Interview with Dr. Toni Bewley: fostering global collaboration and overcoming stress among student nurses
We had the pleasure to interview Dr. Toni Bewley, a dedicated healthcare professional who has been actively involved in global health partnerships since 2016. Dr. Bewley, along with her colleague Dr. Radhika Pai, has been instrumental in establishing a collaboration between student nurses from Manipal College of Nursing in India and Edge Hill University in the United Kingdom. This initiative aims to foster knowledge exchange, cultural understanding, and stress management among student nurses. Let's dive into Dr. Bewley's journey and the impact of her work.
Q: Dr. Bewley, could you please provide us with a background to your role and any history of volunteering in global health work?
Dr. Bewley: Certainly! Since 2016, I have been actively involved with universities in China and India, focusing on collaborations and partnerships in the healthcare field. My work specifically revolves around supporting student nurses in both countries and linking them with their counterparts in the UK. This involvement sparked my interest in volunteer work related to global health, leading me to initiate programs aimed at helping student nurses overcome stress. Understanding the concerns faced by this generation of student nurses became the driving force behind our efforts.
Q: Could you briefly describe your health partnership and the activities carried out within it?
Dr. Bewley: In 2018, I visited Manipal College of Nursing in Manipal, India, to conduct research on the involvement of patients and caregivers in student nurse education. As a result, I created a private Facebook group called "360 Positive student nurse experiences," where student nurses from Manipal and Edge Hill University could share and compare their clinical placement experiences. This platform served as a space for cultural exchange and learning. We had planned a physical visit to Manipal by a group of student nurses from Edge Hill, but unfortunately, it was cancelled due to the pandemic. However, we quickly adapted and organized a series of online student-led webinars, covering topics such as clinical skills, diversity, inclusion, and communication. These webinars garnered significant attention and participation from student nurses, service users, carers, and staff from both universities.
Q: What motivated you to participate in a global health partnership?
Dr. Bewley: The timing of the global health partnership announcement was perfect for us to expand our links and collaborations. We aimed to enhance the exchange of positive student nurse experiences, raise awareness of similarities in practice, and promote cultural appreciation and professionalism among students. Additionally, we wanted to create a pathway for global mobility and encourage students to embrace issues of equality, diversity, and unconscious bias by connecting with others from different backgrounds.
Q: What prompted you to carry out this specific project focusing on stress management among student nurses?
Dr. Bewley: Through our previous engagement with student-led webinars, we had already established a foundation for student nurses to actively participate. We believed that the student nurse "leaders" within the group would continue engaging in webinars and be willing to share self-recorded videos discussing situations where they had experienced stress and how they overcame it. Given the increased anxiety and stress faced by nursing students post-pandemic, both in Edge Hill and Manipal, we saw an ideal opportunity to explore ways for these groups of student nurses to support each other. We provided basic guidance and involved a former group member, now a qualified nurse working in the NHS, who was aware of the stressors in everyday practice.
Q: Could you detail the impact of your work on the health facility and workers involved?
Dr. Bewley: Ross Sheridan, a former student nurse from Edge Hill who is now a qualified learning disability specialist nurse, played a significant role in the project. He developed specialist awareness among the group members regarding stress management using positive behavior support techniques in practice. Through his visit to clinical areas in India and his engagement with students from both Manipal and Edge Hill, Ross Sheridan gained valuable insights into the similarities and differences in the education systems of both groups of nurses. He skillfully utilized and adapted his teaching methods to suit the specific needs of student nurses in both the UK and India. This experience proved beneficial for his personal development as a nurse educator. During our visits to clinical settings in the UK, accompanied by Dr. Radhika Pai, and based on Ross's feedback from colleagues, staff members in clinical practice and students expressed their desire for further development of work related to yoga relaxation and stress-busting themes initiated in the project. For more information, please visit the following link: https://manipal.edu/mcon-manipal/news-events/student-collaboration-activity-series-8---overcoming-stress-expe.html