant women. This is one of the most reliable methods of malaria prevention,” Maluwa says. “As well, through education and health promotion 4,000 people have been tested for their HIV status, which is an entry point to HIV prevention and management.”

U of L students have also donated soccer balls, sugar, clothes, schools supplies and even a wheelchair to children and HIV-positive individuals. And once they return to Canada, the U of L students are expected to give a public presentation as a way of sharing their experiences and acknowledging the privilege of participating in the service-learning project.

“The U of L students have had a tremendous impact. By delivering messages of health promotion in a culturally relevant way, the Malawian students and communities can adopt and incorporate them into their systems of learning,” says Maluwa. “The Malawi program positively affects everyone involved, not only the people of Malawi, but also U of L students – who are ambassadors of global health promotion at the local and international level. There’s tremendous learning on both sides.”

Groundbreaking study to focus on moral distress

trevor.kenney — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 21:59:54 +0000

Knowing the right thing to do is one thing. Actually being able to do it, quite another.

In fact, many nurses experience that dilemma every day, according to ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge researcher Dr. Shannon Spenceley. She is exploring ways to lessen this source of moral stress among nurses in the workplace.

The study, which is funded by the national Alzheimer Society Research Program, is the first in Canada to focus on moral distress in continuing care settings, such as long-term care or supportive living facilities.

A nursing professor in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Spenceley is the principal investigator on a study that is examining moral distress among nurses who care for those with Alzheimer's disease (AD) and other forms of dementia.

The Alzheimer Society of Canada reports that more than 747,000 Canadians are living with AD or other types of dementia – and that figure is expected to more than double in 25 years (by 2038).

In Alberta, there are more than 46,000 people with Alzheimer's or related dementias, and over the next 25 years, that figure is expected to reach more than 100,000. Seventeen per cent of new cases are 'early onset', where people are diagnosed before age 65, and 72 per cent of those are women.

A fatal and progressive disease that destroys brain cells, AD affects one's ability to remember things, make decisions and perform routine activities. Most people living in residential care facilities have some form of dementia, including AD.

Nursing caregivers can find themselves in difficult, and ethically complex, situations when trying to provide the best care for residents with dementia.

"It may be that a nurse who is caring for a confused and agitated resident can either use a prescription drug to reduce the agitation or simply sit with a resident until the resident calms down," says Spenceley. "The nurse knows that while the former option may cause undesirable side effects, the latter one will require extra time. In a situation where staffing is short and there are many competing demands, the nurse may feel that the choice he/she feels is right is simply not possible. Such situations create feelings of moral distress, which has been linked over time to nurse burnout, and to nurses leaving a job or even the profession."

To better understand the triggers and effects of moral distress, and to help residential-care managers address staff recruitment and retention challenges, Spenceley's team will interview and survey nursing caregivers in several facilities across southern Alberta.

"Ultimately, we want to develop strategies to mitigate moral distress," says Spenceley. "By understanding such issues, and working to create solutions, it creates the opportunity to address some of the recruitment and retention issues faced in this sector of care. Finally, anything that can be done to create a healthier and happier workforce caring for this complex population is a step in the right direction in terms of providing high-quality residential care."

The two-year project also involves U of L health sciences co-investigators Dr. Bradley Hagen and Dr. Olu Awosoga, as well as Dr. Barry Hall of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Calgary Faculty of Social Work (Lethbridge Campus) and Dr. Roland Ikuta, the medical director of Seniors Health, Alberta Health Services (AHS) South Zone. Colin Zeiber, executive director of Seniors Health for Alberta Health Services (AHS) South Zone, is the AHS community partner liaison for the project.

UNews - nursing professor

A Window to the World

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Groundbreaking study to focus on moral distress

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