Mixed Bag produces Highlights

Short list-orientated blog today, the week has been a bit of a mixed bag, and I don’t want to dwell on the ups and downs too much. 

This type of mixed bag I can handle…!

    

Instead, here are the things that have made my highlights list in the last fortnight….

 1. Huge excitement over 1st publication appearing in print by fellow University of Warwick researcher, and recent PhD graduate Dr Jamie Mackrill - “Sound source information to improve cardiothoracic patients’ comfort“.  Another paper in the pipeline, great encouragement to see someone go from PhD student to Research Fellow and published author in the same time frame as you, gives me inspiration that it must really be possible….

2. Women In Science 2013 #WISAnEveningWith – had a very interesting evening on the 27th March, our guest speakers Dr Vita Majce and Professor Frances Ashcroft (see here for brief biographies) gave informative, entertaining and inspiring talks to a very varied audience,  followed by a lively discussion and networking session over cheese and wine. Planning for September’s WIS 2013 symposium is already underway and should build upon this very positive foundation…

3. Very happy to have been invited back by UHCW Infection Prevention and Control to judge another phase of their #GetStoolSmart campaign – a wonderful initiative to get ward staff involved and aware of guidelines surrounding CDiff screening and protocols. A lovely treat to be able to be involved in handing out “Smarties for Smarties”, generating a buzz amongst hard working staff – and great for IPCT to be able to be spreading good news and smiles, as I’m sure often they can feel a bit like harbingers of doom…!*

4. Twitter continues to provide many jolts of encouragement as I plough through the Thesis write-up, not least being mentioned in the same sentence as the legendary Professor Didier Pittet….unbelievable. Thank you Claire! Had to have a strong cup of tea after that! 

5. Having a Hollywood victory.  Lashings of butter. Enough said. (photo to come!)

Next week I will be working on two presentations, one for the WMG Doctoral Conference (29th April) and the other for the IPS Ambulance Forum in conjunction with Audit and Surveillance Forum (9th May) – a more detailed blog should appear during that time…

*Which they’re not – as established on Twitter over Easter, I’ve decided my IPCT are rather like bunnies – hence this picture is dedicated to them!

Rabbits, Tweets and Hollywood

Bunnies.

      Everywhere. Big ones. Small ones. Fluffy ones. Chocolate ones. Imaginary ones*…..  

                                                       

It’s either Easter soon and I need a holiday, or the little leporids are plotting something, and we should all get away on holiday. Either way, I need to take a break….

Writing up my Hand Hygiene research has been rather intense over the last few weeks, not least because I have been feeling a tad under the weather (maybe because the weather has been so uninspiring!), and I have been relying on the good will and enthusiasm of others to keep me pushing forward. Thank goodness for the welcoming stream of Infection Prevention inspiration and enthusiasm that can always be found via Twitter; especially my personal heroes at UHCW, IPS, and Claire Kilpatrick. Great to have my Twitter Feed on in the background when I’m finding writing hard, to remind me why the research in this field matters, and especially when I receive Tweets such as these on cold March days:

Jon Otter‏@jonotter  22h

@chd05 good to see you down to speak at the IPS event in Brum https://www.eventsforce.net/fitwise/frontend/reg/thome.csp?pageID=46867&eventID=133&eventID=133 … In good company @julesstorr @emrsa15

Infection Control‏@uhcw_inf_con  22 Mar

#ff @CHD05 for making our week! Tea makes the world go round #handhygeine #HOP

Jamie Mackrill‏@JamieMackrill1  15 Mar

@CHD05. Good luck today spreading your hand hygiene compliance work!

It takes some self-discipline (usually applied) not to become distracted by all the excited Twitter chatter, but if controlled correctly, I find that it inspires my work, rather than being of detriment. I have certainly made some excellent connections and professional links via this channel which I cannot envisage having had the opportunity to have made in any other capacity, particularly as a PhD student with limited resources.  I definitely think it helps build a “community” feel around topics as well, which has the additional benefit when working alone or remotely, either as a student, or in a clinical role, facing the same challenges as co-workers across an area, be that a region, country or globe.

Away from Twitter there has been written progress on the research front – despite the up-and-down nature of the past few weeks – and I am now well into the process of drafting out the chapters discussing Studies 1 and 2 - which explored how Hand Hygiene was measured at my Case Study Site, and the potential role of Technology.   Had a great chat with my Supervisor this morning, always good to talk about my research with a ‘new’ ear; as often you can get too close to the ins and outs of your own work, and it is hard to explain the bigger picture, which is more often than not what is required (or rather, it is what 90% of people are actually interested in!).  Hoping to get the draft of these two chapters done by mid-April, so we can really start to see where we are, and take it from there. Exciting, nerve-wracking times!

Also, as mentioned last time, I have submitted an abstract to ICPIC on the topic of my first two Studies, and am now preparing a paper based on the “Fit-For-Purpose” Matrix developed for Study 2.   I also had a great meeting with one of the Hand Hygiene companies featured in this matrix, and am very excited about the potential for future research developments along that vein – although naturally it is still too early to say anything yet. I HAVE to write the thesis first!

Hopefully by the time I next post I will be able to update on the successful completion of at least one Study chapter – and share an overview of the main themes raised.  I will definitely be able to share with you two things:

1. Proceedings from tonight’s Women In Science event – www.warwick.ac.uk/WomenInScience - @WIS2013  #WISAnEveningWith
   This is an evening of expert talks and networking (with the additional bonus of cheese, wine – and baked goods [biscuits] by demand!) for researchers of both genders from within the Faculty of Science to discuss how to have a successful science career. Issues such as progressing from PhD and beyond, balancing home/life issues, pursuing funding and tracking down fellowships are all likely to surface.
   I’ve been very lucky to be asked to be on the organising committee for this event, and am very excited about meeting the two speakers –  Professor Frances Ashcroft & Dr Vita Majce - both having been honoured by the L’Oreal-UNESCO programme.  Expecting some very inspiring words to remember – very timely indeed…!
2. And finally, I will also be able to share with you my success/failure at attempting “A Hollywood“… I’m not being disloyal to “The Berry“, but they are a team, and you shouldn’t have favourites….

 

 

 

*NB Happy imaginary ones, not Donnie Darko inspired ones….

Writing up – Pictures, Plans and Problems

The past few weeks since finishing data collection have been spent going back over my thesis outline, working out what can be “written up without delay”, what “needs more work”, and what I would ideally like to put in a big box called “never look at again”….

Safety deposit box for Dissertation Issues….(Image from dreamstime.com)

Naturally it is that third category that contains rather a lot of the “meat” of the dissertation at the moment, and it takes a lot of self-discipline to ensure that each of the “issues” are logged, so that I can plan to tackle them as I write-up, even if it is not something I can do all at once.  Fortunately I have been able to call on some great sources of assistance so far to help me with each “issue” I have plucked from the box, and therefore I am hoping that over the next few months the balance of what can be “written up without delay“ and what I’d like to “never look at again” will swing…but one thing is for sure, the whole thesis “needs a lot more work”.

What I have found really useful though, is the use of copious “pictures” to help me translate both my ideas and actions into formats that are easier to communicate – I am now forever drawing process flow diagrams of some kind, showing how my thoughts are flowing, what actions I carried out, and why certain processes were carried out in particular orders.  Whilst these started out as being tools to help me avoid “head-pop“, I have now found that they may well be jolly useful to include in the finished written dissertation, to help the examiner avoid the same fate, and to save the legendary 1,000 words…

Learning – Risky Times (Image from ninapaley.com)

The “head-pop” issue has actually been a serious one this past week, as I’ve succumbed to 2 migraines – which as previously noted are not the best news.  Having to cancel hard to arrange meetings is never a good thing, nor is the time lost to feeling like you’ve just run a marathon. And that’s an analogy I can just about work with these days – except with a migraine you miss out on the shiny medal and cake rewards.  Still, fingers crossed it has just been a blip, and happily I managed to proceed with a re-arranged meeting, during which I learnt some fascinating new information which will help underpin a major theme in my discussion section, and plans for future Post-Doc work.  Well worth the snowy walk up to Warwick Medical School!

I also had a fantastic discussion re: my plans for Post-Doc work, which has really helped clarify the direction I want my research to go in, as well as help motivate me to keep up the pressure to get a thesis draft produced sooner rather than later.  More details on this further down the line, suffice to say Hand Hygiene remains close to my heart!

Icing on the Cake – going literal…

Outside the thesis write-up the past few weeks have seen me once again having some great help and advice from Claire Kilpatrick who gave some really useful feedback and encouragement on my ICPIC abstract draft.  ICPIC promises to be an amazing event, with some of the leading experts in the Infection Prevention field coming together, and I am keeping everything crossed that I will be able to attend; being able to take contribute my research in some capacity would only be the icing on the cake.

 

 

And finally, exciting times tomorrow on the Hand Hygiene and Technology front….will post soon…..

Another Hurdle passed…

So last week I managed to finish collecting the in-situ data for Study 3 which explores the link between Human Behaviour and Hand Hygiene – and has been a great opportunity to learn more about the day-to-day reality of life on an NHS Acute ward, which really brings context to the other elements of my work, about auditing, technology and Hand Hygiene compliance.

I now have no more data to formally collect, which is a strange feeling, as there are actually so many more questions to ask – however I am at the stage of the PhD process where discipline has to step in, and the doors have to close on further investigation in the interests of ensuring the thesis is written, conclusions are drawn, and a line is drawn in the sand. BUT THEN….then the future research can be planned! 

And that is where March comes in – as I have a number of exciting meetings set up then, to help guide the potential future threads which are starting to spin out of my thesis already and into the wider Infection Prevention community.  Will be great to talk about what has happened so far, to hear what other people have been up to, and to discuss what could happen next. There is so much still left to do in this field, but continued collaboration is of paramount importance to ensure we build on what has gone before, and prevent re-inventing the wheel. Things look bright…

For now, I have my thesis writing motivation plan – the day it is handed in, I am getting an entire cake to eat. Oh yes. You heard right. Because deep down, we all want to be Mary Berry when we grow up don’t we?

Exciting Times…

Time has flown by over the past few weeks, so to briefly update you…..

Study 3

I have been spending rather a lot of time loitering on the Ward carrying out my in-situ observations for Study 3, looking at Hand Hygiene and Behaviour. Trying (and failing!) not to get in the way/be mistaken for a Doctor/freak the staff out has been rather entertaining, but mainly I have been collecting some great data for my study, and all being well I should complete this final phase early next week, then move onto the analysis straight away.  Really looking forward to seeing whether the data matches my original hypothesis….will keep you posted on that one!

Twitter

Had a great surprise this week when my IPCT heroes launched their Twitter account, to coincide with a big Valentine’s Day activity they had planned to mark their #GetStoolSmart campaign. So great to be able to keep in touch with the work they are doing, and from the photos they posted during the day it looks like they spread a lot of smiles as well as vital information during their rounds…you can check them out here.

Thesis

Have been filling my non-observation time with writing up my thesis (submission date races ever closer…) and have now officially got 1 Chapter draft reviewed (we’re ok, mainly positive!), and have swapped it for half of another Chapter. I have to try to get the other half-finished by 6th March now, so it’s very much head down and write as much as I can…this week it’s been all about Methods for Measuring Hand Hygiene Compliance.  I jump around a lot (in writing, not physically, that’d be somewhat self-defeating to the deadline target…) though, so it’s hard to try to concentrate on one topic – as concurrently I am reviewing some Hand Hygiene technologies for a later section/paper…however need to just concentrate on getting one thing finished, rather than constantly having too many unfinished bits on the go. So self-discipline is the watchword for next week…

Conferences

Also on the approach for next week is my abstract draft for ICPIC 2013. Really hope to make it to Geneva in June, fingers crossed I can pull it all together – have 2 main topics to decide between, so that’s in the diary for next week. Oh, and then writing the abstract!

Off for more observations this afternoon, then a weekend of (hopefully) sunshine, another short run as I continue my uphill return from injury, and some epic baking. Because there is always a good reason for cake….

Varied Week – Hand Hygiene on all sides

This week has been a true representation of how varied a PhD experience can be, especially one like mine which has a number of different threads  being (carefully…) woven together.  The brief overview of my schedule below should give some insight into how all the topics within my research are currently being explored in parallel, turning me into something akin to a plate-spinner….

Monday: (Snow Day) Chapter writing for Thesis on the topic of Hand Hygiene Compliance; Factors Affecting Compliance (especially Intensity  of Patient Care, Ward Context and Patient Type) and Issues of Measurement of Hand Hygiene Compliance (which links with the work for my Study 1, which explores how Hand Hygiene is Audited at an NHS Acute Trust).

Tuesday: (Rescheduled from in-situ study day), instead Paper writing on the topic of Electronic Monitoring Technologies and Hand Hygiene, discussing  their Fit-For-Purpose rating according to established guidelines. This links in with the work for my Study 2, which explores the potential for Technology within the Audit Process at an NHS Acute Trust. Also had good Twitterchat and received support (and Thesis!) from great source of knowledge in Infection Prevention – Microbiology expert Jon Otter.

Wednesday: Very interesting meeting with Engineering company to hear all about Hand Hygiene system which can provide data to Healthcare Professionals about their Hand Hygiene compliance against scientifically sound ‘benchmarks’ (expected compliance rates) based on WHO 5 Moments. So much potential to explore….  Also an opportunity for exciting, motivating and woefully short catch-up with Claire Kilpatrick,  already working on outputs from that session!

Thursday: (Today) Back to collecting data in-situ for Study 3, looking at the effect of Human Behaviour on Hand Hygiene, and then back to writing the Thesis Chapter draft…

Tomorrow I shall be collecting more data, and then next week I am attending a networking event at my University, aiming to bring together Health Research from all departments and schools. Health @ Warwick3should be an interesting and vibrant day, and I am looking forward to sharing my “Why Do You Wash You Hands” poster from IFIC, to give a flavour of the work I have been doing over the past 3 or so years.  I’ll probably Tweet from the day, so if you’re there/interested, make sure you keep an eye out for @CHD05!

Study 3…..Current Observations….

So it snowed…..!!

Yes, a few days into my Observational Study investigating the effect of Human Behaviour on Hand Hygiene (see here for more details) and it snowed.

And not just a dusting – for those of you out of the Country and thus perhaps oblivious to the recent wall-to-wall media coverage of the weather (including an impromptu BBC News Special on Friday…), there was more than enough snow this time to cause the usual mixture of traffic chaos, school closures, snowball frenzies and high-speed sledging. Plus the annual addition of ‘treacherous’ into every headline.

For me, this snow resulted in 2 key things. 

Firstly, the weekend was thus filled with some epic outdoor activities, with the snow on both Friday and Sunday making everywhere very still and beautiful, especially for a warming walk along the local canal on Sunday morning….

Secondly, after more snow overnight, it meant that today (Monday) I had to ‘pause’ collecting data until later in the week – as the cars here….they were going nowhere!  An optimistic first attempt at movement early this morning was abandoned, which was probably for the best bearing in mind reports overnight of blocked roads surrounding our area – however not to be defeated a pre-lunchtime walk to the shop has resulted in the purchase of a Snow Shovel….   Granted the snow has had one last bite back, and the handle is now snapped in half…but the cars can now be seen properly, and later today the test of the snow/ice/slope/traction will commence.  Research will always occur, despite of the conditions….

Help digging my car out….

White car in snow….