EDS Hub Newsletter. Ethnicity, Diversity & Spirituality (EDS) Hub. EDS Hub EDS Hub EDS Hub EDS Hub EDS Hub Edition 1. What s in this issue:

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1 EDS Hub Newsletter EDS Hub EDS Hub EDS Hub EDS Hub EDS Hub Edition 1 What s in this issue: Launch Event Diversity Mapping Project To BME or not to BME, Is that the Question? Diversity in Service User and Carer Involvement Key events Spiritual Board Game WebCT Diversity Learning Rersources Consultancies Ethnicity, Diversity & Spirituality (EDS) Hub

2 EDS Hub launched by Aru Narayanasamy & Ethelrene White We are delighted to report that the inauguration of the EDS Hub on 30 September 2008 went well and according to plan. Ethelrene and Liz Perrell organised the event which was attended by 30 delegates involved in ethnic and spiritual diversities across the region. The launch took off with a speech by Professor Mark Avis, the Head of School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy, who outlined the evolvement of the EDS Hub. This was followed by Sir Stephen Moss, Patron of the hub, about the importance of responding to ethnic and spiritual diversities in health and social care as part of holistic care. He shared with the delegates, in a light hearted way, some of the contributions that some members, namely Ethelrene and Aru, had made. They worked collaboratively on projects commissioned by him when he was Director of Nursing Services at the Queen s Medical Hospital Trust, Nottingham. Aru Narayanasamy then continued by charting the events that led to the formation of the Hub and the news about his National Teaching Fellowship Award. Aru shared the news that he was privileged to be awarded the prestigious Teaching Fellowship Award by the Higher Education Academy in recognition of his work, promoting ethnic diversity and spiritualities teaching and learning, nationally and internationally. He expressed his gratitude to colleagues who had worked with him to make the progress in this important area. The award has 10,000 assigned to it, for future development of the subject area and the work of the EDS Hub. Ethelrene concluded the presentation by drawing attention to work of the champions and campaigners who had worked relentless, often in challenging circumstances, to promote ethnic and spiritual diversities in health and social care. She expressed her gratitude to the Patrons and members for supporting the establishment of the EDS Hub. The event ended with lunch and tour of poster presentations about the Hub, members current projects and display of key champions representing diversities. Launch Event Some of the participants

3 Launch Event Some of the participants Diversity Mapping Project by Aru We are delighted to announce that the EDS Hub has secured an award of 23,700 from the Teaching Quality Enhancement Funding (TQEF) to map out when and how the various themes on diversity in all course curricula in the Division of Nursing at this university are addressed. Ostensibly, the project aims to achieve the following: Ensure that diversity themes are firmly embedded in the school s curricula, ranging from pre-registration to post-registration and post graduate courses. Implement diversity awareness and its realities, for all staff, of the School of Nursing, Midwifery & Physiotherapy. Ensure that the approach to diversity teaching prepares students to be fit for practice as active promoters of diversity in healthcare practice. Construction of School s website for diversity themes. The project will enable all nursing courses to be revised to reflect the needs in the market place/work place, which are not currently being fully satisfied. This is a timely project and is extremely relevant, due to rapid proliferation of health care developments that are responsive to the diversity of people seeking health care. The project will contribute through reconfigured diversity themes and better teaching to the increasing demand for care programmes that are responsive to diversity in health care. Finally, it develops students who are fit for practice and able to engage in delivering nursing care that is appropriate to meet diverse health demands. Research Assistants have been appointed to assist Aru Narayanasamy, as the project leader, to undertake the mapping exercises. The project e-learning resources for students and teachers are being developed, which will be available as Web CT material in October The EDS Hub has secured an award of 23,700 from the Teaching Quality Enhancement Funding (TQEF)

4 To BME or not to BME? Is that the question? Diversity in Service User and Carer Involvement The presentation by David Henry, Equality and Diversity Lead, Forensic Division of the Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust, Rampton, held on 29th February 2009 was an interactive one. In the presentation, David asked us to ruminate on the big questions of the day with regard to Race, Ethnicity, Identity and Language, all the usual suspects in the ongoing debate about the rights and wrongs of our continuing engagement in the debate about issues of Equality and Diversity. Is it really valid to continue haranguing people who actually express no interest in the conversation, or should we be concurring with the notion I detest your views Sir, but I will defend to the death your right to express them In this interactive presentation, delegates had the opportunity to engage in a thought provoking discourse on diversity. David gave us some thought provoking ideas to take with us about our approaches to diversity in health care. Our gratitude goes to David for presenting an important topic which will prevail for a long time. We are hoping that David will be returning to challenge us again about our approaches to diversity in education and practice. BME, and the burning question The best way to learn about different cultures is to talk to people. So said members of a group that Anne Felton and Joan Cook met as part of work to increase the diversity of service users and carers involved with the School, which is one of the points in the Strategy for Service User and Carer Involvement. The Service User and Carer Advisory Group acknowledges that the group itself is not currently diverse in ethnicity or gender, and would like to increase the diversity of its membership. Service users and carers have raised points about individual differences, cultural beliefs, language barriers, not making assumptions, and knowing about persons of a different background, different types of culture, different ways of working, different views on life. Nurses should have the awareness to ask about patients needs and preferences, and be willing to communicate. The EDS Hub is a key way of helping this to come about, particularly through supporting lecturers own knowledge and confidence in teaching about diversity. Recent work has concentrated on building links with mental health groups, and groups have been involved in discussions such as developing Problem Based Learning scenarios. Members of an African Caribbean mental health group spoke about the need for health workers to recognise cultural references, ask people about their aspirations, and to appreciate the importance of spirituality as part of the whole person, and as a source of support. Work with groups can lead to longer term involvement, such as some members of focus groups of older people now meeting students in the classroom. On the other side, some opportunities disappeared with the ending of the citizenship conference in the Diploma / BSc in Nursing. E-learning can also reduce direct classroom contact, but does bring opportunities to link to media clip libraries which include sections specifically recording experiences of minority ethnic community members, alongside a wide range of people talking about health subjects - see and Joan Cook, User Involvement Development Worker Self Help Nottingham and the Division of Nursing.

5 We are delighted to announce key events We are delighted to announce two seminars to be hosted by the EDS Hub towards the end of this year. Professor Wilf McSherry and Professor Mark Johnson have agreed to do two seminars closely related to diversity in health care. Seminar 1: Treatment versus Care : reintegrating spirituality and dignity Tuesday 24 November am to 12pm Venue: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy, Room C48, C Floor, QMC By: Professor Wilf McSherry, Wilf McSherry is Professor in Dignity of Care for Older People at Staffordshire University. He has conducted extensive research into spirituality and dignity and is well known nationally and internationally for his pioneering work. Wilf has published extensively in the field of spirituality, dignity and health care of older people. For further details contact: EDS.nottingham.ac.uk Key Events for your diary Seminar 2: Communication in healthcare: Issues and some pitfalls - the need for proper interpretation Tuesday 15 December am to 12pm Venue: School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy, Room D94 D Floor, QMC By: Professor Mark R D Johnson, Professor of Diversity in Health & Social Care, Director, MSRC/CEEHD, De Montfort University Mark R D Johnson is Professor of Diversity in Health & Social Care and Director of the Mary Seacole Research Centre at De Montfort University, Leicester ( He is Clinical Lead of NHS Evidence ethnicity and health, a service provided by the UK Centre for Evidence in Ethnicity Health and Diversity at De Montfort University and Warwick University Medical School to help staff in the NHS and social care to access best available evidence affecting the provision of care to a multi-ethnic population. ( He is also editor of the international journal Diversity in Health & Care ( and has over thirty years experience of research into inequalities in health and the provision of services for a diverse, multi-ethnic society. For further details contact: EDS.nottingham.ac.uk Hosted by The Ethnicity, Diversity and Spirituality (EDS) Hub, University of Nottingham We are delighted to announce that the EDS Website: is accessible on-line.

6 Spiritual journey board game Spiritual journey board game Spiritual journey board game as an educational tool for teaching spirituality in higher education - Dr Aru Narayanasamy and EDS Team This educational game was developed in response to the concern in health care education that despite evidence about the importance of patients spiritual needs, spiritual care education is impoverished (McSherry 2007; Narayanasamy 2008). Although conventional teaching strategies including lectures and group sessions have been tried with varying degrees of success in teaching and learning spirituality, the sensitive nature of this subject appears to hinder academics and students engagement with this topic due to fear of vulnerability and disclosure of personal beliefs and values. This educational board game is proposed as an alternative strategy for the teaching and learning of this complex but important subject. The light hearted strategy of this educational game aims to inspire participants to gain insights into spirituality in patient care. The learning outcome of this game should improve spiritual care education, therefore benefiting health and well-being. The game draws attention to human potentials and vulnerability in terms of meaning making and purpose, connectedness, hope, love, peace and tranquillity, compassion, caring and so on. Participants should be able to appreciate through the game what caring companionship means to those in suffering when experiencing crisis and vulnerability as a consequence of illness or personal catastrophes. This educational game sets 2 to 6 players on a personal spiritual journey to gain insights into how people use spirituality as a coping mechanism in their lives (Narayanasamy 2008). The game will prompt students to explore their own spiritual growth and development. In several trials of this game, nursing students and practitioners, as players, have undertaken the spiritual journey as an introduction to spirituality and well being. The game has been refined following evaluation feedbacks from game participants. The game comprises of a board, a dice, rules and instructions, and facilitator s guidance notes. The game ends when the winner reaches the final destination on the board, which constitute spiritual fulfilment in terms of spiritual growth and development. At the end of the game, the facilitator will proceed to explore what participants have derived from the game in terms of spiritual awareness in the context of health and wellbeing. References: McSherry, W (2007) The Meaning of Spirituality and Spiritual Care within Nursing and Health Care Practice. London: Quay. Narayanasamy, A (2008) Spirituality in Nurse Education: Personal Reflections, In Baldochinno, D & Ross, L (ed) Spirituality: The Human Dimension in Care. Malta: University of Malta publications, pp For details about this spiritual game, please contact: Aru Narayanasamy, EDS@nottingham.ac.uk.

7 Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity Matters in Caring We take this opportunity to announce that the EDS Team has developed a Web CT learning resource on the above themes to promote anti-discriminatory practices. The aim of this learning resource is to explore and provide guidance on diversity, including visible and hidden diversities in care. Following reviews by critical readers, this learning resource should be accessible to all nursing students at this university. A subscription service is being planned for external agencies to access diversity resources. This interactive Web CT material sets the context of equality, diversity and inclusivity before inviting participants to tackle anti-discriminatory practices. Resource users are strongly encouraged to complete the various activities and undertake further reading to derive full benefits. Visible diversity refers to race, gender and physical attributes, whereas hidden diversities include political opinion, sexual orientation (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender), ethnicity, teaching and learning styles, regionalism, class, family history, and religion which are not always amenable to first impressions but nevertheless impact care practice. Diversity and inclusivity should be part of the caring programme because they are important part of our humanity. Therefore we need to take a holistic approach to our fellow human of diverse background in suffering, health crisis and need. Diversity needs are important when assessing and planning care management delivery. There is evidence to suggest that caring promotes healing when the various dimensions of humanity are part of health care strategies. The social and health care practitioners equipped with competencies related to diversity and inclusivity are considered to be effective as social and health care professionals. Social and Health care and healing require more than mechanistic and procedural approach to care management delivery. Cultural safety and cultural negotiation in health care environment is necessary. Service users and their families/friends and practitioners derive most satisfaction when these dimensions of care are addressed as part of health care. Seven Steps to Spiritual Growth and Development Guide for Students. Ethnicity and Cultural Diversity: Caring for Adults. Ethnicity and Cultural Diversity: Caring for Children and their Family. Ethnicity and Cultural Diversity: Caring for Mental Health Clients. For details about these learning resources, contact Dr Aru Narayanasamy, EDS@nottingham.ac.uk Consultancies on diversity issues at work place We have expertise within The EDS team offering consultancies on diversity issues at a competitive rate. We are able to develop and support diversity champions/professional development advisers at workplace. For details contact: Dr Aru Narayanasamy or Dr David Howard, EDS@nottingham.ac.uk This newsletter has been produced by The Web and Media Team, School of Nursing, Midwifery and Physiotherapy, The University of Nottingham. To complement this learning resource, we have developed the following Web CT resources to facilitate nursing students to address diversity issues specific to their nursing branch (specialities). These resources include:

8 Ethnicity, Diversity & Spirituality (EDS) Hub The University of Nottingham School of Nursing, Midwifery & Physiotherapy Division of Nursing A floor Queen s Medical Centre Campus Nottingham, NG7 2UH Tel +44 (0) Fax +44 (0) EDS@nottingham.ac.uk