CIN Bulletin FEBRUARY 2022

WELCOME!

Welcome to the February 2022 bulletin.

This month we are excited to announce that the Malindi Sub-County Hospital has joined the CIN network. In this edition, we feature a training on communication skills and emotional competence using the iCARE-Haaland model implemented by KEMRI-Wellcome. We spotlight trainers of trainers championing the communication training in different hospitals in the people behind the network segment. Join us in welcoming new network members and be sure to check out the monthly updates and the upcoming events.

PROJECT HIGHLIGHT

STRENGTHENING RESPECTFUL COMMUNICATION WITH PATIENTS AND COLLEAGUES IN NEONATAL UNITS

An important aspect of clinical care is communication with patients. Health care provider’s major communication tasks are not only to inform patients about their disease and treatment, but also to create a therapeutic effective relationship by assessing patients’ concerns, showing understanding, empathy, and providing comfort and support [1,2].

Since 2009, The KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Programme has been running a training on communication skills and emotional competence using the iCARE-Haaland model[3]. The training is aimed at strengthening providers’ skills to recognize and manage their own and patients’ emotions and build on this foundation to communicate with awareness and respect for patients and colleagues. The iCARE model is founded on evidence-based approaches to teaching effective communication skills. These includes guided self-reflection to discover one’s own communication behaviors and their effects on oneself, colleagues, and patients; experiential learning workshops linked to real life work situations; and building on a process learning during daily normal work over 6 to 9 months.

In January 2022, a 3-day skills workshop was held for 32 new-born care staff in Machakos and Kerugoya.

Skills workshop held in Machakos and Kerugoya.

The workshops brought together providers working in newborn units, post-natal and antenatal wards, maternity, and MCH clinics. Participants had a wonderful graduation after 7 months of process learning through self-observation and reflection on their communication habits and effects on patients and colleagues. Participants were extremely positive about the course, with many emphasizing its direct relevance and applicability to their daily work. The majority of the participants also reported role modelling good communication behaviors to their colleagues. However, they expressed facing some challenges such as being critiqued by some colleagues when practicing the learnt skills.

Morrison P. & Burnard P. (1997) Caring and communicating: The Interpersonal Relationship in Nursing. MacMillan, Basingstoke
Maguire, P Pitceathly, C (2002): Key communication skills and how to acquire them. BMJ 325:697-700. (28. September)
https://connect.tghn.org/resources-and-training/icare-haaland-model-resources/

This article is written by Peris Musitia and Mwanamvua Boga

.

PEOPLE BEHIND THE NETWORK

To further support the communication skills and emotional competence training a Training of Trainers (ToT) was also held in Machakos and Kerugoya. The ToT brought together newborn unit nurse managers from Kerugoya, Machakos, Nyeri, Embu, KNH and Mbagathi. The ToT process has been ongoing since January 2021 and is aimed at empowering the nurse mangers with trainer skills on experiential learning approaches to scale up the training in their hospitals. In this bulletin we celebrate the exemplary team of trainers working across different hospitals.

FEBRUARY 2022 UPDATE

Recent meetings

In January 2022, the System Strategy to Optimise Neonatal Inpatient Care (SONIC) Trial held a successful meeting with CIN Site physicians in Kilifi
The Learning to Harness Innovation in Global Health for Quality care (HIGH-Q) project conducted a face-to-face in-house training on observation of care from 14th – 18th February 2022. A similar training has been organized for four recruited observers in readiness for deployment to the 4 intervention hospitals from 28th February – 4th March 2022.

Ongoing work in paediatrics

The Supportive Care and Antibiotics for Severe Pneumonia among Hospitalized Children (SEARCH) Trial is expected to start an aetiology sub study in March 2022. The sub study involves the collection of nasopharyngeal swab and a chest radiograph for the children recruited. In addition, the children sampled to participate in this sub study will also be reviewed 90 days post -enrolment.
ACORN 2 study was initiated in Bungoma and Kitale within the paediatric ward and is expected to scale up to the adult ward in the coming month
The Clinical Information Network-Antimicrobial Resistance (CINAMR) study officially started in Kiambu, Mama Lucy and Mbagathi hospitals with plans underway to kickstart the study in Western sites hopefully by March 2022.

Ongoing work in New-borns

The HIGH-Q Project is currently implementing work package 1A on effect of new technologies on a set of quality care indicators in 14 hospitals implementing a bundle of technologies. To support this project DPhil students from University of Oxford are currently in Kenya collecting data.
Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies (NEST 360°) preservice trainings were conducted in Kenya Medical Training Institutions located in Kisumu, Eldoret and Nairobi. This was followed up by quality improvement and mentorship visits

NEW NETWORK MEMBERS

Join us in welcoming the following network members

UPCOMING ACTIVITIES

KPA Annual scientific conference is scheduled for May 2022, CIN team has put in a placeholder for CIN pre-congress symposium. Be on the lookout for more information.
Communication skills and emotional competence course team plans to have an evaluation of the completed course in Kerugoya and Machakos in March and April. This will involve interviews with course participants and colleagues.
RESPECT study will have a joint collaborative training with communication skills and emotional competence trained Nurse TOT team later this year in Pumwani and KNH.

To improve the experience and quality of this bulletin we welcome suggestions and recommendations to be sent via the email cin@kemri-wellcome.org.

The Clinical Information Network (CIN) is a collaboration between the KEMRI Wellcome Trust Research Programme (KWTRP), the Ministry of Health (MOH), the Kenya Paediatric Association (KPA), the Kenya Paediatric Research Consortium (KEPRECON), and participating County Hospitals in Kenya. CIN was established in 2013 to support the use of information to improve hospital care for children and newborns admitted to county hospitals, and to further guide policy and practice in each county in Kenya.

Appreciate