Dr Martina Balaam (PhD MSc PgCert Prof Ed Ba (Hons) RGN RNT FHEA FRSA)
Director of Professionalism MBChB: Senior Lecturer in Medical Education and Senior Lecturer in Nursing Studies
- College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
- School of Health in Social Science
Contact details
Background
Biography: Martina Balaam
Dr Marti Balaam is the Director of Professionalism within undergraduate medicine, Senior Lecturer in Medical Education and Senior Lecturer in Nursing Studies at the University of Edinburgh. She is also Co-Chair of the UK Council for Educators of Medical Professionalism and Associate and partnership lead for compassionate engagement within professional communities for the University of Edinburgh Global Compassion Initiative. The Global Compassion Initiatives purpose is to enable and embed the evidence and practice of compassion within the University, in Scotland and across and the world. In this role she works with Global partners to develop programmes of work, share new strategies on compassionate engagement and learn from global and local experiences of how other communities practice compassion.
Dr Balaam is also the founding Director of The Compassion salon which is creating a community around new and established authors and poets whose work relates to compassion and wellbeing. This is a place for people to connect, inspire and support using books and prose as a means through which to consider the various aspects of human existence in an increasingly fragmented and challenging global community.
Martina is an educationalist, social scientist and nurse who has worked in health care education since 1999. She is particularly interested in the science, application and philosophy of compassion within education and healthcare settings.
Qualifications
I have an interdiciplinary PhD (sociology, media and communication studies and nursing), “Virtuous, Invisible and Unconcerned: Nurses, Nursing and the Media”. Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. I have a BA (Hons) in Applied Social Science, from Lancaster University, a Masters in Health Promotion/Education from Edinburgh University and a Post Graduate Certificate in Professional Education from Queen Margaret University, Edinburgh. I have professional registration with the Nursing and Midwifery Council as A Registered Nurse/Adult and a Lecturer/Practice Educator.
Responsibilities & affiliations
Co Chair UK Council for Educators of Medical Professionalism
Founding Director The Compassion Salon
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
Fellow of The Royal Society of Arts
Member of Nursing Midwifery Council
Undergraduate teaching
Self Compassion
Evidence and Research
Personal and Professional Development
Health Ethics and Society
Health promotion
Postgraduate teaching
Self Compassion
Professional Education
MSc Public Health/ Sociology of Health and Illness
Open to PhD supervision enquiries?
Yes
Past PhD students supervised
Past research interests
Co Researcher: Evaluation of Education for Senior Healthcare Support Workers (SCQF Level 7) and Assistant Practitioners (SCQF Level 8) in Children and Young People’s Health with Optional Pathways., Research Funding (£35,000) NHS Education Scotland 2010 Research Fellow: Identifying the concept of cumulative trivia in the older person. Funded and supported by Dr Lisbeth Hockey and the Queens Nursing Institute: Scotland. Department of Community Health: General Practice, Edinburgh University 2002Project activity
Project Manager: Scottish Workforce Empowerment for Life Long Learners project which enabled 27 students to complete the Higher education Certificate in Health and Social Care. The project aimed to address barriers to progression in work and lifelong learning. Project Funding European Social funding 2006.
Project Manager: Evaluation of Education for Senior Healthcare Support Workers (SCQF Level 7) and Assistant Practitioners (SCQF Level 8) in Children and Young People’s Health with Optional Pathways., Research Funding NHS Education Scotland 2010.
Project Manager (PT) Online learning Development Queen Margaret University. 2002-2004
Papers delivered
2017 How to make Teaching Professionalism Fun: Association of Medical Educators (AMEE). Helsinki
2017 Because I’m Happy: How to Make Teaching Professionalism Fun. Scottish Medical Education Conference. Edinburgh.
2017 How Medical Students Can Keep Well. Edinburgh University Mental Health Week. Edinburgh.
2016 Dr Who: Public and Personal Perceptions of the Good Doctor. South East Faculty of Clinical Educators. Edinburgh Medical School, Edinburgh.
2011 “Nurses, nursing and British television hospital drama and hospital based comedy. The implications for Nursing” the Truth about Nursing's Annual Conference. Empowering nurses and improving care through better understanding of nurses New Orleans USA (Oral)
2009 “Nurses, nursing and British television hospital drama and hospital based comedy Implications for Nursing”. Staff Conference Queen Margaret University Edinburgh (Poster)
2008 “Nurses, nursing and British television hospital drama and hospital based comedy Implications for Nursing”. PhD Conference Queen Margaret University Edinburgh (Poster)
2004 “Higher Education Certificate for Carers, Effective Partnership Approaches to Inclusion”, Lothian Adult Guidance Network. (Oral)
2001 “Cumulative Trivia” in the elderly”, Edinburgh University Department of General practice Research forum (Oral)