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The U21 HSG Nursing & Midwifery Discipline Group recently ran an online webinar ‘Midwifery Research to Improve Practice, Policy and Education: Adapting to the Pandemic’. The session included three presentations from leading experts from the University of Nottingham including a Q&A panel discussion.
Presentations
'Midwives’ and mothers’ perceptions of a video call service during early labour' by Dr Sara Borrelli, University of Nottingham
This research is exploring midwives’ and mothers’ perspectives and expectations on the implementation of a video call service during early labour in the United Kingdom and Italy. The research team also includes Professor Helen Spiby, Josh Downey (Digital Midwife, Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust), Dr Antonella Nespoli, Dr Simona Fumagalli and Dr Elisabetta Colciago (University of Milano Bicocca, Italy). The project is funded by The Burdett Trust for Nursing. Patient and Public Involvement (PPI) includes service users and midwives from both settings to assist in drafting the focus group topic guide, preliminary findings and recommendations for practice. We have started the recruitment phase in October 2021 via social media and Colleges of Midwives. Data will be collected using virtual focus groups with a purposive sample of 80 participants with 20 midwives and 20 women from each setting. The team hopes to determine whether using the digital technology of video-calling has potential to support the care for women in early labour. Traditionally women have been asked to telephone the maternity unit prior to admission for assessment to determine whether labour is established. This can mean that some women may make repeated journeys to the maternity unit, resulting in embarrassment, cost and feeling unwelcome at the maternity unit. It is also acknowledged that the Covid-19 pandemic has triggered drastic changes in maternity care pathways, with alternative means of communication needing to be further explored.
The RAPID-2 study: developing and evaluating a midwife facilitated intervention for women with anxiety in pregnancy by Dr Kerry Evans, University of Nottingham
This research is evaluating the feasibility of a midwife facilitated intervention for women with symptoms of mild to moderate anxiety in pregnancy through a cluster, randomised, feasibility trial. The project is funded through a NIHR Clinical Lectureship award and will be conducted across four NHS maternity care sites. The study builds on previous doctoral work to develop and test a supportive intervention following MRC guidance for developing and testing complex interventions. In response to the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, alternative methods of intervention delivery were required. To inform the changes, a systematic review of remotely delivered interventions was conducted along with engagement events with the study service user group. The theoretical base and protocol for RAPID-2 will be presented with a discussion of the findings of the systematic review. The study is awaiting Research Ethics permissions with a planned start date in March 2022.
‘Totemm- Transforming transnational intercultural sensitivity for midwifery students through an inclusive mobility model’. by Professor Helen Spiby and Louise Walker, University of Nottingham
This is an Erasmus+ funded project involving higher education institutions in England, Italy, the Netherlands and Estonia that provide pre-registration midwifery education. Contemporary higher education requires that all midwifery students have insight and understanding of global health practice and intercultural sensitivity however, current mobility models can exclude students from engaging in such activities. The Totemm Project aims to promote equity, social inclusion and participation of non-mobile midwifery students studying in England, Italy, Estonia and the Netherlands through the creation and implementation of a new inclusive mobility model based on a combination of virtual and physical mobility activities.
About our Speakers
Dr Sara Borrelli, University of Nottingham
Assistant Professor, Researcher and Lead for MSc Midwifery and MSc Midwifery Studies, University of Nottingham
Dr Sara Borrelli is a registered midwife with experience in clinical practice, education and research in Italy and the UK. She is currently working at The University of Nottingham (UK) as Assistant Professor, Researcher and Lead for MSc Midwifery and MSc Midwifery Studies, Maternal and Newborn Health and Midwifery Focussed Continuing Professional Development. She has successfully completed her PhD in Health Studies in 2015 and PGCHE in 2016 at The University of Nottingham (UK), after having received her MSc in Nursing and Midwifery Sciences in 2010 at the University of Milano Bicocca (Italy).
Dr Kerry Evans, University of Nottingham
Associate Professor of Midwifery, University of Nottingham
Dr Kerry Evans is an Associate Professor of Midwifery at the University of Nottingham and a senior clinical academic midwife at Nottingham University Hospitals Trust (NUH). Kerry competed the NIHR MA in research methods in 2010 and completed her Wellbeing of Women and RCM Early Career award in 2014 and Doctoral Fellowship award in 2017. Since completing her PhD, Kerry worked as a post-doctoral research associate at the University of Nottingham whilst completing the HEE / NIHR Gold postdoctoral award. In 2020, Kerry was the first midwife to be awarded the HEE / NIHR Clinical Lectureship award. Kerry has expertise in psychometric, qualitative and quantitative systematic reviews, complex intervention development and testing and qualitative primary research. Her research interest is focused on perinatal mental health and she contributes to local and national clinical guidance and research funding reviews.
Professor Helen Spiby, University of Nottingham
Multidisciplinary Maternal Health and Research Group Lead, University of Nottingham
Professor Helen Spiby leads the multidisciplinary Maternal Health and Wellbeing Research Group in the School of Health Sciences at the University of Nottingham.
Helen is a midwife with experience in clinical practice, research and education, and implementation of evidence into practice. Helen is keen to support building research capability in midwifery and enjoys working with students at all stages of the academic pathway. Her research is highly applied and utilizes a range of methods.
Hosts
Louise Walker, University of Nottingham
Associate Professor in Midwifery, University of Nottingham.
Louise is the Professional Lead for midwifery, the Faculty of Medicine and Health Science Global Engagement Lead for Education and sits on the U21 Deans of Nursing and Midwifery Group. Louise is a midwife with extensive clinical experience in midwifery led care, having worked in a freestanding birth centre for 14 years.
She joined the University of Nottingham in 2014 and currently leads on a number of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Louise has experience of working collaboratively with midwives in Europe, Africa and Indonesia on educational projects.
Dr Julia Slark, University of Auckland
PhD RN. Head of School of Nursing, The University of Auckland.
Dr Julia Slark is the Head of School of Nursing at University of Auckland. She qualified as a Registered Nurse in London, UK in 1993. She has 15 years’ experience as a clinical nurse specialist in Stroke patient care, prior to joining the University of Auckland as a Senior Lecturer in March 2013. Julia was part of the team at Imperial College NHS Trust which implemented the London-wide, new stroke strategy to provide urgent hyper-acute stroke interventions to London regional populations. Julia is an enthusiastic and committed nurse, educator and researcher who is passionate about providing the highest standards of care to patients. Julia obtained her PhD from Imperial College London, in 2012 which looked at risk awareness as a tool to improve secondary stroke prevention strategies. Her research interests include nursing, education and all aspects of stroke patient care. She was the academic director of the BNurs programme at the University of Auckland for five years prior to taking up the position of Head of School in 2019.