International Scientific Advisory Board Visit 2016
Hugh McKenna, Patricia Davidson, Kristen Swanson, Helena Leino-Kilpo, Alison Metcalfe, Joan Bottorff, Guifang Guo, Helen Edwards
Benefits of transdisciplinary work highlighted at 2016 International Scientific Advisory Board visit
The International Scientific Advisory Board (ISAB) made their annual visit to King’s this month 30th August – 2nd September 2016.
The week-long visit included lectures from distinguished professors, roundtable discussions, and an Innovation Awards ceremony to recognise the commitment of staff to creating a unique learning experience for students in the Florence Nightingale Faculty of Nursing and Midwifery (FNFNM).
The ISAB is comprised of internationally renowned professors who are leading the way in nursing and midwifery research. Each year they come together at King’s to provide expert insights and recommendations on research programmes. The focus this year has been on developing transdisciplinary research, increasing the sharing of knowledge between faculties, and recognising the benefits of innovation in teaching and research.
These ideas were put into context during the Nightingale Lecture Series which included lectures from Professor Patricia Davidson, Dean, Johns Hopkins School of Nursing and Professor Helen Edwards, Assistant Dean (International and Engagement) Faculty of Health, Queensland University of Technology.
Patricia gave an insightful lecture on the “contemporary issues in global health: opportunities for nursing and midwifery”, and spoke about the need to consider the wider context by thinking about the healthcare sector as an ecosystem, to increase better understanding across the sector and produce better outcomes for patients. She also emphasised the importance for nurses and midwives to have a voice at the negotiating table, to advocate change through engaging in the social, political and economic agenda.
Additionally, Professor Helen Edwards gave a lecture on “Exploring unanswered and unasked questions: the role of transdisciplinary research teams” focusing on her work on wound management. She emphasised the benefits of transdisciplinary working and how the sharing of new approaches to problem analysis, and the transfer of knowledge across disciplines can help to improve and promote best practice across the healthcare sector.
Lecturers, researchers and students came together at a roundtable discussion and talked about the ways in which transdisciplinary research can be developed at King’s.
Alison Metcalfe Vice Dean for Research, King’s College London said: “the feedback about the ISAB visit has been very positive, many colleagues enjoyed the opportunity to receive career advice and coaching from these Deans of Nursing from world leading universities, and equally the ISAB members said how much they had enjoyed meeting staff and students at FNFNM and hearing about their work”.