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Resilience refers to our ability to adapt to life’s setbacks and misfortune. When things go wrong, do you bounce back from adversity, or do you fall apart because of it? If you lack resilience, you might not deal with adversity correctly and be subject to drug abuse problems, feeling victimized, or be affected by other unhealthy coping mechanisms. It is therefore essential to build and improve our mental resilience so that we can navigate around life’s hardships. As the saying goes, “ tough times don’t last, tough people do .” Below are a few helpful tips to follow for improving and strengthening your resilience:   1.     Build strong and positive relationships:  This will create a support network for yourself so that you never feel alone when dealing with adversity. Have people you can reach out to in times of need and be the type of person others reach out to. We are inherently social creatures and rely on cohesion for functional existence. 2.     Find meaning in each day:  Do things that make you feel a sense of accomplishment every day, the constant positive reinforcement will make life feel more meaningful and gives you something to look forward to. 3.     Learn from your past:  You might have dealt with similar adversities successfully in the past, so look back on how you handled the situation and see how it applies to the current problem. You can even journal these experiences down as a guide for the future. 4.     Have faith:  Though you cannot change the past, you can look towards the future. Have something that you can place your faith in, whether it is scientific, religious, or spiritual. We all need something to drive us forward in life through hard times. 5.     Look after yourself:  It is easy to get caught up in work, so be sure to make time for things that you enjoy. Get a hobby or activity that you want to invest time in, do daily exercises and follow a healthy diet. You can also implement stress-relieving techniques such as meditation, yoga or breathing exercises. 6.     Take-charge:  At the end of the day, you are responsible for your own well-being. If you have problems that need to be dealt with, do not ignore it. Plan and act, otherwise it will come back to haunt you later in life.   Full read here:  Resilience: Build skills to endure hardship - Mayo Clinic

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of strain on the healthcare sector and caused another concern to arise – widespread burnout. Burnout is a psychological state that is marked by mental exhaustion, inability to cope with stress and a lack of enthusiasm. It is therefore important to have coping mechanisms in place to combat burnout. Below are a couple of helpful tips for you:   1.     Exercise often and engage with other restorative activities:  Physical exercise decreases stress and improves your emotional well-being. You can even ask a work colleague or friend to do the exercises with you. Other activities that help with a peaceful state of mind include yoga, massage therapy and acupuncture. 2.     Spend time with your loved ones:  We often isolate ourselves from our social lives when we feel burned out. Make time for your loved ones, spending time with them will often leave you feeling rejuvenated and happy. 3.     Focus on things you can control and let go of things you cannot:  There are a lot of frustrations that comes across your path in the healthcare sector. Try to list the things that you have control over and those that you have no control over. Focus your energy only on what you control, otherwise you risk burning out quicker.  4.     Monitor your energy levels:  Track how you feel so that you can monitor your energy levels. If you feel constantly tired or fatigued, it might be time to take a few days off or increase your engagement in restorative activities. Sometimes finding a hobby that you can invest time in will also help. 5.     Identify signs of burnout and get help if needed: Try to view yourself objectively from time to time. If you notice that you are more irritable, get into conflict more often, or increase your usage of coping mechanisms, it might be time to take a breather or seek professional help. 6.     Set boundaries and protect them : it is important to set clear boundaries between your work and your personal time. Avoid taking work to home and switch work mode off when you step through your front door.   Full read here:  6 Tips for Healthcare Workers Facing Burnout t | UNC Health Talk ( unchealthcare.org )

Sometimes one needs a bit of extra ‘protection’ to face a group of students, so try these tips about how you can ‘present’ yourself to that critical audience: 1.     Balancing eye contact:  Eye contact portrays confidence. A general rule-of-thumb for eye contact is 2 seconds at a time. Any longer would feel awkward and any shorter would make you seem nervous. 2.     Make use of hand gestures:  Intentional and timed hand gestures could emphasize what you are saying and keep the audience engaged. It shows that you care about what you are saying. Avoid fiddling with items or keeping your hands in your pockets. 3.     Dress for success:  Dress in clothes that you feel comfortable and confident in. Certain colours can also make a difference -think of red for example (a real power move). 4.     Straighten up your posture:  Slouching when you are presenting shows lack of confidence. Take a deep breath and relax to remove tension before you start with the presentation. 5.     Breathe:  Taking deep breaths beforehand will help you to relax so that you do not speak faster than normal and run out of breath. Taking well-timed pauses between your speech will also make your audience hang on to everything you say.  Think about how Elon Musk or Mark Zuckerberg usually take a moment before answering questions.   Full read here:  5 body language tips to improve your presentations ( pickit.com )

The COVID-19 pandemic has put a lot of pressure on the healthcare sector. A lot of healthcare students are overwhelmed and stressed, but there are some easy ways to reduce stress and improve their overall well-being.  Share these with your students (and do not forget yourself)!   Don’t forget to breathe:  Deep breathing increases the amount of oxygen supply to your brain that stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps you relax. It is not only beneficial for reducing stress, but it will also help you make better decisions with clear thoughts. Use the ‘HALT’ acronym: To make sure you are performing at an optimal level, remind yourself often of the HALT acronym, which stands for Hunger Anger/Anxiety, Lonely, Tired. If you feel overwhelmed by one of these feelings, take a break. Focus on the bright side:  Healthcare can be a negative environment to work in, so remind yourself constantly of the positives and successes that were accomplished throughout the day. Leave work at the door:   Do not take the work home with you. To reduce stress, make sure that you can mentally break away from work when you arrive at home. Everyone needs a place to rest their body and mind. Burnout is permanent…. Laughter is the best medicine: Laughter is the simplest and easiest form of joy that we can access. Whether you remind yourself of a joke, a stand-up comedy show you recently watched, or a funny moment you remember, keep things that bring you laughter close at heart. Have faith: If it is religious, scientific, spiritual, or yourself. We all need something to believe in to keep us moving forward. Reach out to loved ones:  It is not always easy to keep track of how everyone around you is doing, so check up on them occasionally. You never know what someone might be going through and helping others will often bring a feeling of fulfillment to yourself as well.   The storm shall pass:  It is easy to feel hopeless and lost but find comfort in the fact that nothing lasts forever. The human race survived previous pandemics with a lot less medical and scientific knowledge and so shall we.

The COVID-19 pandemic had a drastic impact on our higher education sector that already have dropout rates that range up to 60%.  It is more important than ever for lecturers to help struggling students and so take a look at some of these tips:   1.     Effective communication:  make more effort to interact with your students. For example, you can ask for more regular feedback on your lectures to make sure that they do not become ‘lost’.  You can also invite them to talk to you if they have family commitments or other concerns that are affecting their studies. 2.     Reassure your students often:  They will often feel overwhelmed or pressured to complete tasks, especially if they feel like they need more information. Keep reassuring them that learning takes place over a period of time so they should set more realistic expectations. 3.     Tutors and support classes:  Sometimes a different perspective will help the student grasp the work better. Do not feel like it reflects badly on you, some people just learn things better with other techniques, so point them in the right direction. 4.     Where does their motivation lie:  Ask your students what the reason is for taking your specific course. Some are compelled to do it while others are motivated and interested to study in the specific field. So, find out why they chose this and develop an action plan from there. 5.     After hours:  Encourage your struggling students to come and see you after class. Do not call them out in front of everyone as they might be put off but taking the time to talk your students after class will make them feel more comfortable to seek the help they need. 6.     Teach them study techniques:  a lot of students simply do not know how to study effectively as they have never been taught the techniques. Showing them a couple of techniques might be what they need to improve their grades.

Calling all enthusiastic nurse educators who are looking for an exciting leadership development opportunity for 2024! If you wish to develop your leadership skills to make tangible improvements to the quality of education in your institutions, then this is an opportunity you do not wish to miss out on. Applications close on the 20th of November, so make sure to apply by using the following form (https://forms.gle/fFCLzwRmyNQ5D1Cg9).

The Foundation for Professional Development (FPD), in association with AHPEL, presents a variety of short courses for professional development. The FPD is open for new applications to their Short Course in Scientific Peer Review, which is designed to help researchers navigate the scientific publication domain, including critical appraisal of literature and peer-review processes. Given the publish-or-perish nature of many institutions, this is certainly something of benefit to all! Please see the flyer attached, or visit their website (https://portal.foundation.co.za/Course/Details/1028) for more information.

The Foundation for Professional Development (FPD), in association with AHPEL, has been involved with training budding health professions educationalists for years. The FPD is open for new applications to their Postgraduate Diploma in Health Professions Education and Leadership, which is designed to develop world class education in the health sciences, particularly to lead health professions education in the 21st century. The qualification is aimed at health professions educators and practitioners who wish to further develop their leadership, management and education knowledge and skills in a global and inter-professional context. If you are passionate about developing yourself in this line, this is not a course to miss out on! Please see the flyer attached, or visit their website (https://www.foundation.co.za/course/547) for more information.

Join us on the 22nd of August at 17h30 (SAST) for a webinar presented by Dr Lianne Keiller (Stellenbosch University). As leaders, we have either taken or being given a “seat at the table.” Whether we wanted to have that seat or not, we have a voice and a responsibility to ensure that we make our contribution to the leadership of our universities and organisations worthwhile. As a concept, psychological safety is something that leaders should consider to be critical to having a successful team and, often, is the make or break factor in leading change. So, if you're at that table or making space for others, is it a safe chair? Is it comfortable? Join us as we discuss this interesting principle in leadership. You can register for the webinar on the attached PDF flyer of the event.

The power of storytelling has been acknowledged for centuries, and it remains a highly effective tool for teaching and engaging audiences today. In a lecture setting, incorporating storytelling can help to bring concepts to life, increase student engagement, and enhance learning outcomes. Here are some reasons why storytelling is a powerful tool in lecturing: It captures attention: Stories have the ability to capture the attention of listeners and hold their focus, making it easier to deliver complex information in a way that is easily understood. It connects emotionally: Stories can evoke emotions and create a deeper connection between the lecturer and the audience, leading to a more meaningful and memorable learning experience. It makes learning fun: Incorporating storytelling into lectures can make learning more enjoyable and entertaining, making it easier for students to retain information and recall it later. It provides context: By using real-life examples and stories, lecturers can provide context and illustrate the relevance of the information they are delivering, making it easier for students to understand and remember. Incorporating storytelling into your lectures can bring your teaching to life, increase student engagement, and enhance learning outcomes. Try using stories to illustrate concepts and make your lectures more memorable and impactful. Compiled by Daniel Schoonderwoerd (Foundation for Professional Development).

In recent years, the role of Clinical Associates (ClinAs) has become increasingly important in South Africa's healthcare industry. ClinAs are medical professionals who work under the supervision of doctors to provide a wide range of healthcare services to patients. The role of ClinAs has grown in response to the growing demand for healthcare services and the shortage of primary care doctors in South Africa. One of the main benefits of ClinAs in South Africa is that they can provide quality healthcare services to patients at a lower cost than a doctor. ClinAs can perform many of the same tasks as doctors, such as diagnosing and treating illnesses, prescribing medications, and ordering and interpreting diagnostic tests. Additionally, ClinAs are trained to take a holistic approach to patient care and are skilled in communicating with patients to develop treatment plans that meet their unique needs. In a country where healthcare is often inaccessible to those who cannot afford private healthcare, ClinAs can play a vital role in providing affordable and accessible healthcare services to the wider population. However, there are some limitations to the ClinA profession in South Africa. One of the biggest limitations is the requirement of working under the supervision of a doctor, especially when there is a shortage of doctors in some settings especially in rural areas. ClinAs play an important role in meeting the growing demand for healthcare services in South Africa and their further training needs i.t.o. specialization,the expansion of their scope of practice, and the opportunity for independent practice are likely to become key debates in the future. Compiled by Daniel Schoonderwoerd (Foundation for Professional Development).

We place a lot of trust in journal articles as valid sources of information and so it is essential that you can determine what is a trustworthy journal article and what is not. Below are a few helpful tips on how to both judge a piece of writing (but also to ensure these inclusions in your own writing. Compiled by Daniel Schoonderwoerd (Foundation for Professional Development).