HEIW wins award for pioneering spiritual care training in nursing and midwifery programmes
Health Education and Improvement Wales (HEIW) won the ‘Engagement and Impact Award for Health and Well-Being’ at the University of South Wales’ Engagement and Impact Awards, which took place last month. The event was held in celebration of the impact of collaborative research and partnership working on communities in Wales.
HEIW won the award for its work with the University of South Wales on including spirituality competencies in nursing and midwifery programmes in Wales. The aim of this work was to help improve care delivery and the importance of this has been recognised internationally.
The award was jointly won alongside an initiative by Welsh Rugby which celebrates collaboration and its impact on communities.
Simon Cassidy (HEIW Head of Placement Experience and Improvement), Professor Linda Ross (USW), and Professor Jean White, former Chief Nursing Officer for Wales, were nominated for the award. The nomination was for work on adding spirituality competencies to nursing and midwifery programmes in Wales under the EPICC standards (Enhancing Nurses’ and Midwives’ Competence in Providing Spiritual Care through Innovative Education and Compassionate Care). Sarah Kingdom-Mills (HEIW Education Development Manager) and Charlotte Thomas (Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board Education Lead), alongside HEIW Practice Education Facilitators also played key roles in this work.
Spirituality is how individuals and communities find and express meaning and purpose, connect with others, and focus on what matters to them in the moment, which may include religious beliefs. Respecting these perspectives is crucial when individuals receive healthcare. Therefore, it is vital that students and staff in a supervisory role understand what is meant by spirituality and how to assess spirituality competencies to help improve patient care.
Simon Cassidy said:
“Recognising individuals’ spiritual needs is vital to overall experience of healthcare delivery, especially when people may be vulnerable or in distress. This work will help students and supervisors better understand what is meant by spirituality and how this learning underpins holistic approaches to care and the quality of healthcare provision.”
As a key partner in this Europe-wide initiative, Wales has led extensive efforts to embed spirituality standards in nursing and midwifery education, becoming the first country to require spirituality training and competency assessments for students. The initiative has drawn international interest, with Norwegian academics visiting in 2023 to learn from Wales' approach.
