Alison I. Machin

Enhancing the Student Experience Through Effective Collaboration: A Case Study

In the United Kingdom (UK), closer integration of public services is challenging professionals to work more collaboratively within and across their organizational and professional boundaries (Great Britain DOH 2000; Great Britain DFES 2003). Reflecting a move to more significantly include librarians in educational collaboration (Schulte and Sherwill-Navarro 2009), this paper provides insight into the development of an innovative health curriculum in which academic staff, together with library staff, have engaged in successful collaborative working on a range of health and social care professional programs. This successful partnership has, to date, enabled the theme of lifelong learning to be embedded into a complex, year one, interprofessional module entitled “Foundations of Learning and Collaborative Working” (Northumbria University 2007). Using the Symbolic Interactionist Framework for Collaboration (SIFC) (Machin 2009), a case study of the collaborative working process undertaken is presented and factors influencing the success of the venture are highlighted. Sharing our experience may help others seeking to collaborate in their own work setting.

Locality, loneliness and lifestyle: a qualitative study of factors influencing women's health perceptions

The contribution of women to the achievement of global public health targets cannot be underestimated. It is well evidenced that within families, women are a key influence on the health and well-being of their children and partners. However, geographical differences in womens health inequalities persist and research focusing specifically on womens perceptions of locality factors influencing their own health and well-being is scarce. This paper presents an interpretive, qualitative research study undertaken in 2011 with a group of women living in one locality in the North East of England in the United Kingdom which aimed to better understand their health and well-being perceptions and locality influences on it. Fifteen women participated in two focus groups and six individual, semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis yielded four key themes: health and well-being perceptions; mental resilience; low income and choice; and influence of place. The influence of womens geographical location in relation to amenities and services and loneliness were recurring factors in the discussion, each influencing lifestyle. It was evident that women in their local context were themselves assets through which their own physical and mental health could be improved. However, womens perceptions of protective factors and their influences on health and well-being varied. Connecting with women in the context of their immediate living circumstances and understanding their perceptions as individuals are important first steps in the process of gaining consensus and mobilising their assets to collectively build healthy local communities.