The Department of Nursing and Healthcare, Walton Institute, and the SOLAS Cancer Support Centre recently hosted the ‘You, Me and Palliative Care’ event at SETU’s Cork Road Campus in Waterford.
Collaborative research
This fourth annual event, held during Palliative Care Week (8–14 September), aimed to raise public awareness and understanding of palliative care across Ireland.
The event showcased collaborative research between SETU departments, while SOLAS highlighted its free professional support services for cancer patients and their families. It provided a platform for staff and students to engage with research, explore educational tools, and participate in activities centred on what palliative care means to them.
Engagement
Geraldine Purcell, Lecturer in the Department of Nursing and Healthcare at SETU in Waterford was delighted to facilitate the event this year.
Geraldine said, “I am thrilled to be part of the event and share the collaboration and research outputs that have occurred over the past two years with Walton and the Department of Nursing and Healthcare. Staff and students had the opportunity to view posters, engage in online educational technological resources/ clinical scenarios, engage in research activity, and participate in an activity to demonstrate what ‘Palliative Care means to me’.”
Future of Palliative Care through VR
Dr Christina O’Loughlin and James O’Rourke from the Extended Reality Group, part of the MEPS division at Walton Institute, demonstrated how Virtual Reality (VR) can be used as an innovative therapeutic tool to help alleviate symptoms associated with palliative care.
Attendees were invited to immerse themselves in a nature-based VR experience and provide valuable feedback on how this technology could be applied in palliative care settings. Their insights will contribute to collaborative research with Geraldine Purcell and the SETU Department of Health Science, focused on the feasibility and acceptability of a personalised VR intervention in palliative care.
This pioneering pilot study applies User-Centred Design, Participatory Action, and Engagement Research frameworks to explore the therapeutic potential of VR. We are committed to advancing research that can positively impact healthcare and enhance patient well-being.
Banner image shows: Two second year nursing students exploring educational Palliative Care clinical scenarios, a collaborative creation between Walton and the Dept. of Nursing at SETU.
