A week of public events highlighting the caring nature of nurses, midwives and other health professionals in Leicester is to take place at De Montfort University (DMU) next week.
Care and Compassion Week is designed to champion the good care that should be given in hospitals and the community, while showing how DMU educates future healthcare professionals to listen to patients and clients and administer care with dignity and respect.
The main activities for the week take place between International Midwives’ Day on Saturday 5 May and International Nurses’ Day on Saturday 12 May.
Each day focuses on a different element of nursing, from the cradle to the grave.
It forms part of DMU’s Care and Compassion Initiative which was launched in February 2012, following the Health Ombudsman’s report into the area.
Tuesday 8 May will see a focus on midwifery and childbirth and includes a lecture by Shirley Smith, midwifery officer for NHS East Midlands. It will also include information on DMU’s Square Mile project on breastfeeding – which looks to make cafes and restaurants more welcoming to breastfeeding women.
The following day, Wednesday 9 May, looks at children, adults and families and involves an open event in the university’s hospital and home environment suites and an address on family care by the Department of Health’s Ann Rowe.
Ann is responsible for the implementation of the very successful family nurse partnership programme, helping hundreds of vulnerable young families become the best parents they can be.
Thursday 10 May will look at caring for vulnerable groups in society, focusing on mental health and learning disability nursing. This will include a graffiti wall for visitors to make their contributions, around the theme of ‘putting the passion in compassion’, and a speech by Jackie Ardley, director of quality and innovation at Leicestershire Partnership NHS Trust, called ‘I trust you to care’.
The end of the week will see a discussion around faith and care and also older people and end of life care. This will include a range of activities using tools such as a suit which mimics the effects of ageing. The day will conclude with a lecture by Jayne Brown, the new professor of palliative care at DMU.
The events will continue the following week with a keynote speech on Monday 14 May by the dean of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Professor Mandy Ashton, on care and compassion in today’s healthcare.
Tuesday 15 May will conclude the events with a local launch of the new Centre of Excellence in Palliative Care (CPEP), the creation of a partnership between DMU and the Leicestershire and Rutland Hospice LOROS.
CPEP aims to improve the quality of palliative care for people approaching the end of their lives by conducting research and enhancing the education and skills of practitioners dealing with advanced illnesses.
Professor Ashton said: “Over the past year the government has been focusing quite heavily on patient care, particularly in relation to nursing, and there have also been a lot of negative reports of poor care, especially the care of older people.
“DMU decided to launch the care and compassion initiative and the week of events to focus on the great work that does happen but to also look at how care can be improved.
“It is not only nurses and midwives that need to give good patient care. Anyone working in the profession, from speech and language therapists to pharmacist, need to know the importance of being caring and compassionate.”
For more information on any of the events or to book a place visit www.dmu.ac.uk/compassion|
Posted on Monday 30th April 2012