This may count - although it is not a change as such.
A group of students last year at HYMS did a audit type piece into the temperature of one of the rooms, people regularly complained it was too hot.
They had initially planned to try different different temperatures and questionnaires on comfort levels.
While doing this they found out that there was a fault with the system that meant the heating was not shutting off when it reached temperature.
I realise that may not be exactly what you were looking for, but you never know!
Our second year nursing students undertake a module for which they have to plan a practice innovation - sustainability is an element they are invited to consider. A student this year related her 'innovation assignment' (as we call it) to her healthcare elective placement in a rural health centre in Ghana. The clinic staff were throwing used sharps into an open bin below a desk, then burying them outside. The student came up with a sharps disposal 'bin' made from discarded plastic water bottles, involving the staff in design and construction. It's still not ideal but safer than before, andis reusing a 'waste' material in an innovative way (full report available on request, if this is helpful?).
Thank you so much, Linda. I would definitely be keen to see the full report. If not possible/appropriate to share on the Network (eg. as a resource) could you possibly email to me at frances.mortimer@sustainablehealthcare.org.uk ?
Hi Frances.
I've just emailed a few University of Brighton past / current students to ask them to contact you about things they have done in practice to save both carbon and money.
We now have sustainability as a topic on the pre-registration nursing induction week (I can't seem to find a way to attach a PowerPoint so I'll email you the presentation I use for the students). And I've also embedded sustainability teaching into the non-technical skills session (situational awareness, practicing efficiently/safely) of the post-registration intensive care nursing modules that I lead. I don't have any specific examples of students using the sustainability directly in their practice to make direct changes although I suspect many have done. Next year for their assignments, I will try and capture 'evidence' of when their audits or quality improvement initiative essay has made a clear improvement for future reporting.
Finally, at our annual symposium hosted by the School of Health Sciences (University of Brighton) sustainability group, there were presentations and posters from students which may be useful for your report - the videos, PowerPoints and posters can be found here:
https://blogs.brighton.ac.uk/sustainabilityhealth/symposium-2016/
If you scroll through, here's the students:
Hamza Alhamad, University of Reading PhD student
Jack Houghton, University of Southampton medical student
Harriet Dean-Orange, University of Brighton, post-reg nursing student
The presentation by Alison Taylor is an overview of an evaluation she recently did for where sustainability teaching fits across courses offered by the School of Health Sciences and may be useful for you?
All the best for your funding bid!
Heather
Hi Frances
Sustainability is a significant thread in our midwifery curriculum in New Zealand. I carried out a small qualitative study a couple of years ago that set out to explore graduate midwives awareness of sustainability in midwifery practice as a result of having been introduced to a programme of sustainability literacy within their undergraduate midwifery curriculum.
I have a powerpoint with lots of quotes but not sure how I can upload.
Lorna
Thanks Kathryn - actually that sort of thing is great. Anything that leads to a practical change on the ground. (of course i know that students have also done loads of useful analysis and other things).
Do i take it that the system fault was then fixed?
Frances
Yes it was :0)