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A University of Nottingham maternity unit in the online 3D virtual world, Second Life, has won a prestigious national award from the Royal College of Midwives.
The maternity unit was designed as an additional and innovative teaching tool which allows student midwives to practice their management of care and communication skills in a virtual environment.
It was developed by Jenny Bailey, a midwife teacher at the University, in collaboration with Colleen McCants and Fay Cross in the Information Services Department.
Royal College accolade
The RCM awarded the project the Philips Avent Award for Innovation in Midwifery at the annual awards ceremony of the College in London yesterday. The judges were impressed with the unit’s delivery of a range of scenarios and environments which student midwives can access, some of which they may not commonly encounter during real-life clinical practice in training.
Facilities in the unit include all the equipment available in the modern labour suite including birthing pools, gym balls and inhalation analgesia (gas and air).
Jenny Bailey, Midwife Teacher in The University of Nottingham’s Academic Division of Midwifery, said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be a winner, especially considering the excellent calibre of the other candidates. Hopefully, the virtual maternity project will continue to go from strength to strength.”
Chief Executive of the Royal College of Midwives, Cathy Warwick, said: “This project demonstrates that there is wonderful and ground-breaking work being done by midwives and I congratulate Jenny on her award. Midwifery practice is always moving forward and innovating. This shows that if we give midwives the resources and freedom to do this, the result is better services for women, babies and their families.”
More details on the Virtual Maternity Unit on the University’s island on Second Life can be found at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news/pressreleases/2012/january/new-life-in-second-life.aspx
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Notes to editors: The University of Nottingham, described by The Sunday Times University Guide 2011
as ‘the embodiment of the modern international university’, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings. It was named ‘the world’s greenest university’ in the UI GreenMetric World University Ranking 2011, a league table of the most environmentally-friendly higher education institutions.
The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 40,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.Impact: The Nottingham Campaign, its biggest ever fund-raising campaign, will deliver the University’s vision to change lives, tackle global issues and shape the future. For more details, visit: www.nottingham.ac.uk/impactcampaign
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power.
The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health. The University won a Queen’s Award for Higher and Further Education in 2011, for its research on global food security. More news from the University at: www.nottingham.ac.uk/news