Greater than the sum of our parts: Celebrating a year of Schwartz Midlands
19 June 2024
As we move into the second year of our Schwartz Midlands project, Eryn and Laura reflect on its impact so far.
Topics
Schwartz Midlands, a consortium of 14 Higher Education Institutes (HEIs) in the Midlands, launched just over a year ago. In March 2023, we were delighted to announce 14 HEIs across the Midlands region that were joining our Schwartz Rounds community, following a £490,400 investment by the former Health Education England Midlands (now NHSE Midlands).
The funding provided pump-priming packages to each HEI for two years, enabling them to set up and run Schwartz Rounds. The project is supported by two HEIs acting as coordinating hubs – the University of Warwick and the University of Leicester – which lead on the evaluation of the impact of running Rounds for healthcare students.
Schwartz Midlands follows two other HEE-funded HEI Schwartz Rounds projects – Schwartz North and Schwartz South.
Supporting HEIs to come on board
It was a busy first few months while we worked to support the HEIs to come on board in 2023. They were excited to be part of this new initiative, and it has been amazing to watch it blossom.
Each HEI is individually licensed to run Schwartz Rounds, but they are also working together as a consortium with the goal to create psychologically safe, interprofessional spaces for students to reflect on the emotional impact of working in healthcare, now and for the future. We believe that introducing people to Schwartz Rounds early in their career can have a huge impact for them throughout their lives.
Staff from the 14 HEIs, the Point of Care Foundation and NHSE Midlands meet every few months to share updates on the project and collaborate to ensure the initiative’s success. For us, these meetings show without doubt that the network has created something greater than the sum of its parts.
Promoting HEI collaboration
A very positive outcome of this project is the unprecedented level of collaborative working across HEIs we’ve been able to witness – sharing good practice and problem-solving together.
Christine Johnson, Community Sub-Dean from the University of Nottingham says that Schwartz Midlands offers a space for “true role modelling of working multi-professionally. The networks and connections are making a difference”.
The project provides a space for HEIs not to be in competition with one another, as is so often the case, but to collaborate and learn together.
Feedback from students
We have also heard moving and wonderful feedback from students who are attending Rounds.
For example, students from the University of Leicester commented on what they appreciated from a recent Round:
It was very helpful to meet others from different disciplines and hear their stories.”
Really useful to share experiences and have a safe space to be open and emotional.”
This has honestly been such a fantastic session especially as we could just be human…”
Really reminded me of why I do this job and the type of professional I want to be.”
So, happy anniversary to Schwartz Midlands! Many thanks to the staff and students from all 14 HEIs that are working hard, and with such passion, to enable Schwartz Rounds to be available to a large number of healthcare students across a range of disciplines.
May these Rounds continue to provide space for learning and reflection, an opportunity for collaboration, and ultimately a place for being human.
Learn more about Schwartz Rounds in HEIs
If your institution is interested in running Schwartz Rounds for healthcare students, please contact schwartz@pointofcarefoundation.org.uk