AUTUMN 2015 EDITION
Welcome to Autumn 2015
EDITORIAL
The ageing society and it's potential impact on health and social care provision Grahame Smith
PAPERS
Initial Assessment and Treatment of Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) in the Elderly Ria Byrne
Celebrating twenty years of Midwifery Education at the University of Southampton : still at the forefront of Midwifery Education Maggie Duckett
POSTER
Global health citizens in the making? Ethical issues raised by researching an international education collaboration with third year occupational therapy students Alex D’Aeth, Precious Laosebikan, Joana Nascimento, Lauren Phillips, Julie Wintrup
Abstract
Work and international placements are popular in Higher Education. As well as contributing to the ‘employability’ agenda, Crawford and Wang (2014) suggest such opportunities improve degree outcomes and student satisfaction. But are students’ reasons for undertaking international work generally instrumental? Medical education’s international focus is shifting towards global health, reflecting a broader concern for the effects of inequality, poverty and conflict. This paper focuses on an international, health-focused exchange project involving Southampton and Lund Occupational therapy students. Unlike individual placements, a whole-cohort model sees all third years (who are able to do so) take turns to visit the other’s University and different regional health and social care settings. In 2014/15, students from Southampton visited Lund and worked with peers, practitioners and patients on shared projects. Emphasis is on practice, health systems and shared professional goals. Here we present research undertaken with and by a group of Southampton’s third years, seeking to discover if the espoused goal of preparing students as global health citizens was achieved in students’ views. Ethical issues were raised by the project and by the research. Students worked as research designers and interviewers, their unique access and trusting relationships generating new insights. Feelings of gratitude and loyalty were expressed, connected to the life-changing opportunity not otherwise open to several. ‘Visiting’ was highly valued, raising questions how an ethic of care, hospitality and responsibility might frame wider ‘hosting’ and project goals in future (McEwan and Goodman, 2010). Inclusivity and reciprocity, while priorities to academics, were less explicit project aims. We are speculating that in future years, peer relationships could be planned for and supported more directly, if their potential is to be realised. For the student researchers, supporting each other, through the many other demands of the third year, meant being flexible and fair in doing one's share.