The Link Podcast

On this episode: “AI for the Mind: Enhancing Executive Functioning with Craig Smith”
 
Executive function (EF) refers to a set of cognitive processes that enable individuals to plan, focus attention, remember instructions, manage time, regulate emotions, and adapt to changing situations. Although well reported that people who are neurodivergent experience issues with EF, they can also be experienced by neurotypicals. Depression, anxiety, perimenopause, life challenges (relationship issues, house move, death of a loved one) can all influence EF (Diamond, 2013). 
 
We are very excited to bring you a special guest this month, Craig Smith.
Craig is part of the Positive Partnerships foundation in Australia. Craig took to the TEDx stage in November 2024 to discuss all things Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Neurodivergence. Ben and Craig discuss the ways in which AI can be used, from having a daily ‘walk and talk’ with it, to rehearsing for performances or social interactions. 
 
Ben and Craig then discuss the pitfalls of AI, and how students can avoid these, with helpful tips on its use. Craig mentions his 'Universal Sandpit', which was created to assist teachers with using AI to create inclusive teaching materials. 

 

Web links from the show: (all correct at time of recording)
 
Executive Functions (Diamond, 2013)  
Definition of executive function and how it can affect neurodivergence and neurotypicals. 

ChatGPT 
The AI software mentioned and used by Craig. 

The Universal Sandpit
A sandpit that was created by Craig and mentioned in the podcast. 

TEDx Talk 
Unlocking Potential: AI for Neurodiverse Minds | Craig Smith | TEDxCooks Hill 

Virtual Speech 
The software used by Craig to practice speaking in front of an audience prior to his TEDx Talk. 

 
Wellbeing/Mental Health Support Contacts:
  
If you are a student or staff member at the University of Staffordshire and have been affected by any of the topics that have been discussed in this podcast, don’t struggle alone, the University of Staffordshire are here to help…
Contact Wellbeing Support on 01782 294976 or by emailing [email protected].
 

 
For external listeners, mental health crisis lines and suicide prevention contacts can be found below. Please reach out if you feel you need to!
 
 
NHS Mental Health Services - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/

 
Mind Support and Services - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/where-to-start/
 
 
Samaritans Contact - https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/
 

 
Upcoming Podcasts: 
Death within other religions, human factors and ergonomics, and more service users sharing their unique experiences, using AI within education and more!
 

Previous Podcasts:
Race, Transgender, Neurodiversity, Impacts of trauma, Mature student experiences, Transition from student to healthcare professional, specialised areas such as mental health and organ transplant teams, and a LIVE guided meditation.
 

Want to get involved?
 
Are you a student? Member of staff? A Healthcare worker?
 
Do you have a topic you would like to share?
 
Get in touch! Let’s Pod!
 

 
Contact The Link podcast team:
 
@TheLinkPodcast_ on X (formally Twitter)
 
 
Ben W-H - @benw_h on X 
     [email protected]
 

 
Kirsty Egan - @KirstyODP on X 
         [email protected]
 

 
Hosted by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst 
Produced & Edited by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst & Kirsty Egan 
Artwork: Ben Woodrow-Hirst 
Intro & Outro: Rohanna Wholey 
Theme Music: Gavin Samways 

Trigger Warning:  This discussion has mention of death, dying and end of life/palliative care. Please refrain from listening if you feel this could be traumatising at this time. There are links for internal (University) and external listeners, if you feel affected or have been affected by any details of this Podcast.   

On this episode: “Service Users Mini-Series: Episode 5 – Homeward Bound: Creative Storytelling”

We speak to Lesley Goodburn from the Service Users Group (SUC’s) but also works within the NHS for the National Experience Care Team for the last 16 years. 

Lesley shares both her personal and professional experience around creative storytelling. Following the sudden loss of her husband Seth, there were feelings of a lack of compassion and decision making, which led to the creation of personal letters. These letters and stories were then made into a play, and then a film, known as Homeward Bound: Seth’s Story.

Lesley aims to improve end of life care, emotional and psychological support, and increase awareness of Pancreatic cancer. Recently, these letters have been shared with universities to assist with fundamentals of compassion and quality of end-of-life care.

We discuss the impact of creative stories, what forms that can come in and how patient experiences can improve NHS services. To date, Lesley has helped with the creation of four national policies for the NHS, as well as helping to share and develop others’ stories.

We also touch on how the process of creative storytelling helped her own personal experiences, advocating for stories but also helping to deal with anger and loss.  

November is Pancreatic Awareness month, and the 21st November is Pancreatic Cancer Awareness Day. If you want to share any pictures that include the colour purple to share with Lesley, please email [email protected] and these will be passed over!  
 
Web links from the show:

Service User and Carer Team (SUC’s)
The webpage for the SUC’s group, and how they work with universities and the future of the workforce to share personal experiences and improve services.

Homeward Bound: Seth’s Story
Here you can watch the whole play that Lesley spoke about, as well as access resources.

What is Pancreatic Cancer?
If you want to find out more about Pancreatic cancer, or the common symptoms then please visit the link above.

Sophie’s Legacy
Here you will find all the information about Sophie’s Legacy and the awareness that is being shared to improve NHS services. And if anybody is interested, it was Hazelnut souffle and cookies that her and Gordon Ramsay baked!

Georgie Steele – And I’ll Blow Your House Down
Here you will find the trailer for the show created by Georgie, opening up on life and experience with her two sons following their diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

The Grief Dialogues Stories – Elizabeth Coplan
Elizabeth Coplan from the United States and the different types of stories, art and creativity being shared through experiences of grief. 

Storytelling – NHS 2015 
A popular method of sharing knowledge with others to be passed on in a way that others can relate to. Widely used to convey personal matters and experiences and these stories can be presented in many ways – in person, video, audio, podcast, blog. 

Exploring the Impact of Storytelling for Hospitalized Patients – Gurney et al., 2023 
Storytelling is an intervention that has been used to help patients make sense of their illness experiences, and to share with others. Helps to ‘re-author’ their life stories to reflect a more capable, stronger self-identity.   

 
Wellbeing/Mental Health Support Contacts:
 
If you are a student or staff member at the University of Staffordshire and have been affected by any of the topics that have been discussed in this podcast, don’t struggle alone, the University are here to help…

Contact Wellbeing Support on 01782 294976 or by emailing [email protected].
 
For external listeners, mental health crisis lines and suicide prevention contacts can be found below. Please reach out if you feel you need to!
 
  NHS Mental Health Services - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/
 
  Mind Support and Services - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/where-to-start/
 
  Samaritans Contact - https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/
 
Upcoming Podcasts:  Death within other religions, Human factors and ergonomics and how AI can be utilised within neurodivergence! br> 
 
Previous Podcasts:
  Race, Transgender, Neurodiversity, Impacts of trauma, Mature student experiences, Transition from student to healthcare professional, and also specialised areas such as mental health and organ transplant teams.

 Want to get involved?
  Are you a student? Member of staff? A Healthcare worker?
 
Do you have a topic you would like to share?
 
Get in touch! Let’s Pod!
 
  Contact The Link podcast team:
  @TheLinkPodcast_ on X (formally Twitter)
 
  Ben W-H - @benw_h on X 
                     [email protected]
 
  Kirsty Egan - @KirstyODP on X 
                         [email protected]
 
Hosted by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst 
Produced & Edited by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst & Kirsty Egan 
Artwork: Shaun Kelly 
Theme Music: Gavin Samways   

On this episode: “Medical Mystery 3: Awake in the Dark”

This month we bring you a SPECIAL three part mini-series for Halloween! 
In this episode of Awake in the Dark, we explore the haunting mystery of Encephalitis lethargica, a strange illness that swept across the globe in the early 20th century.

Join us as we uncover the chilling accounts of those affected—individuals who slipped into an unsettling slumber, leaving their loved ones to grapple with the fear of losing them to an unknown fate.

We delve into the groundbreaking work of early neurologists like Dr. Constantin von Economo, who documented the baffling symptoms of this enigmatic disorder. Through personal stories and scientific inquiry, we seek to understand how a once-mysterious illness still echoes in the shadows of medical history.

Web links from the show: (all correct at time of recording)

UCL: The mysterious disease that inspired Awakenings is finally starting to give up some clues

Click here to learn more about Dr Oliver Sacks


Wellbeing/Mental Health Support Contacts:

If you are a student or staff member at the University of Staffordshire and have been affected by any of the topics that have been discussed in this podcast, don’t struggle alone, the University of Staffordshire are here to help…

Contact Wellbeing Support on 01782 294976 or by emailing [email protected].

For external listeners, mental health crisis lines and suicide prevention contacts can be found below. Please reach out if you feel you need to!

NHS Mental Health Services - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/

Mind Support and Services - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/where-to-start/

Samaritans Contact - https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/



Upcoming Podcasts: Death within other religions, human factors and ergonomics, and more service users sharing their unique experiences;

Previous Podcasts:
Race, Transgender, Neurodiversity, Impacts of trauma, Mature student experiences, Transition from student to healthcare professional, specialised areas such as mental health and organ transplant teams, and a LIVE guided meditation.

Want to get involved?

Are you a student? Member of staff? A Healthcare worker?

Do you have a topic you would like to share?

Get in touch! Let’s Pod!

Contact The Link podcast team:

@TheLinkPodcast_ on X (formally Twitter)


Ben W-H - @benw_h on X
                   [email protected]

Kirsty Egan - @KirstyODP on X
                       [email protected]

Hosted by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst
Produced & Edited by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst & Kirsty Egan
Artwork: Ben Woodrow-Hirst
Intro & Outro: Rohanna Wholey
Theme Music: Gavin Samways  
Additional music: Syrinscape (https://app.syrinscape.com/)

On this episode: “Medical Mystery 2: Pixels and Panic”

This month we bring you a SPECIAL three part mini-series for Halloween!  Ben and Kirsty delve into medical mysteries, and in this second episode, they explore the ‘Pokémon Panic’.

What happened in Japan in 1997 when a Pokémon episode that was aired seemed to caused seizures among their young viewers?

Ben shares the story of Haruki, a young Pokémon fan that had an unusual reaction to a newly aired episode, followed by possible conclusions that could be made.

What led to this panic, by a seemingly harmless TV show? 

Web links from the show: (all correct at time of recording)

Radford & Bartholomew (2001) – Pokémon Contagion: Photosensitive Epilepsy or Mass Psychogenic Illness?

Centre for Inquiry (2022) – Revisiting the Pokémon Panic at 25  

 
Wellbeing/Mental Health Support Contacts:

If you are a student or staff member at the University of Staffordshire and have been affected by any of the topics that have been discussed in this podcast, don’t struggle alone, the University of Staffordshire are here to help…

Contact Wellbeing Support on 01782 294976 or by emailing [email protected].

For external listeners, mental health crisis lines and suicide prevention contacts can be found below. Please reach out if you feel you need to!

NHS Mental Health Services - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/

Mind Support and Services - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/where-to-start/

Samaritans Contact - https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/



Upcoming Podcasts: Death within other religions, human factors and ergonomics, and more service users sharing their unique experiences;

Previous Podcasts:
Race, Transgender, Neurodiversity, Impacts of trauma, Mature student experiences, Transition from student to healthcare professional, specialised areas such as mental health and organ transplant teams, and a LIVE guided meditation.

Want to get involved?
Are you a student? Member of staff? A Healthcare worker?

Do you have a topic you would like to share?

Get in touch! Let’s Pod!

Contact The Link podcast team:
@TheLinkPodcast_ on X (formally Twitter)


Ben W-H - @benw_h on X
                   [email protected]

Kirsty Egan - @KirstyODP on X
                       [email protected]

Hosted by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst
Produced & Edited by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst & Kirsty Egan
Artwork: Ben Woodrow-Hirst
Intro & Outro: Rohanna Wholey
Theme Music: Gavin Samways

On this episode: “Medical Mystery 1: The Dance of Death”

This month we bring you a SPECIAL three part mini-series for Halloween!  Ben and Kirsty delve into medical mysteries, and in this first episode, they explore the ‘Dancing Plague’.

What happened in Strasbourg in 1518 that caused many deaths to occur over 40 days?

Ben shares this story, followed by possible theories that could be made. '

Will we ever know what caused the dance of death?
 
Look out for Medical Mystery 2, coming on Wednesday 30th!


Web links from the show: (all correct at time of recording)

BBC (2022) - The people who ‘danced themselves to death’

BPS (2009) - Dancing plagues and mass hysteria

AHDB (2024) - An introduction to ergot and its management in cereals  

 
Wellbeing/Mental Health Support Contacts:

If you are a student or staff member at the University of Staffordshire and have been affected by any of the topics that have been discussed in this podcast, don’t struggle alone, the University of Staffordshire are here to help…

Contact Wellbeing Support on 01782 294976 or by emailing [email protected].

For external listeners, mental health crisis lines and suicide prevention contacts can be found below. Please reach out if you feel you need to!

NHS Mental Health Services - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/

Mind Support and Services - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/where-to-start/

Samaritans Contact - https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/



Upcoming Podcasts: Death within other religions, human factors and ergonomics, and more service users sharing their unique experiences;

Previous Podcasts:
Race, Transgender, Neurodiversity, Impacts of trauma, Mature student experiences, Transition from student to healthcare professional, specialised areas such as mental health and organ transplant teams, and a LIVE guided meditation.

Want to get involved?
Are you a student? Member of staff? A Healthcare worker?

Do you have a topic you would like to share?

Get in touch! Let’s Pod!

Contact The Link podcast team:
@TheLinkPodcast_ on X (formally Twitter)


Ben W-H - @benw_h on X
                   [email protected]

Kirsty Egan - @KirstyODP on X
                       [email protected]

Hosted by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst
Produced & Edited by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst & Kirsty Egan
Artwork: Ben Woodrow-Hirst
Intro & Outro: Rohanna Wholey
Theme Music: Gavin Samways

On this episode: “Guided Meditation Special: Part Three – Reflections from the Podcast Team"

SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE! https://forms.office.com/e/vRH3s8QJ8g

Ben and Kirsty are re-joined by Carole Chance from the Service Users Group (SUC’s) for a very special podcast! Carole has an interest in spirituality, crystals and gives us an amazing experience of guided meditation!

In this special three-part podcast, we start by exploring what guided meditation is and how Carole came about it, followed by a LIVE guided meditation from Carole in part two, and end with reflections from both Ben and Kirsty on the whole experience.

We wanted the guided meditation to be a standalone episode so that listeners could replay it as much as they wanted, and we have created a Microsoft Teams form if you are happy to share your reflections! These will be kept anonymous if you wish but read out on a future podcast if you state that you are happy to do so!    

Web links from the show: (correct at time of recording)

 Defining Meditation – Sparby & Sacchet (2022) ·        

• Meditative activities are unified in awareness of awareness.
• Can be observing, producing or being aware.
• Some meditation techniques have led to structural differences in the brain. 

Mindfulness therapy in acromegaly – Santos et al., 2023

• RCT with 60 participants
• Intervention group – followed a mindfulness-based stress reduction program
• Control group – followed normal clinical routine
• Found reduced pain in the intervention group, improved sleep, improved self-compassion.
• Concluded that mindfulness could be valuable for patients with acromegaly   

Effects of guided mindfulness meditation on anxiety and stress in healthcare – Burgstahler & Stenson (2019)

• Study examining the stress levels of pre-healthcare students.
• Intervention included 5-12 minutes of meditation 6 days a week for 8 weeks
• 5-12 minutes of daily mindfulness meditation is associated with decreased stress, anxiety and increased mindfulness.
• Greater changes were seen following increased minutes of meditation.    

Wellbeing/Mental Health Support Contacts:

If you are a student or staff member at Staffordshire University and have been affected by any of the topics that have been discussed in this podcast, don’t struggle alone, Staffordshire University are here to help…

Contact Wellbeing Support on 01782 294976 or by emailing [email protected].



For external listeners, mental health crisis lines and suicide prevention contacts can be found below. Please reach out if you feel you need to!

NHS Mental Health Services - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/

Mind Support and Services - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/where-to-start/

Samaritans Contact - https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

Upcoming Podcasts: Death within other religions, Human factors and ergonomics, Insights into acromegaly, and a special Halloween episode!

Previous Podcasts:
Race, Transgender, Neurodiversity, Impacts of trauma, Mature student experiences, Transition from student to healthcare professional, and also specialised areas such as mental health and organ transplant teams.

Want to get involved?
Are you a student? Member of staff? A Healthcare worker?

 Do you have a topic you would like to share?

 Get in touch! Let’s Pod!

Contact The Link Podcast team:
@TheLinkPodcast_ on X (formally Twitter)

  Ben W-H - @benw_h on X
                     [email protected]

Kirsty Egan - @KirstyODP on X
                         [email protected]

Hosted by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst
 Produced & Edited by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst & Kirsty Egan
 Artwork: Shaun Kelly
 Theme Music: Gavin Samways

On this episode: “Guided Meditation Special: Part Two – LIVE Guided Meditation"

Ben and Kirsty are re-joined by Carole Chance from the Service Users Group (SUC’s) for a very special podcast! Carole has an interest in spirituality, crystals and gives us an amazing experience of guided meditation!

In this special three-part podcast, we start by exploring what guided meditation is and how Carole came about it, followed by a LIVE guided meditation from Carole in part two, and end with reflections from both Ben and Kirsty on the whole experience.

We wanted the guided meditation to be a standalone episode so that listeners could replay it as much as they wanted, and we have created a Microsoft Teams form if you are happy to share your reflections! These will be kept anonymous if you wish but read out on a future podcast if you state that you are happy to do so!    

Web links from the show: (correct at time of recording)

 Defining Meditation – Sparby & Sacchet (2022) ·        

• Meditative activities are unified in awareness of awareness.
• Can be observing, producing or being aware.
• Some meditation techniques have led to structural differences in the brain. 

Mindfulness therapy in acromegaly – Santos et al., 2023

• RCT with 60 participants
• Intervention group – followed a mindfulness-based stress reduction program
• Control group – followed normal clinical routine
• Found reduced pain in the intervention group, improved sleep, improved self-compassion.
• Concluded that mindfulness could be valuable for patients with acromegaly   

Effects of guided mindfulness meditation on anxiety and stress in healthcare – Burgstahler & Stenson (2019)

• Study examining the stress levels of pre-healthcare students.
• Intervention included 5-12 minutes of meditation 6 days a week for 8 weeks
• 5-12 minutes of daily mindfulness meditation is associated with decreased stress, anxiety and increased mindfulness.
• Greater changes were seen following increased minutes of meditation.    

Wellbeing/Mental Health Support Contacts:

If you are a student or staff member at Staffordshire University and have been affected by any of the topics that have been discussed in this podcast, don’t struggle alone, Staffordshire University are here to help…

Contact Wellbeing Support on 01782 294976 or by emailing [email protected].



For external listeners, mental health crisis lines and suicide prevention contacts can be found below. Please reach out if you feel you need to!

NHS Mental Health Services - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/

Mind Support and Services - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/where-to-start/

Samaritans Contact - https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

Upcoming Podcasts: Death within other religions, Human factors and ergonomics, Insights into acromegaly, and a special Halloween episode!

Previous Podcasts:
Race, Transgender, Neurodiversity, Impacts of trauma, Mature student experiences, Transition from student to healthcare professional, and also specialised areas such as mental health and organ transplant teams.

Want to get involved?
Are you a student? Member of staff? A Healthcare worker?

 Do you have a topic you would like to share?

 Get in touch! Let’s Pod!

Contact The Link Podcast team:
@TheLinkPodcast_ on X (formally Twitter)

  Ben W-H - @benw_h on X
                     [email protected]

Kirsty Egan - @KirstyODP on X
                         [email protected]

Hosted by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst
 Produced & Edited by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst & Kirsty Egan
 Artwork: Shaun Kelly
 Theme Music: Gavin Samways

On this episode: “Guided Meditation Special: Part One – What is guided meditation?”

Ben and Kirsty are re-joined by Carole Chance from the Service Users Group (SUC’s) for a very special podcast! Carole has an interest in spirituality, crystals and gives us an amazing experience of guided meditation!

In this special three-part podcast, we start by exploring what guided meditation is and how Carole came about it, followed by a LIVE guided meditation from Carole in part two, and end with reflections from both Ben and Kirsty on the whole experience.

We wanted the guided meditation to be a standalone episode so that listeners could replay it as much as they wanted, and we have created a Microsoft Teams form if you are happy to share your reflections! These will be kept anonymous if you wish but read out on a future podcast if you state that you are happy to do so!    

Web links from the show: (correct at time of recording)

 Defining Meditation – Sparby & Sacchet (2022) ·        

• Meditative activities are unified in awareness of awareness.
• Can be observing, producing or being aware.
• Some meditation techniques have led to structural differences in the brain. 

Mindfulness therapy in acromegaly – Santos et al., 2023

• RCT with 60 participants
• Intervention group – followed a mindfulness-based stress reduction program
• Control group – followed normal clinical routine
• Found reduced pain in the intervention group, improved sleep, improved self-compassion.
• Concluded that mindfulness could be valuable for patients with acromegaly   

Effects of guided mindfulness meditation on anxiety and stress in healthcare – Burgstahler & Stenson (2019)

• Study examining the stress levels of pre-healthcare students.
• Intervention included 5-12 minutes of meditation 6 days a week for 8 weeks
• 5-12 minutes of daily mindfulness meditation is associated with decreased stress, anxiety and increased mindfulness.
• Greater changes were seen following increased minutes of meditation.    

Wellbeing/Mental Health Support Contacts:

If you are a student or staff member at Staffordshire University and have been affected by any of the topics that have been discussed in this podcast, don’t struggle alone, Staffordshire University are here to help…

Contact Wellbeing Support on 01782 294976 or by emailing [email protected].



For external listeners, mental health crisis lines and suicide prevention contacts can be found below. Please reach out if you feel you need to!

NHS Mental Health Services - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/

Mind Support and Services - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/where-to-start/

Samaritans Contact - https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

Upcoming Podcasts: Death within other religions, Human factors and ergonomics, Insights into acromegaly, and a special Halloween episode!

Previous Podcasts:
Race, Transgender, Neurodiversity, Impacts of trauma, Mature student experiences, Transition from student to healthcare professional, and also specialised areas such as mental health and organ transplant teams.

Want to get involved?
Are you a student? Member of staff? A Healthcare worker?

 Do you have a topic you would like to share?

 Get in touch! Let’s Pod!

Contact The Link Podcast team:
@TheLinkPodcast_ on X (formally Twitter)

  Ben W-H - @benw_h on X
                     [email protected]

Kirsty Egan - @KirstyODP on X
                         [email protected]

Hosted by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst
 Produced & Edited by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst & Kirsty Egan
 Artwork: Shaun Kelly
 Theme Music: Gavin Samways

We speak to Carole Chance who has been a member of the Service Users Group (SUC’s) for over seven years and started out by interviewing candidates for the University. Carole speaks about the co-morbidities she has including Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Acromegaly. She explains that a diagnosis can be a ‘key’ rather than a label and open doors to support and new experiences. 
 
Carole and I discuss how healthcare professionals can support service users, including how the use of jargon can be terrifying for people without any healthcare knowledge. We explore how the news of her diagnosis was given to her, and how this could have been improved, including the need for further support and knowledge. 

We are very grateful to Carole for sharing her story and lived experience!
 
Would Carole rather have eyes that bring up medical facts? Or fingers that can grow, snap off (and grow back) that contain quotes to say to students? 
 
Be sure to look out for our special LIVE guided meditation episodes coming out 17th September! 
 

Web links from the show:
 
Mindfulness therapy in acromegaly – Santos et al., 2023  

• RCT with 60 participants   
• Intervention group – followed a mindfulness based stress reduction program  
• Control group – followed normal clinical routine  
• Found reduced pain in the intervention group, improved sleep, improved self-compassion.  
• Concluded that mindfulness could be valuable for patients with acromegaly  

What is it? – NHS 2024 

A rare condition where the body produces too much growth hormone. This causes body tissues and bones to grow more quickly. Diagnosis usually occurs in adults aged 30-50 and is usually caused by a non-cancerous tumour in the pituitary gland. 
 
Prevalence – Oluwaseun et al., 2023 

Worldwide prevalence of 4,600 per million, 40 per million in the UK 
 
Education for patients – Geer et al., 2022 

• Assessed impact of virtual education programme 
• Mixed methods – looking at attitudes towards diagnosis/condition 
• Livestream of education by a full MDT of experts and patients 
• Found that this can have a positive effect on perceptions of the disease.  
• No hope for improvement and feeling of being alone both decreased 

Cycle of Grief – Kubler-Ross (1969)  
 
 
Wellbeing/Mental Health Support Contacts:
    
If you are a student or staff member at Staffordshire University and have been affected by any of the topics that have been discussed in this podcast, don’t struggle alone, Staffordshire University are here to help…
Contact Wellbeing Support on 01782 294976 or by emailing [email protected].
  
For external listeners, mental health crisis lines and suicide prevention contacts can be found below. Please reach out if you feel you need to!
    
NHS Mental Health Services - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/
  
Mind Support and Services - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/where-to-start/
  
Samaritans Contact - https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/

  
Upcoming Podcasts:  

Death within other religions, Human factors and ergonomics, and a special Halloween episode!
    
Previous Podcasts:
 
Race, Transgender, Neurodiversity, Impacts of trauma, Mature student experiences, Transition from student to healthcare professional, and also specialised areas such as mental health and organ transplant teams.
  
Want to get involved?
  
Are you a student? Member of staff? A Healthcare worker?
 
Do you have a topic you would like to share?
 
Get in touch! Let’s Pod!
  
  
Contact The Link podcast team:
  
@TheLinkPodcast_ on X (formally Twitter)
   
Ben W-H - @benw_h on X  
     [email protected]
  
Kirsty Egan - @KirstyODP on X  
         [email protected]
  
  
Hosted by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst  
Produced & Edited by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst & Kirsty Egan  
Artwork: Shaun Kelly  
Theme Music: Gavin Samways 
 

Trigger Warning:  This is a discussion about trauma, death, dying, and resuscitation attempts regarding children/babies. Please refrain from listening if you feel this could be traumatising at this time. There are links for internal (University) and external listeners, if you feel affected or have been affected by any details of this Podcast. 

On this episode: Student Focus: Impacts of parents presence at child’s resuscitation attempts.

We speak to third year student ODP Rohanna Wolley, who discusses the debates around parents being present during cardiac arrests, a topic she delved into for her dissertation. She shares her authentic experience from placement in a children’s hospital, as well as mentors experiences and how these shaped the reason for her dissertation topic, and the need for further understanding for future preparation.

We touch on the balance between the professional nature of being an ODP during resuscitation attempts, whilst still being able to show their emotions and having empathy towards the patient and family members.
Rohanna and I discuss how trauma, death and dying simulations at University have prepared her for clinical placements, understanding the importance of debriefs and the ODP involvement in resuscitation attempts. The literature has suggested that positives can be gained for both healthcare professionals and family members. Parents being present can help with the bereavement process, seeing the severity of the situation and the feeling of being able to have a positive impact by having power/energy to help.  

Would Rohanna prefer to have tuff cuts for fingers, or transpore tape for hair?  

Web links from the show:

Resus Council (2023)
Presence of family members at the clinical emergency of children and babies. Overwhelming evidence to support parental presence at cardiac arrests. Family support team worker – recommended to be assigned during team brief, a HCP that works specifically with the family during cardiac arrests to provide information in simple terms and emotional needs.  

Douma et al., (2021)
What are the care needs of families experiencing cardiac arrest?: A survivor and family led scoping review.
Focus on family member in cardiac arrest
Collaboration between resus team and family
Consideration of family context
Family post-resus needs
Dedicated policies and procedures  

Clark and Mclean (2018)
The professional and personal debriefing needs of ward based nurses after involvement in a cardiac arrest: An explorative qualitative pilot study. Distinction between personal needs and professional needs, and the potential to improve care of patients and nurses.

Sedgwick and Greenwood (2015)
Understanding the Hawthorne effect; how behaviours are changed when people are being observed.  

Wellbeing/Mental Health Support Contacts:
If you are a student or staff member at Staffordshire University and have been affected by any of the topics that have been discussed in this podcast, don’t struggle alone, Staffordshire University are here to help…
Contact Wellbeing Support on 01782 294976 or by emailing [email protected].  

For external listeners, mental health crisis lines and suicide prevention contacts can be found below. Please reach out if you feel you need to!

NHS Mental Health Services - https://www.nhs.uk/nhs-services/mental-health-services/where-to-get-urgent-help-for-mental-health/

Mind Support and Services - https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/guides-to-support-and-services/seeking-help-for-a-mental-health-problem/where-to-start/

Samaritans Contact - https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/  

Upcoming Podcasts:
Death within other religions, traumatic events during childhood, human factors and ergonomics, and a LIVE guided meditation.  

Previous Podcasts: 
Race, Transgender, Neurodiversity, Impacts of trauma, Mature student experiences, Transition from student to healthcare professional, and also specialised areas such as mental health, organ transplant teams.  

Want to get involved? Are you a student? Member of staff? A Healthcare worker?
Do you have a topic you would like to share?
 
Get in touch! Let’s Pod!  

Contact The Link podcast team:
@TheLinkPodcast on X (formally Twitter)

Ben W-H - @benw_h on X
                     [email protected]

Kirsty Egan - @KirstyODP on X
                      [email protected]  

Hosted by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst
Produced & Edited by: Ben Woodrow-Hirst & Kirsty Egan
Artwork: Shaun Kelly
Theme Music: Gavin Samway