Tel: 23401830 Fax: 23401211; E-mail: healthsciences@um.edu.mt; Website: http://www.um.edu.mt/healthsciences
FHS Monthly Newsletter: December 2011
REARCH, PUBLICATIONS & PRESENTATIONS
Three Publications by Dr Donia Baldacchino, Department of Nursing
•
Baldacchino D. (2011) Myocardial Infarction: A turning point in meaning in life
over time. British Journal of Nursing 20 (2) 107-114.
This descriptive exploratory study explored patients’ search for meaning in life across the
first five years post myocardial infarction. Finding meaning appeared to increase patients’
awareness of their current holistic state of life which appeared to serve as a turning point
in life. Patients were found to restructure and re-evaluate their attitudes towards self, life
and spiritual beliefs. These findings were found inconsistent from the third year onwards
as patients tended to become non-compliant with treatment and less aware about the risk
of another heart attack. Further education on the spiritual dimension in care may guide
nurses and health care professionals in order to promote patients’ rehabilitation process
while persevering in a long-term healthy lifestyle.
•
Baldacchino D. (2011) Teaching spiritual care: The perceived impact on qualified
nurses. Nurse Education in Practice 11, 47-53.
This study unit as part of the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) programme
aimed at reviving the spiritual dimension in nursing care. The ASSET model
1|Page
(Narayanasamy, 1999) guided the teaching of this study unit. Qualitative data were
collected by a self-administered questionnaire from the three cohort groups of qualified
nurses who undertook this study unit in 2003- 2007. The study unit was found as a
resource for updating their knowledge on holistic care and increased self-awareness of
their own spirituality and nursing care. They acknowledged their role as change agents in
order to implement holistic care in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team.
•
Baldacchino D. (2010) Long-term causal meaning of myocardial infarction. British
Journal of Nursing 19 (12) 774-781.
This descriptive exploratory study explored patients’ interpretations of the cause of their
illness guided by Frankl’s theory of Logo therapy and Existential analysis. Research
demonstrates that the sudden onset of a life threatening illness appears to trigger the
search of causal meaning, in an attempt to find an answer to why me? The three themes
found across time were ‘determining the cause Why me?, finding fate and/or faith related
causal meaning and understanding the personal significance of illness’. These findings
corroborate with Frankl’s Theory whereby individuals’ beliefs can give meaning to their
illness and life. Causal meaning may enable persons to change their attitude to life,
including their unavoidable suffering.
PAST EVENTS
Award Ceremony - Certificates in Clinical Nursing Practice – Nov 2011
On Thursday 24th November, Professor Angela Xuereb, Dean of the Faculty of Health
Sciences, presented forty-six qualified nurses with a Certificate in Clinical Nursing Practice.
These nurses were awarded this certificate following the successful completion of a one year
course focusing on their particular area of practice. Certificates were awarded in various
specialties which included Adult Cancer Care, Community Nursing, Elderly Care, Emergency
Nursing, Paediatric Nursing and Rehabilitation Care.
During her speech, Professor Xuereb stressed the importance of lifelong learning and for
health care professionals to update their knowledge throughout their career. Dr Roberta
Sammut, Head Department of Nursing, delivered the next speech in which she highlighted
the contribution the Department of Nursing has made to continuous professional development
of qualified nurses and how this Certificate in Clinical Nursing can be used as a progression
towards a BSc Honours Degree in Health Sciences. The final speech was given by staff nurse
Florence Darmanin, who through her own biography, showed that studying whilst working as
a nurse is no mean feat and that it is never too late to seek new knowledge and to take on new
challenges. Mrs Darmanin stressed how the acquisition of new skills and knowledge
ultimately affects patient care.
The Department of Nursing at the Faculty of Health Sciences, has consistently sought to
develop professionals as well as to foster a sense of lifelong learning at various academic and
professional levels. Since the early 1990s, the Nursing Department has offered a vast range of
2|Page
continuous professional development courses. The new certificates in clinical nursing practice
are specifically designed with the needs of nurses working in specialists areas in mind. These
courses addressed a gap in the programmes offered, in view of the advanced knowledge and
skills required by nurses in these areas and the ever changing nature of practice.
FHS Dean Prof Angela Xuereb with one of the successful students.
The Department of Nursing with the support of the Faculty of Health Sciences wants to see
the continuous professional programmes grow over the next few years with an aim to foster
new learning that will ultimately translate into practice.
A scientific meeting on Language Impairment in a Multilingual Society: Linguistic
Patterns and the Road to Assessment (COST Action IS0804), Communication Therapy
Department (28th -30th Nov 2011)
A scientific meeting on Language Impairment in a Multilingual Society: Linguistic Patterns
and the Road to Assessment (COST Action IS0804) was held in Malta between the 28th and
30th November 2011. COST is an intergovernmental framework for European Cooperation in
Science and Technology that allows research networking and collaboration on a European
level. Around 100 delegates from 26 European partner countries and six international partner
institutions were convening in Malta to discuss cross-linguistic research that addresses the
linguistic and cognitive abilities of bilingual children with specific language impairment. The
manifestations of typical and impaired language development in children learning more than
one language are still being debated. COST Action IS0804 seeks to disentangle language
difference and language impairment in bilingual children.
This research network meets bi-annually in different European countries. The Malta meeting
was marked by a record number of delegates. It was organised by the Department of
3|Page
Communication Therapy of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta. Dr Daniela
Gatt and Dr Helen Grech from the Department of Communication Therapy have been actively
involved in the Management Committee of COST Action IS0804 since the latter’s launch in
2009.
Three-day Scientific Meeting at San Antonio, Qawra – 28-30 November, 2011
Seminar at FHS South Auditorium, 1st December, 2011
4|Page
This research network meets bi-annually in different European countries. The Malta meeting
was marked by a record number of delegates. It was organised by the Department of
Communication Therapy of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Malta. Dr Daniela
Gatt and Dr Helen Grech from the Department of Communication Therapy have been actively
involved in the Management Committee of COST Action IS0804 since the latter’s launch in
2009.
Following this event, the Department of Communication Therapy, in collaboration with the
Speech-Language Department, Ministry of Health, the Elderly and Community Care, and
COST Action IS0804, also held a one day seminar on Thursday, 1st December 2011 to mark
30 years of local service provision and 20 years since the launching of the degree course in
Communication Therapy at the University of Malta. Local and international speakers
discussed aspects of speech-language pathology in Malta, as well as current trends in the
assessment and management of childhood language impairments in monolingual and bilingual
contexts. This seminar was of interest to speech-language pathologists, student speechlanguage pathologists and other persons directly involved with the profession.
Midwifery Symposium organised by the Midwifery Department (Nov 2011)
For the second consecutive year
the Midwifery Symposium was
held on Friday, 18th November
2011, at the Central Auditorium,
Mater
Dei
Hospital.
This
symposium gives the opportunity
to new graduates to present and
disseminate their findings to their
colleagues, parents, midwives and
academic staff. This year four
students have completed a Masters
Degree in Midwifery while nine
students completed the four year
undergraduate programme. All
students participated in the
symposium. The majority of
presentations highlighted how
midwifery as a profession is
evolving with regard to the
psychosocial model of midwifery and the multicultural society that we are living in today.
A wide range of midwifery topics were explored which included studies on women’s
experiences of birth, views on preconception healthcare, coping methods adopted by mother
whose neonate needed intensive care, mother-infant attachment, exercise, diabetes and the
experiences of mothers who returned to work after childbirth. Other studies focused on the
fathers’ experiences of pregnancy and childbirth while a number of studies explored the
midwives’ perceptions on a number of topics pertaining to midwifery care.
5|Page
All studies presented reflect the profession’s endeavors to provide the crux for best practice
locally. They also address the dire need for further research to improve midwifery practice in
order to provide better care for our clients, their partners, the child and the family.
FHS Graduates by Degree – 2011
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
Presentation to Junior College students during January 2012
On the 18th and 25th January, 2012, a number of academic staff from various departments are
giving presentations to Junior College students, Msida. These are:•
Wednesday 18th January, 2012
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Ms Karen Borg Grima, Assistant Lecturer, Radiography Department
Ms Georgette Spiteri/Ms Andee Agius, Assistant Lecturers, Midwifery Department
Dr Victoria Sultana, Lecturer, Nursing Department
Ms Joanne Bellia, Assistant Lecturer, Occupational Therapy Department
Dr Daniela Gatt, Lecturer, Communication Therapy
6|Page
•
Wednesday 25th January, 2012
1.
2.
3.
4.
Dr Cynthia Formosa, Head, Podiatry Department
Dr Anna McElhatton, Head, Food Studies and Environmental Health
Ms Joanna Depares, Assistant Lecturer, Nursing Department
Ms Joanne Bellia, Assistant Lecturer, Occupational Therapy Department
The above is being organized by Ms. Pauline Bartolo, B.A. (Hons.), Dip. Sch. Counselling,
M.A. Educ. (Guidance Studies)(Derby), Counselling Services, Junior College, Msida.
Forthcoming Research Seminars 2012 – Time table
Date
11th Jan 2012
Presenter
Study
Department
25th Jan 2012
Dr Donia Baldacchino
& Dr Paul Galea
Dr Helen Grech
Nursing
8th Feb 2012
Dr Michael Galea
PhD
22nd Feb 2012
Mr Alfred Gatt
7th Mar 2012
Mr Tonio Agius
21st Mar 2012
Ms Josephine Attard
PhD
In Progress
PhD
In Progress
PhD
In Progress
28th March 2012
Dr Carmel Caruana
Radiography
18th Apr 2012
Dr Sandra Buttigieg
2nd May 2012
Ms Claire Sillato
Copperstone
PhD
In Progress
16th May 2012
Mr Martin Ward
30th May 2012
Mr John Xerri de Caro
PhD
In Progress
PhD
In Progress
Health Services
Management
Food Studies and
Environmental
Health
Mental Health
Nursing
Physiotherapy
Communication
Therapy
Mental Health
Nursing
Podiatry
Physiotherapy
Midwifery
Venue: Faculty Boardroom, 1.00 p.m. – 2.00 p.m.
We wish to thank Dr Victoria Sultana, Nursing Department, for her excellent presentation
during the month of December 2011.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
7|Page
Visiting Fellowship in UK
Dr Sandra Buttigieg`s appointment as Visiting Research Fellow at Aston
University, Birmingham, UK has been extended for a further period of three years. Dr
Buttigieg was initially appointed on a yearly basis since 2008. Dr Buttigieg is the Head of the
Health Services Management Department.
Dr Cynthia Formosa, Podiatry Department, was awarded a visiting fellowship with
the Centre for Sports, Health and Exercise Research, Faculty of Health, Staffordshire
University, UK.
We congratulate Dr Buttigieg and Dr Formosa for their achievement!
Student Prize Award, Ms Georgette Spiteri, Midwifery Department
Ms Georgette Spiteri was awarded the student prize award by the Society for
Reproductive and Infant Psychology for her dissertation entitled “Going Back to
Work after Childbirth – Woman`s Lived Experiences”. The research was
conducted for Georgette’s M.Sc. in Midwifery and her findings identified the
struggles and triumphs mother encountered during their transition back to work
following childbirth.
The abstract of Georgette’s study will be published on the Journal for Reproductive and Infant
Psychology’s website.
Congratulations Georgette!
FHS Annual Report Oct 2010 – Sep 2011
The FHS Annual Report is being drawn and is expected to be finalised shortly. A copy of the
report will eventually be posted on FHS website.
8|Page