Tel: 23401830 Fax: 23401211; E-mail: healthsciences@um.edu.mt; Website: http://www.um.edu.mt/healthsciences
FHS Monthly Newsletter – February 2011
PAST EVENTS
Presentation by Dr Joseph Borg, Applied Biomedical Science
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The arrival of Simulator Model NOELLE S575 and Training Programme, Midwifery
Department, February 2011
The Department of Midwifery aims to prepare the graduate to achieve the competencies needed
to fulfill the requirements laid down in the definition of the midwife, (International
Confederation of Midwives, 2005), and to comply with the Health Care Professions Act Part IV,
23 (5) and the European Union Midwives Directive 80/154/EEC Article 4.
The midwifery undergraduate
curriculum combines academic
studies with clinical and interprofessional
placements,
affording clinical experience
working with midwives and their
clients. Students are provided
opportunities
to
integrate
academic knowledge with clinical
skills as they develop the ability
to become midwives. Students
learn through the use of clinical
scenarios
under
simulation
conditions, prior to practising
their newly gained skills in the clinical area. To support students in
this endeavour we have recently invested in the simulator model
NOELLE S 575. This is a computer controlled simulator ‘mother’
and baby’ which is used for teaching purposes to midwives.
FHS Midwifery Academic staff
during training session
The Noelle S575 includes
the
Noelle
simulator,
Newborn HAL, a PC with
two 17” touch screens,
these mimic a dynamic
perinatal
monitor
and
maternal and neonatal vital
signs monitors.
It also
includes two 12” touchscreen wireless tablet PCs one to control the mother’s
parameters and the other is
specifically for the baby’s
parameters. The instructor
can plan scenarios as
teaching experiences for
the
students.
The
instructor
can also change the
Academic staff with foreign training consultant
physiologic states of the models using wireless
control according to the scenario. Sensors provide feedback on the students’ performance. All
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changes that take place in the physical condition of the model and the way students provide the
care is timed and logged. The instructor can then evaluate the intervention carried out and insert
notes on the performance log.
The Newborn HAL also features breathing patterns and pulses, which includes umbilical,
brachial, and scalp; colour, vital signs and motions that are responsive to hypoxic events and
interventions. Other new-born features include crying and convulsions. The students can also
view ECG’S with physiologic variations depending on the planned scenario.
Using the NOELLE S575, students can carry out, under supervision of the instructor, a normal
vaginal and instrumented delivery, together with how to care for the mother and baby in
emergency situations, such as postpartum haemorrhage.
Mr Lorimer Annan, Consultant Simulator Installation Services to Gaumard Scientific Co. was
invited to come and train the midwifery instructors on the operation the simulator model, on the
8th and 9th February,2010. We had two full days’ training, with hands-on experience of on the
use of the simulator model. Mr Annan commended the interest of the instructors and the
organisation of the training days.
As from Friday 11th February, our students have already started benefiting from this new
simulator model. This new simulator models is anticipated to be a great asset in the teaching of
midwifery skills to our students. This will also help students to become more confident in the
clinical area
All this would not have possible without the constant support of Mr Joe- Mark Gatt, Lab Officer,
FHS. He was the person who took care of all the technical involvement, made all the
communication with Gaumard Scientific Co. and organised Mr Annan’s visit. Mr Massa was
also highly supportive throughout the whole process of ordering and procurement of the
simulator. We also thank our Dean, Professor Xuereb, for her assistance in our request for the
simulator model.
Midwifery is a family-centred health care discipline founded on the relationships between
women, families and their midwives. As stated earlier, our main aim is to prepare the students to
achieve the competencies needed to be able to fulfil the requirements of a midwife, the simulator
model is going to give much needed clinical experience under simulation conditions which will
provide our students with the required skills for them to practice and consolidate with more
confidence in the Maternity Department of Mater Dei Hospital.
Presentation by Dr Sandra Buttigieg, Head, Health Services Management Department
Dr Sandra Buttigieg participated in the Health Services Research-EU Conference
that was held in The Hague in April 2010. The two posters that she presented there
are now accessible online through http://www.healthservicesresearch.eu/.
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REARCH, PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS
European Speech Language Pathology Consortium, Communication Therapy Department
The Department of Communication Therapy has joined the European Speech Language
Pathology (SLP) Consortium, coordinated by Lessius University College, Antwerp, Belgium.
Our agreement is to:
• enhance European and International collaboration which is supported at the
institutional level. This will have:
positive effects on staff mobility (incoming/outgoing);
thematic collaboration e.g., curriculum development and postgraduate
specialization courses);
surplus value for SLP students during their studies.
• apply for European and International (non-EU) grants.
• incorporate new European partners (additional to the existing 18 institutions).
One of the main activities of the Consortium is to continue organizing the ‘Intensive Programme
(IP)’ which has been running since 1993, under the European Erasmus Programme. The IP is a
discipline related project, geared for SLP students and complements the regular course
programme of the participating departments. Students and staff work together for 10
consecutive days on specialized topics within the SLP field. The content focuses on new
developments and innovations in SLP, based on scientific research, and on clinical
implementation of these developments. The academic content of the IP includes key lectures,
research based papers and seminars whereby students are provided with knowledge and the
essential tools to apply this to the clinical situation. All lectures and seminars are provided by
staff of the different partner institutions. Some students are also given the opportunity to present
their research projects during the IP. This intensive cooperation between different SLP
departments creates an excellent opportunity to move towards harmonization of SLP
programmes in Europe and to ensure further multilateral cooperation.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Reminder - Research Seminars for Faculty lecturing staff and students undertaking a
doctoral degree
Please find an updated schedule of the Research Seminar to be held in the Staff room between 1
and 2 pm.
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Date
Presenter
Study
Department
9th Mar 2011
Dr Anna McElhatton
PhD
Food Stud. & Env. Health
23rd Mar 2011
Dr Roberta Sammut
PhD
Nursing
6th Apr 2011
Ms Josephine Attard
Midwifery
4th May 2011
Ms Claire Sillato
Copperstone
18th May 2011
Mr Anthony Scerri
PhD
(in
progress)
PhD
(in
progress)
MSc
Food Stud. & Env. Health
Nursing/ Health Services Mgt
Dr Daniela Gatt and Dr Cynthia Formosa gave excellent presentations on the 2nd and 23rd
February, 2011 respectively.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Graduates from FHS 1992-2010 – Analysis by Gender
2,971
2,036
3,000
2,500
2,000
935
1,500
1,000
500
0
Males
Females
Total
FHS “new” South Auditorium
Please note that the FHS Auditorium is now the one situated just outside the Administrative
Building. Any booking is to be directed to Ms Joanne Xuereb on Tel: 23401835.
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Baby News
Dr Joseph Borg (Applied Biomedical Science Department) and his wife, Karen,
are the proud parents of a beautiful baby boy – Jacques. Congratulations!
Staff Promotion at FHS
We congratulate the following members of staff on their promotion.
•
•
•
•
Ms Salvina Bonanno, Nursing, visiting Senior Lecturer
Ms Maria Ellul, Food Studies and Environmental Health, visiting Senior Lecturer
Dr Joseph Borg, Applied Biomedical Science, Lecturer
Dr Roderick Bugeja, Nursing, Lecturer.
LEARNING EXPO 2011 – Ministry of Education
The Leaning EXPO 2011 by the Ministry of Education, Employment and the Family will be held
between the 1st and the 5th March, 2011. The Expo will be open to the public. Over 5,000, 4th
and 5th forms students from State, Church and Private School are expected to attend this year
EXPO. The EXPO is taking place at MFCC, Ta` Qali
As in previous years, the FHS will have its own stand and members of the academic staff have
been invited to participate.
University Week 14 – 19 March – Visit to the Labs by the General Public
During the University week, the public has been invited to visit the FHS labs during the
following hours:
•
•
•
•
Monday, 14th March
Tuesday, 14th March
Thursday, 16th March
Friday, 17th March
Two visits daily at 10.00 hours
Two visits daily at 10.00 hours
Two visits daily at 10.00 hours
Two visits daily at 10.00 hours
and 12.00 hours
and 12.00 hours
and 12.00 hours
and 12.00 hours
Seminar and Lecture rooms at FHS/MDH – Use of laptop for lecturing
All computers in the seminar/lecture rooms have now been removed. Kindly note that the
netbooks that are available for loan at the faculty are installed with Steady State Software to
keep them virus free. It is very important to note that any documents stored on the hard disk will
be erased automatically when a system restart or shutdown is done.
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