Professioanl Artefact....

Hi everyone,


I haven't blogged in a while because I've been busy trying to finish my critical review to send to Paula as a first draft, hopefully it will be finished by this Thursday.
Has anyone started on their professional Artefact yet?? I'm really stuck on what to do.... one potential idea is a video for Dancers who are still at vocational dance school: it would be a sort of educational video on how to avoid injury when you are a professional in the industry, how to manage it correctly if you do get injured and information on what services are available to self employed Dancers in terms of therapy and treatment. I strongly believe that this education is lacking in vocational dance schools and help like this would of been very beneficial to me leaving school as a young Dancer.


Another idea is again a video, but this time for the Physiotherapists in my community of practice. It would show the collaboration of Dance, medicine and Science and highlight the therapy approaches used for Dancers facing an injury.


So I just have to decide who my target audience is.......what do you think?!?!


Katrina
x

NHS Dance injury Clinic

Carrying on from my last blog, here is a video from the launch of the NHS Dance injury clinic in 2012, at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyPslcRiQRA

New potential interviews

I am switching between so many different stages at the moment in the inquiry process that I can't keep track, it's definitely not as straight forward as I thought it was going to be!
I was talking to one of the paediatric physiotherapists at work about my research project, and I was explaining to her about my own personal experience of being injured at dance school. I told her that when I was injured in my first year I had to watch every class and take notes, with no personal therapy plan given to me to rehabilitate my injury and get me back to full fitness. This shocked her, and made me realise that there was no real guidance for me at school to recover from my injury, physically and Psychologically. I think this is why I have found my inquiry so interesting.
It is a field that is personal to me and it is something I can relate to- I want others to be intrigued by it too when I present my findings.

We also talked about my journey so far with interviewing professionals at work, and how many of the physiotherapists have never had a dancer come to them for treatment before. I have discovered their views on how they would approach the treatment of an injured dancer, but what treatment is actually given to professional dancers?

This was a light bulb moment for me as I have not yet been down the path of what treatment is given to injured dancers. The National Institute of Dance Medicine and Science is an institution that provides Dance injury Clinics around the UK; partnering with the NHS and private clinics. This was a shock to me as I had no idea there was a free service on the NHS providing specialist treatment for dancers.
The NHS specialist dance medicine clinics runs from the Royal national Orthopaedic hospital's central London outpatient assessment centre. The clinic is run by Dr Roger Wolman, MD, FRCP, FFSEM, Consultant in Rheumatology and sport and exercise medicine. He is supported by a specialist dance physiotherapist and two junior doctors. A referral can be made from your GP, and information on how to approach this is on the NIDMS website:
http://www.nidms.co.uk/healthcare

Here you can download referral information to take to your GP appointment and it also provides the clinics that are available for this service around the UK.
There is also the DANCE UK'S health practitioner directory on this link, which is a database of UK medical practitioners and complementary therapists with experience of working with dancers.
Dancers can also contact Helen Laws ( Manager of NIDMS, one dance UK) directly, to discuss which practitioner would be best suited to their complaint or injury.

So after several phone calls yesterday, there may be potential interviews in the pipe line with Helen Laws and Dr Roger Wolman, to hopefully discover what kind of treatment is available for Dancers in these specialised clinics around the UK. I am very excited about this, and I intend to use these interviews as part of my professional artefact.

I also found a BBC news article from 2012 when the dance injury clinic was first launched:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-17846564

I do find it alarming that I didn't know anything about this service, particularly the free NHS service because when you are an injured free lance dancer, paying for private health care for your injury is out of the question. This service would of been extremely valuable to me throughout my dancing career.


Katrina
x

Survey

So I have made a survey for self -employed dancers who have been injured in their career. I was originally going to just stick to my interviews but when I came across the organisations that are available for self-employed dancers facing an injury (that I knew nothing about,) I was interested to find out if anyone else has heard of these organisations. I was none the wiser to practices being specifically designed for injured dancers, particularly the NHS Dance injury clinic.

If anyone is interested to take part in this survey, please do, or share on Facebook to your Dancer friends! I'm really intrigued to see what the results will be.

http://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/LXPQN/

Thank you,

Katrina
X

Mapping out my ideas

As stated in a previous blog, I have started to brain storm my ideas and themes that I want to include in my inquiry. Now it's the challenge of choosing the literature I want to include in my project and beginning my literature reviews......help!!

Has anyone started their literature review yet??? Do we have to review each and every source we include in our inquiry? I think I'm confusing myself here because there's so much to do!

Any advice/help would be much appreciated!

Katrina x

Dance and Sports Science- Gjuum

I thought I'd share a video I came across on youtube whilst searching for different techniques Dancer's use in their training. This is a documentary which was shown at the 2014 Prix de Lausanne Ballet competition and it evolves around Patrick Rump, a Sports Scientist, and his practice 'GJUUM'.

Founded in January 2014, GJUUM is a clinic that collaborates a team of sports scientists, physiotherapists, sports psychologists, social workers, conditioning coaches and ballet masters who offer the innovative advances of sports science and medicine to dancers across the world.
The practice offers specific training methods to improve a dancer's performance, strength and overall confidence, particularly when they have returned to dancing after an injury.

Tamara Rojo, Artistic director of the English National Ballet, states in the documentary that she strongly believes Dance science should be incorporated into every national ballet school. She believes that if this tool was available to her at her younger age, many of her injuries sustained in her career would have been avoided. 

William Forsythe, Artistic director of The Forsythe company, said that: " Sports Science is like the secret weapon that we didn't know we had."

I find this so interesting, could sports science be integrated into the curriculum of vocational dance schools in the future? When I was injured at ballet school I didn't have any kind of therapy support or the facilities like the GJUUM practice available to me, I was only advised to do some pilates, watch class and to be honest, left to my own devices. 

The most compelling aspect for me from this documentary was the fact that Patrick Rump instilled a confidence in the dancer's throughout their rehabilitation process, so they could come back to dancing stronger than ever.

Here's the link to the documentary:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rLLc4mHRUGY

Katrina x

Middlesex Stay Day

I travelled to Hendon yesterday for a study day and met up with Paula- we discussed where I was in my inquiry so far and what I needed to do. My goal of the study day was to find sources of literature that challenge each other. I intend to view my sources as a 'Dinner Party'-

Who will I invite?
How will I open the conversation as the 'host'?
What would they think about my topic?
Who will agree and who will disagree?

I want to critically analyse my sources, so I am not just contextualising them, describing what they mean. I think this will be challenge for me as I have never attempted a task like this before. However, I believe that the dinner party imagery will help me grasp the concept of inviting different perspectives on my topic into my inquiry.

Once I have the Themes or ideas that I want to portray in my inquiry, I will make a large brainstorm of my topic on an A3 piece of paper with the subheadings coming off of it. I will then link the literature I have found that relates to these themes. Hopefully this will map everything out for me and make things slightly clearer in terms of starting my literature review and ultimately my critical reflection.

My Professional Artefact is just an idea at the moment, and Paula advised me to really think about the intended audience for my Artefact. I need to determine what my target audience is first before I start developing my idea. I potentially want to create a short film or powerpoint presentation of the inquiry process for my colleagues in my professional practice, i.e Physiotherapists. It would be more of an educational video of what I have discovered during my inquiry and it would give my work colleagues an insight into my project and how it relates to their practice.

Lastly, I find one-on-one conversations about module 3 and my inquiry so beneficial and I am hoping to travel up to Hendon again very soon. I am off work on Thursdays so if anyone else is up for meeting for a study day I'd be happy to organise it and I can book out a room online!

Let me know,

Katrina x

Physiotherapy and Dance Science

A colleague at work who took part in one my interviews emailed me a link from the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy website... A Physiotherapist has travelled to Brazil to take part in a 5 day workshop which focuses on the research into Dance medicine and science:


http://www.csp.org.uk/news/2016/10/05/physio-travels-brazil-dance-medicine-conference


It seems that the science of Dance Medicine has the potential to evolve with innovative collaborations between physiotherapy and dance.


I find this so interesting because this is a current issue which is being developed to ensure dancers have the tools and sources around them to improve their practice. As this is part of my professional inquiry I am very excited to delve further into this idea!


Katrina x

Interviews in my Professional Practice....

So after an informal chat with one of the physiotherapists at work, I have drafted out the questions I will be asking them. They are as follows:

• Tell me about yourself, your education and career.........

• I will then give each physiotherapist a written scenario on a piece of paper for them to read:

" Patient A has come to you for treatment and is a professional Dancer in a Ballet company, who has sprained her ankle during ballet class after landing awkwardly from a jump. Her ankle was swollen and bruised, and after a visit to A & E she found out that her ankle is badly sprained. She is keen to get back to dancing as soon as possible as she has upcoming performances."

•  How would you approach her treatment?

• How would you progress her?

• What advice would you give to professional dancers who experience an injury during their career?

I am looking forward to the responses from this interview, and I am hoping to interview at least 6 physiotherapists within the next few weeks. 

Any comments or advice would be most welcome!

Katrina x

Revised interview questions for professional dancers

So after a pilot interview today with a friend of mine, I discovered that several questions I asked were quite repetitive and were poaching for a one sided answer. I have constructed my new interview questions and I hope they are more neutral, asking open ended questions:

• Tell me about yourself....

• Describe your injury....how did it happen?

• Explain to me your recovery after your injury....

- How did you feel during this process?

• What effect did your injury have on your professional career?

- How long were you absent from dancing?

• How do you approach dancing and exercise post injury?

• What advice would you give to other professionals experiencing an injury?

Any comments and advice would be most welcome!

Thanks, 

Katrina x

Consent form for interviews

I am currently in the midst of creating my consent form for my interviews, and I am wondering what to call the title of my inquiry.

At the moment I have BA Hons Professional Practice (Arts)...... is this suitable for the title of my inquiry? I didn't know if I had to put another working title, such as 'Exploring techniques professionals use in their training for injury management and prevention'???

What are your thoughts???

Katrina x 

Module 3 Skype call

On friday night I had my first Skype call with Paula and several others who are on module 3. We began by looking at images of confusion that Paula had posted on Skype and were asked to pick which one most relates to you at this moment in time:

I chose the 'Help' picture as it depicts the inquiry process for me so far.....

From my own pictures, this is where I am right now, about to commence my professional inquiry:

And this is where I want to be:

This pretty much sums up how I am feeling!!! Currently it's a combination of feeling confused, overwhelmed, and to be quite honest scared at the amount of work I will have to do in such a short space of time. The second picture is definitely how I will feel once I have handed all my work in!! It seems as if the end is so far out of sight but I know it will all be worth it in the end-I just need to persevere and keep myself motivated.

We then each talked about where we are in the inquiry process, and most of us are on the same page, a relief to hear. Personally I am on Stage 2 of the inquiry process (see picture below):

This stage consists of focusing on my literature review and researching sources in relation to my inquiry topic, constructing my interview questions and gaining consent from potential interviewees. From speaking to others in the Skype call with Paula I know that I need to download the BAPP Arts consent form from myunihub as a template and guideline for when I request permission for my interviews.

What is an inquiry?

An inquiry in my opinion is a learning process that portrays knowledge, research and then expertise in a particular field. It is a journey of discovery, to ultimately gain a greater understanding of your chosen topic.

Hart Considers acquiring an overall "understanding of your topic to be part of your academic development , of becoming an expert in the field." ( Hart, c, 1998).
This is what I want to achieve from my professional inquiry; to gain knowledge and understanding on a specific topic I want to learn more about,  and by utilising my experience in the arts I want to portray an insightful and meaningful research project.

Another topic we touched upon in the Skype call was the professional artefact. This is something that is scaring me more than the critical review at the moment. Paula mentioned that the artefact should be aimed towards an academic and a professional audience, and that it should have a 'creative twist' to it:portraying your inquiry like it is a performance.

So it seems like I have my work cut out for me in the next few weeks. I do find the Skype calls and conversations with other BAPP students beneficial because I can voice any worries and concerns I may have, and it's good hear that we're all in the same boat!

Katrina x



References

Hart, C, 1998, Doing a literature review: Releasing the social science research imagination. London: Sage in association with the Open University.

Should Dancers lift??

I also came across this interesting article online from Dance informa magazine. It is an american dance magazine and this particular article talks about the stigma of weight training- why many dancers believe that this means the 'bulking up' of their muscles. It also explains how various weight training exercises can improve muscle strength and endurance. This is ultimately what dancers strive for, and their muscles need to develop all the reserves possible for the demanding tasks they put their bodies through. I personally believe that my body is in better shape in tone and strength now compared to what my body was like at Ballet school. My body back then was slim but not strong, and now through weight training, pilates and high intensity plyometric exercises (where your muscles exert maximum force in short intervals of time, with the goal of increasing power) it can endure more high impact activity without injury.

The aesthetic view of a classical ballet dancer is one which is lean, elegant and strong. However through my experience at ballet school there were so many young girls who were obsessed with the 'thin' look and their daily intake of food was dangerously low to obtain this. It also was not sufficient energy to fuel the body through it's vigorous daily routine. Inevitably their bodies did not have the reserves in their muscles to cope and they would frequently be injured.

I think this article is a real eye opener and this kind of education on  how to increase body strength and endurance without 'bulking up ' would be very beneficial to dancers.

Here's the link to the article here: http://www.danceinforma.com/2015/06/04/should-dancers-do-weight-training/

Have a read and tell me what you think!

Katrina x 

Considering Dancers as Performing Athletes...

I have been searching for various sources in relation to my new inquiry direction, and I have come across a few more in addition to my module 2 inquiry plan.

The fitness and health industry is booming at the moment and social media is getting people hyped about the latest workouts and eating regimes to get fast and obtainable results.
My twin sister is a qualified fitness instructor and I have been fortunate enough to learn from her extensive knowledge in the industry the correct techniques and exercises to use whilst training; ones that are more beneficial to the overall endurance of my muscles and ones that will also change the definition of them.

My professional practice is one which focuses on the physiology of movement after an injury, ensuring that the patient fully understands the importance of strengthening particular muscle groups around their injury to facilitate their recovery and functional abilities.
For example, after a knee replacement the quadriceps are crucial to strengthen as this particular muscle group supports the knee and is part of the driving force ( along with the hamstrings and glutes) to create flexion and extension of the leg.

Physiology
noun 
1. The branch of biology dealing with the functions and activities of living organisms and their parts, including all physical and chemical processes. 
2. The organic processes or functions in an organism or in any of its parts. 

Part of my job role is to support patients in supervised circuits in the gym. This is suitable for patients who need verbal prompts during the circuit, help on and off equipment and most importantly encouragement from myself to assist their progress after injury.

The majority of my time at work is spent in the gym at Southampton General Hospital, and I am beginning to understand the importance of many exercises used within physiotherapy appointments and circuits. Mostly these exercises are there to enable patients to walk up and down the stairs again, or to increase their range of movement so that they are able to drive and return to their usual activities.

So could weight training be beneficial to professional dancers too??

 I came across an article online whilst browsing for further literature, it's called  "The Dancer as a performing athlete: Physiological Considerations" ( Koutedakis, Y, Jamurtas A, Sports med. 2004; 34(10): 651-61).

The article states that the traditional aesthetic 'view' of a classical dancer's body diminishes the idea that other training methods not linked with dance can assist dancer's physiology and fitness to keep up with the new physical demands of dance.
However, recent developments have shown that additional training methods can lead to improvements on the overall fitness of the dancer and reduce incidents of injuries, without " interfering with the key artistic and aesthetic requirements". The article explains that because of the aesthetic requirements of a classical dancer, body weight targets are normally met by low energy intakes, with

" Female dancers students and professional ballerinas reported to consume below 70% and 80% of the recommended daily allowance of energy intake."

The extract concludes that an awareness of these factors will

" assist dancers and their teachers to improve training techniques, to employ effective injury prevention strategies and to determine better physical conditioning."

 So does this mean that the dancers of today are reciprocating the advice from other professionals to assist with their overall fitness and therefore increasing the longevity of their career??
Maybe so, and this is what I want to find out during my research project. It will be interesting to explore the different techniques professional dancers use to improve their endurance, recovery time and conditioning of their bodies to prevent injuries. I will gain knowledge on this by interviewing  professionals, and I am currently in the preparation stage of constructing my interview questions.

My next plan of action is to examine literature and begin my literature review as part of the tasks given in module 3. I intend to buy/borrow the book: "The fit and healthy dancer"(Koutedakis, Sharp and Boredom, 1999). This book intrigued me when I came across the synopsis on books.google.co.uk:

" Regardless of the grace of their movement, dancers experience injuries more often than the lugs bucking heads on the rugby field or in the boxing ring. On average, dancers are only marginally fitter than the average person on the street, smoke far too much, and do not eat properly, yet still stretch their bodies to extreme levels in the name of performance, and not surprisingly suffer a litany of injuries. This book examines the impact of a variety of dance forms, puts forth a program for improving training, building stamina, and reducing the risk of injury."

 I think this will be a very interesting read!

Katrina x




References

"Physiology" definition: www.dictionary.com

Koutedakis Y, Jamurtas, A. Sports med. 2004; 34(10): 651-61. The dancer as a performing athlete: Physiological considerations. 

Koutedakis, Y., Sharp, N. and Boreham, C. (1999). The fit and healthy dancer. Chichester: John Wiley.

www.books.google.co.uk

New ideas emerging......

JOURNAL ENTRIES:

After shadowing B7 Physiotherapist Niamh at work, I picked up on something that she mentioned after a gym session with a patient.  The man had a sprained his ankle and plays 5-a-side football every week with his friends. He would love to go back to playing football as soon as possible. 

Niamh said it can sometimes be tricky for Physiotherapists within the NHS to have more time with a patient ( they only have 30 minute appointments). She explained that in this particular case it is harder to rehabilitate him for the 5-a-side football as the once a week Physio session only allows her to demonstrate at least 15 minutes of exercises to strengthen his ankle. Therefore the limited time means that if he is not disciplined with his home exercises to strengthen his ankle, if he goes back to playing football too soon the injury will inevitably reoccur and could potentially be worse. 

The general public are not motivated  in Niamh's opinion, compared to professionals ( e.g., Athletes/dancers/performers) where the physicality of their work is their livelihood. The general public need a lot of encouragement from the Physiotherapists and therapy assistants to continue their exercises at home. 

There seems to be no 'middle ground' for the general public. There are no drills or shuttle runs within a physiotherapy session- the physiotherapist can tell them what to do after their injury, but it is then in their hands in how much work they are willing to put in. 
Footballers will have intense circuit training on the field before a match, and dancers will take class before rehearsals or a show. This 'preparation' conditions the professionals so they can endure higher impact activity. If a dancer turns up to rehearsals without taking ballet class in the morning, the dancer is at a higher risk of injuring oneself, almost inevitably. 

So it seems that the general public who sustain an injury will more likely become injured again if they do not actively participate in their 'middle ground' training. 


I then began thinking about my own experience of being injured- I was injured during my first year at Ballet School, and I personally believe that the psychological effect of my injury had more of an impact on me than the injury itself. I felt that I was totally lost and there was a significant lack of support from the school towards me. I would of really benefitted from therapy during my injury; talking to someone would of allowed me to express any worries and stresses that I would of had, and actually come to terms with my injury. 

This led me to thinking along the lines of the psychological impact an injury has on a professional.... and it was the main theme that I mentioned in my inquiry plan. It is understood that an injury affects professionals more deeply because it is their livelihood, however I began to realise that portraying this side of an injury would be going off on a tangent and it is not directly related to my professional practice. 

So after more feedback from Paula it was clear to me that I needed to make a definitive separation from the psychological impact of an injury, as this is not what my professional practice is based upon. For my interviews with professionals it would be better to formulate questions that are more open so I am not leading the discussion- This is something that I need to work on! Paula said that the idea of the inquiry is that it is an exploration- you cannot try and shape the way your inquiry will turn out deliberately to get the intended results. I need to learn to be more open and allow my research project to run its course. 
Also, as I am not including the emotional responses to injury in my project, the Kubler Ross theory on the 5 stages of grief will not appear as part of my artefact idea. This now paves the way for a completely new plan for my professional artefact........

I intend to base my research project around the Physiological processes a professional goes through during their training. I aim to examine techniques professionals use to condition their bodies, ultimately avoiding injury. I sustained my injury at Ballet School from the effects of a weak technique and a lack of understanding on strength and endurance training to avoid injuries during training and your career. I wish to explore this area, so I can display an insightful project that will hopefully be benificial to myself and other professionals. 

MODULE 3!!!

Hi Everyone!!! Hope you've all had a chilled and relaxing summer, can't believe we're now onto our third module already. I've been busy the last few months jotting down lots of ideas in my journal, and my plan for my inquiry has slightly changed during this process....! 

I'm going to start off with what I thought of my module 2 feedback and where my ideas took me from there...

I am not entirely sure of what my working title is going to be for my inquiry but I want it to go along the lines of…. 

“Exploring how therapy practitioners approach injury management for professional Dancers and Athletes.”

The feedback from my module 2 work was extremely helpful and it has outlined a few factors I need to consider when beginning my inquiry. The plan I constructed in module 2 seems to be a bit vague on what I actually want to find out from my professional inquiry. I seem to be torn between focusing on the psychological impact within the rehabilitation process and the medical stages that are required to successfully rehabilitate a professional dancer or athlete. 

I think I need to realise that my inquiry is predominantly based in my professional practice, so I really need to utilise the sources I have at my fingertips, for example talking to my peers in the next few weeks about my intentions for my inquiry, to gradually begin to form a plan for my interviews. 

As I will be interviewing professionals in the workplace, it is an ideal opportunity to find out if physiotherapists have a different approach when working with performers and athletes. 

Questions I could ask my peers could be:

“ Is your approach to your professional practice different when working with performers and athletes?”

“ If you have previously worked with performers and athletes, what is the most common injury?”

“ Describe the process you go through when you meet a new patient”

“ How involved are you in the patient’s rehabilitation process?”

“ Do you feel that the patient requires more psychological support from you throughout the rehabilitation process?”

“ Do you feel that there is a sufficient amount of support for the patient after they complete their physiotherapy programme with you?”

Questions I could ask professional practitioners could be:

“ How did you sustain your injury?”

“ How did your injury impact your career?”

“ What help was available for you when you were injured?”

“ What was your rehabilitation process like?”

“ Did you ever worry financially?”

“ Do you think that performers/ Athletes ignore small injuries incase it interrupts their career?”

I have realised just from drafting a few questions that I have to be vigilant in the wording in each question for ethical reasons. I do not wish to offend anyone or to appear biased in any way. Keeping my interviews neutral will allow the participants to truly express their opinions and will inevitably give me unbiased data. 

As my intentions have altered slightly for my inquiry, the next step I need to take is to research literature surrounding my topic of the different therapy approaches to professional performers and athletes. I need to focus on this particular theme and expand on this as much as I can without going off on a tangent- I do not want my inquiry to be vague. 

I have read through the Module 3 handbook and have made a few notes in what I need to do to make my inquiry as successful as possible. I need to look into ‘Action Lists’ and ‘Gant charts’ to help with my organisation before I officially begin the 12 weeks of the study period as I do not want to fall behind in Module 3. Utilising my learning journal throughout the inquiry process and communicating through my blogs will also be extremely useful for me in module 3. 

The one area which seems a bit grey for me after reading through the handbook is the ‘Professional Artefact’ I will have to submit with my critical review on the 6th January. I am quite artistic and creative so it could potentially be a really interesting project for me to undertake, however I am not brilliant with technology so this is worrying me slightly. 

I have drafted a brainstorm of ideas for my professional artefact and the two ideas that came up were:

1. Audio visual- either a powerpoint, images or a short film of how a physiotherapist would rehabilitate a professional performer or athlete for a certain type of injury and why. 
2. The Kugler-Ross 5 stages of grief theory in relation to a professional experiencing a detrimental injury in their career ‘ 5 stage cycle of a professional injury.’  This could either be portrayed in a powerpoint presentation or choreography to show the cycle??

These were only my initial thoughts after reading the handbook and reader 7, after trying to gain some insight into what I will actually be doing throughout module 3! It was all a bit overwhelming when I first read through it and I naturally started to feel anxious about the workload ahead of me, (in just over 12 weeks) ... so I found it beneficial and comforting to draw some visuals,  so I could physically 'see' what the plan is in the module 3 journey: 

Has anyone else done this and found it useful?!

xxx

Revised Award Specialism title!!

I haven't blogged for a while as I've literally spent every spare minute I have off typing up my proposal! How is everyone getting on?? I think I am almost done and ready to send everything off soon as I feel I have put everything in that I've needed to say.

After a phone conversation with Paula last week, we talked about the feedback she gave me on my first draft proposal. The one main theme that was missing was actually stating that I am going to incorporate my dance background and knowledge into my professional practice in my inquiry.

So I have changed my Award Specialism title to:

BA (Hons) Professional Practice in Arts ( Dance)

Even though I am basing my inquiry around my workplace in therapy, much of my project will include my dance knowledge and background too.

Hope everyone is well, we are nearly there!!!!

Katrina x

Help with award specialism title and rationale!!!

Since graduating from dance school in 2008 I have been lucky to pursue a short career in dance.
However, reoccurring injuries took their toll on my body and I accepted it, and made the decision to alter my career path.
After working in retail for several years, I decided to take the plunge and I have been offered a new job role with the NHS as a therapy assistant in Orthopaedics.
I believe that my new professional practice will enhance my existing knowledge of my dance training and knowledge of the human body and ultimately progress my career in the health sector.

However, as my practice will focus on the physical rehabilitation of a patient, I am interested in the psychological impact an injury can have. I intend to interview my colleagues as I will not be including patients in my inquiry due to ethical reasons. I'm not entirely sure that I am getting too out of my depth here by broadening the subject area and delving into the psychological side?? As I can't interview patients, will I have to rely on questionnaires from a third party?
What do you think??
Any comments or feedback would be most appreciated!!

Thanks,

Katrina x

Task 6B: Merits and Limits of the tools/ethods that can be used in my professional inquiry

This is an effective way to clearly see the advantages and disadvantages of each inquiry method and I am hoping it will highlight the tools I will want to apply to my professional inquiry.
I have used a bit of guidance from the internet to help explain the merits and limits of each inquiry tool.

An interview:
Merits

• Captures verbal and non-verbal ques
• Easily distinguishes body language
• A face-to-face interview can produce enthusiasm for the discussion on a particular topic
• Free from technological distractions

Limits

• Quality of data by the interviewer- the outcome of the interview relies heavily on the ability of the interviewer; good questions with room for explanation and discussion
• The data collected would be time consuming to input

A survey:
Merits

• Participants can remain anonymous
• Easy to develop
• Cost effective
• Capable of collecting data from a large number of respondents

Limits

• Respondents may not feel encouraged to provide accurate, honest answers
• Respondents may not be fully aware of their reasons for any given answer

A Focus Group:
Merits

• They are useful to obtain detailed information about personal and group feelings, perceptions and opinions
• They can provide a broader range of information
• They can encourage a wider discussion between participants
• They can easily measure the respondent's reactions

Limits

• They are not as efficient in covering maximum depth on a particular issue
• Participants may feel hesitant in expressing their true feelings if it opposes the views of another
• It may be difficult to gather enough people at a certain time to conduct the focus group, especially if it's in the workplace

A Pilot Observation:
Merits

• Access to situations where questionnaires and interviews are impossible or are inappropriate to use
• Access to people in real life situations
• Good for explaining meaning and context
• Can be strong on validity and in-depth understanding

Limits

• Time consuming
• Ethical considerations arise
• Potential for role conflict for practitioner researches
• May affect the situation and validity of findings

Looking at documents:
Merits

• Can be used without imposing on participants
• Can be checked and re-checked for reliability
• Allows research on subjects to which the researcher does not have physical access

Limits

• Time consuming
• Many documents used in research were not initially intended for research purposes and may be bias
• Lack of availability of documents
• Limited on verbal behaviour, relies solely on the literature

I have already begun to comprise the tools I will eventually use in my future inquiry. For certain, the pilot observation method will not be used due to ethical issues surrounding my work place. A focus group could be an interesting concept but it might be quite difficult to gather the participants at the same time for a discussion. I propose to utilise the surveys, interviews and looking at documents as tools to shape my inquiry.

 

Task 6A: Informal survey trial for my inquiry

I have chosen to use 'survey monkey' for my informal trial of a tool that I might use in my inquiry. I want to gain more knowledge on the psychological impact of rehabilitation. Survey monkey is a great way of collecting data from a survey where the participants remain annonymous. As I am aware many of you are familiar to the dance world and it's injuries and I would love any comments and constructive criticism on my survey! I will pop this on my SIG too for feedback.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JRHCVH6


Thanks,

Katrina x 

Study day: Monday 18th April

I thought it would be easier to put up a blog of a future study day as today wires got crossed and I ended up traveling to Middlesex from Southampton to find out I was the only one here!!

Is anyone from Module 2 available next Monday 18th April to come to Middlesex for a study day?? I want to personally look at the inquiry plan and what people's thoughts are on the consent forms, etc.

Please feel free to comment on this blog if you are available next Monday- it would be great to see some of you and discuss module 2!!

Thanks,

Katrina x

Task 5D: Ethical dimensions of my proposed inquiry on my SIG

 I have attached a link to my SIG if people haven't already added me - A few ethical considerations have come up in my inquiry plan, any comments or advice would be most welcome!!!


https://plus.google.com/115402118668937973991/posts/WHeu1MdChpw

Thanks,

Katrina x

Task 5B (revised): Ethical considerations in my new professional practice

I am slightly behind on blogging the tasks from the module 2 hand book as recently I have been trying to gather as much information and literature as possible on my inquiry topic.

As my professional status has changed since the last blog I completed for task 5B, I am now going to look into the codes and regulations in my new professional community within the NHS. This should give me a clear indication to where ethical considerations lie when I eventually undertake my inquiry. 

Firstly, as I have not yet received an official contract for my role as a Therapy assistant in Orthopedics and hydrotherapy, I decided to look into the NHS codes of conduct and their 'Trust Values' on the internet:

Our values

Our values were created by a full staff engagement exercise following one-to-ones and small group interviews with over 150 staff members, a series of larger workshops and finally a Trust Board discussion.

Our values

Our three values statements are:

Patients first

Patients and families will be at the heart of what we do and their experience within the hospital, and their perception of the Trust, will be our measure of success.

Working together

Our clinical teams will provide services to patients and are crucial to our success. We have launched a leadership strategy that ensures our clinical management teams are engaged in the day-to-day management and governance of the Trust.

Always improving

Our growing reputation in research and development and our approach to education and training will continue to incorporate new ideas, technologies and greater efficiencies in the services we provide

Living our values every day

We aim to make these values ‘what we do’ – to inspire, develop and support every one of us to live our values; every patient, every colleague, every day.
These values are about us all helping each other to deliver great patient experience more consistently – involving people who use our services, their families, carers, staff and partners in continuing to improve the experience people have using and delivering our services.
Each ward, department or service will exhibit different behaviours in living these values every day. In order to identify them, champions are being recruited to work with these groups to articulate, agree and display them as well as live them. We will also teach them to challenge, in a supportive way, behaviours that contravene our values. The more people know and understand what our values are, the more they are prompted into living them on a day-to-day basis.
The values are being embedded in the Trust in many different ways.  Some are already in place, and others are a work-in-progress:

• Communication – we regularly review our communication, both with each other and also with our patients. If we aren’t using our values in the way we talk and write, we aren’t really living them.
• Recruitment – our values will be integrated into our recruitment and selection processes so our prospective employees are aware of them before they even start with us.
• Induction – all new staff members must attend our Trust induction programme shortly after joining us. The values are heavily embedded in this programme, to show staff members how they link to their every day working lives.
• Training – all our training courses are reviewed to ensure our values are identified in the new skills learned.
• Appraisals – objective-setting at appraisals will be linked to our values so staff members understand how their behaviour and outcomes indicate their adherence to them.

Recognition – Hospital Heroes, our staff recognition scheme, is judged including our values as the criteria. That way, the values and behaviours we set store by are always at the forefront. 

Patient confidentiality is a subject I touched on when I was interviewed for my recent job role. I believe it is crucial to keep anonymity in the workplace, especially when conducting research within a hospital environment. As I will not be conducting my research on patients, I will however be engaging with my professional work colleagues, and consent from them will be needed before I hand in my inquiry plan. My official start date for my new job will be the Monday 9th may, one day before the designated submission date for module 2. So I think I will discuss this query on my SIG as I would love to hear other people's views on which way to go about this obstacle. For consent of my work colleagues who I have not yet worked with- I will be interviewing members of staff in the therapy department with additional questionnaires and surveys. Would it be more appropriate to ask for consent in the form of an email? Or would arranging an appointment at the hospital to speak to my new manager be more efficient? My future work colleagues may also want to remain anonymous when I interview them- so I need to consider this as a possibility. 

There is an NHS England Confidentiality Policy on the internet in a PDF form which applies to all members of staff within the health sector:

"3.7 All staff

  

3.7.1 Confidentiality is an obligation for all staff. Staff should note that they are bound by the confidentiality: NHS Code of Practice 2003. There is a confidentiality clause in their contract and that they are expected to participate in induction, training and awareness raising sessions carried out to inform and update staff on confidentiality issues.

3.7.2 Any breach of confidentiality, inappropriate use of health or staff records, or abuse of computer systems is a disciplinary offense, which could result in dismissal or termination of employment contract, and must be reported."

It is then essential that I am extremely vigilant and cautious when conducting my inquiry within my workplace. I need to plan everything down to the final detail and make sure that I am considering any ethical issues that may arise from my research.

 

Study day at Middlesex!

Hi guys!

If Lily & Charnelle read this blog could you give me a text on 07988626620 as I'll be arriving at campus around 11.30ish! Xx

Uni campus session: 22.03.16

This week has been so hectic for me so I haven't been able to blog about the campus session until now! Last Tuesday I had a very productive day with the other BAPP students from various modules and it was lovely to finally meet everyone in person.
We started off the session with a few 'mind games' that Paula had laid out for us.
Firstly, Paula asked us to jot down anything that came to our head and we were given 1 minute to complete the 20 empty boxes. I didn't know what to think at first but I thought about what I did that weekend, and as I was on a hen do in Belfast I completed the spaces with anything that popped into my head:

I guess this was to activate our brains!

 

Then we were asked to draw a sketch of the person sitting next to us in one minute: 

  

I found this easy to do and the point of the task was to see how we 'perceive' others and create an idea about them in our heads before we put pen to paper.  

Lastly we talked about Ideas. We were all asked to think about an idea, and use images to translate that idea. I used Transformation:

 

 

I tried to depict the transformation of a caterpillar turning into a butterfly, however by looking at other's drawings in the group I realised mine was a bit obvious and maybe less imagery, and more abstract doodles would of been more appropriate to portray my idea.

 

 

 

We then looked into the idea of an 'Appreciative Inquiry':

" Appreciative inquiry is a model that seeks to engage stakeholders in self determined change, and has been used with teams, organisations and, in the case of Nepal, societies. " (Wikipedia)

 We applied the four stages of appreciative inquiry (Edwin c.Thomas) to construct a plan for distance learning on the BAPP course. The 4d cycle consisted of discovery, dream, design and destiny:

 I discovered through this plan that it is vital to note the positive and the negatives to the situation; it highlights two points of view which will be apparent to me when I undertake my professional inquiry. In addition, it was intriguing to hear other's perspectives on the BAPP course so far and it made me feel at ease knowing that we are all in the same boat!
Lastly, we split up into our module groups where I had a little chat with Lily and Charnelle who are also on module 2. We discussed our inquiry plans and also our thoughts and ideas on where to go with our inquiry plan next. I really felt that the campus session with others on the course and Paula was invaluable to me and I definitely work better bouncing off other's ideas within discussions. I look forward to coming up again in a few weeks time for a study day.

Katrina x

References

 

Appreciative Inquiry: A Positive Approach to Change  (Edwin, C.Thomas).

 





Literature review

HYDROTHERAPY
Review on the effectiveness of it's application in physiotherapy and occupational therapy.

by Dr. Craig W.Martin, Senior Medical Advisor Kukuh Noertjojo, Health Care Analyst.
(May 2004)

I came across this review online and I was intrigued to find out what the benefits were for patients in this rehabilitation process. My new job role is in Orthopaedics and hydrotherapy, so more knowledge into this role will be extremely valuable to me.

The beginning of the review states that many practitioners believe that water has many curative properties that are not harmful or toxic. Current rehabilitation professionals define hydrotherapy as a pool therapy program specifically designed for an individual in an attempt to improve neuromuscular and skeletal function.

The therapy is conducted and supervised by appropriately qualified personnel ( physiotherapists and therapy assistants), ideally in a purpose-built hydrotherapy pool. The use of hydrotherapy as a rehabilitation tool was first described by Hippocrates (c.450-375 BC) and is now commonly used by physiotherapists and occupational therapists.

It lists how hydrotherapy is applied in numerous rehabilitation programs for:

• Improving muscular and cardiopulmonary endurance in the elderly
• Pulmonary rehabilitation in patients with severe asthma
• Ventilated patients with Guillan-Barre Syndrome
• Sports injuries
• Osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis
• Various dermatological conditions
• Rett syndrome
• Chronic heart failure
• Reducing spasticity in severe traumatic brain injury patients
• Burns and wound healing
• Ankylosing spondylitis
• Fibromyalgia
• Lower back pain
• Rehabilitation post anterior cruciate ligament surgery
• Colles' fracture and total femur replacement
• Pressure ulcer
• Children with complex regional pain syndrome
• Rehabilitation of patients with supraspinatus muscle tears
• Rehabilitation of patients with spinal muscular atrophy
• Rehabilitation of ankle sprains grade 1 and 2
• Improving functional mobility in patients with incomplete c-6 spinal cord lesion
• Venous stasis/insufficiency, including haemorrhoids
• Common colds
• Urolithiasis
• Various psychiatric conditions, including hysteria.

(It is also common to occasionally be used during labour and birth).

By looking at the list of different rehabilitation programmes, I can see that hydrotherapy can cater to many different health problems, and also orthopaedic injuries such as knee and ankle which are common in dancers.

The review then addresses previous literature results that have shown the high level evidence on the effectiveness of hydrotherapy.
One example is: "Hydrotherapy and rehabilitation of patients with anterior cruciate ligament disruption."
Thomson et al conducted a Cochrane systematic review on the effectiveness of physiotherapist-led programs and interventions for rehabilitation of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL), medial collateral ligament (MCL) and meniscal injuries (M) of the knee in adults.
The authors found 31 previous trials, and only 2 of these 31 trials involved the application of hydrotherapy vs land-based rehabilitation program among patients.

The trial consisted of McClintock et al randomizing 20 post ACL reconstructive surgery patients into 2 rehabilitation programs: 10 days 'standard' home program followed by 7 hydrotherapy sessions and 10 days 'standard' home program followed by 7 land based therapy sessions. The hydrotherapy based and land-based programs were not similar or equivalent. Both rehabilitation programs took 28 days. The knee was measured pre operation, 10 days post operation and pre and post therapy sessions ( 7 measurements in all up to 28 days follow-up).
However, the authors did report that patients in the hydrotherapy program demonstrated significantly greater pain in mean flexion and range of motion at four weeks. The authors also reported that hydrotherapy based patients showed a significantly faster rate of return to pre-operative values of knee extension. In summary of this trail, there was evidence that post op hydrotherapy may be more effective than a land-based rehabilitation program for those patients undergoing ACL reconstructive surgery.

The final summary of this review stated that:

1. The application of water to treat disease has been used throughout history. It is known that Hippocates (460-375 BC) used hot and cold water in the treatment of multiple disease states. At present, hydrotherapy is applied to treat a myriad of diseases, including musculoskeletal problems. The majority of the evidence on the effectiveness of hydrotherapy to treat the described disease states and 'conditions' comes from small case series/reports and subsequent low level evidence (level 4).
2. The higher level evidence that was reviewed does not suggest hydrotherapy is effective in treating osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic low back pain, fibromyalgia or pressure ulcers. There were 2 papers that did suggest that post ACL reconstructive surgery patients may have better outcomes than those undertaking land based exercises alone.
3. The application of hydrotherapy is not always without risk. There are reports in the literature regarding legionella infections, burn, folliculitis and hypersensitivity pneumonitis which were directly related to the hydrotherapy.

In conclusion, the summary of this review is a good example of when I carry out my inquiry in module 3. I cannot be biased, only stating my opinion that supports the argument- I have to acknowledge there may be risks too, and I should be prepared to list the positive and negatives to ultimately deliver a fair and true report of my inquiry.








  


























































 

Special Interest Group

So I have finally created a new SIG group; The importance of rehabilitation.
I hope this link works! Please take a look at the link below and feel free to comment and share any
ideas or opinions you have on this topic! Past experiences maybe?

Thanks,

Katrina x

https://plus.google.com/u/0/communities/102632499025856245557

New ideas emerging

I've been jotting down ideas in my journal lately when I've had light bulb moments whilst researching
for my inquiry, and I've found that this has really helped mark down any ideas which I can then use later on with my research.
Over the past week I have been brainstorming ideas, flicking through webpages and supporting information  for my inquiry- and there seems to be an underlying idea that keeps popping up or even a topic of interest. There seems to be a correlation between dance and science.
Science appears to be the supporting evidence in the dance world, and health and dance are also interlinked.

I have also just discovered that Dr Roger Wolman, a consultant at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital has a Dance Medicine Clinic on the NHS. This is very exciting as it appears there are some links between my new professional practice of orthopaedic therapy and that of the dance world. (I will continue with this idea in upcoming blogs!)
I hope I can bring my knowledge of the body into my new job and absorb as much information as I can by learning about the science and therapeutic side of the role.

Also, after reading a few other blogs this week I saw that the word 'Ethics' emerges numerous times. This is something I will have to handle with great care if I am to incorporate my inquiry into my current practice. Obviously I will have to inform my work colleagues of my intentions and I will have to be extremely vigilant whilst carrying out my research in my place of work.



 

Phone call with Paula: New direction for my inquiry

After a phone call with Paula Nottingham this afternoon, I have gained insight into what my potential line of inquiry could be. We talked about the topic I was interested in and what I had been looking into since my deferral of module 2 in november. As I was still working in retail at the time, I wanted to research the need for professional nutritionists and psychologists in vocational dance schools as I feel strongly (from my experience) that young dancers are not nurtured as well as they should to develop into mature adults. However, Paula noted that this could be difficult to develop into a line of inquiry as it is not relevant to my current practice.

Recently, I have been offered a new job role of a therapy assistant with the NHS; a role which consists of assisting a physiotherapist in the care of orthopaedic patients.
This new development in my career is a huge turning point in my life and has made me think, could I use my potential inquiry in conjunction with my professional practice?

Paula thought this would be a good idea and a good plan of action for me. From my experience of dance training and my knowledge of the body, I could potentially incorporate this with my new professional practice. There are several ideas going through my head already and I can't wait to get started in my new job as a therapy assistant.
Are there any similarities between dance therapy and physiotherapy? I shall soon find out!
Dance movement therapy is something I might go into in the future, and by completing my inquiry within my new practice, it could be an invaluable stepping stone into the industry.

I will keep you all updated once I start my new job, but in the meantime the mammoth amount of research begins!

Katrina

x

New job!

I am very proud and happy to say that I have been offered a new job this week; as a therapy assistant working with the NHS. It is a massive deal for me as I have wanted to escape from the retail environment for a while now, and I really feel that this new opportunity I am embarking on will be incredibly beneficial to me and is something I can relate to. Finally no weekends or late nights!! I am hoping the more structured shift patterns will allow me more breathing time whilst working through module 2. My past dancing career and my new job role are all interlinked and I am so happy I've got to this point as it's been a long time coming.

:)

Katrina x

New year new start

Ahhhhh so now it is time to get my thinking cap back on again! I hope everyone had a lovely Christmas break?! I had a peaceful and quiet Christmas and had a lot of time on my hands to reflect and really think about what I would like to talk about in my professional inquiry. I was so snowed under in November and I felt ridiculously under pressure to pull something out of the bag for module 2, so I decided to defer the module until the new year, and I'm so glad I did. I have delved into a completely new topic but a topic I feel I can relate to and it could expand into something really interesting and relevant to my future practice.
If there are any other BAPP's that have deferred module 2 please comment on my blog! It would be great to hear from you :)

Here's to a happy and successful new year!

x