Online patient safety education programme for junior doctors: is it worthwhile?

PubMed

McCarthy, S E; O'Boyle, C A; O'Shaughnessy, A; Walsh, G

2016-02-01

Increasing demand exists for blended approaches to the development of professionalism. Trainees of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland participated in an online patient safety programme. Study aims were: (1) to determine whether the programme improved junior doctors' knowledge, attitudes and skills relating to error reporting, open communication and care for the second victim and (2) to establish whether the methodology facilitated participants' learning. 208 junior doctors who completed the programme completed a pre-online questionnaire. Measures were "patient safety knowledge and attitudes", "medical safety climate" and "experience of learning". Sixty-two completed the post-questionnaire, representing a 30 % matched response rate. Participating in the programme resulted in immediate (p < 0.01) improvement in skills such as knowing when and how to complete incident forms and disclosing errors to patients, in self-rated knowledge (p < 0.01) and attitudes towards error reporting (p < 0.01). Sixty-three per cent disagreed that doctors routinely report medical errors and 42 % disagreed that doctors routinely share information about medical errors and what caused them. Participants rated interactive features as the most positive elements of the programme. An online training programme on medical error improved self-rated knowledge, attitudes and skills in junior doctors and was deemed an effective learning tool. Perceptions of work issues such as a poor culture of error reporting among doctors may prevent improved attitudes being realised in practice. Online patient safety education has a role in practice-based initiatives aimed at developing professionalism and improving safety.

Junior High Publications: Junior High School Staff Members Master Same Desktop Publishing as High School Counterparts.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pyle, Betty; Cangelosi, Sandy

1988-01-01

Argues that middle and junior high schools can produce professional looking student publications by using desktop publishing. Presents three newspaper pages designed with the Apple Macintosh, using "Pagemaker,""Cricket Draw," and "Microsoft Word" software. (MM)

A Report To The Superintendent Regarding the Progress of Venice Junior High School Towards Flexible Instructional Organization (F10), or Staff Differentiation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

English, Fenwick W.

This report determined the results of the implementation of flexible instructional organization (F10) or staff differentiation at Venice Junior High School, Sarasota, Florida. The introductory portion concerns the report purpose, procedures and scope as well as background material. Results of interviews, conferences, surveys, observations, and…

Introducing a New Junior Doctor Electronic Weekend Handover on an Orthopaedic Ward.

PubMed

Maroo, Siddharth; Raj, Dipak

2017-01-01

Junior Doctors working on the Orthopaedic wards at a district general hospital identified the lack of a formal weekend handover. The Royal Colleges,GMC and Foundation Programme curriculum all emphasise the importance of a safe and effective handover. Doctors found that the current system of using a written, paper-based handover was unreliable, un-legible, and inefficient. Baseline measurements were sought in the form of a questionnaire which allowed us to obtain the limitations to the current handover. After this and a focus group, a new electronic, 'Microsoft Word' based handover was created and a repeat surgery issued in 2 weeks. Further PDSA cycles over the course of 8 weeks helped to improve and implement the new handover. The overall rating, out of 10, of the new handover increased from 3.4 to 8. Doctors felt the new handover was safer for patients and could be used as a tool for reviewing or referring patients. This project describes the use of a simple, cost-effective intervention that helped to improve patient safety and staff satisfaction.

The impact of a leadership development programme on nurses' self-perceived leadership capability.

PubMed

Paterson, Karyn; Henderson, Amanda; Burmeister, Elizabeth

2015-11-01

This paper reports on the outcomes of a locally designed educational programme to support leadership capability of junior registered nurses. The Developing Leader Programme is an in-house programme delivered in three face-to-face workshops, comprising self-directed reflective and application activities. Surveys were used to evaluate self-perceived leadership capability over a 9-month period. The survey comprised a Leadership Capability Instrument adapted from two existing tools. Participants completed surveys at the commencement of the programme, after the third and final workshop and approximately 6 months afterwards. In addition, examples of descriptive accounts of programme activities submitted by individual participants were included to enrich data. Of 124 participants, 79 completed surveys at the first workshop, 28 at the final workshop and 31 were returned 6 months after completion of the programme. Mean scores for each area of leadership capability significantly improved throughout the duration of the programme (P < 0.001). Participants also indicated a willingness to enact leadership behaviours through reported activities. Survey responses indicated that participants perceived improved leadership capability after completing the Developing Leader Programme. Early educational intervention to facilitate the development of leadership skills as well as clinical skills in junior registered nurses can assist with how they interact with the team. Participation of junior registered nurses in a locally designed leadership programme can assist them to develop leadership behaviours for everyday practice. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The American Association of Women in Community and Junior Colleges (AAWCJC): Celebrating 20 Years of Growth & Service, 1973-1993.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Diana Hester, Ed.; And Others

1994-01-01

The annual Journal of the American Association of Women in Community and Junior Colleges (AAWCJC) publishes articles on research, model programs, and teaching/learning strategies of interest to women students and staff at community, junior, and technical colleges. It provides a forum for the discussion of issues related to women in higher…

Reorganization of the Yearbook Staffs for the 1980s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vossen, Daniel L.

1981-01-01

A diagram of the reorganized yearbook staff, reflective of current emphasis on magazine-style layout designs, and adaptable for colleges, high schools, mid-high schools, and junior high schools. Listings of responsibilities for each integral staff member. (RL)

Obstetrics and gynaecology chief resident attitudes toward teaching junior residents under normal working conditions.

PubMed

Gil, Karen M; Savitski, Jennifer L; Bazan, Sara; Patterson, Laurene R; Kirven, Melissa

2009-09-01

This study aimed to identify factors that chief residents believe impact the teaching of junior residents under normal working conditions and the areas in which they believe education on the role of resident as teacher would be beneficial. Obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) chief residents were asked to rate the importance of teaching various skills, how often conflict situations arose, and to identify training that would be helpful through a national web-based survey. An e-mail was sent to coordinators of the Residency Review Committee (RRC) O&G residency programmes with a request that they forward the link to their chief residents three times from January through March 2006. Responses were received from 204 postgraduate Year 4 (PGY4) residents (18% of all PGY4 residents) from 133 programmes (54% of all residency programmes) and 33 states. Teaching junior residents how to prioritise patient care and obtain critical information in an emergent situation was considered very to extremely important by 97%. Conflict situations with junior residents were reported to occur between one and five times by 41-58%; an additional 26-28% reported that these situations occurred six or more times. Residents felt it would be helpful to extremely helpful to have training in resolving conflicts that involved patient care (48-59%), as well as in resolving conflict among junior residents, communicating effectively with them and becoming an effective leader (65-78%). The skills that chief residents considered most important to teach junior residents involved direct patient care. Chief residents would like training in how to resolve conflict with, and among, junior residents, and in how to become an effective leader.

Inter-professional work based learning within an MSc in Advanced Practice: lessons from one UK higher education programme.

PubMed

Gaskell, Lynne; Beaton, Susan

2010-09-01

This paper will describe the implementation of inter-professional work based education (IPE) in one postgraduate Advanced Practitioner programme in the UK. The concept of Advanced Practice has developed as a response of a number of drivers including change in junior doctor training; government policy and increasing demands on the central government funded UK health service (the NHS). The programme was commissioned by the then greater Manchester Strategic Health Authority (now NHS North West) to meet service needs. The educational philosophy underpinning the MSc Advanced Practice (health and social care) provided by the University of Salford is IPE linked to work based learning. The process of work based learning (WBL) and inter-professional learning underpinning the programme will be discussed in relation to feedback from university staff, Advanced Practitioner (AP) students and employer feedback taken from programme and module evaluations. We argue that IPE at this level facilitates a greater understanding of the connectivity between professionals working in the health care system in the UK; a better understanding of the skills and knowledge base of colleagues; more inter-professional working and appropriate referrals in the work place. This has raised the profile of Advanced Practice (AP) in the region and ultimately resulted in better patient care with more effective and efficient use of resources (Acton Shapiro, 2006, 2008). (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[From the "oversupply of practical physicians" to the "mountain of hospital beds"--organised medical profession and junior staff having to face cost explosion].

PubMed

Schottdorf, A

2010-04-01

The catchwords "oversupply of physicians" and "mountain of hospital beds" may be considered to mark two points of culmination in German health policy discussion between 1960 and 1990. The political background and the practical implications of this discussion will be illustrated and appreciated taking into account both the distinct positions of the organised medical profession and junior staff. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart, New York.

Improving compliance with requirements on junior doctors' hours

PubMed Central

Cass, Hilary D; Smith, Isabel; Unthank, Cheryl; Starling, Colin; Collins, Jane E

2003-01-01

Problem Compliance with UK regulations on junior doctors' working hours cannot be achieved by manipulating rotas that maintain existing tiers of cover and work practices. More radical solutions are needed. Design Audit of change. Setting Paediatric night rota in large children's hospital. Key measures for improvement Compliance with regulations on working hours assessed by diary cards; workload assessed by staff attendance on wards; patient safety assessed through critical incident reports. Strategies for change Development of new staff roles, followed by change from a partial shift rota comprising 11 doctors and one senior nurse, to a full shift night team comprising three middle grade doctors and two senior nurses. Effects of change Compliance with regulations on working hours increased from 33% to 77%. Workload changed little and was well within the capacity of the new night team. The effect on patient care and on medical staff requires further evaluation. Lessons learnt Reduction of junior doctors' working hours requires changes to roles, processes, and practices throughout the organisation. PMID:12896942

The Davis Junior High Global Warming Project and Bike/Walk to School Challenge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, A.; Anastasio, C.; Niemeier, D.; Scow, K.

2007-12-01

Junior high school students in Davis, CA, were targeted in an outreach project combining interactive and hands- on information about global warming and carbon footprints with a bike/walk to school challenge. The project was conducted by the Kearney Foundation of Soil Science, the Department of Land, Air and Water Resources and the John Muir Institute of the Environment at the University of California Davis. Approximately 70 undergraduates, graduate students, post-doc researchers, faculty and staff from UCD and the town of Davis were involved. Workshops were held in the 7th, 8th and 9th grade science classes in Davis' 3 junior high schools, reaching a total of 1700 students. Each 50-minute presentation consisted of a Global Warming Jeopardy game, followed by individual calculation of carbon footprints oriented towards a junior high school student. Biking or walking to school, instead commuting by car, was introduced as an important and feasible activity that could reduce one's carbon footprint. Working with staff from each junior high, students were then challenged to increase biking or walking to school during a 2 week Bike/Walk to School Challenge . UCD students and staff monitored automobile commuting (# cars, idle time) and bike use during this time and provided incentives for biking or walking . All schools were recognized for efforts to reduce their carbon footprints, and the concept was reinforced at the start of the following school year by planting a tree at each school.

The Literature Study Programme Trial: Challenging Constructions of English in the Seychelles

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moumou, Margaret

2005-01-01

This paper provides an outline of the development and trialling during 2004 of the Literature Study Programme (LSP), a literature programme designed for use in the junior secondary classes of Seychelles. The programme was developed as a teaching and learning component concerned with the study of literature within the English language programme in…

Coaches' perspectives on implementing an evidence-informed injury prevention programme in junior community netball.

PubMed

Saunders, N; Otago, L; Romiti, M; Donaldson, A; White, P; Finch, Cf

2010-12-01

For effective sports injury prevention, information is needed about the implementation context for interventions. This study describes coaches' feedback on the implementation of an evidence-informed injury prevention programme in community junior netball using coaches' perceptions and the RE-AIM framework. A lower-limb injury prevention programme (Down to Earth; D2E), for teaching safe-landing techniques, was delivered to 31 coaches from 31 junior community netball teams in a 1-h workshop. Coaches then delivered a 6-week programme at team training sessions starting in the week before the competition season commenced. 65% of coaches completed a feedback survey 17 weeks after they had delivered the programme. Most (88%) coaches believed that D2E improved their players' ability to perform correct landing techniques in games and that players had retained these improvements over the season. The majority (83%) indicated that an improvement in player athletic attributes was the greatest advantage of D2E, followed by a reduction in injury risk. Identified barriers to implementing D2E were running out of time and very young players finding the drills too difficult. Coaches reported that they needed more ideas for training drills that could be incorporated into their programmes and believed that their own coaching training did not adequately prepare them to implement an injury prevention programme. Although coaches believed that D2E was effective in developing correct landing techniques, some modifications are needed to make it more suitable for younger players and coach education by accreditation courses could be improved to support the implementation of injury prevention programmes.

Influence of a Non-Formal Environmental Education Programme on Junior High-School Students; Environmental Literacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldman, Daphne; Assaraf, Orit Ben Zvi; Shaharabani, Dina

2013-01-01

One of the solutions implemented by schools for conducting value-based environmental education (EE) is outsourcing: allocating external environmental organizations that develop and conduct EE programmes. This study addressed such a programme--the Green Council Programme (GCP)--developed and implemented in schools by the Israeli Society for…

Ensuring implementation success: how should coach injury prevention education be improved if we want coaches to deliver safety programmes during training sessions?

PubMed

White, Peta E; Otago, Leonie; Saunders, Natalie; Romiti, Maria; Donaldson, Alex; Ullah, Shahid; Finch, Caroline F

2014-03-01

Coaches play a major role in encouraging and ensuring that participants of their teams adopt appropriate safety practices. However, the extent to which the coaches undertake this role will depend upon their attitudes about injury prevention, their perceptions of what the other coaches usually do and their own beliefs about how much control they have in delivering such programmes. Fifty-one junior netball coaches were surveyed about incorporating the teaching of correct (safe) landing technique during their delivery of training sessions to junior players. Overall, >94% of coaches had strongly positive attitudes towards teaching correct landing technique and >80% had strongly positive perceptions of their own control over delivering such programmes. Coaches' ratings of social norms relating to what others think about teaching safe landing were more positive (>94%) than those relating to what others actually do (63-74%). In conclusion, the junior coaches were generally receptive towards delivering safe landing training programmes in the training sessions they led. Future coach education could include role modelling by prominent coaches so that more community-level coaches are aware that this is a behaviour that many coaches can, and do, engage in.

55 'Mini Sim' - innovative bite sized simulation teaching in a busy children's emergency department.

PubMed

Sunley, Rachel; Moloney, Karen; Parker, Jessica; Arrowsmith, Christopher; Brown, Kirsty; Wilson, Alex

2017-12-01

: Emergency Medicine requires a highly skilled workforce who are passionate about delivering excellent patient care. Shift patterns linked with the ever increasing numbers of patients who attend Emergency Departments puts strain on educating the workforce and fostering team togetherness.Our objective in devising and instigating the 'Mini Sim' programme was to embed regular in-situ simulation training to enhance the learning of all staff within our Emergency Department team, building a highly trained workforce to deliver excellent care within the remit of our busy department. The whole team is involved including junior nurses, senior nurses and all tiers of junior doctors including foundation, general practice and senior ED trainees (including Grid).'Mini Sim' takes place on a weekly basis, every Tuesday morning from 0930-1000. This timing is to ensure maximum participation from all staff. The setup is a fifteen minute simulation (one nurse, one junior doctor, one senior doctor) followed by fifteen minutes of debrief. The format includes an assessment of the participants confidence prior to 'Mini Sim' in the subject being practiced. This is rated on a numerical scale from 1 (being not confident at all) to 5 (being completely confident). The topics chosen are based on feedback from trainees and nurses on clinical skills they feel under confident in, (e.g., pelvic binder application, rapid sequence induction, sickle cell crisis), clinical incidents which have occurred around the Trust (e.g., seizures and access to benzodiazepines), National Patient Safety Alerts (e.g., phenytoin toxicity), protocols (e.g., abducted child, rapid tranquilisation for the acutely disturbed adolescent) , governance issues (e.g., blocked tracheostomy, resuscitation room rebuild) and competencies linked to RCEM objectives. The 'Mini Sim' then takes place in situ within the ED resus, ED main department or our short stay observation ward which is under the auspices of the Children's Emergency Department using real equipment and drugs. After the simulation a debrief is held and any additional teaching is carried out to embed learning. Each medical participant is then offered the opportunity to complete a work place based assessment on the 'Mini Sim' for their e-portfolio.emermed;34/12/A899-a/F1F1F1Figure 1Evaluation of impact of 'mini sim'The work flow of the department has been unaffected and we have received excellent written feedback from participants about the educational quality of the programme which has also shown improvements in staff confidence in dealing with a variety of emergency situations. We would suggest this model could be used in other departments for similar gain.emermed;34/12/A899-a/F2F2F2Figure 2. © 2017, Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

The New Workforce.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cox, Diana Hester, Ed.; And Others

1992-01-01

The annual Journal of the American Association of Women in Community and Junior Colleges (AAWCJC) publishes articles on research, model programs, and teaching/learning strategies of interest to women staff and students in community, junior, and technical colleges. It provides a forum for the discussion of issues related to women in higher…

Outcomes in knowledge, attitudes and confidence of nursing staff working in nursing and residential care homes following a dementia training programme.

PubMed

Scerri, Anthony; Scerri, Charles

2017-11-08

Dementia training programmes for staff working in long-term care settings have been found to be effective in improving staff outcomes. This study investigated the impact of a dementia training programme for all Maltese nursing staff working in public nursing/residential homes on their knowledge, attitudes and confidence. Additionally, we identified the predictors of these domains before and after the programme. A 14-hour training programme focusing on dementia management, care and policy was developed for all nursing staff working in public nursing and residential homes in Malta. A pretest-posttest design was used to evaluate the participants' knowledge of dementia, attitudes and confidence in working with residents with dementia using validated tools. Demographic variables were measured and compared with each staff domain. The majority of nursing staff attended the training programme with 261 fully completed questionnaires being collected pre-training and 214 post-training. The programme significantly improved nursing staff knowledge, attitudes and confidence. Stepwise regression analysis of each staff domain showed that the strongest predictor in all models at pre-training was the intensity of previous training programmes. Furthermore, staff who attended previous training continued to improve in their attitudes and confidence following programme completion. The study continues to shed further evidence on the impact of dementia training programs on staff outcomes. It also indicated that the intensity of previous participation in dementia training programmes was related to the participants' knowledge, attitudes and confidence and that continual exposure to training had a cumulative effect.

An audit to assess the quality and efficiency of complete and partial dentures delivered by junior hospital staff.

PubMed

Kalsi, Harpoonam J; Wang, Yon Jon; Bavisha, Kalpesh; Bartlett, David

2010-03-01

The average number of visits for the construction of metal-based and acrylic dentures by junior hospital staff was 10 visits. Our hypothesis was that supervision would optimise the number of visits and reduce any need for remakes. The first audit cycle was retrospective and included all patients treated by SHOs in the Prosthodontics Department. The standard of care was compared to the British Society for the Study of Prosthetic Dentistry. The re-audit showed that the time taken to completion was reduced by 2 visits for both denture types and the average length of time was reduced from 31 weeks to 22 weeks. These improvements were directly related to improved supervision by senior staff.

Audits of antibiotic prescribing in a Bristol hospital.

PubMed Central

Swindell, P J; Reeves, D S; Bullock, D W; Davies, A J; Spence, C E

1983-01-01

Audits of antibiotic prescribing were done for periods of up to eight weeks in two successive years on medical, surgical, orthopaedic, gynaecology, obstetric, and urology wards and in an accident and emergency department. Clinical details were matched with antibiotic prescribing, and the appropriateness of the latter was judged independently by two medical microbiologists. Only when they agreed was an individual prescription included in the analysis. Overall, 28% of prescriptions in 1979 and 35% in 1980 were judged as unnecessary, with 17% and 16%, respectively, being for inappropriate choices of antibiotic. An educational programme about antibiotic prescribing carried out between the audits had no beneficial effect overall. Though the results compared favourably with those of audits published, prescribing could still be much improved. To judge by the failure of education, however, this might be difficult to achieve. Most prescriptions were written by junior staff, who in the absence of guidance from their seniors and because of their frequent moves would require a widespread and continual education programme. Published concern about the quality of antibiotic prescribing appears to be justified. PMID:6401484

The near-peer tutoring programme: embracing the ‘doctors-to-teach’ philosophy – a comparison of the effects of participation between the senior and junior near-peer tutors

PubMed Central

Liew, Siaw-Cheok; Sow, Chew-Fei; Sidhu, Jagmohni; Nadarajah, Vishna Devi

2015-01-01

Background While there is an increasing pool of literature documenting the benefits of near-peer tutoring programme, little is known about the benefits for junior and senior peer tutors. Knowledge of the peer tutors’ perceived benefits at different levels of seniority will aid in the development of a near-peer tutoring programme that will better fulfil both curricula and personal aspirations of near-peer tutors. We, therefore, investigated the perceived benefits of participation in a near-peer tutoring programme for junior as well as senior near-peer tutors. Methods Pre- and post-participation questionnaires were distributed to near-peer tutors after their clinical skills teaching sessions with Phase I undergraduate medical students. The Peer Tutor Assessment Instrument questionnaires were distributed to the 1) students, and to the 2) near-peer tutors (junior and senior) after each teaching and learning session for self-evaluation. Results The senior near-peer tutors felt that their participation in the programme had enhanced their skills (p=0.03). As a whole, the near-peer tutors were more motivated (Pre 5.32±0.46; Post 5.47±0.50; p=0.210) to participate in future teaching sessions but did not expect that having teaching experiences would make teaching as their major career path in the future (Pre 4.63±1.07; Post 4.54±0.98; p=0.701). The senior near-peer tutors were evaluated significantly higher by the students (p=0.0001). Students’ evaluations of near-peer tutors on the domain of critical analysis was higher than self-evaluations (p=0.003). Conclusions Generally, the near-peer tutors perceived that they have benefited most in their skills enhancement and these near-peer tutors were scored highly by the students. However, senior near-peer tutors do not perceive that the programme has a lasting impact on their choice of career path. PMID:26356229

The near-peer tutoring programme: embracing the 'doctors-to-teach' philosophy - a comparison of the effects of participation between the senior and junior near-peer tutors.

PubMed

Liew, Siaw-Cheok; Sow, Chew-Fei; Sidhu, Jagmohni; Nadarajah, Vishna Devi

2015-01-01

Background While there is an increasing pool of literature documenting the benefits of near-peer tutoring programme, little is known about the benefits for junior and senior peer tutors. Knowledge of the peer tutors' perceived benefits at different levels of seniority will aid in the development of a near-peer tutoring programme that will better fulfil both curricula and personal aspirations of near-peer tutors. We, therefore, investigated the perceived benefits of participation in a near-peer tutoring programme for junior as well as senior near-peer tutors. Methods Pre- and post-participation questionnaires were distributed to near-peer tutors after their clinical skills teaching sessions with Phase I undergraduate medical students. The Peer Tutor Assessment Instrument questionnaires were distributed to the 1) students, and to the 2) near-peer tutors (junior and senior) after each teaching and learning session for self-evaluation. Results The senior near-peer tutors felt that their participation in the programme had enhanced their skills (p=0.03). As a whole, the near-peer tutors were more motivated (Pre 5.32±0.46; Post 5.47±0.50; p=0.210) to participate in future teaching sessions but did not expect that having teaching experiences would make teaching as their major career path in the future (Pre 4.63±1.07; Post 4.54±0.98; p=0.701). The senior near-peer tutors were evaluated significantly higher by the students (p=0.0001). Students' evaluations of near-peer tutors on the domain of critical analysis was higher than self-evaluations (p=0.003). Conclusions Generally, the near-peer tutors perceived that they have benefited most in their skills enhancement and these near-peer tutors were scored highly by the students. However, senior near-peer tutors do not perceive that the programme has a lasting impact on their choice of career path.

The near-peer tutoring programme: embracing the 'doctors-to-teach' philosophy--a comparison of the effects of participation between the senior and junior near-peer tutors.

PubMed

Liew, Siaw-Cheok; Sow, Chew-Fei; Sidhu, Jagmohni; Nadarajah, Vishna Devi

2015-01-01

While there is an increasing pool of literature documenting the benefits of near-peer tutoring programme, little is known about the benefits for junior and senior peer tutors. Knowledge of the peer tutors' perceived benefits at different levels of seniority will aid in the development of a near-peer tutoring programme that will better fulfil both curricula and personal aspirations of near-peer tutors. We, therefore, investigated the perceived benefits of participation in a near-peer tutoring programme for junior as well as senior near-peer tutors. Pre- and post-participation questionnaires were distributed to near-peer tutors after their clinical skills teaching sessions with Phase I undergraduate medical students. The Peer Tutor Assessment Instrument questionnaires were distributed to the 1) students, and to the 2) near-peer tutors (junior and senior) after each teaching and learning session for self-evaluation. The senior near-peer tutors felt that their participation in the programme had enhanced their skills (p=0.03). As a whole, the near-peer tutors were more motivated (Pre 5.32±0.46; Post 5.47±0.50; p=0.210) to participate in future teaching sessions but did not expect that having teaching experiences would make teaching as their major career path in the future (Pre 4.63±1.07; Post 4.54±0.98; p=0.701). The senior near-peer tutors were evaluated significantly higher by the students (p=0.0001). Students' evaluations of near-peer tutors on the domain of critical analysis was higher than self-evaluations (p=0.003). Generally, the near-peer tutors perceived that they have benefited most in their skills enhancement and these near-peer tutors were scored highly by the students. However, senior near-peer tutors do not perceive that the programme has a lasting impact on their choice of career path.

Effective Junior College Student Newspaper Operation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mirando, Joseph A.

A nation wide sample of 780 junior college newspapers was surveyed in 1978, yielding 502 replies, of which 463 were suitable for analysis. The advisers and editors of these newspapers answered questions about their schools' environments, newspaper staff selection, and newspaper editorial policies. The findings revealed that at least three-fourths…

Outreach Programmes to Attract Girls into Computing: How the Best Laid Plans Can Sometimes Fail

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lang, Catherine; Fisher, Julie; Craig, Annemieke; Forgasz, Helen

2015-01-01

This article presents a reflective analysis of an outreach programme called the Digital Divas Club. This curriculum-based programme was delivered in Australian schools with the aim of stimulating junior and middle school girls' interest in computing courses and careers. We believed that we had developed a strong intervention programme based on…

Teaching fellowships for UK foundation doctors.

PubMed

Qureshi, Shaun

2015-01-01

Teaching Fellowships for junior doctors in their second post-graduate (FY2) year should be considered by medical students and junior doctors in UK. FY2 Teaching Fellowships are available in many foundation schools as part of the UK Academic Foundation Programme. Although programme structures differ between schools, they are designed to allow junior trainees to take time out from clinical practice to develop their teaching skills and gain insights into medication education careers. The advantages of an FY2 teaching fellowship include valuable experience of teaching and formal feedback not available to other trainees; the opportunity to further develop your portfolio; further development of the trainee's own knowledge and skills; the stimulation of working with students. Potential drawbacks to be considered are reduced direct clinical contact; reduced salary; difficulty carrying out education research in the allocated time frame; occasional difficulties establishing the teacher-student relationship while the trainee is at a relatively junior level. Experience of medical education as an FY2 trainee provides a helpful stepping stone whether or not the trainee further pursues education as a career, because the teaching skills are transferable to any specialty, and the unique experience enhances the trainee's confidence as a role model for junior colleagues.

Teacher Education for the Intermediate School Staff.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stainbrook, James R., Jr.

The aim of this 1970 investigation was to analyze the professional education of Indiana's intermediate school teachers. This analysis involved a comparison of the data collected from middle and junior high school teachers. Results obtained from the junior high school teachers were also utilized in a second comparison with the findings from a…

Ada Software Design Methods Formulation.

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-10-01

Programmer technical 2018 Principle Scientific Programmer technical 2020 Principle Scientif:c Programmer tnchnical 3001 Junior Programns. entry level...0.570 156 6010-. I---. 0.684 7 1031------------- 0.481 77 3119-. 0.620 94 4034-. ----- 0.696 90 4027-. -- ’---- 0.759 31 2018 -. I-’" 0.823 142 5063-. I...1094-2 0-117 cluster 4 2007 Senior Scientific Programmer technical 2016 Scientific Programmer technical 1080 Senior Software Engineer technical 2018

Evaluating Junior Secondary Science Textbook Usage in Australian Schools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McDonald, Christine V.

2016-08-01

A large body of research has drawn attention to the importance of providing engaging learning experiences in junior secondary science classes, in an attempt to attract more students into post-compulsory science courses. The reality of time and resource constraints, and the high proportion of non-specialist science teachers teaching science, has resulted in an overreliance on more transmissive pedagogical tools, such as textbooks. This study sought to evaluate the usage of junior secondary science textbooks in Australian schools. Data were collected via surveys from 486 schools teaching junior secondary (years 7-10), representing all Australian states and territories. Results indicated that most Australian schools use a science textbook in the junior secondary years, and textbooks are used in the majority of science lessons. The most highly cited reason influencing choice of textbook was layout/colour/illustrations, and electronic technologies were found to be the dominant curricula material utilised, in addition to textbooks, in junior secondary science classes. Interestingly, the majority of respondents expressed high levels of satisfaction with their textbooks, although many were keen to stress the subsidiary role of textbooks in the classroom, emphasising the textbook was `one' component of their teaching repertoire. Importantly, respondents were also keen to stress the benefits of textbooks in supporting substitute teachers, beginning teachers, and non-specialist science teachers; in addition to facilitating continuity of programming and staff support in schools with high staff turnover. Implications from this study highlight the need for high quality textbooks to support teaching and learning in Australian junior secondary science classes.

For-Profit Mid-Career Programmes as a Second Chance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayalon, Hanna; Menahem, Gila

2010-01-01

Israeli universities have recently established for-profit (FP) mid-career programmes, intended for holders of junior managerial positions who wish to acquire a Master's degree and improve their status and salary. We analyse the programmes as a second-chance structure, which provides working people with the opportunity to win a Master's degree from…

Why do Romanian junior high school students start to smoke?

PubMed

Lotrean, L M; Mesters, I; de Vries, H

2013-11-01

Adolescence is a crucial period in the development of smoking behaviour. To develop efficient prevention programmes for teenagers, it is essential to understand why adolescents start to smoke. The objective of this study was to assess the predictors of smoking onset among Romanian junior high school students aged 13-14. The data were obtained from a two-wave, 9-month longitudinal study carried out among 504 junior high school non-smokers from Cluj-Napoca, Romania. Questionnaires assessed smoking behaviour, attitudes, social influence, self-efficacy and intention regarding smoking (motivational variables), as well as different sociodemographic features. The results from the logistic regression analysis revealed that baseline lower self-efficacy in refraining from smoking in several social situations, baseline pressures from peers to smoke and baseline intentions to smoke significantly increased the risk of non-smokers to become smokers at follow-up 9 months later. These findings underline that reinforcing social self-efficacy to refuse smoking, resisting peer pressures and maintaining negative intentions regarding smoking are essential ingredients for smoking prevention programmes among Romanian junior high school students. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A pilot programme of clinical practice improvement for future consultant doctors.

PubMed

Oates, Kim; Vinters, Cathy; Cass-Verco, John; Fletcher, Mandy; Kaur, Narinder; Mherekumombe, Martha; Tang, Alice

2017-04-01

To provide junior doctors with tools to improve patient care in their workplace, a partnership was developed between the Clinical Excellence Commission (CEC) and the Royal Australasian College of Physicians (RACP) to help trainee consultants carry out clinical practice improvement (CPI) projects during clinical work. Based on a patient-care problem they wished to resolve, trainee consultants attended a 2-day face-to-face workshop to learn quality-improvement methods, describe their proposals and refine them using CPI methodology. They were provided with continuing supervision, participated in a mid-point review and were responsible for driving their projects. Trainee consultants attended a 2-day face-to-face workshop to learn quality-improvement methods RESULTS: Examples of five projects are: reducing mislabelled specimens leaving an emergency department, from 82 in the baseline period to 18 following the intervention; creating a multidisciplinary team to reduce hypoglycaemic episodes on a diabetic ward, from 23 episodes at baseline to three episodes over the same time period after the intervention; establishing an acute paediatric review clinic that reduced avoidable admissions of pneumonia by 74 per cent; providing 100 per cent of patients in a palliative care unit with an effective pain-management plan; developing an education package to increase staff confidence in recognising and responding to anaphylaxis in children, producing an increase in confidence from 51 per cent at baseline to 100 per cent after the intervention. Involving a learned college such as the RACP in patient-care improvement, with educational input from a partner organisation, shows how junior staff can become effective leaders in improving patient care. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

How do workplaces, working practices and colleagues affect UK doctors’ career decisions? A qualitative study of junior doctors’ career decision making in the UK

PubMed Central

Pearson, Emma; Gibson, Jonathan; Checkland, Kath

2017-01-01

Objectives This study draws on an in-depth investigation of factors that influenced the career decisions of junior doctors. Setting Junior doctors in the UK can choose to enter specialty training (ST) programmes within 2 years of becoming doctors. Their specialty choices contribute to shaping the balance of the future medical workforce, with views on general practice (GP) careers of particular interest because of current recruitment difficulties. This paper examines how experiences of medical work and perceptions about specialty training shape junior doctors’ career decisions. Participants Twenty doctors in the second year of a Foundation Training Programme in England were recruited. Purposive sampling was used to achieve a diverse sample from respondents to an online survey. Results Narrative interviewing techniques encouraged doctors to reflect on how experiences during medical school and in medical workplaces had influenced their preferences and perceptions of different specialties. They also spoke about personal aspirations, work priorities and their wider future. Junior doctors’ decisions were informed by knowledge about the requirements of ST programmes and direct observation of the pressures under which ST doctors worked. When they encountered negative attitudes towards a specialty they had intended to choose, some became defensive while others kept silent. Achievement of an acceptable work-life balance was a central objective that could override other preferences. Events linked with specific specialties influenced doctors’ attitudes towards them. For example, findings confirmed that while early, positive experiences of GP work could increase its attractiveness, negative experiences in GP settings had the opposite effect. Conclusions Junior doctors’ preferences and perceptions about medical work are influenced by multiple intrinsic and extrinsic factors and experiences. This paper highlights the importance of understanding how perceptions are formed and preferences are developed, as a basis for generating learning and working environments that nurture students and motivate their professional careers. PMID:29074517

Journal of the American Association of Women in Community and Junior Colleges, 1988.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Journal of the American Association of Women in Community and Junior Colleges, 1988

1988-01-01

Seeking to serve as an advocate for equity and excellence in community and junior colleges, this annual journal contains articles presenting research, model programs, and innovative ideas concerning women staff and students in two-year colleges. The 1988 issue contains the following articles: (1) "Moving Up: Advancement Strategies for Women in…

Data protection among junior medical staff: a questionnaire study.

PubMed

Titchener, Andrew Gordon; Ramoutar, Anil; Ramoutar, Darryl N; Yousef, Almunir

2013-06-01

There have been numerous reports of loss of confidential information amongst UK public agencies. The aim of the study was to examine current standards of practice and knowledge of junior medical staff with respect to management of patient identifiable information. An anonymous multiple choice questionnaire was completed by 50 junior medical staff in each of 2 separate district general hospitals in the UK. Sixty-two percent of physicians surveyed held patient identifiable information electronically, outside of normal NHS use. Thirty percent of physicians used portable memory sticks, of which, 68% were not password protected. Ninety percent of physicians used patient ward lists in paper format with 18% frequently using a domestic waste bin for disposal. Thirty-five percent of physicians were aware of the Caldicott principles, and 58% were aware of the Data Protection Act as applied to their duties. Despite having statutory duties toward the management of patient identifiable information, many physicians are not aware of their responsibilities and obligations. This is unlikely to be an isolated local issue. More emphasis needs to be placed on data management in hospital induction procedures for new employees, and security measures, such as encryption software, should be made more widely available.

Understanding the Importance of Parent Learning in a School-Based Family Literacy Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Timmons, Kristy; Pelletier, Janette

2015-01-01

This study examined how parents' own learning affected their support for their children in a school-based Family Literacy Programme. Seventy-two children in junior kindergarten (4-year-olds) and senior kindergarten (5-year-olds) and their parents participated in the programme; complete data were available for 52 parents. Comparisons of pre- and…

Evaluation of a Peer-Led Smoking Prevention Programme for Romanian Adolescents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lotrean, L. M.; Dijk, F.; Mesters, I.; Ionut, C.; De Vries, H.

2010-01-01

The goal of this study was to assess the effects of a school-based smoking prevention programme that used both a video and peer-led discussion groups among Romanian junior high school students aged 13-14 years. The programme embraced the social influence approach and concentrated on enhancing self-efficacy and the acquisition of cigarette refusal…

Staff Development Practices of Open and Distance Learning Institutions in Ghana: The Case of the Distance Education Programme of University of Education, Winneba, Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Owusu-Mensah, Francis; Anyan, Jerry Addison; Denkyi, Charles

2015-01-01

Staff development plays a crucial role in Open and Distance learning programmes because most of the staff working on these programmes are products of the conventional face to face system. Lack of proper training of staff in ODL can lead to high dropout rate among distance learners. The purpose of this study was to investigate staff development…

The Status of Women in Higher Education and the Professions: Metropolitan Junior College District, 1971-1972.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Alfred, Richard L.; Good, Mary F.

Latent factors involved in sex role determination in higher education and the professions were studied using educational and occupational data on the population of male and female students at each member college of the Metropolitan Junior College District, the population of non-academic staff employed by the district, the population of academic…

The Four-Day Operational Week Experience at Florida Junior College (FJC): Report of Evaluation Process Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stuckman, Jeffrey A.

An evaluation was conducted at Florida Junior College (FJC) of the four-day operational week implemented during May through August, 1981. Surveys were administered in May and July to day students, full-time teaching faculty, and full-time noninstructional staff to determine their level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction with the four-day week.…

Protocols and participatory democracy in a 'North-South' product development partnership.

PubMed

Montgomery, Catherine M

2012-09-01

Global product development partnerships (PDPs) for new health technologies have become an increasingly important part of the science and development landscape over the past two decades. Polarised positions are adopted by those scrutinising the power and governance of these public-private formations; on the one hand, they are seen as successful social technology innovations, on the other as regressive and imperialistic regimes of neo-colonialism. Answering recent calls for research to examine the actors, governance, context and dynamics of PDPs, this article presents a sociological case study of one particular partnership, the Microbicides Development Programme (MDP). Interviews were conducted with a cross-section of programme staff in the UK and Zambia, and discourses analysed through a Foucauldian lens of governmentality. This article suggests that two tools of government were central to MDP's cohesiveness: institutional discourses of participatory democracy and capacity building and scientific protocols. Through these material-semiotic tools, the scientific community, junior operational researchers and the funder were successfully enrolled into the programme and governed by a central body based in the UK. This article draws on Nikolas Rose's work to discuss these socio-scientific discourses as technologies of government, and provides a non-dualistic account of power and governance in a North-South PDP. © 2012 The Author. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2012 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Evaluation of a Staff Training Programme using Positive Psychology coaching with film and theatre elements in care homes: views and attitudes of residents, staff and relatives.

PubMed

Guzmán, Azucena; Wenborn, Jennifer; Ledgerd, Ritchard; Orrell, Martin

2017-03-01

There is a recognised need to improve staff training in care homes. The aim of this study was to conduct a qualitative evaluation of the Ladder to the Moon Culture Change Studio Engagement Programme (CCSEP), a staff training programme aimed at enhancing staff-resident communication. Focus groups were conducted with residents able to provide consent; staff and relatives and managers were interviewed in two care homes. A theoretical framework was developed to interpret the impact of CCSEP using Framework Analysis. Residents noted that the programme appeared to result in staff interacting more with them, as well as enjoying working together as a team. Staff reported an improved sense of teamwork, developing more positive attitudes towards residents, as well as their concerns about using theatrical techniques in the care setting. Relatives identified care home organisational aspects as being barriers to implementation, and some regarded CCSEP simply as 'entertainment' rather than 'creative care'. This study provides an insight into the potential of this staff training programme to improve staff-resident interactions. However, participants' varying views of CCSEP highlight the need to brief staff, residents and relatives before implementation so as to enable full understanding of the aim. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Staff Development: A Gestalt Paradigm.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parsons, Michael H.

Hagerstown Junior College, Maryland, has had a staff development program for the past five years. The major components have been evaluated, revised, and integrated into a gestalt paradigm--a total institutional thrust designed to insure that the goals of the college meet the challenges presented by the service area. Each component exists to foster…

Censorship of IMC Materials in Wisconsin Schools. Part I: Focus on Middle/Junior High Schools. Results of a Survey Conducted in May 1980.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison.

Professional staff in school libraries and instructional media centers (IMCs) located in 229 Wisconsin middle and junior high schools were surveyed anonymously to collect information on censorship attempts in their schools during 1978-79 and 1979-80. A total of 212 surveys were returned. Survey participants were asked to respond to questions…

Two-Year College Faculties: Their Values and Perceptions [and] Values and Perceptions of Public and Private Junior College Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blai, Boris, Jr.

Two surveys of the 51 faculty members and the 427 students of Harcum Junior College, made to ascertain their values and perceptions as indicated on the Rokeach Value Survey and The Staff Survey (faculty only), were made and results are compared with those of the faculties and students of three California public community colleges. The results…

Raising the Awareness of Sexual Harassment and Preventing Its Occurrence in the Junior/Senior High School Environment.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kraus, Pamela

The problem of sexual harassment in junior and senior high schools is addressed in this practicum. Its major goals were to raise the awareness and understanding of sexual harassment and to create a school environment that does not tolerate sexual harassment. It was found that both students and staff possessed a poor understanding of what defines…

Capacity building of midwifery faculty to implement a 3-years midwifery diploma curriculum in Bangladesh: A process evaluation of a mentorship programme.

PubMed

Erlandsson, Kerstin; Doraiswamy, Sathyanarayanan; Wallin, Lars; Bogren, Malin

2018-03-01

When a midwifery diploma-level programme was introduced in 2010 in Bangladesh, only a few nursing faculty staff members had received midwifery diploma-level. The consequences were an inconsistency in interpretation and implementation of the midwifery curriculum in the midwifery programme. To ensure that midwifery faculty staff members were adequately prepared to deliver the national midwifery curriculum, a mentorship programme was developed. The aim of this study was to examine feasibility and adherence to a mentorship programme among 19 midwifery faculty staff members who were lecturing the three years midwifery diploma-level programme at ten institutes/colleges in Bangladesh. The mentorship programme was evaluated using a process evaluation framework: (implementation, context, mechanisms of impact and outcomes). An online and face-to-face blended mentorship programme delivered by Swedish midwifery faculty staff members was found to be feasible, and it motivated the faculty staff members in Bangladesh both to deliver the national midwifery diploma curriculum as well as to carry out supportive supervision for midwifery students in clinical placement. First, the Swedish midwifery faculty staff members visited Bangladesh and provided a two-days on-site visit prior to the initiation of the online part of the mentorship programme. The second on-site visit was five-days long and took place at the end of the programme, that being six to eight months from the first visit. Building on the faculty staff members' response to feasibility and adherence to the mentorship programme, the findings indicate opportunities for future scale-up to all institutes/collages providing midwifery education in Bangladesh. It has been proposed that a blended online and face-to-face mentorship programme may be a means to improving national midwifery programmes in countries where midwifery has only recently been introduced. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Influence of a Non-formal Environmental Education Programme on Junior High-School Students' Environmental Literacy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Goldman, Daphne; Ben Zvi Assaraf, Orit; Shaharabani, Dina

2013-02-01

One of the solutions implemented by schools for conducting value-based environmental education (EE) is outsourcing: allocating external environmental organizations that develop and conduct EE programmes. This study addressed such a programme-the Green Council Programme (GCP)-developed and implemented in schools by the Israeli Society for Protection of Nature. A pre-test/post-test design was used to investigate the influence of participation in the GCP on components of junior high-school students' environmental literacy. Conceptualizations of 'environment', environmental attitudes and sense of ability to act on environmental issues were studied employing quantitative and qualitative tools. Contribution of the programme to the cognitive domain, in developing a systemic understanding of the environment, was limited. On the other hand, participating in this programme heightened students' sensitivity to human-environment interrelationships and developed a more ecological worldview. After the programme, students demonstrated greater perception of humans as part of the environment, an increased sensitivity to human impact on the environment and their value for non-human nature moved from an anthropocentric to a more ecocentric orientation. While students' internal locus-of-control increased, when environmental protection entailed personal economic trade-offs, their support was limited and remained unchanged. The article concludes with recommendations, based on the findings, regarding supplementing the school (science) curriculum with external EE enrichment programmes.

Workloads in Australian emergency departments a descriptive study.

PubMed

Lyneham, Joy; Cloughessy, Liz; Martin, Valmai

2008-07-01

This study aimed to identify the current workload of clinical nurses, managers and educators in Australian Emergency Departments according to the classification of the department Additionally the relationship of experienced to inexperienced clinical staff was examined. A descriptive research method utilising a survey distributed to 394 Australian Emergency departments with a 21% response rate. Nursing workloads were calculated and a ratio of nurse to patient was established. The ratios included nurse to patient, management and educators to clinical staff. Additionally the percentage of junior to senior clinical staff was also calculated. Across all categories of emergency departments the mean nurse:patient ratios were 1:15 (am shift), 1:7 (pm shift) and 1:4 (night shift). During this period an average of 17.1% of attendances were admitted to hospital. There were 27 staff members for each manager and 23.3 clinical staff for each educator. The percentage of junior staff rostered ranged from 10% to 38%. Emergency nurses cannot work under such pressure as it may compromise the care given to patients and consequently have a negative effect on the nurse personally. However, emergency nurses are dynamically adjusting to the workload. Such conditions as described in this study could give rise to burnout and attrition of experienced emergency nurses as they cannot resolve the conflict between workload and providing quality nursing care.

Capitalising on leadership fellowships for clinicians in the NHS.

PubMed

Nicol, Edward D

2011-04-01

Clinical leadership has become a primary focus of the NHS with many leadership programmes, particularly those aimed at junior clinicians, being developed. This article illustrates the potential of these programmes but also urges caution when assessing the success of these schemes both from an individual and organisational perspective.

Satisfaction with School among Gifted Israeli Students Studying in Various Frameworks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vidergor, Hava; Reiter, Shunit

2008-01-01

The study was aimed at assessing gifted students' satisfaction with school. The research sample comprised 229 Israeli elementary and junior high school gifted students, studying in separate classrooms, pullout programmes and pullout programme dropouts, and 140 regular students studying at the same schools. Satisfaction was measured using a…

How do workplaces, working practices and colleagues affect UK doctors' career decisions? A qualitative study of junior doctors' career decision making in the UK.

PubMed

Spooner, Sharon; Pearson, Emma; Gibson, Jonathan; Checkland, Kath

2017-10-25

This study draws on an in-depth investigation of factors that influenced the career decisions of junior doctors. Junior doctors in the UK can choose to enter specialty training (ST) programmes within 2 years of becoming doctors. Their specialty choices contribute to shaping the balance of the future medical workforce, with views on general practice (GP) careers of particular interest because of current recruitment difficulties. This paper examines how experiences of medical work and perceptions about specialty training shape junior doctors' career decisions. Twenty doctors in the second year of a Foundation Training Programme in England were recruited. Purposive sampling was used to achieve a diverse sample from respondents to an online survey. Narrative interviewing techniques encouraged doctors to reflect on how experiences during medical school and in medical workplaces had influenced their preferences and perceptions of different specialties. They also spoke about personal aspirations, work priorities and their wider future.Junior doctors' decisions were informed by knowledge about the requirements of ST programmes and direct observation of the pressures under which ST doctors worked. When they encountered negative attitudes towards a specialty they had intended to choose, some became defensive while others kept silent. Achievement of an acceptable work-life balance was a central objective that could override other preferences.Events linked with specific specialties influenced doctors' attitudes towards them. For example, findings confirmed that while early, positive experiences of GP work could increase its attractiveness, negative experiences in GP settings had the opposite effect. Junior doctors' preferences and perceptions about medical work are influenced by multiple intrinsic and extrinsic factors and experiences. This paper highlights the importance of understanding how perceptions are formed and preferences are developed, as a basis for generating learning and working environments that nurture students and motivate their professional careers. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Evaluating the Productive Ward at an acute NHS trust: experiences and implications of releasing time to care.

PubMed

Wright, Stella; McSherry, Wilfred

2014-07-01

To demonstrate how a national programme aimed to increase the amount of direct time nurses spend with patients', impacts on both staff and patient experience. The Productive Ward is an improvement programme developed by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement (2007, http://www.institute.nhs.uk/quality_and_value/productivity_series/productive_ward.html) which aims to enable nurses to work more efficiently by reviewing process and practice, thus releasing more time to spend on direct patient care. However, there is little empirical published research around the programme, particularly concerning impact, sustainability and the patient perspective. This manuscript presents the findings from qualitative interviews involving both staff and patients. Semi-structured one-to-one interviews were conducted with patients (n = 8) and staff (n = 5) on five case study wards. Seven focus groups were held according to staff grade (n = 29). Despite initial scepticism, most staff embraced the opportunity and demonstrated genuine enthusiasm and energy for the programme. Patients were generally complimentary about their experience as an inpatient, reporting that staff made them feel safe, comfortable and cared for. Findings showed that the aims of the programme were partially met. The implementation of Productive Ward was associated with significant changes to the ward environment and improvements for staff. The programme equipped staff with skills and knowledge which acted as a primer for subsequent interventions. However, there was a lack of evidence to demonstrate that Productive Ward released time for direct patient care in all areas that implemented the programme. Developing robust performance indicators including a system to capture reinvestment of direct care time would enable frontline staff to demonstrate impact of the programme. Additionally, staff will need to ensure that reorganisation and instability across the NHS do not affect sustainability and viability of the Productive Ward in the long term. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Characterizing the adequacy, effectiveness, and barriers related to research mentorship among junior pediatric hospitalists and general pediatricians at a large academic institution.

PubMed

Ragsdale, Judith R; Vaughn, Lisa M; Klein, Melissa

2014-03-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to characterize the adequacy, effectiveness, and barriers related to research mentorship among junior pediatric hospitalists and general pediatricians at a large academic institution. Junior faculty and staff physicians in hospital medicine and general pediatrics at a large academic institution were invited to participate in this qualitative study. In-depth interviews were conducted. Experienced mentors were invited to be interviewed for theoretical sampling. Interviews were conducted and analyzed by using grounded theory methodology. Twenty-six (75%) of the eligible physicians, pediatric hospitalists representing 65% of this sample, agreed to be interviewed about their mentoring experiences. Satisfied and dissatisfied participants expressed similar mentoring themes: acquisition of research skills, academic productivity, and career development. Four experienced mentors were interviewed and provided rationale for mentoring clinicians in research. Both groups of participants agreed that institutional support is vital for promoting mentorship. Junior pediatric hospitalists and general pediatricians indicated considerable interest in being mentored to learn to do clinical research. Developing faculty and staff physicians to their utmost potential is critical for advancement in academic medicine. Mentoring clinical physicians seeking to add research skills and academic productivity to their practice merits study as an innovative path to develop clinical investigators. Hospital medicine, as a rapidly developing pediatric specialty, is well-positioned to implement the necessary infrastructure to mentor junior faculty in their academic pursuits, thereby optimizing the potential impact for individuals, families, learners, and institutions.

Progress and Prospect: A Study of the Kansas City Metropolitan Junior College District; Report to the Board of Trustees.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Little (Arthur D.), Inc., Cambridge, MA.

The Board of Trustees of the Kansas City Metropolitan Junior College District sponsored a long range planning study for the future development of the district. Under the direction of Dr. Raymond J. Young, this study was designed to update an earlier one completed in 1968 by the staff in the light of changed conditions and trends. Information was…

Evaluating the effectiveness of a peer-led education intervention to improve the patient safety attitudes of junior pharmacy students: a cross-sectional study using a latent growth curve modelling approach.

PubMed

Walpola, Ramesh L; Fois, Romano A; McLachlan, Andrew J; Chen, Timothy F

2015-12-08

Despite the recognition that educating healthcare students in patient safety is essential, changing already full curricula can be challenging. Furthermore, institutions may lack the capacity and capability to deliver patient safety education, particularly from the start of professional practice studies. Using senior students as peer educators to deliver practice-based education can potentially overcome some of the contextual barriers in training junior students. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of a peer-led patient safety education programme for junior pharmacy students. A repeat cross-sectional design utilising a previously validated patient safety attitudinal survey was used to evaluate attitudes prior to, immediately after and 1 month after the delivery of a patient safety education programme. Latent growth curve (LGC) modelling was used to evaluate the change in attitudes of first-year students using second-year students as a comparator group. Undergraduate university students in Sydney, Australia. 175 first-year and 140 second-year students enrolled in the Bachelor of Pharmacy programme at the University of Sydney. An introductory patient safety programme was implemented into the first-year Bachelor of Pharmacy curriculum at the University of Sydney. The programme covered introductory patient safety topics including teamwork, communication skills, systems thinking and open disclosure. The programme consisted of 2 lectures, delivered by a senior academic, and a workshop delivered by trained final-year pharmacy students. A full LGC model was constructed including the intervention as a non-time-dependent predictor of change (χ(2) (51)=164.070, root mean square error of approximation=0.084, comparative fit index=0.913, standardised root mean square=0.056). First-year students' attitudes significantly improved as a result of the intervention, particularly in relation to internalising errors (p=0.010), questioning behaviours (p<0.001) and open disclosure (p=0.008). Peer-led education is an effective method that can be adopted to improve junior pharmacy students' attitudes towards patient safety. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Junior nursing students' experiences of vertical violence during clinical rotations.

PubMed

Thomas, Sandra P; Burk, Renee

2009-01-01

Horizontal violence is a form of workplace violence, a phenomenon that is prevalent in the nursing profession. Research has revealed a variety of negative peer-to-peer behaviors that lower morale and lead to turnover. However, little research has been conducted on "eating our young" (violence occurring between individuals with unequal power, such as staff nurse and student). We propose "vertical violence" as the appropriate term when abusive registered nurse (RN) behavior is directed towards students. We report a content analysis of stories written by junior nursing students about incidents of injustice perpetrated by staff RNs during their clinical experiences. Four levels of injustice were described. Nursing leadership, both in hospitals and educational institutions, must become engaged in efforts to eradicate vertical violence towards students.

Effects of a Cognitive Acceleration Programme in a Low Socioeconomic High School in Regional Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oliver, Mary; Venville, Grady; Adey, Philip

2012-01-01

This paper presents research on the effects of a cognitive acceleration intervention in science lessons on low socioeconomic students in a government high school in regional Western Australia. "Thinking Science Australia" is a programme currently being implemented in Australian junior high school classes. The research was conducted for…

Outcomes of a virtual-reality simulator-training programme on basic surgical skills in robot-assisted laparoscopic surgery.

PubMed

Phé, Véronique; Cattarino, Susanna; Parra, Jérôme; Bitker, Marc-Olivier; Ambrogi, Vanina; Vaessen, Christophe; Rouprêt, Morgan

2017-06-01

The utility of the virtual-reality robotic simulator in training programmes has not been clearly evaluated. Our aim was to evaluate the impact of a virtual-reality robotic simulator-training programme on basic surgical skills. A simulator-training programme in robotic surgery, using the da Vinci Skills Simulator, was evaluated in a population including junior and seasoned surgeons, and non-physicians. Their performances on robotic dots and suturing-skin pod platforms before and after virtual-simulation training were rated anonymously by surgeons experienced in robotics. 39 participants were enrolled: 14 medical students and residents in surgery, 14 seasoned surgeons, 11 non-physicians. Junior and seasoned surgeons' performances on platforms were not significantly improved after virtual-reality robotic simulation in any of the skill domains, in contrast to non-physicians. The benefits of virtual-reality simulator training on several tasks to basic skills in robotic surgery were not obvious among surgeons in our initial and early experience with the simulator. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Improving end of life care in care homes; an evaluation of the six steps to success programme.

PubMed

O'Brien, Mary; Kirton, Jennifer; Knighting, Katherine; Roe, Brenda; Jack, Barbara

2016-06-03

There are approximately 426,000 people residing within care homes in the UK. Residents often have complex trajectories of dying, which make it difficult for staff to manage their end-of-life care. There is growing recognition for the need to support care homes staff in the care of these residents with increased educational initiatives. One educational initiative is The Six Steps to Success programme. In order to evaluate the implementation of Six Steps with the first cohort of care homes to complete the end-of-life programme in the North West of England., a pragmatic evaluation methodology was implemented in 2012-2013 using multiple methods of qualitative data collection; online questionnaire with facilitators (n = 16), interviews with facilitators (n = 9) and case studies of care homes that had completed the programme (n = 6). The evaluation explored the implementation approach and experiences of the programme facilitators and obtain a detailed account of the impact of Six Steps on individual care homes. Based upon the National Health Service (NHS) End of Life Care (EoLC) Programme, The Route to Success in EoLC - Achieving Quality in Care Homes. The programme was flexibly designed so that it could be individually tailored to the geographical location and the individual cohort requirements. Facilitators provided comprehensive and flexible support to care homes. Challenges to programme success were noted as; lack of time allocated to champions to devote to additional programme work, inappropriate staff selected as 'Champions' and staff sickness/high staff turnover presented challenges to embedding programme values. Benefits to completing the programme were noted as; improvement in Advance Care Planning, improved staff communication/confidence when dealing with multi-disciplinary teams, improved end-of-life processes/documentation and increased staff confidence through acquisition of new knowledge and new processes. The findings suggested an overall positive impact from the programme. This flexibly designed programme continues to be dynamic, iteratively amended and improved which may affect the direct transferability of the results to future cohorts.

The Use of Management Games for Developing Army Officers in Administrative and Staff Jobs. [Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olmstead, Joseph A.; Elder, B. Leon

A research project was undertaken to provide a foundation for future research on the efficacy of games and simulations for use in training and assessing junior company-grade officers working in administrative, nontactical support, and staff jobs. Based on survey interviews with nineteen incumbents of Finance, Adjutant General, and Quartermaster…

Central Office Plants the Seeds, Schools Cultivate Their Own Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

von Frank, Valerie

2010-01-01

Every April, the staff of Stilwell Junior High School (West Des Moines, Iowa) spend a day analyzing student data together. Staff members consider standardized tests scores, look at item-by-item results and trends, and consider how groups are performing. They also look at social data, gathered from students about how the youth view their school…

Developing a structured education reminiscence-based programme for staff in long-stay care facilities in Ireland.

PubMed

Cooney, Adeline; O'Shea, Eamon; Casey, Dympna; Murphy, Kathy; Dempsey, Laura; Smyth, Siobhan; Hunter, Andrew; Murphy, Edel; Devane, Declan; Jordan, Fionnuala

2013-07-01

This paper describes the steps used in developing and piloting a structured education programme - the Structured Education Reminiscence-based Programme for Staff (SERPS). The programme aimed to prepare nurses and care assistants to use reminiscence when caring for people with dementia living in long-term care. Reminiscence involves facilitating people to talk or think about their past. Structured education programmes are used widely as interventions in randomised controlled trials. However, the process of developing a structured education programme has received little attention relative to that given to evaluating the effectiveness of such programmes. This paper makes explicit the steps followed to develop the SERPS, thereby making a contribution to the methodology of designing and implementing effective structured education programmes. The approach to designing the SERPS was informed by the Van Meijel et al. (2004) model (Journal of Advanced Nursing 48, 84): (1) problem definition, (2) accumulation of building blocks for intervention design, (3) intervention design and (4) intervention validation. Grounded theory was used (1) to generate data to shape the 'building blocks' for the SERPS and (2) to explore residents, family and staff's experience of using/receiving reminiscence. Analysis of the pilot data indicated that the programme met its objective of preparing staff to use reminiscence with residents with dementia. Staff were positive both about the SERPS and the use of reminiscence with residents with dementia. This paper outlines a systematic approach to developing and validating a structured education programme. Participation in a structured education programme is more positive for staff if they are expected to actively implement what they have learnt. Ongoing support during the delivery of the programme is important for successful implementation. The incorporation of client and professional experience in the design phase is a key strength of this approach to programme design. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Classification of Staff Development Programmes and Effects Perceived by Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

De Rijdt, Catherine; Dochy, Filip; Bamelis, Sofie; van der Vleuten, Cees

2016-01-01

Educational institutions offer diverse staff development programmes to allow staff members to keep up with educational innovations and to guarantee educational quality. The current study investigates by means of a survey and semi-structured interviews whether the teacher perceives staff development as a management model, a shop-floor model or a…

Development of a competency based training programme to support multidisciplinary working in a combined biochemistry/haematology laboratory

PubMed Central

Woods, R; Longmire, W; Galloway, M; Smellie, W

2000-01-01

The aim of this study was to develop a competency based training programme to support multidisciplinary working in a combined biochemistry and haematology laboratory. The training programme was developed to document that staff were trained in the full range of laboratory tests that they were expected to perform. This programme subsequently formed the basis for the annual performance review of all staff. All staff successfully completed the first phase of the programme. This allowed laboratory staff to work unsupervised at night as part of a partial shift system. All staff are now working towards achieving a level of competence equivalent to the training level required for state registration by the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine. External evaluation of the training programme has included accreditation by the Council for Professions Supplementary to Medicine and reinspection by Clinical Pathology Accreditation (UK) Ltd. The development of a competency based training system has facilitated the introduction of multidisciplinary working in the laboratory. In addition, it enables the documentation of all staff to ensure that they are fully trained and are keeping up to date, because the continuing professional development programme in use in our laboratory has been linked to this training scheme. This approach to documentation of training facilitated a recent reinspection by Clinical Pathology Accreditation (UK) Ltd. Key Words: Keyword: multidisciplinary working • competency based training PMID:10889827

Why do some hospitals achieve better care of severely malnourished children than others? Five-year follow-up of rural hospitals in Eastern Cape, South Africa.

PubMed

Puoane, Thandi; Cuming, Katie; Sanders, David; Ashworth, Ann

2008-11-01

Staff at 11 rural hospitals in an under-resourced region of Eastern Cape Province, South Africa, participated in an intervention to improve the quality of care of severely malnourished children through training and support aimed at implementing the WHO case-management guidelines. Despite similar intervention inputs, some hospitals reduced their case-fatality rates by at least half, whereas others did not. The aim of this study was to investigate reasons for this disparity. Two successful and two poorly performing hospitals were purposively selected based on their case-fatality rates, which were <10% in the successful hospitals and >30% in those performing poorly. Comparative data were collected during June to October 2004 through structured observations of ward procedures, compilation of hospital data on case-loads and resources, and staff interviews and discussions related to attitudes, teamwork, training, supervision, managerial support and leadership. The four study hospitals had broadly similar resources, infrastructure and child:nurse ratios, and all had made changes to their clinical and dietary management following training. Case-management was broadly in line with WHO guidelines but the study revealed clear differences in institutional culture which influenced quality of care. Staff in the successful hospitals were more attentive and assiduous than staff in the poorly performing hospitals, especially in relation to rehydration procedures, feeding and the recording of vital signs. There was a strong emphasis on in-service training and induction of incoming staff in the successful hospitals and better supervision of junior staff and carers. Nurses had more positive attitudes towards malnourished children and their carers, and were less judgmental. Underlying factors were differences in leadership, teamwork, and managerial supervision and support. We conclude that unless there are supportive structures at managerial level, the potential benefits of efficacious interventions and related training programmes to improve health worker performance can be thwarted.

Implementing peer tutoring in a graduate medical education programme.

PubMed

Salerno-Kennedy, Rossana; Henn, Pat; O'Flynn, Siun

2010-06-01

In modern times, peer tutoring methods have been explored in health care education for over 30 years. In this paper, we report our experience of implementing a peer-tutoring approach to Clinical Skills Laboratory (CSL) training in the Graduate Entry in Medicine Programme (GEM) at University College Cork. Eighteen fourth-year medical students were recruited as peer tutors for CSL sessions on physical examination. In order to standardise the process, we developed a training course for peer tutors that comprised two stages. They then ran the practical sessions with junior students, under the watchful eye of medical educators. At the end of the last CSL session, the students were given 10 minutes to reflect individually on the experience, and were asked to complete a feedback form. Twenty-four of the 42 GEM students and six of the seven Senior Tutors (STs) completed and returned their feedback forms. With the caveats of small sample sizes and low response rates, both groups reported that they had both positive and negative experiences of peer tutoring, but that the positive experiences predominated. The overall experience was positive. In terms of the primary thesis of this study, the STs thought that they were well prepared by the teaching staff to take part in these teaching sessions. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2010.

Legitimisation, personalisation and maturation: Using the experiences of a compulsory mobile curriculum to reconceptualise mobile learning.

PubMed

Joynes, Viktoria; Fuller, Richard

2016-06-01

Smartphone use is well established in society, with increasing acceptance in many professional workplaces. Despite the growth in mobile resources, how students and teachers benefit from these devices remains under-researched. An exploration of student and educators views on the impact of mobile learning re-sources on placement learning experiences as part of the Leeds 'MBChB Mobile' programme. Focus groups incorporating visual methodologies were undertaken with students from each year group; semi-structured interviews were undertaken with clinical teaching staff, including those who experienced the mobile programme as students themselves. Four key themes emerged. 'Maturity of learning', related to the way in which senior students use resources in a more nuanced way than junior colleagues. 'Learning differently', identified 'personalisation' and 'just in time' opportunities that mobile resources afforded. 'Learning legitimately' was identified by students as key to ensuring they adopted appropriate behaviours in relation to mobile learning. Using mobile resources at undergraduate level was found to 'change learning patterns for life'. There is a need to further develop the educational theory behind using mobile resources for learning. The results here suggest that mobile technologies are shaping learning behaviours, and are an indicator of learning maturity, reflecting the wider context of societal enculturation.

Consensus-based training and assessment model for general surgery.

PubMed

Szasz, P; Louridas, M; de Montbrun, S; Harris, K A; Grantcharov, T P

2016-05-01

Surgical education is becoming competency-based with the implementation of in-training milestones. Training guidelines should reflect these changes and determine the specific procedures for such milestone assessments. This study aimed to develop a consensus view regarding operative procedures and tasks considered appropriate for junior and senior trainees, and the procedures that can be used as technical milestone assessments for trainee progression in general surgery. A Delphi process was followed where questionnaires were distributed to all 17 Canadian general surgery programme directors. Items were ranked on a 5-point Likert scale, with consensus defined as Cronbach's α of at least 0·70. Items rated 4 or above on the 5-point Likert scale by 80 per cent of the programme directors were included in the models. Two Delphi rounds were completed, with 14 programme directors taking part in round one and 11 in round two. The overall consensus was high (Cronbach's α = 0·98). The training model included 101 unique procedures and tasks, 24 specific to junior trainees, 68 specific to senior trainees, and nine appropriate to all. The assessment model included four procedures. A system of operative procedures and tasks for junior- and senior-level trainees has been developed along with an assessment model for trainee progression. These can be used as milestones in competency-based assessments. © 2016 BJS Society Ltd Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Staff relations and work-life balance: course outline.

PubMed

Harvey, A; Durrance, D; Couger, G

2001-01-01

Changes in the American workforce have intensified the need for veterinary medical education regarding staff relations and work-life balance. A 20-hour, one-week elective course was offered to junior veterinary students in order to provide a forum for lecture and discussion covering topics such as team building, conflict resolution, stress management, and work-life balance. Instructors are master's level counselors.

Public nursing home staff's experience of participating in an intervention aimed at enhancing their self-esteem.

PubMed

Wadensten, Barbro; Engström, Maria; Häggström, Elisabeth

2009-11-01

The aim of the present study was to gain an understanding of how nursing staff experienced participating in a training programme aimed at strengthening their self-esteem and empowering them, to determine whether participation benefited them in any way, and to describe their opinions about possible benefits or disadvantages. Staff working in institutions such as nursing homes have a low status in society. A training programme was introduced to staff in a public nursing home. It focused on helping them understand factors in the work situation that influence them and on empowering them. The study was explorative and qualitative in design. The participants in the programme were generally satisfied with it. Their opinions about the benefits they received from the programme can be described using three themes: 'improved communication skills', 'enhanced self-esteem' and 'sees work in a different light'. The most important finding of the present study is that it was possible to strengthen and empower staff. Staff members were generally pleased and satisfied with the content/organization of the training programme. They felt the programme had been of value to them by improving their communication skills and increasing their self-esteem. The present result could be of value to managers and educators working in the area of nursing home care when planning education and development activities for staff. Learning to communicate better and understand the social structure at the workplace could improve staff members' self-esteem, thereby enhancing the work situation and atmosphere as well as empowering the individuals.

Building workforce capacity to detect and respond to child abuse and neglect cases: A training intervention for staff working in emergency settings in Vietnam.

PubMed

Flemington, Tara; Fraser, Jennifer

2017-09-01

Too many children are brought to hospital emergency departments on numerous occasions before they are recognised as victims of child abuse and neglect. For this reason, improving knowledge and response behaviors of emergency staff at all levels is likely to have a significant impact on better outcomes. An Australian based training programme was the first of its kind to address this issue in a Vietnamese Emergency Department. Titled 'Safe Children Vietnam', the programme aimed to improve knowledge, attitudes and reporting behaviors concerning child abuse in the emergency setting. A pre-post test design was used to evaluate the impact of 'Safe Children Vietnam' on emergency staff knowledge, attitudes and intentions to report child abuse and neglect. Emergency staff including doctors, nurses and healthcare staff (n=116) participated in the clinical training programme. Linear Mixed Model analyses showed that on programme completion, they were more likely to recognise serious cases of all types of abuse. The 'Safe Children Vietnam' programme was effective at improving emergency staff knowledge of child abuse and neglect. A systems wide approach may be necessary to impact on emergency staff attitudes towards reporting cases of abuse. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Adapting Nepal's polio eradication programme.

PubMed

Paudel, Krishna P; Hampton, Lee M; Gurung, Santosh; Bohara, Rajendra; Rai, Indra K; Anaokar, Sameer; Swift, Rachel D; Cochi, Stephen

2017-03-01

Many countries have weak disease surveillance and immunization systems. The elimination of polio creates an opportunity to use staff and assets from the polio eradication programme to control other vaccine-preventable diseases and improve disease surveillance and immunization systems. In 2003, the active surveillance system of Nepal's polio eradication programme began to report on measles and neonatal tetanus cases. Japanese encephalitis and rubella cases were added to the surveillance system in 2004. Staff from the programme aided the development and implementation of government immunization policies, helped launch vaccination campaigns, and trained government staff in reporting practices and vaccine management. Nepal eliminated indigenous polio in 2000, and controlled outbreaks caused by polio importations between 2005 and 2010. In 2014, the surveillance activities had expanded to 299 sites, with active surveillance for measles, rubella and neonatal tetanus, including weekly visits from 15 surveillance medical officers. Sentinel surveillance for Japanese encephalitis consisted of 132 sites. Since 2002, staff from the eradication programme have helped to introduce six new vaccines and helped to secure funding from Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. Staff have also assisted in responding to other health events in the country. By expanding the activities of its polio eradication programme, Nepal has improved its surveillance and immunization systems and increased vaccination coverage of other vaccine-preventable diseases. Continued donor support, a close collaboration with the Expanded Programme on Immunization, and the retention of the polio eradication programme's skilled workforce were important for this expansion.

Paediatric burns in LMICs: An evaluation of the barriers and facilitators faced by staff involved in burns education training programmes in Blantyre, Malawi.

PubMed

Harris, Lyndsey; Fioratou, Evridiki; Broadis, Emily

2016-08-01

A burn prevention and education programme - the Reduction of Burn and Scald Mortality and Morbidity in Children in Malawi project - was implemented from January 2010-2013 in Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital, Malawi. This study aimed to investigate the barriers and facilitators of implementing education-training programmes. Semi-structured interviews with 14 Scottish and Malawian staff delivering and receiving teaching at training education programmes were conducted. All interviews were recorded, transcribed and analysed using thematic analysis. Overarching barriers and facilitators were similar for both sets of staff. Scottish participants recognised that limited experience working in LMICs narrowed the challenges they anticipated. Time was a significant barrier to implementation of training courses for both sets of participants. Lack of hands on practical experience was the greatest barrier to implementing the skills learnt for Malawian staff. Sustainability was a significant facilitator to successful implementation of training programmes. Encouraging involvement of Malawian staff in the co-ordination and delivery of teaching enabled those who attend courses to teach others. A recognition of and response to the barriers and facilitators associated with introducing paediatric burn education training programmes can contribute to the development of sustainable programme implementation in Malawi and other LMICs. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd and ISBI. All rights reserved.

A qualitative evaluation of the Scottish Staff and Associate Specialist Development Programme.

PubMed

Cleland, Jennifer; Burr, Jacqueline; Johnston, Peter

2016-05-01

The continued professional development of staff and associate specialist doctors in the UK was ill served prior to the introduction of the new staff and associate specialist doctor's contract in 2008. The aim of this study was to independently evaluate NHS Education for Scotland's approach to improving professional development for staff and associate specialist doctors, the staff and associate specialist Professional Development Fund. Semi-structured telephone interviews with key stakeholders, framed by a realistic approach to evaluate what works, for whom and in how and under what circumstances. An inductive and data-driven thematic analysis was carried out and then the realist framework was applied to the data. We interviewed 22 key stakeholders: staff and associate specialist doctors, staff and associate specialist educational advisors, programme architects and clinical directors, between end February and May 2014. The resultant data indicated five broad themes: organisational barriers to continued professional development for staff and associate specialist doctors, the purpose of funding, gains from funding, the need for better communication about the staff and associate specialist Programme Development Fund, and the interplay between individual and systems factors. The staff and associate specialist Programme Development Fund has changed the opportunities available to staff and associate specialist doctors in Scotland and, in that sense, has changed the context for this group - or at least those who have realised the opportunities. © The Author(s) 2016.

Improving patient safety: lessons from rock climbing.

PubMed

Robertson, Nic

2012-02-01

How to improve patient safety remains an intractable problem, despite large investment and some successes. Academics have argued that the root of the problem is a lack of a comprehensive 'safety culture' in hospitals. Other safety-critical industries such as commercial aviation invest heavily in staff training to develop such a culture, but comparable programmes are almost entirely absent from the health care sector. In rock climbing and many other dangerous activities, the 'buddy system' is used to ensure that safety systems are adhered to despite adverse circumstances. This system involves two or more people using simple checks and clear communication to prevent problems causing harm. Using this system as an example could provide a simple, original and entertaining way of introducing medical students to the idea that human factors are central to ensuring patient safety. Teaching the buddy system may improve understanding and acceptance of other patient safety initiatives, and could also be used by junior doctors as a tool to improve the safety of their practice. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

The challenge of change in acute mental health services: measuring staff perceptions of barriers to change and their relationship to job status and satisfaction using a new measure (VOCALISE).

PubMed

Laker, Caroline; Callard, Felicity; Flach, Clare; Williams, Paul; Sayer, Jane; Wykes, Til

2014-02-20

Health services are subject to frequent changes, yet there has been insufficient research to address how staff working within these services perceive the climate for implementation. Staff perceptions, particularly of barriers to change, may affect successful implementation and the resultant quality of care. This study measures staff perceptions of barriers to change in acute mental healthcare. We identify whether occupational status and job satisfaction are related to these perceptions, as this might indicate a target for intervention that could aid successful implementation. As there were no available instruments capturing staff perceptions of barriers to change, we created a new measure (VOCALISE) to assess this construct. All nursing staff from acute in-patient settings in one large London mental health trust were eligible. Using a participatory method, a nurse researcher interviewed 32 staff to explore perceptions of barriers to change. This generated a measure through thematic analyses and staff feedback (N = 6). Psychometric testing was undertaken according to standard guidelines for measure development (N = 40, 42, 275). Random effects models were used to explore the associations between VOCALISE, occupational status, and job satisfaction (N = 125). VOCALISE was easy to understand and complete, and showed acceptable reliability and validity. The factor analysis revealed three underlying constructs: 'confidence,' 'de-motivation' and 'powerlessness.' Staff with negative perceptions of barriers to change held more junior positions, and had poorer job satisfaction. Qualitatively, nursing assistants expressed a greater sense of organisational unfairness in response to change. VOCALISE can be used to explore staff perceptions of implementation climate and to assess how staff attitudes shape the successful outcomes of planned changes. Negative perceptions were linked with poor job satisfaction and to those occupying more junior roles, indicating a negative climate for implementation in those groups. Staff from these groups may therefore need special attention prior to implementing changes in mental health settings.

Perinatal staff perceptions of safety and quality in their service.

PubMed

Sinni, Suzanne V; Wallace, Euan M; Cross, Wendy M

2014-11-28

Ensuring safe and appropriate service delivery is central to a high quality maternity service. With this in mind, over recent years much attention has been given to the development of evidence-based clinical guidelines, staff education and risk reporting systems. Less attention has been given to assessing staff perceptions of a service's safety and quality and what factors may influence that. In this study we set out to assess staff perceptions of safety and quality of a maternity service and to explore potential influences on service safety. The study was undertaken within a new low risk metropolitan maternity service in Victoria, Australia with a staffing profile comprising midwives (including students), neonatal nurses, specialist obstetricians, junior medical staff and clerical staff. In depth open-ended interviews using a semi-structured questionnaire were conducted with 23 staff involved in the delivery of perinatal care, including doctors, midwives, nurses, nursing and midwifery students, and clerical staff. Data were analyzed using naturalistic interpretive inquiry to identify emergent themes. Staff unanimously reported that there were robust systems and processes in place to maintain safety and quality. Three major themes were apparent: (1) clinical governance, (2) dominance of midwives, (3) inter-professional relationships. Overall, there was a strong sense that, at least in this midwifery-led service, midwives had the greatest opportunity to be an influence, both positively and negatively, on the safe delivery of perinatal care. The importance of understanding team dynamics, particularly mutual respect, trust and staff cohesion, were identified as key issues for potential future service improvement. Senior staff, particularly midwives and neonatal nurses, play central roles in shaping team behaviors and attitudes that may affect the safety and quality of service delivery. We suggest that strategies targeting senior staff to enhance their performance in their roles, particularly in the training and teamwork role-modeling of the transitory junior workforce, are important for the development and maintenance of a high quality and safe maternity service.

Use of artificial intelligence to analyze clinical database reduces workload on surgical house staff.

PubMed

Grossi, E A; Steinberg, B M; LeBoutillier, M; Coppa, G F; Roses, D F

1994-08-01

The current quantity and diversity of hospital clinical, laboratory, and pharmacy records have resulted in a glut of information, which can be overwhelming to house staff. This study was performed to measure the impact of artificial intelligence analysis of such data on the junior surgical house staff's workload, time for direct patient care, and quality of life. A personal computer was interfaced with the hospital computerized patient data system. Artificial intelligence algorithms were applied to retrieve and condense laboratory values, microbiology reports, and medication orders. Unusual laboratory tests were reported without artificial intelligence filtering. A survey of 23 junior house staff showed a requirement for a total of 30.75 man-hours per day, an average of 184.5 minutes per service twice a day for five surgical services each with an average of 40.7 patients, to manually produce a report in contrast to a total of 3.4 man-hours, an average of 20.5 minutes on the same basis (88.9% reduction, p < 0.001), to computer generate and distribute a similarly useful report. Two thirds of the residents reported an increased ability to perform patient care. Current medical practice has created an explosion of information, which is a burden for surgical house staff. Artificial intelligence preprocessing of the hospital database information focuses attention, eliminates superfluous data, and significantly reduces surgical house staff clerical work, allowing more time for education, research, and patient care.

Junior doctors and clinical audit.

PubMed

Greenwood, J P; Lindsay, S J; Batin, P D; Robinson, M B

1997-01-01

To assess the extent of junior doctor involvement in clinical audit, the degree of support from audit staff, and the perceived value of the resulting audits. Postal survey of National Health Service (NHS) junior doctors. 704 junior doctors in central Leeds hospitals, June 1996. Questionnaires were returned by 232 respondents (33%), 211 (31%) were completed; 157 respondents (74%) had personally performed audit. Mean (+/- SD) duration since last audit project was 14.9 (14.1) (range 0-84) months. Of the respondents who had personally performed audit, 88 (56%) did not use the hospital audit department, 60 (38%) received no guidance and only 19 (12%) were involved in re-auditing the same project. Mean (+/- SD) time spent per audit project was 27.8 (37.7), (range 2-212) hours. Seventy-five junior doctors (48%) were aware of subsequent change in clinical practice, 41 (26%) perceived a negative personal benefit from audit, 33 (21%) perceived a negative departmental benefit, and 42 (27%) felt that audit was a waste of time. A large proportion of junior doctors are involved in audit projects that do not conform to established good practice and which have a low impact on clinical behaviour. Although junior doctors feel that there is inadequate assistance and poor supervision whilst performing audit, they still support the principle of audit. There is a need to improve the quality and supervision of audit projects performed by junior doctors.

41 CFR 61-250.2 - What definitions apply to this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... institutes and junior colleges, or through equivalent on-the-job training. Includes: Computer programmers and... (medical, dental, electronic, physical science), and kindred workers. (iv) Sales means occupations engaging...

41 CFR 61-250.2 - What definitions apply to this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... institutes and junior colleges, or through equivalent on-the-job training. Includes: Computer programmers and... (medical, dental, electronic, physical science), and kindred workers. (iv) Sales means occupations engaging...

41 CFR 61-250.2 - What definitions apply to this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... institutes and junior colleges, or through equivalent on-the-job training. Includes: Computer programmers and... (medical, dental, electronic, physical science), and kindred workers. (iv) Sales means occupations engaging...

41 CFR 61-250.2 - What definitions apply to this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... institutes and junior colleges, or through equivalent on-the-job training. Includes: Computer programmers and... (medical, dental, electronic, physical science), and kindred workers. (iv) Sales means occupations engaging...

41 CFR 61-250.2 - What definitions apply to this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... institutes and junior colleges, or through equivalent on-the-job training. Includes: Computer programmers and... (medical, dental, electronic, physical science), and kindred workers. (iv) Sales means occupations engaging...

Staff views of an opportunistic chlamydia testing pilot in a primary health organisation.

PubMed

McKernon, Stephen; Azariah, Sunita

2013-12-01

The Auckland chlamydia pilot was one of three pilots funded by the Ministry of Health to trial implementation of the 2008 Chlamydia Management Guidelines prior to national roll-out. To assess what elements in the testing programme pilot worked best for staff and to determine how an opportunistic testing programme could be better configured to meet staff needs and preferences. A staff survey listed key chlamydia testing tasks in chronological order, and service interventions supporting these tasks. Staff were asked to rate each task on its difficulty prior to the pilot, and then on the difference the pilot had made to each task. They were also asked to rate service interventions on their usefulness during the pilot implementation. The survey had a response rate of 94%. The testing tasks posing the greatest difficulties to staff were those involving patient interactions (41%) and management of follow-up (52%). About 70% of staff felt tasks were improved by the pilot. Staff considered the three most useful service interventions to be a chlamydia-specific template created for the practice management system, provision of printed patient resources, and regular team discussions with other staff. A significant proportion of staff reported difficulties with routine tasks required for opportunistic testing for chlamydia, highlighting the need to involve staff during programme design. Practice nurse-led approaches to future opportunistic testing programmes should be considered as nurses had a more positive response to the pilot and nurse-led approaches have been shown to be successful overseas.

Error, stress, and teamwork in medicine and aviation: cross sectional surveys

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sexton, J. B.; Thomas, E. J.; Helmreich, R. L.

2000-01-01

OBJECTIVES: To survey operating theatre and intensive care unit staff about attitudes concerning error, stress, and teamwork and to compare these attitudes with those of airline cockpit crew. DESIGN:: Cross sectional surveys. SETTING:: Urban teaching and non-teaching hospitals in the United States, Israel, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. Major airlines around the world. PARTICIPANTS:: 1033 doctors, nurses, fellows, and residents working in operating theatres and intensive care units and over 30 000 cockpit crew members (captains, first officers, and second officers). MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:: Perceptions of error, stress, and teamwork. RESULTS:: Pilots were least likely to deny the effects of fatigue on performance (26% v 70% of consultant surgeons and 47% of consultant anaesthetists). Most pilots (97%) and intensive care staff (94%) rejected steep hierarchies (in which senior team members are not open to input from junior members), but only 55% of consultant surgeons rejected such hierarchies. High levels of teamwork with consultant surgeons were reported by 73% of surgical residents, 64% of consultant surgeons, 39% of anaesthesia consultants, 28% of surgical nurses, 25% of anaesthetic nurses, and 10% of anaesthetic residents. Only a third of staff reported that errors are handled appropriately at their hospital. A third of intensive care staff did not acknowledge that they make errors. Over half of intensive care staff reported that they find it difficult to discuss mistakes. CONCLUSIONS: Medical staff reported that error is important but difficult to discuss and not handled well in their hospital. Barriers to discussing error are more important since medical staff seem to deny the effect of stress and fatigue on performance. Further problems include differing perceptions of teamwork among team members and reluctance of senior theatre staff to accept input from junior members.

Error, stress, and teamwork in medicine and aviation: cross sectional surveys

PubMed Central

Sexton, J Bryan; Thomas, Eric J; Helmreich, Robert L

2000-01-01

Objectives: To survey operating theatre and intensive care unit staff about attitudes concerning error, stress, and teamwork and to compare these attitudes with those of airline cockpit crew. Design: Cross sectional surveys. Setting: Urban teaching and non-teaching hospitals in the United States, Israel, Germany, Switzerland, and Italy. Major airlines around the world. Participants: 1033 doctors, nurses, fellows, and residents working in operating theatres and intensive care units and over 30 000 cockpit crew members (captains, first officers, and second officers). Main outcome measures: Perceptions of error, stress, and teamwork. Results: Pilots were least likely to deny the effects of fatigue on performance (26% v 70% of consultant surgeons and 47% of consultant anaesthetists). Most pilots (97%) and intensive care staff (94%) rejected steep hierarchies (in which senior team members are not open to input from junior members), but only 55% of consultant surgeons rejected such hierarchies. High levels of teamwork with consultant surgeons were reported by 73% of surgical residents, 64% of consultant surgeons, 39% of anaesthesia consultants, 28% of surgical nurses, 25% of anaesthetic nurses, and 10% of anaesthetic residents. Only a third of staff reported that errors are handled appropriately at their hospital. A third of intensive care staff did not acknowledge that they make errors. Over half of intensive care staff reported that they find it difficult to discuss mistakes. Conclusions: Medical staff reported that error is important but difficult to discuss and not handled well in their hospital. Barriers to discussing error are more important since medical staff seem to deny the effect of stress and fatigue on performance. Further problems include differing perceptions of teamwork among team members and reluctance of senior theatre staff to accept input from junior members. PMID:10720356

A longitudinal study on the ammonia threshold in junior cyclists

PubMed Central

Yuan, Y; Chan, K

2004-01-01

Objectives: To identify the effect of a one year non-specific training programme on the ammonia threshold of a group of junior cyclists and to correlate ammonia threshold with other common physiological variables. Methods: The cyclists performed tests at three time points (T1, T2, T3) during the year. Follow up tests were conducted every six months after the original test. Ammonia threshold was obtained from a graded exercise with four minute steps. Results: The relatively non-specific one year training programme was effective in inducing an increase in peak VO2 (60.6 (5.9), 65.9 (7.4), and 64.6 (6.5) ml/min/kg at T1, T2, and T3 respectively) and endurance time (18.3 (4.5), 20.1 (5.2), and 27.0 (6.1) minutes at T1, T2, and T3 respectively), but was not effective for the sprint related variables. Ammonia threshold, together with lactate threshold and ventilatory threshold, was not significantly different at the three test times. Only endurance time correlated significantly with ammonia threshold (r  =  0.915, p  =  0.001). Conclusions: The findings suggest that a relatively non-specific one year training programme does not modify the ammonia threshold of junior cyclists. The significant correlation between ammonia threshold and endurance time further confirms that ammonia threshold is a measure of the ability to sustain exercise at submaximal intensities. PMID:15039242

Which Preparatory Curriculum for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Is Best? The Challenge for International Schools with Regard to Mathematics and Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corlu, M. Sencer

2014-01-01

There are two mainstream curricula for international school students at the junior high level: the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). The former was developed in the mid-1990s and is currently being relaunched in a 21st-century approach.…

Emotion work and boundary maintenance in hospital-based midwifery.

PubMed

Hunter, Billie

2005-09-01

To identify and explore the emotion work of hospital-based midwives. An ethnographic approach using focus groups, observations and interviews. South Wales, UK. Phase one of the study: self-selected convenience sample of 27 student midwives in first and final years of 3-year (direct entry) and 18-month (post-nursing) programmes. Phase two: opportunistic sample of seven qualified hospital-based midwives. Phase three: Purposive sample of 10 hospital-based midwives working within one National Health Service Trust. Sample representative of a range of clinical locations, length of clinical experience and clinical grades. The emotion work of midwives was strongly influenced by the context of practice. For hospital-based midwives, relationships with midwifery colleagues were of key importance, providing the main source of feedback on individual practice. Negotiating these relationships was a major source of emotion work. Although collegial relationships could provide support and affirmation, they were also a frequent source of conflict, particularly between junior and senior midwives. This discord was underpinned by conflicting ideologies of midwifery practice. The theoretical framework of boundary maintenance was used to interpret the findings. Senior and junior midwives frequently held contradictory models of practice, resulting in competing claims for occupational jurisdiction. Midwives made use of a variety of devices in order to establish and maintain intra-occupational boundaries. Senior midwives attempted to maintain their position through unwritten rules and sanctions, supported by their claim to greater clinical expertise and experience. Junior midwives rarely challenged this authority; their responses were often subversive and designed to create an appearance of compliance. These findings contribute to our understanding of inter-collegial conflict in UK midwifery, providing insights into workplace harassment and low staff morale, which are likely to exacerbate workforce attrition. The underpinning ideological dissonance experienced by midwives must be acknowledged and tackled for these issues to be effectively addressed.

Gardening with Huntington's disease clients--creating a programme of winter activities.

PubMed

Spring, Josephine Anne; Baker, Mark; Dauya, Loreane; Ewemade, Ivie; Marsh, Nicola; Patel, Prina; Scott, Adrienne; Stoy, Nicholas; Turner, Hannah; Viera, Marc; Will, Diana

2011-01-01

A programme of garden-related indoor activities was developed to sustain a gardening group for people with mid to late stage Huntington's disease during the winter. The activities were devised by the horticulturist, working empirically, involving the services occupational therapist, physiotherapist, occupational therapy art technician, computer room, recreation and leisure staff. The programme was strongly supported by the nursing and care staff. Feedback on the effectiveness of the activities was sought from the clients, team members and unit staff. The clients' interest in gardening was sustained by a multidisciplinary programme of indoor growing and using plant products in creative activities, computing and group projects. The clients enjoyed all activities except one that they said lacked contact with plants. The inexpensive programme of activities enabled creativity and self-expression, stimulated social contact and helped with therapeutic goals of the clients. In addition, it engaged the multi-disciplinary team and the unit staff, was practical and enhanced the environment.

Feasibility and effectiveness of a Chen-style Tai Chi programme for stress reduction in junior secondary school students.

PubMed

Lee, Linda Y K; Chong, Yeuk Lan; Li, Ngai Yin; Li, Man Chung; Lin, Lai Na; Wong, Lee Yi; Wong, Brian Kit; Yip, Wing Ping; Hon, Cho Hang; Chung, Pui Kuen; Man, Shuk Yee

2013-04-01

Stress is common in junior secondary school students (JSSS). This study aimed to determine the feasibility and effectiveness of a Chen-style Tai Chi programme for stress reduction in JSSS. A non-equivalent pre-test/post-test control group design was adopted, and a convenience sample of 69 JSSS was recruited. The experimental group (n = 32) joined a Chen-style Tai Chi programme, which included 10 sessions of 80-minute Tai Chi training (one session per week). The control group (n = 37) proceeded with self-study. Participants' stress levels were assessed using the Perceived Stress Scale. Feasibility was determined as the percentage of participants completing and attending the programme. Effectiveness was measured as the significant difference in changes in stress levels before and after the intervention between the two groups. Results preliminarily supported that the programme was feasible for JSSS. Completion rate was 100%, and attendance rate was 90%. However, no significant difference was noted in changes in stress levels before and after the intervention between the two groups. The potential health benefits of Tai Chi could not be detected owing to the restrictions imposed by the research setting and study limitations. The present study represents initial efforts in this direction and serves as reference for future study. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Survey of the use of epinephrine (adrenaline) for anaphylaxis by junior hospital doctors.

PubMed

Jose, Ricardo; Clesham, Gerald J

2007-09-01

Anaphylaxis is a life threatening reaction where prompt and appropriate management can save lives. Epinephrine (adrenaline) is the treatment of choice; however, the recommended dose and route of administration of epinephrine used in the management of anaphylaxis is different from that used in the management of cardiac arrest. To investigate how junior doctors would administer epinephrine in a case of anaphylactic shock in an adult patient. Junior medical staff in two district general hospitals were assessed with a short questionnaire. 95 junior hospital doctors were assessed. The majority (94%) would administer epinephrine as the life saving drug of choice, but only 16.8% would administer it as recommended by the UK Resuscitation Council Guidelines. Junior doctors may be called to make immediate management decisions in patients with anaphylaxis; however, widespread confusion exists regarding the dose and route of administration of epinephrine. Strategies to improve education and access to appropriate drugs are needed. A labelled "anaphylaxis box" on every resuscitation trolley, containing the dose of epinephrine with clear labelling for intramuscular use, may be one solution.

Survey of the use of epinephrine (adrenaline) for anaphylaxis by junior hospital doctors

PubMed Central

Jose, Ricardo; Clesham, Gerald J

2007-01-01

Background Anaphylaxis is a life threatening reaction where prompt and appropriate management can save lives. Epinephrine (adrenaline) is the treatment of choice; however, the recommended dose and route of administration of epinephrine used in the management of anaphylaxis is different from that used in the management of cardiac arrest. Objective To investigate how junior doctors would administer epinephrine in a case of anaphylactic shock in an adult patient. Methods Junior medical staff in two district general hospitals were assessed with a short questionnaire. Results 95 junior hospital doctors were assessed. The majority (94%) would administer epinephrine as the life saving drug of choice, but only 16.8% would administer it as recommended by the UK Resuscitation Council Guidelines. Conclusion Junior doctors may be called to make immediate management decisions in patients with anaphylaxis; however, widespread confusion exists regarding the dose and route of administration of epinephrine. Strategies to improve education and access to appropriate drugs are needed. A labelled “anaphylaxis box” on every resuscitation trolley, containing the dose of epinephrine with clear labelling for intramuscular use, may be one solution. PMID:17823230

Influencing sceptical staff to become supporters of service improvement: a qualitative study of doctors' and managers' views

PubMed Central

Gollop, R; Whitby, E; Buchanan, D; Ketley, D

2004-01-01

Objective: To explore scepticism and resistance towards changes in working practice designed to achieve service improvement. Two principal questions were studied: (1) why some people are sceptical or resistant towards improvement programmes and (2) what influences them to change their minds. Methods: Semi-structured qualitative interviews were conducted with 19 clinicians and 19 managers who held national and regional roles in two national programmes of service improvement within the NHS involving systematic organisational changes in working practices: the National Booking Programme and the Cancer Services Collaborative (now the Cancer Services Collaborative Improvement Partnership). Results: Scepticism and resistance exist in all staff groups, especially among medical staff. Reasons include personal reluctance to change, misunderstanding of the aims of improvement programmes, and a dislike of the methods by which programmes have been promoted. Sceptical staff can be influenced to become involved in improvement, but this usually takes time. Newly won support may be fragile, requiring ongoing evidence of benefits to be maintained. Conclusions: The support of health service staff, particularly doctors, is crucial to the spread and sustainability of the modernisation agenda. Scepticism and resistance are seen to hamper progress. Leaders of improvement initiatives need to recognise the impact of scepticism and resistance, and to consider ways in which staff can become positively engaged in change. PMID:15069217

A Structured Writing Programme for Staff: Facilitating Knowledge, Skills, Confidence and Publishing Outcomes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devlin, Marcia; Radloff, Alex

2014-01-01

The growing interest in the higher education sector in publishing pedagogical research has led to a focus on professional development for staff who wish to engage in this endeavour. This paper describes and evaluates a specific programme designed to help university staff to prepare and submit a high-quality paper to a peer-reviewed journal.…

Volunteers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clarke, Susan; And Others

1992-01-01

Four articles discuss the recruitment and use of volunteer workers in junior and senior high school libraries. Topics addressed include written policies; communicating ideas with the staff; program flexibility; volunteer program evaluation; scheduling; Friends of Libraries groups; and the use of volunteers for booktalks. (LRW)

oneED: Embedding a mindfulness-based wellness programme into an emergency department.

PubMed

Braganza, Shahina; Young, Jessica; Sweeny, Amy; Brazil, Victoria

2018-03-30

ED staff are subject to many stressors, but there are few descriptions of collective approaches to enhancing wellness in this setting. We aim to describe a programme developed to address these issues at department level, to report the feasibility and sustainability of the programme, and its impact on staff. The oneED programme was developed and delivered in a tertiary ED. The programme included a 1 day mindfulness workshop, followed by ongoing mindfulness activities embedded in clinical areas over the subsequent 12 months. A mixed-methods evaluation of the programme was conducted, which included quantitative validated psychological tools to measure anxiety, depression and emotional exhaustion, and pragmatic evaluation using surveys of participants and iterative appreciative inquiry. Eighty staff members attended the mindfulness workshop; 66 from ED. Following the workshop, understanding and frequency of mindfulness practice increased significantly in 47% of participants. Free-text survey results demonstrated that staff found the programme to be acceptable (80% survey participants) and of perceived value to themselves (50%) and the ED (60%). Appreciative inquiry led to modification of the programme: the 4 min pause is now conducted weekly rather than daily, the pause consists of a variety of activities, and group activities are made more overtly optional. A departmental wellness programme embedding mindfulness practice is feasible and sustainable. Potential for success is enhanced by an approach that is open to modification according to each institution's culture. © 2018 Australasian College for Emergency Medicine and Australasian Society for Emergency Medicine.

An integrative review of graduate transition programmes: Developmental considerations for nursing management.

PubMed

Bakon, Shannon; Craft, Judy; Wirihana, Lisa; Christensen, Martin; Barr, Jennie; Tsai, Lily

2018-01-01

Graduate transition programmes have been developed to recruit new nursing staff and facilitate an effective transition from nursing student to Registered Nurse within the clinical environment. Therefore the aim of this paper was to explore the various elements included in nursing graduate transition programmes. An integrative review was undertaken incorporating a strict inclusion criterion, critical appraisal, and thematic analysis of 30 studies. There are numerous transition programmes available yet there remains a lack of transparency regarding their aims/objectives, course content, support timeframe and the type of support provided. This inconsistency has resulted in a lack of clarity regarding efficacy or superiority of any one programme over another. Innovative multifaceted programs may assist in supporting the graduate registered nurse to transition effectively into the clinical environment. Providing these support programmes may allow nurse managers to recruit new graduates and therefore decrease the staff budget expenditure. No graduate programme was shown to be superior to others yet graduate programmes appear to positively influence the experience of the graduate and increase staff recruitment. Comparative research is needed to ascertain the integral components of these programmes. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

An evaluation of a leadership development coaching and mentoring programme.

PubMed

Le Comte, Lyndsay; McClelland, Beverley

2017-07-03

Purpose The purpose of this paper was to determine the value and impact of the Leadership Development - Coaching and Mentoring Programme at Counties Manukau Health and understand how the skills gained are applied. Design/methodology/approach Mixed-methods approach including surveys of programme participants and senior staff and semi-structured interviews with programme participants. Findings The survey response rate was 24.4 per cent for programme participants and 30 per cent for senior staff. Eight programme participants participated in semi-structured interviews. Of the 70 programme participants, 69 utilised their learning from the programme; 45 of 70 changed their approach to managing staff; and 40 of 68 programme participants reported that meeting with peers for triad group coaching was the most challenging aspect of the programme. Key themes identified through interviews included: working with others; not owning others' problems; professional support and development; coaching and mentoring; future participants. Practical implications The majority of participants changed their leadership behaviours as a result of the programme, which has resulted in improved communication, a more supportive culture and distributed leadership. These changes contribute to better patient care. Originality value There is a paucity of evidence in the literature about the impact of coaching and mentoring programme on leadership development and how the skills gained in such programmes are applied in practice in a healthcare context. This evaluation helps to address that gap.

Nursing staffs self-perceived outcome from a rehabilitation 24/7 educational programme - a mixed-methods study in stroke care.

PubMed

Loft, M I; Esbensen, B A; Kirk, K; Pedersen, L; Martinsen, B; Iversen, H; Mathiesen, L L; Poulsen, I

2018-01-01

During the past two decades, attempts have been made to describe nurses' contributions to the rehabilitation of inpatients following stroke. There is currently a lack of interventions that integrate the diversity of nurses' role and functions in stroke rehabilitation and explore their effect on patient outcomes. Using a systematic evidence- and theory-based design, we developed an educational programme, Rehabilitation 24/7, for nursing staff working in stroke rehabilitation aiming at two target behaviours; working systematically with a rehabilitative approach in all aspects of patient care and working deliberately and systematically with patients' goals. The aim of this study was to assess nursing staff members' self-perceived outcome related to their capability, opportunity and motivation to work with a rehabilitative approach after participating in the stroke Rehabilitation 24/7 educational programme. A convergent mixed-method design was applied consisting of a survey and semi-structured interviews. Data collection was undertaken between February and June 2016. Data from the questionnaires ( N  = 33) distributed before and after the intervention were analysed using descriptive statistics and Wilcoxon sign rank test. The interviews ( N  = 10) were analysed using deductive content analysis. After analysing questionnaires and interviews separately, the results were merged in a side by side comparison presented in the discussion. The results from both the quantitative and qualitative analyses indicate that the educational programme shaped the target behaviours that we aimed to change by addressing the nursing staff's capability, opportunity and motivation and hence could strengthen the nursing staff's contribution to inpatient stroke rehabilitation. A number of behaviours changed significantly, and the qualitative results indicated that the staff experienced increased focus on their role and functions in rehabilitation practice. Our study provides an understanding of the outcome of the Rehabilitation 24/7 educational programme on nursing staff's behaviours. A mixed-methods approach provided extended knowledge of the changes in the nursing staff members' self-percived behaviours after the intervention. These changes suggest that educating the nursing staff on rehabilitation using the Rehabilitation 24/7 programme strengthened their knowledge and beliefs about rehabilitation, goal-setting as well as their role and functions .

"It's Intense, to an Extent": A Qualitative Study of the Emotional Challenges Faced by Staff Working on a Treatment Programme for Intellectually Disabled Sex Offenders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sandhu, Daljit K.; Rose, John; Rostill-Brookes, Helen J.; Thrift, Su

2012-01-01

Background: This study explores the emotional challenges faced by staff working on a sex offender treatment programme for people with an intellectual disability. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with eight participants working on a treatment programme for sex offenders with an intellectual disability. Interviews were analysed…

Parental experiences with a hospital-based bead programme for children with congenital heart disease.

PubMed

Wilson, Valerie; Chando, Shingisai

2015-02-01

To present survey findings on parental experiences with a hospital-based bead programme for children with congenital heart disease. The Heart Beads programme commenced at a paediatric hospital in Australia in 2008. Children enrolled in the programme are awarded a distinctive bead for every procedure/treatment they have while in hospital. A previous evaluation study on the programme revealed that the beads are therapeutic for the child and parents; however, due to a small sample size, the results were representative of the experiences of a small number of families who participated in the programme. This was an evaluation study which employed a nonexperimental descriptive design. Surveys were mailed to all eligible families who enrolled in the programme. Data collection occurred between July-December 2012. Questions on parental experiences with the Heart Beads programme were divided into three categories: understanding, acknowledgement and quality. Descriptive statistics were obtained and analysed. One hundred and sixty-two mothers and 136 fathers responded to the survey. Heart Beads assisted mothers (83%) and fathers (80%) with understanding their child's condition and helped them with communication (mothers 80%, fathers 58%). The majority of fathers felt that their experience was acknowledged by nursing staff (64%) and medical staff (62%), while mothers indicated a higher response from nurses (76%) compared to medical staff (67%). Overall, parents rated the programme positively; however, there was some concern that children at times missed out on beads. Understanding how mothers and fathers experience the programme differently can guide staff in their communication with parents and inform future initiatives. The Heart Beads help nurses understand how parents are experiencing care and ways in which they can provide support and acknowledgement of the parent's experience. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Taking the Message to the People.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zoglin, Mary Lou; Luskin, Bernard J.

1981-01-01

Describes the origination, goals, funding proposal, and implementation of "Project People," a public relations effort conducted by the California Community and Junior College Association. Reveals how the project strengthened the colleges' position through more knowledgeable staff, heightened awareness of college needs within state and…

SUMMARIES OF RESEARCH STUDIES IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION FOR THE PACIFIC REGION, 1965.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MCCOMAS, J.D.

TWENTY DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS, STAFF STUDIES, AND MASTERS' THESES IN AGRICULTURAL EDUCATION ARE REPORTED IN THE FOLLOWING AREAS -- AGRICULTURAL COLLEGES, CIVIL DEFENSE, COMMUNITY COLLEGES, CURRICULUM, EDUCATIONAL TELEVISION, DROPOUTS, EXTENSION EDUCATION, EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS IN FOREIGN COUNTRIES, JUNIOR COLLEGES, LAND LABORATORIES, OCCUPATIONAL…

Coming to grips with challenging behaviour: a cluster randomised controlled trial on the effects of a new care programme for challenging behaviour on burnout, job satisfaction and job demands of care staff on dementia special care units.

PubMed

Zwijsen, S A; Gerritsen, D L; Eefsting, J A; Smalbrugge, M; Hertogh, C M P M; Pot, A M

2015-01-01

Caring for people with dementia in dementia special care units is a demanding job. Challenging behaviour is one of the factors influencing the job satisfaction and burnout of care staff. A care programme for the challenging behaviour of nursing home residents with dementia might, next to diminishing the challenging behaviour of residents, improve job satisfaction and reduce the care staff's feelings of burnout. To determine the effects of a care programme for the challenging behaviour of nursing home residents with dementia on the burnout, job satisfaction and job demands of care staff. The care programme was implemented according to a stepped wedge design in which care units were randomly divided over five groups with different time points of starting with implementation. 17 Dutch dementia special care units. Care staff members of the 17 units. The care programme consists of an education package and of various structured assessment tools that guide professionals through the multidisciplinary detection, analysis, treatment and evaluation of treatment of challenging behaviour. Burnout, job satisfaction and job demands were measured before implementation, halfway through the implementation process and after all the care units had implemented the care programme. Burnout was measured with the Dutch version of the Maslach burnout inventory (UBOS-C, three subscales); job satisfaction and job demands were measured with subscales of the Leiden Quality of Work Questionnaire. Mixed model analyses were used to determine effects. Care staff could not be blinded for the intervention. Of the 1441 questionnaires, 645 were returned (response 45%, 318 control measurements, 327 intervention measurements) by 380 unique care staff members. Significant effects were found on job satisfaction (0.93, 95% CI 0.48-1.38). On the other outcomes, no significant changes in the scores were found. Positive effects of using the Grip on Challenging behaviour care programme were found on job satisfaction, without an increase in job demands. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occupational factors for mood and anxiety disorders among junior medical doctors.

PubMed

Pougnet, R; Di Costanzo, Laurence Pougnet; Kerrien, Margaux; Jousset, D; Loddé, B; Dewitte, J D; Garlantézec, R

2015-09-09

Junior doctors are exposed to multiple occupational risks. The aim of this study was to assess the risk factors and protective factors for mood and anxiety disorders among junior doctors. We conducted a cross-sectional study via an anonymous online questionnaire between October 2011 and June 2012. All the junior doctors in our faculty were included. The questionnaire inquired about demographic and health data. It contained four validated scales: the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES-D), the Spielberger anxiety questionnaire, the WHO quality of life (WHO - QOL) questionnaire and the Job Content Questionnaire. Finally, it sought to clarify the conditions of professional practice and the interactions between university programmes and junior doctorate students (change of specialty, pregnancy, leave of absence, etc.). 192 juniors doctors participated in the study, 68.2% of whom were women. Out of the group, 13.0% presented a depressive syndrome, while 28.7% presented an anxiety disorder, 32.8% were experiencing Job Strain and 29.7% Iso Strain. The risk factor for anxiety was competition between junior doctors: OR=4.23 (1.06 ‒ 16.82). The protective factors for mood disorders were the help provided by senior physicians and the respect shown by patients: OR=0.21 (0.06-0.74) and 0.20 (0.06-0.75), respectively. This study demonstrated the impact of the relationships with senior physicians and patients on junior doctors' health at work. Consequently, prevention should not be focused uniquely on work organization, but should increase physicians' awareness of the importance of this relationship.

Completion of Limitation of Medical Treatment forms by junior doctors for patients with dementia: clinical, medicolegal and education perspectives.

PubMed

Yoong, Jaclyn; MacPhail, Aleece; Trytel, Gael; Rajendram, Prashanti Yalini; Winbolt, Margaret; Ibrahim, Joseph E

2017-10-01

Objective Limitation of Medical Treatment (LMT) forms are an essential element of end-of-life care. Decision making around LMT is complex and often involves patients with dementia. Despite the complexity, junior doctors frequently play a central role in completing LMT forms. The present study sought perspectives from a range of stakeholders (hospital clinicians, medical education personnel, legal and advocacy staff) about junior doctors' roles in completing LMT forms in general and for patients with dementia. Methods Qualitative data were gathered in semi-structured interviews (SSI) and theoretical concepts were explored in roundtable discussion (RD). Participants were recruited through purposive and convenience sampling drawing on healthcare and legal personnel employed in the public hospital and aged care systems, selected from major metropolitan hospitals, healthcare and legal professional bodies and advocacy organisations in Victoria, Australia. The contents of the SSIs and RD were subject to thematic analysis using a framework approach. Data were indexed according to the topics established in the study aim; categories were systematically scrutinised, from which key themes were distilled. Results Stakeholders reported that completing LMT forms was difficult for junior doctors because of a lack of medical and legal knowledge, as well as clinical inexperience and inadequate training. Healthcare organisations (HCOs) either lacked policies about the role of junior doctors or had practices that were discordant with policy. In this process, there were substantial gaps pertaining to patients with dementia. Recommendations made by the study participants included the provision of supervised clinical exposure and additional training for junior doctors, strengthening HCO policies and explicit consideration of the needs of patients with dementia. Conclusions LMT forms should be designed for clarity and consistency across HCOs. Enhancing patient care requires appropriate and sensitive completion of LMT. Relevant HCO policy and clinical practice changes are discussed herein, and recommendations are made for junior doctors in this arena, specifically in the context of patients with dementia. What is known about the topic? Junior doctors continue to play a central role in LMT orders, a highly complex decision-making task that they are poorly prepared to complete. LMT decision making in Australia's aging population and for people with dementia is especially challenging. What does this paper add? A broad range of stakeholders, including hospital clinicians, medical education personnel and legal and advocacy staff, identified ongoing substantial gaps in education and training of junior doctors (despite what is already known in the literature). Furthermore, LMT decision making for patients with dementia is not explicitly considered in policy of practice. What are the implications for practitioners? Current policy and practice are not at the desired level to deliver appropriate end-of-life care with regard to LMT orders, especially for patients with dementia. Greater involvement of executives and senior clinicians is required to improve both practice at the bed side and the training and support of junior doctors, as well as creating more robust policy.

Media Standards.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

North Clackamas School District 12, Milwaukie, OR.

Guidelines for library media services for the North Clackamas School District were developed by two teams representing the elementary, junior high, and senior high schools. These minimum standards describe the goals and objectives for library media services to students, staff, and community; the operation of the media centers; and the audiovisual…

A Guide for Hard Times in Academia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reeves, Thomas C.

2003-01-01

The author lampoons twenty-first-century academic priorities. Using a fictional campus facing state-mandated budget reductions, the author parodies a system that retains high-salaried administrative and public relations positions, special-interest majors, athletic programs and junior/ad-hoc faculty, while relinquishing admissions staff, library…

An evaluation of staff engagement programmes in four National Health Service Acute Trusts.

PubMed

Hewison, Alistair; Gale, Nicola; Yeats, Rowena; Shapiro, Jonathan

2013-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to report the findings from an evaluation project conducted to investigate the impact of two staff engagement programmes introduced to four National Health Service (NHS) hospital Trusts in England. It seeks to examine this development in the context of current policy initiatives aimed at increasing the level of staff involvement in decision-making, and the related literature. A mixed-methods approach incorporating document analysis, interviews, a survey and appreciative inquiry, informed by the principles of impact evaluation design, was used. The main finding to emerge was that leadership was crucial if widespread staff engagement was to be achieved. Indeed, in some of the trusts the staff engagement programmes were seen as mechanisms for developing leadership capability. The programmes had greater impact when they were "championed" by the Chief Executive. Effective communication throughout the organisations was reported to be a prerequisite for staff engagement. Problems were identified at the level of middle management where the lack of confidence in engaging with staff was a barrier to implementation. The nature of the particular organisational context is crucial to the success of efforts to increase levels of staff engagement. The measures that were found to work in the trusts would need to be adapted and applied to best meet the needs of other organisations. Many health care organisations in England will need to harness the efforts of their workforce if they are to meet the significant challenges of dealing with financial restraint and increasing patient demand. This paper provides some insights on how this can be done.

Attitudes towards establishing a daily supervised school-based toothbrushing programme--determined by Q-sort methodology.

PubMed

Trubey, R J; Chestnutt, I G

2013-03-01

This study used Q-sort methodology to determine the views of staff involved in a national school-based daily toothbrushing programme. Q-methodology is a mixed-method approach in which participants are asked to sort a collection of statements according to degree of agreement with them. Factor analysis identified subgroups of like-minded participants and revealed areas of consensus and disagreement. 24 Community Dental Service staff managing or delivering the toothbrushing programme were asked to rank 49 statements derived from previous qualitative interviews. Varimax rotation produced a three-factor solution with five/six participants loading significantly into each group. Groups divided largely according to staff role: Factor 1, mainly support workers (assistants with no oral-health background); Factor 2, managers; and factor 3, oral health educators (dental nurses with teaching qualifications). As staff new to the area of oral-health, the views of support workers were of particular interest. Unlike others, this group saw Designed to Smile as a unique health promotion scheme and wanted to involve as many children as possible, regardless of oral-disease risk. Managers' perceptions of issues affecting the establishment of the programme differed from those staff in day-to-day contact with the 515 schools in which the toothbrushing took place. This study used a long established but little used technique to ascertain the commonality of views of staff These data may be of value not only in managing the current programme, but for anyone who may be considering developing such a toothbrushing scheme.

Rapid realist review of the evidence: achieving lasting change when mental health rehabilitation staff undertake recovery-oriented training.

PubMed

Gee, Melanie; Bhanbhro, Sadiq; Cook, Sarah; Killaspy, Helen

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to identify the factors contributing to lasting change in practice following a recovery-based training intervention for inpatient mental health rehabilitation staff. Staff training may help nurses and other staff groups in inpatient mental health rehabilitative settings to increase their recovery-oriented practice. There are no published reviews on the effectiveness of such training and few long-term evaluations. This review informed a realist evaluation of a specific intervention (GetREAL). Rapid realist review methodology was used to generate and prioritize programme theories. ASSIA, CINAHL, Cochrane Library, Medline, PsycINFO, Scopus, Web of Science and grey literature searches were performed in September 2014-March 2015 with no date restrictions. Stakeholders suggested further documents. GetREAL project documentation was consulted. Programme theory development took place iteratively with literature identification. Stakeholders validated and prioritized emerging programme theories and the prioritized theories were refined using literature case studies. Fifty-one relevant documents fed into 49 programme theories articulating seven mechanisms for lasting change. Prioritized mechanisms were: staff receptiveness to change; and staff feeling encouraged, motivated and supported by colleagues and management to change. Seven programme theories were prioritized and refined using data from four case studies. Lasting change can be facilitated by collaborative action planning, regular collaborative meetings, appointing a change agent, explicit management endorsement and prioritization and modifying organizational structures. Conversely, a challenging organizational climate, or a prevalence of 'change fatigue', may block change. Pre-intervention exploration may help identify any potential barriers to embedding recovery in the organizational culture. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Learning, education and satisfaction after compulsory rotating internship in Kathmandu University Medical School: a qualitative study of interns' response.

PubMed

Shrestha, D; Mishra, B

2008-01-01

Internship is an integral part of MBBS training programme and mandatory to all students. Kathmandu University Medical School has adopted a programme of compulsory one year rotating internship including 6 weeks community exposure in out reach clinics for the first batch of students. The purpose of the study is to evaluate interns' feedback concerning learning, education and satisfaction. A questionnaire with 47 items was administered to 30 interns who had finished one year rotating internship in Kathmandu University Medical School. Fourty-two responses were graded according in Likert scale and 5 open ended questions were analyzed for common themes. The mean age of the interns was 24.77+/-0.67 yrs with female: male ratio of 1.5:1. Confidence level of communication of interns with faculties was lesser than with junior doctors and patients. Junior doctors and colleagues contributed more in interns' learning than faculties. Community exposure for 6 weeks was considered lengthy and lacking of clear objectives. However, 53.3% interns agreed that achievement of objectives of community posting was high or very high. Of the interns, 50% perceived certain degree of physical or mental or sexual harassment during internship. Interns raised the issue of not involving them as a part of team during clinical posting. Clinical competencies for most of the skills were high or very high. Interns have learned clinical skills and patient care in one year internship programme but contribution of junior doctors and colleague are more than teachers. Clear objectives are needed before clinical and community postings. Process of providing regular feedback from interns and vice versa should be implemented to improve interns' learning, education and satisfaction.

Evaluation of a pilot oral health promotion programme 'Keep Smiling': perspectives from GDPs, health champions and school staff.

PubMed

Yusuf, H; Wright, K; Robertson, C

2015-04-24

To evaluate a pilot oral health promotion programme (fluoride varnish and tooth brushing), targeting 3-7-year-olds in primary schools in a deprived area of London. A pilot programme was conducted among five primary schools targeting 3-7-year-old children in a deprived area of London. The programme consisted of a fluoride varnish application and tooth brushing sessions. Outcome (participation rates) and process evaluations were carried out using semi-structured interviews with school staff, health champions and dentists. Overall, 79.2% of the targeted children participated in tooth brushing and 68.6% of children received fluoride varnish. The programme received positive feedback from school staff, dental teams and health champions. It raised awareness of dental health among all stakeholders and provided children with a unique experience, creating a positive image of dental teams. Community engagement and collaboration between health, education and the voluntary sector is feasible and integral in developing oral health promotion programmes aimed at children attending primary schools in a deprived area of London.

The Institutionalization of NSF-ADVANCE at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dutt, K.

2011-12-01

National level data indicate that women and minorities remain underrepresented in academic and research institutions, especially in the physical sciences. Current research shows evidence of "leaks" in the academic pipeline with women leaving academic and research institutions before attaining senior positions, the biggest leak occurring during postdoctoral years. These trends have been consistent with the LDEO experience with approximately 18% women at the junior scientist level in 2005 - a massive drop-off after approximately 41% women at the postdoctoral level. As a response to the recommendations of ADVANCE at Columbia University (2004-2009) the Office of Academic Affairs and Diversity was created within the LDEO Directorate in 2008 with the goal of increasing diversity through institutional transformation. The goals of this office are to: a) Develop and implement new policies and procedures to increase the recruitment, retention and advancement of women and minorities among the scientific staff; b) Impact key decision-making areas such as appointments, promotions, salary structures, and governance; c) Promote the advancement of postdoctoral scholars and junior staff; d) Stimulate an institutional cultural shift based on social science research on race and gender. A series of concerted efforts and initiatives in recent years have included: a) More structured search processes; b) Improved family leave policies and paid time off; c) Emphasis on advancement of postdoctoral scholars, including the implementation of a postdoctoral mentoring plan; and d) Promoting awareness within the LDEO community on diversity in the sciences. In recent years LDEO has experienced visible progress towards its diversity goals. The proportion of women among junior Lamont research professors has doubled from 18% in 2005 to 36% in 2011. The proportion of women on the junior scientific staff (excluding postdoctoral scholars) increased from 22% in 2005 to 37% in 2011. Overall, the proportion of women on the entire scientific staff, senior and junior (excluding postdoctoral scholars) has risen from 19% in 2005 to 27% in 2011. With the revised search processes, diversity in the applicant pool (defined as the number of women and/or racial minorities as a percent of the total number of applicants) increased dramatically, with 8 out of 10 searches over the period 2009-2010 showing a diversity of at least 70% in the applicant pool compared to an average diversity of less than 50% over the period 2007-2009. Of the new scientific hires in 2009-2010 almost half were either female or a racial minority. Postdoctoral scholars at LDEO have seen the greatest increase in racial diversity, from approximately 91% white in 2005 to 67% white in 2011. This group also has the most gender diversity at LDEO - approximately 47% female in 2011 up from 41% in 2005. Overall, the LDEO experience of institutionalizing ADVANCE has the potential to serve as a model for other scientific research institutions.

ENGLISH WRITING, APPROACHES TO COMPOSITION.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Euclid English Demonstration Center, OH.

THIS COLLECTION OF PAPERS BY STAFF MEMBERS OF THE EUCLID ENGLISH DEMONSTRATION CENTER FOCUSES ON APPROACHES TO THE TEACHING OF COMPOSITION IN THE JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL. THE PAPERS ARE (1) "LITERATURE AND COMPOSITION," BY JAMES F. MCCAMPBELL, (2) "COMPOSING--EPIPHANY AND DETAIL," BY JOSEPH DYESS, (3) "THE LANGUAGE COMPOSITION…

THE JUNIOR AND COMMUNITY COLLEGE, A BIBLIOGRAPHY OF DOCTORAL DISSERTATIONS, 1918-1963.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BAILEY, ANNE; PARKER, FRANKLIN

MORE THAN 600 DISSERTATIONS ARE LISTED UNDER HEADINGS OF ADMINISTRATION, ADULT EDUCATION, ESTABLISHMENT AND EVALUATION, PHILOSOPHY AND FUNCTION, INSTRUCTIONAL PROGRAM, LEGISLATION, PUBLIC RELATIONS AND COMMUNITY SERVICE, STAFF, STUDENT ACTIVITY PROGRAMS, AND STUDENT PERSONNEL SERVICES. THIS DOCUMENT IS ALSO AVAILABLE FROM THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION…

[Multiprofessional family-system training programme in psychiatry--effects on team cooperation and staff strain].

PubMed

Zwack, Julika; Schweitzer, Jochen

2008-01-01

How does the interdisciplinary cooperation of psychiatric staff members change after a multiprofessional family systems training programme? Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 49 staff members. Quantitative questionnaires were used to assess burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory, MBI) and team climate (Team-Klima-Inventar, TKI). The multiprofessional training intensifies interdisciplinary cooperation. It results in an increased appreciation of the nurses involved and in a redistribution of therapeutic tasks between nurses, psychologists and physicians. Staff burnout decreased during the research period, while task orientation and participative security within teams increased. The multiprofessional family systems training appears suitable to improve quality of patient care and interdisciplinary cooperation and to reduce staff burnout.

Using Quality Enhancement Processes to Achieve Sustainable Development and Support for Sessional Staff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lekkas, D.; Winning, T. A.

2017-01-01

Consistent with quality enhancement, we report on how we used a continuous improvement cycle to formalise and embed an academic development and support programme for our School's sessional staff. Key factors in establishing and maintaining the programme included: local change agents supported initially by institutional project funding; School…

'It promoted a positive culture around falls prevention': staff response to a patient education programme-a qualitative evaluation.

PubMed

Hill, Anne-Marie; Waldron, Nicholas; Francis-Coad, Jacqueline; Haines, Terry; Etherton-Beer, Christopher; Flicker, Leon; Ingram, Katharine; McPhail, Steven M

2016-12-21

The purpose of this study was to understand how staff responded to individualised patient falls prevention education delivered as part of a cluster randomised trial, including how they perceived the education contributed to falls prevention on their wards. A qualitative explanatory study. 5 focus groups were conducted at participatory hospital sites. The purposive sample of clinical staff (including nurses, physiotherapists and quality improvement staff) worked on aged care rehabilitation wards when a cluster randomised trial evaluating a patient education programme was conducted. During the intervention period, an educator, who was a trained health professional and not a member of staff, provided individualised falls prevention education to patients with good levels of cognition (Mini-Mental State Examination >23/30). Clinical staff were provided with training to support the programme and their feedback was sought after the trial concluded, to understand how they perceived the programme impacted on falls prevention. Data were thematically analysed using NVivo qualitative data analysis software. 5 focus groups were conducted at different hospitals (n=30 participants). Staff perceived that the education created a positive culture around falls prevention and further, facilitated teamwork, whereby patients and staff worked together to address falls prevention. The educator was perceived to be a valuable member of the team. Staff reported that they developed increased knowledge and awareness about creating a safe ward environment. Patients being proactive and empowered to engage in falls prevention strategies, such as ringing the bell for assistance, was viewed as supporting staff falls prevention efforts and motivating staff to change practice. Staff responded positively to patient falls prevention education being delivered on their wards. Providing individualised patient education to older patients with good levels of cognition can empower staff and patients to work as a team to address falls prevention on hospital rehabilitation wards. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Task Manager: an innovative approach to improving hospital communication after hours.

PubMed

Seddon, Mary E; Hay, David

2010-10-15

To improve communication between doctors and nurses after hours, by developing a tool to display ward tasks, allowing staff to prioritise their work, without constant interruption from pagers (beepers). Middlemore Hospital, a large metropolitan 800-bed hospital in Auckland, New Zealand. Introduction of computerised system (Task Manager) to identify, allocate and complete after-hours tasks. In the first 6 months 21,000 tasks have been completed in Task Manager. Paging of junior doctors has decreased by over 30% and there is broad acceptance of the tool by both nursing and medical staff. Task Manager has collected real-time data on the type of after hours tasks (nearly 50% are phlebotomy-related tasks), busy times of the day (1600 hours to 2400 hours) and who is performing most of the tasks. Task Manager is a simple yet powerful tool for prioritising routine tasks after hours. It allows staff to quickly create tasks, and communicate effectively with other members of the team. It has reduced the frequency of junior doctors paging so that they can continue their work with fewer interruptions. Whilst it was introduced to improve effective communication after hours, it has become apparent that there are multiple 'tasks' that are ordered in a multitude of ways in our hospital and many could be served by Task Manager.

In-hospital fellow coverage reduces communication errors in the surgical intensive care unit.

PubMed

Williams, Mallory; Alban, Rodrigo F; Hardy, James P; Oxman, David A; Garcia, Edward R; Hevelone, Nathanael; Frendl, Gyorgy; Rogers, Selwyn O

2014-06-01

Staff coverage strategies of intensive care units (ICUs) impact clinical outcomes. High-intensity staff coverage strategies are associated with lower morbidity and mortality. Accessible clinical expertise, team work, and effective communication have all been attributed to the success of this coverage strategy. We evaluate the impact of in-hospital fellow coverage (IHFC) on improving communication of cardiorespiratory events. A prospective observational study performed in an academic tertiary care center with high-intensity staff coverage. The main outcome measure was resident to fellow communication of cardiorespiratory events during IHFC vs home coverage (HC) periods. Three hundred twelve cardiorespiratory events were collected in 114 surgical ICU patients in 134 study days. Complete data were available for 306 events. One hundred three communication errors occurred. IHFC was associated with significantly better communication of events compared to HC (P<.0001). Residents communicated 89% of events during IHFC vs 51% of events during HC (P<.001). Communication patterns of junior and midlevel residents were similar. Midlevel residents communicated 68% of all on-call events (87% IHFC vs 50% HC, P<.001). Junior residents communicated 66% of events (94% IHFC vs 52% HC, P<.001). Communication errors were lower in all ICUs during IHFC (P<.001). IHFC reduced communication errors. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Arts-based palliative care training, education and staff development: A scoping review.

PubMed

Turton, Benjamin Mark; Williams, Sion; Burton, Christopher R; Williams, Lynne

2018-02-01

The experience of art offers an emerging field in healthcare staff development, much of which is appropriate to the practice of palliative care. The workings of aesthetic learning interventions such as interactive theatre in relation to palliative and end-of-life care staff development programmes are widely uncharted. To investigate the use of aesthetic learning interventions used in palliative and end-of-life care staff development programmes. Scoping review. Published literature from 1997 to 2015, MEDLINE, CINAHL and Applied Social Sciences Index and Abstracts, key journals and citation tracking. The review included 138 studies containing 60 types of art. Studies explored palliative care scenarios from a safe distance. Learning from art as experience involved the amalgamation of action, emotion and meaning. Art forms were used to transport healthcare professionals into an aesthetic learning experience that could be reflected in the lived experience of healthcare practice. The proposed learning included the development of practical and technical skills; empathy and compassion; awareness of self; awareness of others and the wider narrative of illness; and personal development. Aesthetic learning interventions might be helpful in the delivery of palliative care staff development programmes by offering another dimension to the learning experience. As researchers continue to find solutions to understanding the efficacy of such interventions, we argue that evaluating the contextual factors, including the interplay between the experience of the programme and its impact on the healthcare professional, will help identify how the programmes work and thus how they can contribute to improvements in palliative care.

Operational competency development in E and F grade nursing staff: preparation for management.

PubMed

Porter, S; Anderson, L; Chetty, A; Dyker, S; Murphy, F; Cheyne, H; Latto, D; Grant, A; McLachlan, M; Wild, P; McDonald, A; Kettles, A M

2006-07-01

There is limited literature for operational management competency development in E and F grade nursing staff. These grades of nursing staff have to take over from G grade nurses ward managers on a regular basis. With human resources doing less of the operational management and taking more of an advisory role, nursing staff are now required to deal with disciplinary procedures and other management issues in a more consistent manner. Therefore, this development programme in a Scottish primary care NHS psychiatric service was designed to enable E and F grade nurses to take over from ward managers and to enable ward managers to 'succession plan' for times when they will be absent. The literature is reviewed, the background to the development programme described and the design of the development programme is explained. The results from both the pilot study (n=13) and first group (n=8) through the course are presented, evaluated discussed.

Dementia training programmes for staff working in general hospital settings - a systematic review of the literature.

PubMed

Scerri, Anthony; Innes, Anthea; Scerri, Charles

2017-08-01

Although literature describing and evaluating training programmes in hospital settings increased in recent years, there are no reviews that summarise these programmes. This review sought to address this, by collecting the current evidence on dementia training programmes directed to staff working in general hospitals. Literature from five databases were searched, based on a number of inclusion criteria. The selected studies were summarised and data was extracted and compared using narrative synthesis based on a set of pre-defined categories. Methodological quality was assessed. Fourteen peer-reviewed studies were identified with the majority being pre-test post-test investigations. No randomised controlled trials were found. Methodological quality was variable with selection bias being the major limitation. There was a great variability in the development and mode of delivery although, interdisciplinary ward based, tailor-made, short sessions using experiential and active learning were the most utilised. The majority of the studies mainly evaluated learning, with few studies evaluating changes in staff behaviour/practices and patients' outcomes. This review indicates that high quality studies are needed that especially evaluate staff behaviours and patient outcomes and their sustainability over time. It also highlights measures that could be used to develop and deliver training programmes in hospital settings.

Improvement of School Climate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sierra Sands Unified School District, Ridgecrest, CA.

THE FOLLOWING IS THE FULL TEXT OF THIS DOCUMENT: As a part of its School Improvement Program, James Monroe Junior High School planned to improve its school climate. Since the physical school environment was devoid of landscaping and did not provide places for student socialization, all interested groups (PTSA, student council, students, staff, and…

Standards for School Library/Media Programs, 1972-75.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wisconsin State Dept. of Public Instruction, Madison. Div. of Library Services.

To aid elementary, middle, junior high, and high schools in planning an Instructional Materials Center, this handbook presents standards for this modern concept of a school library. The term Instructional Materials Center (IMC) is used throughout to designate a centralized collection of materials, with a staff of professional and clerical…

Phase II: Final Report. Northern New Mexico Energy Education Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New Mexico Highlands Univ., Las Vegas.

Objectives of the Northern New Mexico Energy Education Project were to: (1) improve teachers' knowledge of energy-related subject matter and energy-related educational materials; (2) develop continuing communication and cooperation between elementary and junior high staffs and the university on energy-related matters; and (3) provide follow-up…

Outdoor Recreation Activities at Cispus.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cispus Environmental Center, Randle, WA.

Most of the activities in this booklet have been developed around skills related to the outdoors and, in particular, to the logging industry and forest fire fighting. The activities attempt to develop muscles, coordination skills, and teamwork. They also give the students (junior high school or high school) and staff the opportunity to do…

Analysis of Drug Information Requested by Medical Students and House Staff Members.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, A. Thomas

1983-01-01

A clinical pharmacy educational program is described. Under the guidance of pharmacy faculty members, senior pharmacy students participate in patient care activities with general internal medicine and internal medicine subspecialty teams consisting of an attending faculty physician, an internal medicine resident, two interns, and four junior or…

Learning through Aviation. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Conway, Lee

This study summarizes the effects of an educational experiment which used a light, single engine airplane to generate basic instructional and behavioral changes in an inner city junior high school class. The project involved 25 disadvantaged area, 13-year-old boys and their parents, four regular staff teachers, two pilot instructors and a college…

Counselors' Role in a Changing, Diverse Society

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merrill-Washington, Victoria

2007-01-01

School Counselors' roles have changed with the challenges of today's population. School counselors are support staff with high student-to-counselor ratios. Counselors are not only present in junior high and middle schools; they now service elementary schools. School counselors need to be aware of the demographics of the changing student…

Addiction research centres and the nurturing of creativity: The Alcohol & Drug Abuse Research Unit at the South African Medical Research Council - strengthening substance abuse research and policy in South Africa.

PubMed

Parry, Charles; Morojele, Neo; Myers, Bronwyn; Plüddemann, Andreas

2013-01-01

The Alcohol and Drug Abuse Research Unit (ADARU) was established at the South African Medical Research Council (MRC) at the beginning of 2001, although its origins lie in the activities of the Centre for Epidemiological Research in Southern Africa and other MRC entities. Initial challenges included attracting external funding, recruiting new staff, developing the skills of junior staff, publishing in international journals and building national and international collaborative networks. ADARU currently comprises a core staff of 33 members who work on 22 projects spanning substance use epidemiology and associated consequences, intervention studies with at-risk populations and services research. A large component of this portfolio focuses on the link between alcohol and other drug use and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) risk behaviour, with funding from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Junior staff members are encouraged to develop independent research interests and pursue PhD studies. Research outputs, such as the 20 papers that were published in 2010 and the 35 conference presentations from that year, form an important part of the unit's research translation activities. We engage actively with policy processes at the local, provincial, national and international levels, and have given particular attention to alcohol policy in recent years. The paper includes an analysis of major challenges currently facing the unit and how we are attempting to address them. It ends with some thoughts on what the unit intends doing to enhance the quality of its research, the capacity of its staff and its international standing. © 2011 The Authors, Addiction © 2011 Society for the Study of Addiction.

Who Do Hospital Physicians and Nurses Go to for Advice About Medications? A Social Network Analysis and Examination of Prescribing Error Rates.

PubMed

Creswick, Nerida; Westbrook, Johanna Irene

2015-09-01

To measure the weekly medication advice-seeking networks of hospital staff, to compare patterns across professional groups, and to examine these in the context of prescribing error rates. A social network analysis was conducted. All 101 staff in 2 wards in a large, academic teaching hospital in Sydney, Australia, were surveyed (response rate, 90%) using a detailed social network questionnaire. The extent of weekly medication advice seeking was measured by density of connections, proportion of reciprocal relationships by reciprocity, number of colleagues to whom each person provided advice by in-degree, and perceptions of amount and impact of advice seeking between physicians and nurses. Data on prescribing error rates from the 2 wards were compared. Weekly medication advice-seeking networks were sparse (density: 7% ward A and 12% ward B). Information sharing across professional groups was modest, and rates of reciprocation of advice were low (9% ward A, 14% ward B). Pharmacists provided advice to most people, and junior physicians also played central roles. Senior physicians provided medication advice to few people. Many staff perceived that physicians rarely sought advice from nurses when prescribing, but almost all believed that an increase in communication between physicians and nurses about medications would improve patient safety. The medication networks in ward B had higher measures for density, reciprocation, and fewer senior physicians who were isolates. Ward B had a significantly lower rate of both procedural and clinical prescribing errors than ward A (0.63 clinical prescribing errors per admission [95%CI, 0.47-0.79] versus 1.81/ admission [95%CI, 1.49-2.13]). Medication advice-seeking networks among staff on hospital wards are limited. Hubs of advice provision include pharmacists, junior physicians, and senior nurses. Senior physicians are poorly integrated into medication advice networks. Strategies to improve the advice-giving networks between senior and junior physicians may be a fruitful area for intervention to improve medication safety. We found that one ward with stronger networks also had a significantly lower prescribing error rate, suggesting a promising area for further investigation.

Staff perceptions of a Productive Community Services implementation: A qualitative interview study.

PubMed

Bradley, Dominique Kim Frances; Griffin, Murray

2015-06-01

The Productive Series is a collection of change programmes designed by the English National Health Service (NHS) Institute for Innovation and Improvement to help frontline healthcare staff improve quality and reduce wasted time, so that this time can be reinvested into time spent with patients. The programmes have been implemented in at least 14 countries around the world. This study examines an implementation of the Productive Community Services programme that took place in a Community healthcare organisation in England from July 2010 to March 2012. To explore staff members' perceptions of a Productive Community Services implementation. Cross-sectional interview. Community Healthcare Organisation in East Anglia, England. 45 participants were recruited using purposive, snowballing and opportunistic sampling methods to represent five main types of staff group in the organisation; clinical team members, administrative team members, service managers/team leaders, senior managers and software support staff. Team members were recruited on the basis that they had submitted data for at least one Productive Community Services module. Semi-structured individual and group interviews were carried out after the programme concluded and analysed using thematic analysis. This report focuses on six of the themes identified. The analysis found that communication was not always effective, and there was a lack of awareness, knowledge and understanding of the programme. Many staff did not find the Productive Community Services work relevant, and although certain improvements were sustained, suboptimal practices crept back. Although negative outcomes were reported, such as the programme taking time away from patients initially, many benefits were described including improved stock control and work environments, and better use of the Electronic Patient Record system. One of the themes identified highlighted the positive perceptions of the programme, however a focus on five other themes indicate that important aspects of the implementation could have been improved. The innovation and implementation literature already addresses the issues identified, which suggests a gap between theory and practice for implementation teams. A lack of perceived relevance also suggests that similar programmes need to be made more easily adaptable for the varied specialisms found in Community Services. Further research on Productive Community Services implementations and knowledge transfer is required, and publication of studies focusing on the less positive aspects of implementations may accelerate this process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How can web-based training facilitate a more carer friendly practice in community-based health and social care services in Norway? Staff experiences and implementation challenges.

PubMed

Hanssen, Helene; Norheim, Anne; Hanson, Elizabeth

2017-03-01

It is a central feature of current Norwegian health and social care policy to see informal carers as active partners. However, research has revealed that carers often experience a lack of recognition by professionals. In 2010, the Norwegian Directorate of Health initiated a web-based competence-building programme (CBP) for health and social care practitioners aimed at facilitating collaboration with carers. The programme comprised case presentations, e-lectures, exercises and topics for discussion, and was introduced in 2012. It was flexible and free of charge. This article is based on a study (2012-2013) that followed the piloting of this CBP in four settings. The study aimed to explore factors that influenced the implementation of the programme and whether or not using it affected health and social care practitioners' attitudes and perceived capacity for collaboration with carers. The study employed a mixed-methods design. A questionnaire was distributed to all staff before and 5 months after the CBP was introduced, followed by focus group interviews with a sample of staff members and individual interviews with the leadership in the involved settings and those who introduced the programme. The quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics, which subsequently formed the basis for the focus group interviews. The qualitative data were analysed by means of content analysis. The programme's introduction was similar across all research settings. Nevertheless, whether or not it was adopted depended to a large extent on leadership commitment and engagement. In settings where the programme's use was monitored, supported by management and formed part of on-the-job training, there seemed to be a positive impact on staff attitudes concerning collaboration with carers. Participant staff reported that their awareness of, motivation for and confidence in collaboration with carers were all strengthened. In contrast, the programme was of minimal benefit in settings with low leadership engagement. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The role of chief executive officers in a quality improvement initiative: a qualitative study

PubMed Central

Parand, Anam; Dopson, Sue; Vincent, Charles

2013-01-01

Objectives To identify the critical dimensions of hospital Chief Executive Officers’ (CEOs) involvement in a quality and safety initiative and to offer practical guidance to assist CEOs to fulfil their leadership role in quality improvement (QI). Design Qualitative interview study. Setting 20 organisations participating in the main phase of the Safer Patients Initiative (SPI) programme across the UK. Participants 17 CEOs overseeing 19 organisations participating in the main phase of the SPI programme and 36 staff (20 workstream leads, 10 coordinators and 6 managers) involved in SPI across all 20 participating organisations. Main outcome measure Self-reported perceptions of CEOs on their contribution and involvement within the SPI programme, supplemented by staff peer-reports. Results The CEOs recognised the importance of their part in the SPI programme and gave detailed accounts of the perceived value that their involvement had brought at all stages of the process. In exploring the parts played by the CEOs, five dimensions were identified: (1) resource provision; (2) staff motivation and engagement; (3) commitment and support; (4) monitoring progress and (5) embedding programme elements. Staff reports confirmed these dimensions; however, the weighting of the dimensions differed. The findings stress the importance of particular actions of support and monitoring such as constant communication through leadership walk rounds and reviewing programme progress and its related clinical outcomes at Board meetings. Conclusions This study addressed the call for more research-informed practical guidance on the role of senior management in QI initiatives. The findings show that the CEOs provided key participation considered to significantly contribute towards the SPI programme. CEOs and staff identified a number of clear and consistent themes essential to organisation safety improvement. Queries raised include the tangible benefits of executive involvement in changing structures and embedding for sustainability and the practical steps to creating the ‘right’ environment for QI. PMID:23293245

Impact of an intervention programme on knowledge, attitude and practice of healthcare staff regarding pharmaceutical waste management, Gaza, Palestine.

PubMed

Tabash, M I; Hussein, R A; Mahmoud, A H; El-Borgy, M D; Abu-Hamad, B A

2016-09-01

To assess knowledge, attitude and practice (KAP) of healthcare staff regarding pharmaceutical waste management; and to determine the impact of an educational programme on the KAP survey items. Pre-post-test intervention study. The pre-intervention phase was performed using a sample of 530 out of 1500 healthcare workers. A predesigned interview questionnaire was used to assess KAP. Next, an educational programme was designed and offered to a subsample of 69 healthcare workers. KAP were re-assessed for the programme attendees using the same interview questionnaire, both immediately (post-test) and six months after the end of the programme (follow-up test). The parametric paired sample t-test was used to assess the difference between pre-test and follow-up test results. Poor knowledge and poor practice levels (scores 50%) detected in the pre-intervention phase were found to improve to satisfactory levels (scores ≥75%) in the follow-up phase. Attitude was found to be positive (score ≥75%) in all phases of the study. The educational programme led to a significant improvement in KAP of healthcare staff regarding pharmaceutical waste management (P<0.001). Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A Project-Based Course on Newton's Laws for Talented Junior High-School Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Langbeheim, Elon

2015-01-01

Research has shown that project-based learning promotes student interest in science and improves understanding of scientific content. Fostering student motivation is particularly important in accelerated science and technology programmes for talented students, which are often demanding and time-consuming. Current texts provide little guidance on…

Exploring weight loss services in primary care and staff views on using a web-based programme.

PubMed

Ware, Lisa J; Williams, Sarah; Bradbury, Katherine; Brant, Catherine; Little, Paul; Hobbs, F D Richard; Yardley, Lucy

2012-01-01

Demand is increasing for primary care to deliver effective weight management services to patients, but research suggests that staff feel inadequately resourced for such a role. Supporting service delivery with a free and effective web-based weight management programme could maximise primary care resource and provide cost-effective support for patients. However, integration of e-health into primary care may face challenges. To explore primary care staff experiences of delivering weight management services and their perceptions of a web-based weight management programme to aid service delivery. Focus groups were conducted with primary care physicians, nurses and healthcare assistants (n = 36) involved in delivering weight loss services. Data were analysed using inductive thematic analysis. Participants thought that primary care should be involved in delivering weight management, especially when weight was aggravating health problems. However, they felt under-resourced to deliver these services and unsure as to the effectiveness of their input, as routine services were not evaluated. Beliefs that current services were ineffective resulted in staff reluctance to allocate more resources. Participants were hopeful that supplementing practice with a web-based weight management programme would enhance patient services and promote service evaluation. Although primary care staff felt they should deliver weight loss services, low levels of faith in the efficacy of current treatments resulted in provision of under-resourced and 'ad hoc' services. Integration of a web-based weight loss programme that promotes service evaluation and provides a cost-effective option for supporting patients may encourage practices to invest more in weight management services.

A mixed methods pilot study to investigate the impact of a hospital-specific iPhone application (iTreat) within a British junior doctor cohort.

PubMed

Payne, Karl Fb; Weeks, Lucy; Dunning, Paul

2014-03-01

We present a pilot study to investigate the impact of introducing a hospital-specific smartphone application into a cohort of British junior doctors. We created the iPhone application 'iTreat' that contained disease management and antibiotic dosing guidelines specific to our hospital, together with a postgraduate education department really simple syndication feed, a contact number phonebook and a favourites section. This intervention was trialled in a group of 39 foundation grade junior doctors, in a UK hospital, for a time period of 4 months. Mixed methods data capture, utilising survey and semi-structured interviews, was used to evaluate application usage patterns and potential barriers to endorsement of smartphone technology in the hospital setting. Sixty eight per cent of participants felt the application saved them time during clinical activities, with a decrease in the frequency of participants not referring to hospital clinical guidelines. The findings from this pilot study point towards the internal hospital environment as having a major impact upon smartphone usage. Participants viewed smartphone use as unprofessional in the ward-based setting, with a perceived negative attitude from other healthcare staff. An understanding of how healthcare staff choose to utilise smartphones in the clinical environment is crucial to enable the successful assimilation of smartphone technology into the hospital setting. This pilot study provides experience and parameters for future substantive studies being carried out by this group.

Potential in-class strategies to increase children's vegetable consumption.

PubMed

Sharp, Gemma; Pettigrew, Simone; Wright, Shannon; Pratt, Iain S; Blane, Sally; Biagioni, Nicole

2017-06-01

The Crunch&Sip programme is a school-based nutrition initiative designed to increase the fruit, vegetable and water intakes of primary-school children. In recognition of the notable deficits in children's vegetable consumption, the present study explored the receptivity of school staff to a realignment of the Crunch&Sip programme to feature a primary focus on vegetable consumption. This involved investigating school staff members' perceptions of relevant barriers, motivators and facilitators. A multi-method approach was adopted that involved four focus groups and a survey (administered in paper and online formats) containing a mixture of open- and closed-ended items. Western Australia. Staff from Western Australian schools participated in the focus groups (n 37) and survey (n 620). School staff were strongly supportive of modifying the Crunch&Sip programme to focus primarily on children's vegetable consumption and this was generally considered to be a feasible change to implement. Possible barriers identified included children's taste preferences and a perceived lack of parental support. Suggested strategies to overcome these barriers were education sessions for parents and children, teachers modelling vegetable consumption for their students and integrating vegetable-related topics into the school curriculum. School staff are likely to support the introduction of school-based nutrition programmes that specifically encourage the consumption of vegetables. Potential barriers may be overcome through strategies to engage parents and children.

Balancing the Presidential Seesaw. Southern Association of Community and Junior Colleges Occasional Paper Volume 4, Number 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaughan, George B.

Fulfilling the role of the community college president requires that a balance be maintained between internal constituents (e.g., students, faculty, administrators, and support staff) and external constituents (e.g., politicians, members of coordinating agencies, business leaders, trustees, alumni, and special interest groups). When the president…

Self-Perceived Levels of Responsibility in Seventh Grade Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Martello, Chris

This study, conducted at Churchill Junior High School in Royal Oak, Michigan, examined the effectiveness of the Student Responsibility Profile (SRP)and investigated the attitudes of eighth grade students and teachers toward the SRP. The profile allows staff members to evaluate student responsibility performance in 10 areas and allows students to…

2 (Secondary) + 2 (Postsecondary) Articulated Curriculum for Health Occupations: A How-To-Manual.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lovelace, Bill E.; And Others

This manual addresses specific aspects of the development and implementation of articulated vocational programs between high schools and colleges. The approach presented in the manual was derived from research and the experiences of the Paris Junior College (Texas) project staff who developed a "2 + 2" articulated career ladder curriculum for…

School Attendance, Absenteeism, and Student Success. Research Brief

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oregon Department of Education, 2015

2015-01-01

Oregon Department of Education staff spoke with principals from five Oregon schools that had low rates of chronic absenteeism compared to schools with similar demographics during the 2014-15 school year: Echo Shaw Elementary School, Free Orchards Elementary School, Dayton Junior High School, Valor Middle School, and North Marion High School. Each…

One-on-One: Adopting Middle Level At-Risk Students.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maggi, Bob

1991-01-01

Volunteer staff members at a Missouri junior high school met one on one with 25 students selected because of poor academic performance and poor attendance records. Meetings were held at least once per week to discuss personal and school-related happenings. By the end of a year grades improved and absences decreased. (MLF)

Turning an Extension Aide into an Extension Agent

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seevers, Brenda; Dormody, Thomas J.

2010-01-01

For any organization to remain sustainable, a renewable source of faculty and staff needs to be available. The Extension Internship Program for Juniors and Seniors in High School is a new tool for recruiting and developing new Extension agents. Students get "hands on" experience working in an Extension office and earn college credit…

Using Digital Classrooms to Conduct 4-H Club Meetings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

West, Patricia; Fuhrman, Nicholas E.; Morgan, A. Christian; Duncan, Dennis W.

2012-01-01

Using computer technology and digital classrooms to conduct 4-H Club meetings is an efficient way to continue delivering quality 4-H programming during times of limited resources and staff. Nineteen Junior and Senior 4-H'ers participated in seven digital classroom workshops using the Wimba Classroom application. These digital classroom sessions…

Gender Communication at the Liberal Arts College: Improving the Climate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Alice M.

A study gathered information to assist as guidance in planning gender communication awareness programs that were appropriate to the St. Olaf (Minnesota) college campus. Subjects, 92 female and 96 male faculty, 133 female and 136 male staff, and 100 students in the sophomore, junior, and senior classes filled out questionnaires designed to provide…

East Central College Board of Trustees Policies & Procedures.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

East Central Coll., Union, MO.

This manual is the guide to all policies and procedures governing East Central College in Missouri. The document is produced by the Board of Trustees of the Junior College District of East Central Missouri and outlines policies concerning the entire college community, including board members, administrators, faculty, staff, and students. It serves…

Protege--Mentor Agreement about the Provision of Psychosocial Support: The Mentoring Relationship, Personality, and Workload

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waters, Lea

2004-01-01

Protege--mentor agreement (PMA) about the provision of psychosocial support was examined in relation to job satisfaction, organizational commitment, and work self-esteem. One-hundred and sixty-six junior administrative and information technology (IT) staff at an Australian university and their matched mentors completed a questionnaire that…

Change, Leadership, and Decision Making in Improving Secondary Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lipham, James M.; Rankin, Robb E.

The findings of 13 studies of educational change, leadership, and decision-making are summarized in this report. Conducted by the staff of the Project on Administration and Organization for Instruction at the University of Wisconsin Center for Education Research, the studies utilized data gathered in over 100 middle, junior, and senior high…

Breaking the Access Barriers: A Profile of Two-Year Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Medsker, Leland L.; Tillery, Dale

This book describes the beginnings and expansion of the institution now known as the community or junior college. It covers the students, their diversity, career plans, ethnic background; the wide range of programs offered; the college's place in urban life; faculty and staff characteristics; control and financial support; and the private or…

Requirements for Certification for Elementary Schools, Secondary Schools, Junior Colleges: Teachers, Counselors, Librarians, Administrators. Fifty-Second Edition, 1987-88.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Burks, Mary Paxton

This publication offers an update of pertinent information for teachers, administrators, librarians, counselors, and other school personnel on certification requirements. Recommendations from regional and national associations on school staff responsibilities and school policies are presented, as well as current addresses for sources of…

Study of the Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps: Should the Services’ Four Curricula Be Merged?

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-03-01

oral communications between NPS Staff and the survey participants. Finally, the challenge of addressing what is taught during each year and why, would... shampoos and conditioners and why it is important to use these products on a regular basis Explain the requirements for personal and professional care

Statistical mentoring at early training and career stages

DOE PAGES

Anderson-Cook, Christine M.; Hamada, Michael S.; Moore, Leslie M.; ...

2016-06-27

At Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), statistical scientists develop solutions for a variety of national security challenges through scientific excellence, typically as members of interdisciplinary teams. At LANL, mentoring is actively encouraged and practiced to develop statistical skills and positive career-building behaviors. Mentoring activities targeted at different career phases from student to junior staff are an important catalyst for both short and long term career development. This article discusses mentoring strategies for undergraduate and graduate students through internships as well as for postdoctoral research associates and junior staff. Topics addressed include project selection, progress, and outcome; intellectual and social activitiesmore » that complement the student internship experience; key skills/knowledge not typically obtained in academic training; and the impact of such internships on students’ careers. Experiences and strategies from a number of successful mentorships are presented. Feedback from former mentees obtained via a questionnaire is incorporated. As a result, these responses address some of the benefits the respondents received from mentoring, helpful contributions and advice from their mentors, key skills learned, and how mentoring impacted their later careers.« less

Statistical mentoring at early training and career stages

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Anderson-Cook, Christine M.; Hamada, Michael S.; Moore, Leslie M.

At Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), statistical scientists develop solutions for a variety of national security challenges through scientific excellence, typically as members of interdisciplinary teams. At LANL, mentoring is actively encouraged and practiced to develop statistical skills and positive career-building behaviors. Mentoring activities targeted at different career phases from student to junior staff are an important catalyst for both short and long term career development. This article discusses mentoring strategies for undergraduate and graduate students through internships as well as for postdoctoral research associates and junior staff. Topics addressed include project selection, progress, and outcome; intellectual and social activitiesmore » that complement the student internship experience; key skills/knowledge not typically obtained in academic training; and the impact of such internships on students’ careers. Experiences and strategies from a number of successful mentorships are presented. Feedback from former mentees obtained via a questionnaire is incorporated. As a result, these responses address some of the benefits the respondents received from mentoring, helpful contributions and advice from their mentors, key skills learned, and how mentoring impacted their later careers.« less

The Perception of Art among Patients and Staff on a Renal Dialysis Unit.

PubMed

Corrigan, C; Peterson, L; McVeigh, C; Lavin, P J; Mellotte, G J; Wall, C; Baker Kerrigan, A; Barnes, L; O'Neill, D; Moss, H

2017-10-10

This study investigated the purpose and effectiveness of giving outpatients an opportunity to engage in art activities while receiving dialysis treatment. A mixed method study was conducted. 21 semi-structured interviews were conducted with outpatients attending the dialysis unit and 13 surveys of clinicians were completed. The principle reasons to partake in the art activity programme included: to pass time, to relieve boredom, to be creative, to try something new, distraction from concerns, to stay positive and to achieve something new. Patients who did not participate in the programme pass their time primarily by watching TV or sleeping. All staff who partook in the survey were satisfied with the programme and wanted it to continue. Our findings indicate that the creative arts programme is viewed positively by staff and patients alike, and might be useful in other hospital departments. Further in depth qualitative research would be useful to interrogate the potential effect of engagement in art on positive mental health and quality of life for patients with chronic conditions.

Tomorrow's educators … today? Implementing near-peer teaching for medical students.

PubMed

Nelson, Adam J; Nelson, Sophie V; Linn, Andrew M J; Raw, Lynne E; Kildea, Hugh B; Tonkin, Anne L

2013-01-01

The University of Adelaide offers a six-year undergraduate medical degree with a focus on small group learning. Senior medical students had previously received limited formal training in education skills, and were identified as an underutilised teaching resource. To devise a programme in which senior students are exposed to the various facets of university teaching responsibilities and to evaluate its impact on both the tutors and the students. A six week rotation in medical education for final year medical students was designed and implemented in 2010 to involve them in the development, delivery and assessment of the 1st and 2nd year medical programme as near-peer tutors (NPTs). Two years after the rotation's implementation, voluntary evaluation of both the junior students and NPTs was undertaken through a mixed methods approach of survey and focus group. Junior students (n=358) revealed the NPTs provided non-threatening learning environments, provided helpful feedback and acted as role models. Additionally, the NPTs (n=24) reported they had consolidated prior knowledge, developed their teaching skills and expressed a desire to be more involved in teaching in the future. The implementation of NPTs in the teaching of junior medical students appears to benefit both students and their near-peer colleagues. Involvement of NPTs in all facets of medical education through this rotation stands to not only foster potential interest in an academic pathway but also equip them with a variety of transferable skills which they can draw on as future educators in their profession.

From Passive to Active Learners: The "Lived Experience" of Nurses in a Specialist Nephrology Nursing Education Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bridger, Jane

2007-01-01

Purpose: This study aims to explore the lived experience of learning for a group of staff nurses in the Middle East, who undertook a post-registration nursing education programme in the speciality of nephrology nursing (the NNP) between 2001 and 2002. The broad-based curriculum seeks to develop the staff nurses into active learners, able to…

Lesher Middle School: Commitment by Choice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Principal Leadership, 2012

2012-01-01

This article features Lesher Middle School, a school of choice, as are all of the schools in the Poudre School District in Ft. Collins, Colorado. In 2004, it was a traditional junior high school with a declining enrollment that housed an application-based International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) that resulted in tracking…

Personal Development in Secondary Education: The Irish Transition Year

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clerkin, Aidan

2012-01-01

Secondary education in Ireland includes an optional Transition Year (TY) between the junior and senior examination cycles, when students are typically about 15 years old. Transition Year is an innovative programme, unique to Irish education, which is intended as a non-academic year devoted to personal and social development in the absence of…

How to Incorporate Total Physical Response into the English Programme.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sano, Masayuki

1986-01-01

An experimental project attempted to incorporate Total Physical Response (TPR--a method which requires learners to respond physically to imperatives given by the teacher to teach certain aspects of the language) into an English course in a Japanese junior high school. Results indicated that TPR shows potential for usefulness in second language…

Controlling Costs. Managing Resources Module. Operational Management Programme. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hayter, Roy

This self-study unit focuses on managing resources--materials, equipment, personnel, money, energy, time, and information. The material is designed primarily for those in a supervisory or junior management position working within their company's policies and systems. The unit may be of value to the small business proprietor, as an introduction to…

Didactic Friction--Challenges and Reflections on Interlinking PBL and Discipline-Specific Tuition Practices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bejder, Anne Kirkegaard; Larsen, Gunvor Riber; Wind, Simon

2017-01-01

This is a discussion paper based on didactic reflections of three junior academics at the Architecture and Urban Design (A&UD) programme at Aalborg University. The discussion unfolds "didactic friction", where principles of PBL come into contact with architectural didactics, causing challenging teaching situations. This discussion of…

Individual music therapy for managing neuropsychiatric symptoms for people with dementia and their carers: a cluster randomised controlled feasibility study.

PubMed

Hsu, Ming Hung; Flowerdew, Rosamund; Parker, Michael; Fachner, Jörg; Odell-Miller, Helen

2015-07-18

Previous research highlights the importance of staff involvement in psychosocial interventions targeting neuropsychiatric symptoms of dementia. Music therapy has shown potential effects, but it is not clear how this intervention can be programmed to involve care staff within the delivery of patients' care. This study reports initial feasibility and outcomes from a five month music therapy programme including weekly individual active music therapy for people with dementia and weekly post-therapy video presentations for their carers in care homes. 17 care home residents and 10 care staff were randomised to the music therapy intervention group or standard care control group. The cluster randomised, controlled trial included baseline, 3-month, 5-month and post-intervention 7-month measures of residents' symptoms and well-being. Carer-resident interactions were also assessed. Feasibility was based on carers' feedback through semi-structured interviews, programme evaluations and track records of the study. The music therapy programme appeared to be a practicable and acceptable intervention for care home residents and staff in managing dementia symptoms. Recruitment and retention data indicated feasibility but also challenges. Preliminary outcomes indicated differences in symptoms (13.42, 95 % CI: [4.78 to 22.07; p = 0.006]) and in levels of wellbeing (-0.74, 95 % CI: [-1.15 to -0.33; p = 0.003]) between the two groups, indicating that residents receiving music therapy improved. Staff in the intervention group reported enhanced caregiving techniques as a result of the programme. The data supports the value of developing a music therapy programme involving weekly active individual music therapy sessions and music therapist-carer communication. The intervention is feasible with modifications in a more rigorous evaluation of a larger sample size. Clinicaltrials.gov, number NCT01744600.

Dental students' perception of their approaches to learning in a PBL programme.

PubMed

Haghparast, H; Ghorbani, A; Rohlin, M

2017-08-01

To compare dental students' perceptions of their learning approaches between different years of a problem-based learning (PBL) programme. The hypothesis was that in a comparison between senior and junior students, the senior students would perceive themselves as having a higher level of deep learning approach and a lower level of surface learning approach than junior students would. This hypothesis was based on the fact that senior students have longer experience of a student-centred educational context, which is supposed to underpin student learning. Students of three cohorts (first year, third year and fifth year) of a PBL-based dental programme were asked to respond to a questionnaire (R-SPQ-2F) developed to analyse students' learning approaches, that is deep approach and surface approach, using four subscales including deep strategy, surface strategy, deep motive and surface motive. The results of the three cohorts were compared using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA). A P-value was set at <0.05 for statistical significance. The fifth-year students demonstrated a lower surface approach than the first-year students (P = 0.020). There was a significant decrease in surface strategy from the first to the fifth year (P = 0.003). No differences were found concerning deep approach or its subscales (deep strategy and deep motive) between the mean scores of the three cohorts. The results did not show the expected increased depth in learning approaches over the programme years. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Improving patients' and staff's experiences of acute care.

PubMed

Chaplin, Rob; Crawshaw, Jacob; Hood, Chloe

2015-03-01

The aim of this audit was to assess the effect of the Quality Mark programme on the quality of acute care received by older patients by comparing the experiences of staff and older adults before and after the programme. Data from 31 wards in 12 acute hospitals were collected over two stages. Patients and staff completed questionnaires on the perceived quality of care on the ward. Patients rated improved experiences of nutrition, staff availability and dignity. Staff received an increase in training and reported better access to support, increased time and skill to deliver care and improved morale, leadership and teamwork. Problems remained with ward comfort and mealtimes. Overall, results indicated an improvement in ratings of care quality in most domains during Quality Mark data collection. Further audits need to explore ways of improving ward comfort and mealtime experience.

'Nobody knows what's around the corner': the challenges of caring for people with long-term conditions in care homes.

PubMed

Martin, Susan; Martin, Joy

2018-06-02

People living with long-term conditions are increasingly being cared for in care homes. Prognostication in this population is particularly challenging, and outcomes are often uncertain. This case history highlights some of the difficulties encountered when clinicians give a time-bound prognosis. It also illustrates how education programmes with high facilitation and ongoing support for care home staff can sustain practice development and enable staff to become highly skilled in working with uncertainty. Practice development programmes such as those based on the Six Steps to Success Programme for care homes give care home staff a framework within which to regularly review a resident's clinical status and the confidence to have the ongoing conversations that empower residents to contribute to decision making and focus on their own goals for care.

Stick or twist? Career decision-making during contractual uncertainty for NHS junior doctors.

PubMed

Spooner, S; Gibson, Jon; Rigby, Dan; Sutton, Matt; Pearson, Emma; Checkland, Kath

2017-01-25

To examine the extent, and nature, of impact on junior doctors' career decisions, of a proposed new contract and the uncertainty surrounding it. Mixed methods. Online survey exploring: doctors' future training intentions; their preferred specialty training (ST) programmes; whether they intended to proceed immediately to ST; and other plans. Linked qualitative interviews to explore more fully how and why decisions were affected. Doctors (F2s) in second year of Foundation School (FS) Programmes in England. Invitations sent by FSs. Open to all F2s November 2015-February 2016. All FSs represented. Survey completed by 816 F2s. Sample characteristics broadly similar to national F2 cohort. Proportions of doctors intending to proceed to ST posts in the UK, to defer or to exit UK medicine. Proportion of doctors indicating changes in training and career plans as a result of the contract and/or resulting uncertainty. Distribution of changes across training programmes. Explanations of these intentions from interviews and free text comments. Among the responding junior doctors, 20% indicated that issues related to the contract had prompted them to switch specialty and a further 20% had become uncertain about switching specialty. Switching specialty choice was more prevalent among those now choosing a community-based, rather than hospital-based specialty. 30% selecting general practice had switched choice because of the new contract. Interview data suggests that doctors felt they had become less valued or appreciated in the National Health Service and in society more broadly. Doctors reported that contract-related issues have affected their career plans. The most notable effect is a move away from acute to community-based specialities, with the former perceived as more negatively affected by the proposed changes. It is concerning that young doctors feel undervalued, and this requires further investigation. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Stick or twist? Career decision-making during contractual uncertainty for NHS junior doctors

PubMed Central

Gibson, Jon; Rigby, Dan; Sutton, Matt; Pearson, Emma; Checkland, Kath

2017-01-01

Objectives To examine the extent, and nature, of impact on junior doctors' career decisions, of a proposed new contract and the uncertainty surrounding it. Design Mixed methods. Online survey exploring: doctors' future training intentions; their preferred specialty training (ST) programmes; whether they intended to proceed immediately to ST; and other plans. Linked qualitative interviews to explore more fully how and why decisions were affected. Setting Doctors (F2s) in second year of Foundation School (FS) Programmes in England. Participants Invitations sent by FSs. Open to all F2s November 2015–February 2016. All FSs represented. Survey completed by 816 F2s. Sample characteristics broadly similar to national F2 cohort. Main outcome measures Proportions of doctors intending to proceed to ST posts in the UK, to defer or to exit UK medicine. Proportion of doctors indicating changes in training and career plans as a result of the contract and/or resulting uncertainty. Distribution of changes across training programmes. Explanations of these intentions from interviews and free text comments. Results Among the responding junior doctors, 20% indicated that issues related to the contract had prompted them to switch specialty and a further 20% had become uncertain about switching specialty. Switching specialty choice was more prevalent among those now choosing a community-based, rather than hospital-based specialty. 30% selecting general practice had switched choice because of the new contract. Interview data suggests that doctors felt they had become less valued or appreciated in the National Health Service and in society more broadly. Conclusions Doctors reported that contract-related issues have affected their career plans. The most notable effect is a move away from acute to community-based specialities, with the former perceived as more negatively affected by the proposed changes. It is concerning that young doctors feel undervalued, and this requires further investigation. PMID:28122834

Can Schools Promote the Health of Children with Asthma?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McWhirter, Jenny; McCann, Donna; Coleman, Helen; Calvert, Marguerite; Warner, John

2008-01-01

This report describes the evaluation of a whole-school intervention to improve morbidity and psychosocial well-being in pupils with asthma. In all, 193 children with asthma (7-9 years) from 23 primary/junior schools in the south of England participated. Schools (n = 12) randomly assigned to the intervention group (IV) received a staff asthma…

Design Development Plans for Altamont Junior High School, Klamath Falls, Oregon.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lutes and Amundson, Architects and Community Planners, Springfield, OR.

The architects, with the teaching staff, administration, students, and community, worked as a team to make a coordinated statement of the physical, functional, and esthetic proposals for a new school. The space and functional requirements of each teaching area have been documented and analyzed to arrive at a realistic appraisal of need for the…

Peer Mentoring as an Academic Resource: Or "My Friend Says..."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maher, JaneMaree; Lindsay, Jo; Peel, Vicki; Twomey, Christina

2006-01-01

On current projections in could take thirty years for women to be equally represented in the academic workplace. Traditional methods of mentoring by senior staff often seem relics of an earlier era, but here a group of more junior academics reflect on the success of a peer-mentoring exercise which helped transform their first experience of…

Creating a Positive School Climate at the Junior High Level.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Licata, Vincent F.

One of the seven correlates of an effective school, as identified by the Effective Schools Research, is a positive school climate: a positive attitude on the part of the entire staff and student body exhibited through overt behavior that creates a warm, orderly learning environment. Development of such an environment depends upon: (1) strong…

Roma Invicta! Constructing a Roman Apothecary Garden

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Myers, Debbie

2012-01-01

It may be quite daunting to put together a proposal for an award, especially something as prestigious as the Rolls-Royce Science Prize! But this is exactly what the author did as soon as she was appointed head of juniors at La Sagesse School in Newcastle upon Tyne. After a consultation with staff, governors, the school council and the…

Career Exploration Occupational Information for the Junior High/Middle School. A Planning Curriculum Guide.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lawson, Dorothy M.; McDonald, Dorothea V.

Materials contained in this guide are designed to be used in planning a comprehensive career education program and for developing individual career education units for grades 6-9. Section 1 is the planning guide and contains strategies for organizing, planning, and implementing a program, developing staff inservice, conducting a needs assessment,…

A Comparative Study of Backgrounds and Attitudes of Community College Academic Staff.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Melone, Rudolph Joseph

Community colleges should be responsive to the shifting needs of society. As in the case of other organizations, however, the ability to initiate and adapt to the necessary changes is dependent on the attitudes and backgrounds of the people in the institution. A primary concern of this study was determining whether junior colleges accept the…

Validation of a new ENT emergencies course for first-on-call doctors.

PubMed

Swords, C; Smith, M E; Wasson, J D; Qayyum, A; Tysome, J R

2017-02-01

First-on-call ENT cover is often provided by junior doctors with limited ENT experience; yet, they may have to manage life-threatening emergencies. An intensive 1-day simulation course was developed to teach required skills to junior doctors. A prospective, single-blinded design was used. Thirty-seven participants rated their confidence before the course, immediately following the course and after a two-month interval. Blinded assessors scored participant performance in two video-recorded simulated scenarios before and after the course. Participant self-rated confidence was increased in the end-of-course survey (score of 27.5 vs 53.0; p < 0.0001), and this was maintained two to four months after the course (score of 50.5; p < 0.0001). Patient assessment and management in video-recorded emergency scenarios was significantly improved following course completion (score of 9.75 vs 18.75; p = 0.0093). This course represents an effective method of teaching ENT emergency management to junior doctors. ENT induction programmes benefit from the incorporation of a simulation component.

Evaluating the MESSAGE Communication Strategies in Dementia training for use with community-based aged care staff working with people with dementia: a controlled pretest-post-test study.

PubMed

Conway, Erin R; Chenery, Helen J

2016-04-01

The study aims to evaluate the effects of a communication skills training programme on community aged care staff's knowledge of communication support in dementia and on staff's care experience. Dementia can lead to impairments in communication. Therefore, quality community-based dementia care requires that staff be skilled communicators, equipped to facilitate interactions with people with dementia. The current investigation evaluated the effectiveness of the MESSAGE Communication Strategies in Dementia for Care Staff training programme with respect to knowledge of communication support and the staff/caregiver experience. A multi-centre controlled pretest/post-test design with randomised cohort allocation was used. Outcome measures were completed at baseline, immediately after training (training group only), and at three-month follow-up. Thirty-eight care staff working in community aged care participated and completed all outcome measures (training = 22; control = 16).Training and control groups completed the following outcome measures: knowledge of communication support strategies, self-efficacy, preparedness to provide care, strain in nursing care and attitude to dementia care. Staff in the training group provided written feedback on the training. A significant improvement in knowledge scores from baseline was found for the training group both immediately after training and at three-month follow-up. There was also a significant training effect for self-efficacy and preparedness to provide care. No significant difference was found for the control group for any measure. No significant training effects were found for measures of strain or attitudes to dementia care. Feedback from staff suggests that the training was well received. The MESSAGE training was positively received by staff and had a significant effect on care staff knowledge, and confidence to provide care for people with dementia. The easily accessible multimedia training programme is well received by staff and has the potential to improve quality of care. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The incidence of rugby-related catastrophic injuries (including cardiac events) in South Africa from 2008 to 2011: a cohort study

PubMed Central

Brown, James Craig; Lambert, Mike I; Verhagen, Evert; Readhead, Clint; van Mechelen, Willem; Viljoen, Wayne

2013-01-01

Objectives To establish an accurate and comprehensive injury incidence registry of all rugby union-related catastrophic events in South Africa between 2008 and 2011. An additional aim was to investigate correlates associated with these injuries. Design Prospective. Setting The South African amateur and professional rugby-playing population. Participants An estimated 529 483 Junior and 121 663 Senior rugby union (‘rugby’) players (population at risk). Outcome measures Annual average incidences of rugby-related catastrophic injuries by type (cardiac events, traumatic brain and acute spinal cord injuries (ASCIs)) and outcome (full recoveries—fatalities). Playing level (junior and senior levels), position and event (phase of play) were also assessed. Results The average annual incidence of ASCIs and Traumatic Brain Injuries combined was 2.00 per 100 000 players (95% CI 0.91 to 3.08) from 2008 to 2011. The incidence of ASCIs with permanent outcomes was significantly higher at the Senior level (4.52 per 100 000 players, 95% CI 0.74 to 8.30) than the Junior level (0.24 per 100 000 players, 95% CI 0 to 0.65) during this period. The hooker position was associated with 46% (n=12 of 26) of all permanent ASCI outcomes, the majority of which (83%) occurred during the scrum phase of play. Conclusions The incidence of rugby-related catastrophic injuries in South Africa between 2008 and 2011 is comparable to that of other countries and to most other collision sports. The higher incidence rate of permanent ASCIs at the Senior level could be related to the different law variations or characteristics (eg, less regular training) compared with the Junior level. The hooker and scrum were associated with high proportions of permanent ASCIs. The BokSmart injury prevention programme should focus efforts on these areas (Senior level, hooker and scrum) and use this study as a reference point for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the programme. PMID:23447464

The incidence of rugby-related catastrophic injuries (including cardiac events) in South Africa from 2008 to 2011: a cohort study.

PubMed

Brown, James Craig; Lambert, Mike I; Verhagen, Evert; Readhead, Clint; van Mechelen, Willem; Viljoen, Wayne

2013-01-01

To establish an accurate and comprehensive injury incidence registry of all rugby union-related catastrophic events in South Africa between 2008 and 2011. An additional aim was to investigate correlates associated with these injuries. Prospective. The South African amateur and professional rugby-playing population. An estimated 529 483 Junior and 121 663 Senior rugby union ('rugby') players (population at risk). Annual average incidences of rugby-related catastrophic injuries by type (cardiac events, traumatic brain and acute spinal cord injuries (ASCIs)) and outcome (full recoveries-fatalities). Playing level (junior and senior levels), position and event (phase of play) were also assessed. The average annual incidence of ASCIs and Traumatic Brain Injuries combined was 2.00 per 100 000 players (95% CI 0.91 to 3.08) from 2008 to 2011. The incidence of ASCIs with permanent outcomes was significantly higher at the Senior level (4.52 per 100 000 players, 95% CI 0.74 to 8.30) than the Junior level (0.24 per 100 000 players, 95% CI 0 to 0.65) during this period. The hooker position was associated with 46% (n=12 of 26) of all permanent ASCI outcomes, the majority of which (83%) occurred during the scrum phase of play. The incidence of rugby-related catastrophic injuries in South Africa between 2008 and 2011 is comparable to that of other countries and to most other collision sports. The higher incidence rate of permanent ASCIs at the Senior level could be related to the different law variations or characteristics (eg, less regular training) compared with the Junior level. The hooker and scrum were associated with high proportions of permanent ASCIs. The BokSmart injury prevention programme should focus efforts on these areas (Senior level, hooker and scrum) and use this study as a reference point for the evaluation of the effectiveness of the programme.

Train the trainer? A randomized controlled trial of a multi-tiered oral health education programme in community-based residential services for adults with intellectual disability.

PubMed

Mac Giolla Phadraig, Caoimhin; Guerin, Suzanne; Nunn, June

2013-04-01

To assess the impact of a multi-tiered oral health education programme on care staff caring for people with intellectual disability (ID). Postal questionnaires were sent to all care staff of a community-based residential care service for adults, randomly assigned to control and intervention groups. A specifically developed training programme was delivered to residential staff nominees, who then trained all staff within the intervention group. The control group received no training. Post-test questionnaires were sent to both groups. Paired-samples t-test was used to compare oral health-related knowledge (K) and behaviour, attitude and self-efficacy (BAS) scores. Of the initial 219 respondents, 154 (response rate between 40% and 35.8%, with attrition rate of 29.7% from baseline to repeat) returned completed questionnaires at post-test (M=8.5 months, range=6.5-11 months). Control and intervention groups were comparable for general training, employment and demographic variables. In the intervention group, mean Knowledge Index score rose from K=7.2 to K=7.9 (P<0.001) and mean BAS scale score rose from BAS=4.7 to BAS=5.4 (P<0.001). There was no statistically significant increase in mean scores from test (K=7.0, BAS=4.7) to post-test (K=7.2, BAS=4.9) for the control group. Mean scores regarding knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy and reported behaviour increased significantly at 8.5 months in staff where training was provided. The results indicate that a multi-tiered training programme improved knowledge, attitude, self-efficacy and reported behaviour amongst staff caring for people with ID. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

A systematic literature review of Releasing Time to Care: The Productive Ward.

PubMed

Wright, Stella; McSherry, Wilfred

2013-05-01

This systematic review provides an overview of the literature published on Releasing Time to Care: The Productive Ward between 2005 and June 2011. Releasing Time to Care: The Productive Ward programme was developed by the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement and launched in England in 2007. The programme comprises thirteen modules that aim to increase time for direct patient care, improve the patient and staff experience and make changes to the ward environment to improve efficiency. A systematic literature review. The terms 'Releasing Time to Care' and 'Productive Ward' were applied to key healthcare databases; CINAHL, Medline, Science Direct, ProQuest, Health Business Elite, British Nursing Index, Embase, Health Management Information Consortium and PsychInfo. All papers were read and subject to a quality assessment. The literature search identified 95 unique sources. A lack of research on The Productive Ward programme meant it was necessary to include non-empirical literature. In total, 18 articles met the inclusion criteria. Seven key themes were identified: the patient and staff experience, direct care time, patient safety, financial impact, embedding and sustainability, executive support and leadership, and common barriers and determinants of success. It also highlighted areas that require further exploration such as long-term sustainability of the programme and consistent data measurement between organisations. The review tentatively reports how The Productive Ward programme has been used to transform nursing practice for the benefit of patients and frontline staff, and how it resulted in cost savings. The literature review identified a potential positive results bias in the current literature whereby favourable outcomes were reported. This paper summarises the types of evidence and current literature on The Productive Ward providing a reference for frontline staff implementing the programme. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Process evaluation improves delivery of a nutrition-sensitive agriculture programme in Burkina Faso.

PubMed

Nielsen, Jennifer N; Olney, Deanna K; Ouedraogo, Marcellin; Pedehombga, Abdoulaye; Rouamba, Hippolyte; Yago-Wienne, Fanny

2017-12-26

Evidence is emerging from rigorous evaluations about the effectiveness of nutrition-sensitive agriculture programmes in improving nutritional outcomes. Additional evidence can elucidate how different programme components and pathways contribute and can be optimized for impact. The International Food Policy Research Institute, with Helen Keller International, designed a comprehensive framework to evaluate the delivery, utilization, and impact of Helen Keller International's enhanced homestead food production programme in Burkina Faso. After 18 months of implementation, a process evaluation was conducted to examine programme impact pathways, using key informant and semistructured interviews with implementing agents and beneficiaries, and with residents of control communities. Data were analyzed by International Food Policy Research Institute and reviewed with project managers and partners through multiple workshops to identify opportunities to strengthen implementation. Findings illuminated gaps between intended and actual delivery schemes, including input constraints, knowledge gaps among community agents in agriculture and young child nutrition practices, and lower than expected activity by community volunteers. In response, staff developed measures to overcome water constraints and expand vegetable and poultry production, retrained volunteers in certain techniques of food production and counselling for nutrition behaviour change, added small incentives to motivate volunteers, and shaped both immediate and long-term changes to the programme model. Working closely with International Food Policy Research Institute on the evaluation activities also expanded the repertoire of research methods and skills of Helen Keller International staff. Process evaluation can strengthen programme delivery, utilization, and design. Collaboration between researchers and implementers can improve programme effectiveness, project staff capacity, and advance delivery science. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

A Prospective Epidemiological Study of Injuries in Japanese National Tournament-Level Badminton Players From Junior High School to University.

PubMed

Miyake, Eiji; Yatsunami, Mitsunobu; Kurabayashi, Jun; Teruya, Koji; Sekine, Yasuhiro; Endo, Tatsuaki; Nishida, Ryuichiro; Takano, Nao; Sato, Seiko; Jae Kyung, Han

2016-03-01

Injury prevention programs have recently been created for various sports. However, a longitudinal study on badminton injuries, as assessed by a team's dedicated medical staff, at the gymnasium has not been performed. We aimed to perform the first such study to measure the injury incidence, severity and type as the first step in creating a badminton injury prevention program. A prospective, longitudinal survey was conducted between April 2012 and March 2013 with 133 national tournament-level badminton players from junior high school to university in Japan with the teams' physical therapists at the gymnasium. Injury incidence was measured as the injury rate (IR) for every 1,000 hour (1000 hour) and IR for every 1,000 athlete exposures (1000 AE). Severity was classified in 5 levels by the number of days the athlete was absent from practice or matches. Injury types were categorized as trauma or overuse. Practice (IR) (1,000 hour) was significantly higher in female players than in male players; the rates increased with increasing age. IR (1,000 AE) was significantly higher in matches than in practice in both sexes of all ages, except for female junior high school students and injuries were most frequent for high school students in matches. The majority of the injuries were slight (83.8%); overuse injuries occurred approximately 3 times more than trauma. This is the first study in which medical staff assessed injuries in badminton, providing value through benchmark data. Injury prevention programs are particularly necessary for female university students in practice and high school students in matches.

Is cocaine use recognised as a risk factor for acute coronary syndrome by doctors in the UK?

PubMed Central

Wood, David M; Hill, Duncan; Gunasekera, Awini; Greene, Shaun L; Jones, Alison L; Dargan, Paul I

2007-01-01

Background Cocaine is a sympathomimetic agent that can cause coronary artery vasospasm leading to myocardial ischaemia, acute coronary syndrome and acute myocardial infarction (ACS/AMI). The management of cocaine‐induced ACS/AMI is different to classical atheromatous ACS/MI, because the mechanisms are different. Methods Knowledge study—Junior medical staff were given a scenario of a patient with ACS and asked to identify potential risk factors for ACS and which ones they routinely asked about in clinical practice. Retrospective study—Retrospective notes reviews of patients with suspected and proven (elevated troponin T concentration) ACS were undertaken to determine the recording of cocaine use/non‐use in clinical notes. Results Knowledge study—There was no significant difference in the knowledge that cocaine was a risk factor compared to other “classical” cardiovascular risk factors, but juniors doctors were less likely to ask routinely about cocaine use compared to other “classical” risk factors (52.9% vs >90% ,respectively). Retrospective study—Cocaine use or non‐use was documented in 3.7% (4/109) and 4% (2/50) of clinical notes of patients with suspected and proven ACS, respectively. Discussion Although junior medical staff are aware that cocaine is a risk factor for ACS/AMI, they are less likely to ask about it in routine clinical practice or record its use/non‐use in clinical notes. It is essential that patients presenting with suspected ACS are asked about cocaine use, since the management of these patients is different to those with ACS secondary to “classical” cardiovascular risk factors. PMID:17488862

Short Training Course in Oceanography. Red Sea & Gulf of Aden Programme (PERSGA).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arab Organization for Education and Science, Cairo (Egypt).

This document presents a training course in oceanography intended for Junior Bachelor of Science (B.S.) graduates in physics, mathematics, chemistry, zoology, botany or geology to give them the minimum qualifications required to work in any of the marine science stations. This 14-week course, organized by the Arab League Educational, Cultural and…

Tracking Invasive Birds: A Programme for Implementing Dynamic Open Inquiry Learning and Conservation Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zion, Michal; Spektor-Levy, Ornit; Orchan, Yotam; Shwartz, Assaf; Sadeh, Irit; Kark, Salit

2011-01-01

Among potential topics in the new science of biodiversity, understanding the characteristics and impact of invasive birds is an attractive subject to include as part of junior high school biology studies. Birds are aesthetic and raise curiosity. Curiosity about birds, combined with field observations, can stimulate students to ask authentic…

Revolution, Evolution or a Trojan Horse? Piloting Assessment for Learning in Some Scottish Primary Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirton, Alison; Hallam, Susan; Peffers, Jack; Robertson, Pamela; Stobart, Gordon

2007-01-01

This article analyses some of the findings of an evaluation of Project One of the "Assessment is for Learning" Development Programme in 16 Scottish primary schools and two junior high schools in which teachers developed formative assessment strategies aimed at improving teaching and learning. Drawing on data from pupils, teachers and…

Gender equity programmes in academic medicine: a realist evaluation approach to Athena SWAN processes

PubMed Central

Caffrey, Louise; Mattingley, Helena; Williamson, Catherine; McKevitt, Christopher

2016-01-01

Objectives Gender inequity has persisted in academic medicine. Yet equity is vital for countries to achieve their full potential in terms of translational research and patient benefit. This study sought to understand how the gender equity programme, Athena SWAN, can be enabled and constrained by interactions between the programme and the context it is implemented into, and whether these interactions might produce unintended consequences. Design Multimethod qualitative case studies using a realist evaluation approach. Setting 5 departments from a university medical school hosting a Translational Research Organisation. Participants 25 hours of observations of gender equality committee meetings, 16 in-depth interviews with Heads of Departments, Committee Leads and key personnel involved in the initiative. 4 focus groups with 15 postdoctoral researchers, lecturers and senior lecturers. Results The implementation of Athena SWAN principles was reported to have created social space to address gender inequity and to have highlighted problematic practices to staff. However, a number of factors reduced the programme's potential to impact gender inequity. Gender inequity was reproduced in the programme's enactment as female staff was undertaking a disproportionate amount of Athena SWAN work, with potential negative impacts on individual women's career progression. Early career researchers experienced problems accessing Athena SWAN initiatives. Furthermore, the impact of the programme was perceived to be undermined by wider institutional practices, national policies and societal norms, which are beyond the programme's remit. Conclusions Gender equity programmes have the potential to address inequity. However, paradoxically, they can also unintentionally reproduce and reinforce gender inequity through their enactment. Potential programme impacts may be undermined by barriers to staff availing of career development and training initiatives, and by wider institutional practices, national policies and societal norms. PMID:27609850

Maori in Partnership: A Peer Mentoring Model for Tertiary Indigenous Staff in New Zealand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kensington-Miller, Barbara; Ratima, Matiu

2015-01-01

This article presents a professional development programme which brought an indigenous minority group of tertiary staff together. We describe a peer-mentoring model, piloted in 2009 at The University of Auckland, New Zealand with university staff in order to promote staff advancement. The participants were all Maori, the indigenous people of New…

Multidisciplinary Mentoring Programs to Enhance Junior Faculty Research Grant Success.

PubMed

Freel, Stephanie A; Smith, Paige C; Burns, Ebony N; Downer, Joanna B; Brown, Ann J; Dewhirst, Mark W

2017-10-01

Junior faculty face challenges in establishing independent research careers. Declining funding combined with a shift to multidisciplinary, collaborative science necessitates new mentorship models and enhanced institutional support. Two multidisciplinary mentorship programs to promote grant success for junior faculty were established at the Duke University School of Medicine beginning in 2011. These four-month programs-the Path to Independence Program (PtIP) for National Institutes of Health (NIH) R applicants and the K Club for NIH K applicants-use multiple senior faculty mentors and professional grant-writing staff to provide a 20-hour joint curriculum comprising a series of lectures, hands-on workshops, career development counseling, peer groups, and an internal study section. In March 2016, the authors analyzed the success rate for all NIH grants submitted by participants since program enrollment. In a 2015 postprogram survey, participants rated their feelings of support and competency across six skill factors. From October 2011 to March 2016, the programs engaged 265 senior faculty mentors, 145 PtIP participants, and 138 K Club participants. Success rates for NIH grant applications were 28% (61 awards/220 decisions) for PtIP participants-an increase over the 2010 Duke University junior faculty baseline of 11%-and 64% (38/59) for K Club participants. Respondents reported significantly increased feelings of support and self-ratings for each competency post program. The authors plan to expand the breadth of both the mentorship pool and faculty served. Broad implementation of similar programs elsewhere could bolster success, satisfaction, and retention of junior faculty investigators.

The transition from staff nurse to ward leader.

PubMed

Spencer, Caroline; Al-Sadoon, Tara; Hemmings, Laura; Jackson, Karen; Mulligan, Paul

Moving from the staff nurse to ward sister role involves acquiring a range of skills to lead and motivate a team and ensure standards of care are high. Recognising new ward sisters' need for support, a trust developed a training programme to enable them to develop the necessary skills and provide mutual support. This article discusses the development of the programme and offers the reflections of three ward sisters who participated in it.

Competences for enhancing interprofessional collaboration in a paediatrics setting: Enabling and hindering factors.

PubMed

Solevåg, Anne Lee; Karlgren, Klas

2016-01-01

In 2011 an interprofessional educational programme called "Pediatric systematic assessment and communication for preventing emergencies" designed to increase clinical staff's competence in treating sick children was introduced in one paediatrics department in Norway. To elicit an in-depth understanding of the perceptions of clinical staff about the programme and enact adjustments according to identified enabling and hindering factors for learning, nurses and paediatricians were invited to participate in focus group interviews. The interviews were analysed by content analysis. Enabling factors for learning included improved interprofessional collaboration and positive feedback on performance. Hindering factors included perceptions that the programme was redundant and the fact that collaborating departments, such as the surgical departments, were not familiar with the programme. Peer learning, more interprofessional learning activities, and the fostering of a learning organization were suggestions for sustained learning. Based on the results of the study we have now included collaborating departments in the programme.

Improving patient care over weekends by reducing on-call work load and better time management.

PubMed

Gardezi, Syed Anjum Ali

2014-01-01

The Royal College of Physicians states that "handover, particularly of temporary 'on-call' responsibility, has been identified as a point at which errors are likely to occur."[1] Working a weekend on-call covering medical wards is often busy and stressful for all junior doctors. The high volume of routine and unplanned tasks make the situation even worse. In Nevill Hall hospital Abergavenny, we measured the workload on a junior doctor for medical ward cover on weekends by counting the number of times he/she was bleeped for routine tasks. Initial study demonstrated that on average 30-40% of time on a long day shift was spent on jobs which could have been done on the preceding Friday. The "FRIDAYS" checklist was introduced for clinical staff (particularly junior doctors) to identify these jobs. According to this model, all the junior doctors were encouraged to review: F: Phlebotomy R: Rewriting drug charts I: IV fluids D: discharge summaries A: Antibiotic review Y: Yellow book/Warfarin dose S: Status of resuscitation and escalation plans before leaving the wards on Friday afternoon. This implementation successfully showed reduction in weekend workload, allowing the ward cover to be focused on care and safety of comparatively sick patients while at the same time reducing the stress for the on-call team.

An ethnographic investigation of junior doctors' capacities to practice interprofessionally in three teaching hospitals.

PubMed

Milne, Jacqueline; Greenfield, David; Braithwaite, Jeffrey

2015-01-01

Collaborative practice among early career staff is at the bedrock of interprofessional care. This study investigated factors influencing the enactment of interprofessional practice by using the day-to-day role of six junior doctors in three teaching hospitals as a gateway to understand the various professions' interactive behaviours. The contextual framework used for the study was Strauss' theory of negotiated order. Ethnographic techniques were applied to observe the actions and interactions of participants on typical working days in their hospital environments. Field notes were created and thematic analysis was applied to the data. Three themes explored were culture, communication, and collaboration. Issues identified highlight the bounded organisational and professional cultures within which junior doctors work, and systemic problems in interprofessional interaction and communication in the wards of hospitals. There are indications that early career doctors are interprofessional isolates. The constraints of short training terms and pressure from multi-faceted demands on junior doctors can interfere with the establishment of meaningful relationships with nurses and other health professionals. The realisation of sustained interprofessional practice is, therefore, practically and structurally difficult. Enabling factors supporting the sharing of expertise are outweighed by barriers associated with professional and hospital organisational cultures, poor interprofessional communication, and the pressure of competing individual task demands in the course of daily practice.

Perceived Nonbeneficial Treatment of Patients, Burnout, and Intention to Leave the Job Among ICU Nurses and Junior and Senior Physicians.

PubMed

Schwarzkopf, Daniel; Rüddel, Hendrik; Thomas-Rüddel, Daniel O; Felfe, Jörg; Poidinger, Bernhard; Matthäus-Krämer, Claudia T; Hartog, Christiane S; Bloos, Frank

2017-03-01

Perceiving nonbeneficial treatment is stressful for ICU staff and may be associated with burnout. We aimed to investigate predictors and consequences of perceived nonbeneficial treatment and to compare nurses and junior and senior physicians. Cross-sectional, multicenter paper-pencil survey on personal and work-related characteristics, perceived nonbeneficial treatment, burnout, and intention to leave the job. Convenience sample of 23 German ICUs. ICU nurses and physicians. None. A total of 847 questionnaires were returned (51% response); 778 had complete data for final multivariate analyses. Nonbeneficial treatment was in median perceived "sometimes." Adjusted for covariates, it was perceived more often by nurses and junior physicians (both p ≤ 0.001 in comparison to senior physicians), while emotional exhaustion was highest in junior physicians (p ≤ 0.015 in comparison to senior physicians and nurses), who also had a higher intention to leave than nurses (p = 0.024). Nonbeneficial treatment was predicted by high workload and low quality collaboration with other departments (both p ≤ 0.001). Poor nurse-physician collaboration predicted perception of nonbeneficial treatment among junior physicians and nurses (both p ≤ 0.001) but not among senior physicians (p = 0.753). Nonbeneficial treatment was independently associated with the core burnout dimension emotional exhaustion (p ≤ 0.001), which significantly mediated the effect between nonbeneficial treatment and intention to leave (indirect effect: 0.11 [95% CI, 0.06-0.18]). Perceiving nonbeneficial treatment is related to burnout and may increase intention to leave. Efforts to reduce perception of nonbeneficial treatment should improve the work environment and should be tailored to the different experiences of nurses and junior and senior physicians.

What drives the 'August effect'? A observational study of the effect of junior doctor changeover on out of hours work.

PubMed

Blakey, John D; Fearn, Andrew; Shaw, Dominick E

2013-01-01

To investigate whether measurements of junior doctor on-call workload and performance can clarify the mechanisms underlying the increase in morbidity and mortality seen after junior doctor changeover: the 'August effect'. Quantitative retrospective observational study of routinely collected data on junior doctor workload. Two large teaching hospitals in England. Task level data from a wireless out of hours system (n = 29,885 requests) used by medical staff, nurses, and allied health professionals. Number and type of tasks requested by nurses, time to completion of tasks by junior doctors. There was no overall change in the number of tasks requested by nurses out of hours around the August changeover (median requests per hour 15 before and 14 after, p = 0.46). However, the number of tasks classified as urgent was greater (p = 0.016) equating to five more urgent tasks per day. After changeover, doctors took less time to complete tasks overall due to a reduction in time taken for routine tasks (median 74 vs. 66 min; p = 3.9 × 10(-9)). This study suggests that the 'August effect' is not due to new junior doctors completing tasks more slowly or having a greater workload. Further studies are required to investigate the causes of the increased number of urgent tasks seen, but likely factors are errors, omissions, and poor prioritization. Thus, improved training and quality control has the potential to address this increased duration of unresolved patient risk. The study also highlights the potential of newer technologies to facilitate quantitative study of clinical activity.

10 years of didactic training for novices in medical education at Charité.

PubMed

Sonntag, Ulrike; Peters, Harm; Schnabel, Kai P; Breckwoldt, Jan

2017-01-01

Introduction: Many medical faculties are introducing faculty development programmes to train their teaching staff with the aim of improving student learning performance. Frequently changing parameters within faculties pose a challenge for the sustainable establishment of such programmes. In this paper, we aim to describe facilitating and hindering parameters using the example of the basic teacher training (BTT) course at the Charité - Universtitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité). Project description: After sporadic pilot attempts for university education training, basic teacher training was finally established at the Charité in 2006 for all new teaching staff. An interdisciplinary taskforce at the office for student affairs designed the programme according to the Kern cycle of curriculum development, while the Charité advanced training academy provided the necessary resources. Within ten years more than 900 faculty members have completed the BTT (9% of current active teaching staff at the Charité). The BTT programme underwent several phases (piloting, evaluation, review, personnel and financial boosting), all of which were marked by changes in the staff and organizational framework. Evaluations by participants were very positive, sustainable effects on teaching could be proven to a limited extent. Discussion: Success factors for the establishment of the programme were the institutional framework set by the faculty directors, the commitment of those involved, the support of research grants and the thoroughly positive evaluation by participants. More challenging were frequent changes in parameters and the allocation of incentive resources for other, format-specific training courses (e.g. PBL) as part of the introduction of the new modular curriculum of the Charité. Conclusion: The sustainment of the programme was enabled through strategic institutional steps taken by the faculty heads. Thanks to the commitment and input by those at a working level as well as management level, the basic teacher training course is today an established part of the faculty development programme at the Charité.

10 years of didactic training for novices in medical education at Charité

PubMed Central

Sonntag, Ulrike; Peters, Harm; Schnabel, Kai P.; Breckwoldt, Jan

2017-01-01

Introduction: Many medical faculties are introducing faculty development programmes to train their teaching staff with the aim of improving student learning performance. Frequently changing parameters within faculties pose a challenge for the sustainable establishment of such programmes. In this paper, we aim to describe facilitating and hindering parameters using the example of the basic teacher training (BTT) course at the Charité – Universtitätsmedizin Berlin (Charité). Project description: After sporadic pilot attempts for university education training, basic teacher training was finally established at the Charité in 2006 for all new teaching staff. An interdisciplinary taskforce at the office for student affairs designed the programme according to the Kern cycle of curriculum development, while the Charité advanced training academy provided the necessary resources. Within ten years more than 900 faculty members have completed the BTT (9% of current active teaching staff at the Charité). The BTT programme underwent several phases (piloting, evaluation, review, personnel and financial boosting), all of which were marked by changes in the staff and organizational framework. Evaluations by participants were very positive, sustainable effects on teaching could be proven to a limited extent. Discussion: Success factors for the establishment of the programme were the institutional framework set by the faculty directors, the commitment of those involved, the support of research grants and the thoroughly positive evaluation by participants. More challenging were frequent changes in parameters and the allocation of incentive resources for other, format-specific training courses (e.g. PBL) as part of the introduction of the new modular curriculum of the Charité. Conclusion: The sustainment of the programme was enabled through strategic institutional steps taken by the faculty heads. Thanks to the commitment and input by those at a working level as well as management level, the basic teacher training course is today an established part of the faculty development programme at the Charité. PMID:29085883

The Educational Development Officer--A New Staff Development Concept in the Community College and Technical Institute.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McLeod, Neill; Trent, Curtis

The major focus of the study was the development of a clear concise description of job tasks of the "educational development officer," a role model of which had been developed and piloted in North Carolina by a governmental research unit, the Junior and Community College Division of the National Laboratory of Higher Education, located in…

Developing and Implementing a Content Structure for Educational Television Programming in the Area of Career Education. Satellite Technology Demonstration, Technical Report No. 0506.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lonsdale, Helen C.; McWilliams, Alfred E., Jr.

The Program Component of the Satellite Technology Demonstration (STD) developed the programing for a television series on career planning for junior high school students. A program called "Time Out" was designed, developed, and implemented to be broadcast throughout the Rocky Mountain States. A staff of educators and communicators…

An audit of therapeutic drug monitoring of anticonvulsants.

PubMed Central

Sharpe, P. C.; Morrow, J.; Trimble, E. R.

1995-01-01

An audit of therapeutic drug monitoring (TDM) of anticonvulsants was performed to assess both its use and misuse in the management of patients with epilepsy. Over a four week period all samples received for phenytoin, carbamazepine, sodium valproate and phenobarbitone assays were included in the audit. The aims were to establish the source of the specimens, the reasons for the requests and to ascertain what action, if any, would be taken when the result of the assay was provided. A total of 163 separate assays were performed over the four week period (43 phenytoin, 74 carbamazepine, 41 valproate, 5 phenobarbitone). Only 18.7% of all requests originated from the adult neurology department. The vast majority of tests had been ordered by junior medical staff (only 10% by consultants) and approximately 50% were 'routine' with no satisfactory clinical reason for the request offered. There was a tendency to manipulate prescribed doses on the basis of drug levels alone without taking the clinical picture into consideration. These results demonstrate a general ignorance, especially amongst junior medical staff, of the value of TDM of anticonvulsants, and reinforce the need for both an educative and interpretive service to be provided by the Chemical Pathology Department. PMID:8533181

The influence of age, playing position, anthropometry and fitness on career attainment outcomes in rugby league.

PubMed

Till, Kevin; Cobley, Steve; Morley, David; O'hara, John; Chapman, Chris; Cooke, Carlton

2016-01-01

This study evaluated the influence of annual-age category, relative age, playing position, anthropometry and fitness on the career attainment outcomes of junior rugby league players originally selected for a talent identification and development (TID) programme. Junior rugby league players (N = 580) were grouped retrospectively according to their career attainment level (i.e., amateur, academy and professional). Anthropometric (height, sitting height, body mass, sum of four skinfolds), maturational (age at peak height velocity; PHV) and fitness (power, speed, change of direction speed, estimated[Formula: see text]) characteristics were assessed at the Under 13s, 14s and 15s annual-age categories. Relative age (Q2 = 8.5% vs. Q4 = 25.5%) and playing position (Pivots = 19.5% vs. Props = 5.8%) influenced the percentage of players attaining professional status. Anthropometry and fitness had a significant effect on career attainment at the Under 14 (P = 0.002, η(2) = 0.16) and 15 (P = 0.01, η(2) = 0.12) annual-age categories. Findings at the Under 14s showed future professional players were significantly later maturing compared to academy and amateur players. Findings suggest that relative age, playing position, anthropometry and fitness can influence the career attainment of junior rugby league players. TID programmes within rugby league, and other related team sports, should be aware and acknowledge the factors influencing long-term career attainment, and not delimit development opportunities during early adolescence.

Learning needs in clinical biochemistry for doctors in foundation years.

PubMed

Khromova, Victoria; Gray, Trevor A

2008-01-01

Most medical school curricula have reduced the amount of time available for teaching in pathology despite the fact that junior staff in the early stages of their training were responsible for requesting the majority of pathology tests on acutely ill hospital patients. So, the lack of specific training in this area means that test requesting may be poorly performed and the results ill understood by these staff. This paper describes a questionnaire, which was designed to assist laboratory staff providing targeted teaching in this area. Doctors in Foundation year 1 (F1) and Foundation year 2 (F2) in Sheffield teaching hospitals were given a questionnaire to ascertain how confident they were in requesting and interpreting the results of clinical biochemistry tests. The doctors were also asked about which areas of laboratory medicine they would like to be taught. Responses were received from 82 doctors, about half those in F1 and F2. The survey revealed areas where juniors are less confident in requesting tests and interpreting results. Despite lack of confidence in interpreting the result, 18% were confident about requesting tests. Doctors were also unsure of the effects of common problems like haemolysis on the interpretation of results. More than 70% of the doctors requested specific teaching in these areas. Foundation doctors have learning needs in clinical biochemistry, addressing which would assist them in patient care. While better training in medical school may help in future, there are specific needs for those on the wards now that require targeted teaching.

Transition to blended learning: experiences from the first year of our blended learning Bachelor of Nursing Studies programme.

PubMed

Sweeney, Mary-Rose; Kirwan, Anne; Kelly, Mary; Corbally, Melissa; O Neill, Sandra; Kirwan, Mary; Hourican, Susan; Matthews, Anne; Hussey, Pamela

2016-10-01

The School of Nursing at Dublin City University offered a new blended learning Bachelor of Nursing Studies programme in the academic year 2011. To document the experiences of the academic team making the transition from a face-to-face classroom-delivered programme to the new blended learning format. Academics who delivered the programme were asked to describe their experiences of developing the new programme via two focus groups. Five dominant themes were identified: Staff Readiness; Student Readiness; Programme Delivery and Student Engagement; Assessment of Module Learning Outcomes and Feedback; and Reflecting on the First Year and Thinking of the Future. Face-to-face tutorials were identified as very important to both academics and students. Reservations about whether migrating the programme to an online format encouraged students to engage in additional practices of plagiarism were expressed by some. Student ability/readiness to engage with technology-enhanced learning was an important determinant of their own success academically. In the field of nursing blended learning is a relatively new and emerging field which will require huge cultural shifts for staff and students alike.

Understanding the working relationships between National Health Service clinicians and finance staff.

PubMed

Minogue, Virginia; McCaffry, Rebecca

2017-03-13

Purpose The Department of Health and the National Health Service (NHS) Future Focused Finance (FFF) programme promotes effective engagement between clinical and finance staff. Surveys undertaken by the Department of Health between 2013 and 2015 found few NHS Trusts reported high levels of engagement. The purpose of this paper is to gain a better understanding of current working relationships between NHS clinical and finance professionals and how they might be supported to become more effective. Design/methodology/approach Ipsos MORI were commissioned by the NHS FFF programme to undertake an online survey of NHS clinical and finance staff between June and August 2015. Findings The majority of clinicians had a member of a finance team linked to their speciality or directorate. Clinical and finance professionals have a positive view of joint working preferring face-to-face contact. Clinician's confidence in their understanding of finance was generally good and finance staff felt they had a good understanding of clinical issues. Effective working relationships were facilitated by face-to-face contact, a professional relationship, and the availability of clear, well presented finance and activity data. Research limitations/implications Data protection issues limited the accessibility of the survey team to NHS staff resulting in a relatively low-response rate. Other forms of communication, including social media, were utilised to increase access to the survey. Originality/value The FFF programme is a unique programme aimed at making the NHS finance profession fit for the future. The close partnering work stream brings together the finance and clinical perspective to share knowledge, evidence, training, and to develop good practice and engagement.

Equivalency Programmes (EPs) for Promoting Lifelong Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haddad, Caroline, Ed.

2006-01-01

Equivalency programmes (EPs) refers to alternative education programmes that are equivalent to the formal education system in terms of curriculum and certification, policy support mechanisms, mode of delivery, staff training, and other support activities such as monitoring, evaluation and assessment. The development of EPs is potentially an…

Professional identity formation in the transition from medical school to working life: a qualitative study of group-coaching courses for junior doctors.

PubMed

de Lasson, Lydia; Just, Eva; Stegeager, Nikolaj; Malling, Bente

2016-06-24

The transition from student to medical doctor is challenging and stressful to many junior doctors. To practice with confidence and professionalism the junior doctors have to develop a strong professional identity. Various suggestions on how to facilitate formation of professional identity have been offered including the possible positive effect of group-coaching courses. The purpose of this study was to explore how group-coaching might facilitate professional identity formation among junior doctors in the transition period. Group-coaching courses comprising three whole-day sessions and five 2 h sessions during a period of 4 months were offered to junior doctors in the first years after graduation. The purpose was to support the participants' professional development, ability to relate to patients, relatives and staff and career development. The coaches in this study had a background as health professionals combined with coaching educations. Data was obtained through observations, open-ended questionnaires and interviews. A generic thematic analysis was applied. Forty-five doctors participated in six coaching groups. The three main themes emerging in the sessions were: Adoption to medical culture, career planning, and work/life-balance. The junior doctors found the coaching intervention highly useful in order to cope with these challenges. Furthermore, the group was a forum where the junior doctors could share thoughts and feelings with colleagues without being afraid that this would endanger their professional career. Many found new ways to respond to everyday challenges mainly through a new awareness of patterns of thinking and feeling. The participants found that the group-coaching course supported their professional identity formation (thinking, feeling and acting as a doctor), adoption to medical culture, career planning and managing a healthy work/life-balance. Further studies in different contexts are recommended as well as studies using other methods to test the results of this qualitative study.

Art, music, story: The evaluation of a person-centred arts in health programme in an acute care older persons' unit.

PubMed

Ford, Karen; Tesch, Leigh; Dawborn, Jacqueline; Courtney-Pratt, Helen

2018-06-01

To evaluate the impact of an arts in health programme delivered by a specialised artist within an acute older person's unit. Acute hospitals must meet the increasingly complex needs of older people who experience multiple comorbidities, often including cognitive impairment, either directly related to their admission or longer term conditions, including dementia. A focus on physical illness, efficiency and tasks within an acute care environment can all divert attention from the psychosocial well-being of patients. This focus also decreases capacity for person-centred approaches that acknowledge and value the older person, their life story, relationships and the care context. The importance of arts for health and wellness, including responsiveness to individual need, is well established: however, there is little evidence about its effectiveness for older people in acute hospital settings. We report on a collaborative arts in health programme on an acute medical ward for older people. The qualitative study used collaborative enquiry underpinned by a constructivist approach to evaluate an arts programme that involved participatory art-making activities, customised music, song and illustration work, and enlivening the unit environment. Data sources included observation of art activities, semi-structured interviews with patients and family members, and focus groups with staff. Data were transcribed and thematically analysed using a line by line approach. The programme had positive impacts for the environment, patients, families and staff. The environment exhibited changes as a result of programme outputs; patients and families were engaged and enjoyed activities that aided recovery from illness; and staff also enjoyed activities and importantly learnt new ways of working with patients. An acute care arts in health programme is a carefully nuanced programme where the skills of the arts health worker are critical to success. Utilising such skill, continued focus on person-centeredness and openness to creativity demonstrated positive impacts for patients, families, staff and the ward environment. This study affirms the contribution of an arts in health program for older persons in an acute care setting in challenging the dominance of a task based medical model and emphasising person-centred care and outcomes. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Screening for depression: integrating training into the professional development programme for low vision rehabilitation staff.

PubMed

Rees, Gwyneth; Holloway, Edith E; Craig, Graeme; Hepi, Niky; Coad, Samantha; Keeffe, Jill E; Lamoureux, Ecosse L

2012-12-01

To describe the integration of depression screening training into the professional development programme for low vision rehabilitation staff and report on staff evaluation of this training. Pre-post intervention study, in a single population of low vision rehabilitation staff. Three hundred and thirty-six staff from Australia's largest low vision rehabilitation organization, Vision Australia. Staff completed the depression screening and referral training as part of a wider professional development programme. A pre-post-training questionnaire was administered to all staff. Descriptive and non-parametric statistics were used to determine differences in self-reported knowledge, confidence, barriers to recognition and management of depression between baseline and post training. One hundred and seventy-two participants completed both questionnaires. Following training, participants reported an increased knowledge of depression, were more likely to respond to depression in their clients and reported to be more confident in managing depression (P < 0.05). A range of barriers were identified including issues related to the client (e.g. acceptance of referrals); practitioners (e.g. skill, role); availability and accessibility of psychological services; time and contact constraints; and environmental barriers (e.g. lack of privacy). Additional training incorporating more active and 'hands-on' sessions are likely to be required. This training is a promising first step in integrating a depression screening tool into low vision rehabilitation practice. Further work is needed to determine the barriers and facilitators to implementation in practice and to assess clients' acceptability and outcomes. © 2012 The Authors. Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology © 2012 Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Ophthalmologists.

The disparity of frontline clinical staff and managers' perceptions of a quality and patient safety initiative.

PubMed

Parand, Anam; Burnett, Susan; Benn, Jonathan; Pinto, Anna; Iskander, Sandra; Vincent, Charles

2011-12-01

Arguably, a shared perspective between managers and their clinical staff on an improvement initiative would allow for most effective implementation and increase programme success. However, it has been reported that research has failed to differentiate between managers and line employees on quality management implementation and examine their differences in perceptions of quality and safety initiatives. The aim of this study was to compare clinical frontline staff and senior managers' perceptions on the importance of an organization-wide quality and safety collaborative: the Safer Patients Initiative (SPI). A quantitative study obtained 635 surveys at 20 trusts participating in SPI. Participants included the teams and frontline staff involved within the programme at each organization. Independent T-tests were carried out between frontline staff and senior managers' perceptions of SPI programme elements, success factors and impact & sustainability. Statistically significant differences were found between the perceptions of frontline staff and senior managers on a wide number of issues, including the frontline perceiving a significantly larger improvement on the timeliness of care delivery (t = 2.943, P = 0.004), while managers perceived larger improvement on the culture within the organization for safe, effective and reliable care (t = -2.454, P = 0.014). This study has identified statistically significant disparities in perceptions of an organization-wide improvement initiative between frontline staff and senior managers. This holds valuable implications for the importance of getting both frontline and management perspectives when designing such interventions, in monitoring their performance, and in evaluating their impact. © 2010 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Promoting oral health care among people living in residential aged care facilities: Perceptions of care staff.

PubMed

Villarosa, Amy R; Clark, Sally; Villarosa, Ariana C; Patterson Norrie, Tiffany; Macdonald, Susan; Anlezark, Jennifer; Srinivas, Ravi; George, Ajesh

2018-04-23

This study aimed to look at the practices and perspectives of residential aged care facility (RACF) care staff regarding the provision of oral health care in RACFs. Emphasis has been placed on the provision of adequate oral health care in RACFs through the Better Oral Health in Residential Aged Care programme. Endorsed by the Australian government, this programme provided oral health education and training for aged care staff. However, recent evidence suggests that nearly five years after the implementation of this programme, the provision of oral care in RACFs in NSW remains inadequate. This project utilised an exploratory qualitative design which involved a focus group with 12 RACF care staff. Participants were asked to discuss the current oral health practices in their facility, and their perceived barriers to providing oral health care. The key findings demonstrated current oral health practices and challenges among care staff. Most care staff had received oral health training and demonstrated positive attitudes towards providing dental care. However, some participants identified that ongoing and regular training was necessary to inform practice and raise awareness among residents. Organisational constraints and access to dental services also limited provision of dental care while a lack of standardised guidelines created confusion in defining their role as oral healthcare providers in the RACF. This study highlighted the need for research and strategies that focus on capacity building care staff in oral health care and improving access of aged care residents to dental services. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons A/S and The Gerodontology Association. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Developing compassion through a relationship centred appreciative leadership programme.

PubMed

Dewar, Belinda; Cook, Fiona

2014-09-01

Recent attention in health care focuses on how to develop effective leaders for the future. Effective leadership is embodied in relationships and should be developed in and with staff and patients. This paper describes development, implementation and evaluation of an appreciative and relationship centred leadership programme carried out with 86 nursing staff covering 24 in-patient areas within one acute NHS Board in Scotland. The aim of the programme was to support staff to work together to develop a culture of inquiry that would enhance delivery of compassionate care. The 12 month Leadership Programme used the principles of appreciative relationship centred leadership. Within this framework participants were supported to explore relationships with self, patients and families, and with teams and the wider organisation using caring conversations. Participants worked within communities of practice and action learning sets. They were supported to use a range of structured tools to learn about the experience of others and to identify caring practices that worked well and then explore ways in which these could happen more of the time. A range of methods were used to evaluate impact of the programme including a culture questionnaire and semi structured interviews. Immersion crystallisation technique and descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. Key themes included; enhanced self-awareness, better relationships, greater ability to reflect on practice, different conversations in the workplace that were more compassionate and respectful, and an ethos of continuing learning and improvement. The programme supported participants to think in different ways and to be reflective and engaged participants rather than passive actors in shaping the cultural climate in which compassionate relationship centred care can flourish. Multidisciplinary programmes where the process and outcomes are explicitly linked to organisational objectives need to be considered in future programmes. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Implementation of Releasing Time to Care - the productive ward.

PubMed

Wilson, Gwyneth

2009-07-01

This paper describes the implementation of the NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement Productive Ward - releasing time to care programme. It will discuss the benefits and key successes and provides advice for those wishing to implement the programme. In Lord Darzi's Next Stage Review, he advocates an ambitious vision of patient centred - clinician led, locally driven NHS. The Releasing Time to Care programme is a unique opportunity for everyone working within the NHS to improve effectiveness, safety and reliability of the services we provide. Whilst being situated within a National Health Service policy environment learning from this work can be translated nationally and internationally, as the principles underpin the provision of high quality care. Evaluation is currently in relation to each of the 15 modules rather than as the programme as a whole. It uses various methods including audit, observation, activity follow through, satisfaction surveys and process mapping. Each month data is colated for each of the 11 metrics which has shown a reduction in falls, drug administration errors and improvement in the recording of patient observations. One of the key issues is that an essential component for the success of the programme lies in the tangible support of the Trust Board/Board of Directors. Evidence shows that this programme improves patient satisfaction as it enables the provision of an increase in direct patient care by staff and subsequently improved clinical and safety outcomes. Ward Sister/Charge Nurse development includes Leadership, Project management and Lean Methodology techniques. The Releasing Time to Care programme is a key component of the Next Stage Review. It will create productive organisations by being a catalyst for the transformation of Trust services, enabling staff to spend more time caring for patients and users. This release in time will result in better outcomes and subsequent improvement with patient and staff satisfaction and experience of the NHS as well as a cultural change for the workforce. Releasing Time to Care, also known as the productive ward, offers a systematic way of delivering safe, high quality care to patients across healthcare settings. The Institute for Innovation and Improvement, have devised a programme of 15 modules based on 'lean' methodology. It has been widely piloted and in January 2008 was rolled out as a national initiative with 50 million pound pump priming money. Evidence shows that the programme can improve patient satisfaction as it enables the provision of an increase in direct patient care by staff and subsequent improved clinical and safety outcomes. The programme has to be implemented in a structured manner in order to assure its success and release the benefits. Core to this success is Board level commitment. Board members need to sign up to and understand the concepts of the programme and their role in supporting the ward staff. The organisation needs to understand the benefits that the programme will bring to the organisation as well as the challenges. The Board needs to understand that the programme is focussed on improving the quality of care for patients and not an opportunity to reduce costs.

Reforming a Bachelor of Music Programme: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carey, Gemma; Lebler, Don

2012-01-01

In 2010, the authors conducted a formal review of the Queensland Conservatorium's Bachelor of Music programme to determine to what extent the programme prepared graduates for professional life in the 21st century. The process was informed by comprehensive performance indicator data and substantial feedback from staff, students, and other…

The CATCH Kids Club: a pilot after-school study for improving elementary students' nutrition and physical activity.

PubMed

Kelder, Steve; Hoelscher, Deanna M; Barroso, Cristina S; Walker, Joey L; Cribb, Peter; Hu, Shaohua

2005-04-01

Although many school-based diet and physical activity interventions have been designed and evaluated, relatively few have been tested for the after-school setting. After-school day-care programmes at either elementary schools or private locations provide a ready-made opportunity for health programmes that may be difficult to incorporate into an already-full school day. The purpose of this paper is to report on a pilot study of an after-school adaptation of the CATCH (Coordinated Approach To Child Health) elementary school programme called the CATCH Kids Club (CKC). The CKC was pilot-tested and formatively evaluated in 16 Texas after-school programmes: eight in El Paso and eight in Austin (four intervention and four reference sites each). Evaluation consisted of direct observation of moderate to vigorous physical activity during play time, self-reported food intake and physical activity, and focus group interviews with after-school programme staff. Students responded well to the physical activity and snack components and were less interested in the five-module education component. Routine staff training was a key variable in achieving proper implementation; the ideal would be a full day with repeated follow-up model teaching visits. Staff turnover was a logistic issue, as was programme leader readiness and interest in conducting the programme. Strong and significant effects were observed for the physical activity but not for the education component. The results of the physical education component suggest it is feasible, effective and ready for larger-scale evaluation or dissemination.

Academic career in medicine: requirements and conditions for successful advancement in Switzerland.

PubMed

Buddeberg-Fischer, Barbara; Stamm, Martina; Buddeberg, Claus

2009-04-29

Within the framework of a prospective cohort study of Swiss medical school graduates a sample of young physicians aspiring to an academic career were surveyed on their career support and barriers experienced up to their sixth year of postgraduate training. Thirty-one junior academics took part in semi-structured telephone interviews in 2007. The interview guideline focused on career paths to date, career support and barriers experienced, and recommendations for junior and senior academics. The qualitatively assessed data were evaluated according to Mayring's content analysis. Furthermore, quantitatively gained data from the total cohort sample on person- and career-related characteristics were analyzed in regard to differences between the junior academics and cohort doctors who aspire to another career in medicine. Junior academics differ in terms of instrumentality as a person-related factor, and in terms of intrinsic career motivation and mentoring as career-related factors from cohort doctors who follow other career paths in medicine; they also show higher scores in the Career-Success Scale. Four types of career path could be identified in junior academics: (1) focus on basic sciences, (2) strong focus on research (PhD programs) followed by clinical training, (3) one to two years in research followed by clinical training, (4) clinical training and research in parallel. The interview material revealed the following categories of career-supporting experience: making oneself out as a proactive junior physician, research resources provided by superior staff, and social network; statements concerning career barriers encompassed interference between clinical training and research activities, insufficient research coaching, and personality related barriers. Recommendations for junior academics focused on mentoring and professional networking, for senior academics on interest in human resource development and being role models. The conditions for an academic career in medicine in Switzerland appear to be difficult especially for those physicians combining research with clinical work. For a successful academic career it seems crucial to start with research activities right after graduation, and take up clinical training later in the career. Furthermore, special mentoring programs for junior academics should be implemented at all medical schools to give trainees more goal-oriented guidance in their career.

Academic career in medicine – requirements and conditions for successful advancement in Switzerland

PubMed Central

Buddeberg-Fischer, Barbara; Stamm, Martina; Buddeberg, Claus

2009-01-01

Background Within the framework of a prospective cohort study of Swiss medical school graduates a sample of young physicians aspiring to an academic career were surveyed on their career support and barriers experienced up to their sixth year of postgraduate training. Methods Thirty-one junior academics took part in semi-structured telephone interviews in 2007. The interview guideline focused on career paths to date, career support and barriers experienced, and recommendations for junior and senior academics. The qualitatively assessed data were evaluated according to Mayring's content analysis. Furthermore, quantitatively gained data from the total cohort sample on person- and career-related characteristics were analyzed in regard to differences between the junior academics and cohort doctors who aspire to another career in medicine. Results Junior academics differ in terms of instrumentality as a person-related factor, and in terms of intrinsic career motivation and mentoring as career-related factors from cohort doctors who follow other career paths in medicine; they also show higher scores in the Career-Success Scale. Four types of career path could be identified in junior academics: (1) focus on basic sciences, (2) strong focus on research (PhD programs) followed by clinical training, (3) one to two years in research followed by clinical training, (4) clinical training and research in parallel. The interview material revealed the following categories of career-supporting experience: making oneself out as a proactive junior physician, research resources provided by superior staff, and social network; statements concerning career barriers encompassed interference between clinical training and research activities, insufficient research coaching, and personality related barriers. Recommendations for junior academics focused on mentoring and professional networking, for senior academics on interest in human resource development and being role models. Conclusion The conditions for an academic career in medicine in Switzerland appear to be difficult especially for those physicians combining research with clinical work. For a successful academic career it seems crucial to start with research activities right after graduation, and take up clinical training later in the career. Furthermore, special mentoring programs for junior academics should be implemented at all medical schools to give trainees more goal-oriented guidance in their career. PMID:19402885

Staff support for the Health Service Executive (HSE) global health programme.

PubMed

Fitzpatrick, G; Weakliam, D; Boland, M; Fitzgerald, M

2014-03-01

The Global Health programme (GHP) within the Health Service Executive (HSE) aims to improve health in developing countries by creating partnerships between Irish and developing world healthcare institutions. To ascertain the level of interest among HSE staff for the GHP a web-based survey was conducted. 1,028 responses were received. Medical professionals, 202 (27.7%) composed the largest category of respondents. The majority, 503 (69.3%) of respondents wished to actively participate in the GHP. 237 (23.1%) staff had previous experience of working in the developing world. This survey highlighted a number of themes respondents considered important for successful partnerships including: reciprocal staff exchange, joint scientific research, the avoidance of "brain drain" and utilising the Internet to link institutions. Less than 1% (2/203) of comments expressed a negative view of the GHP.

Change in Child Behaviour Concerns Associated with Childcare Quality Features among a Sample of Low-Income Latino Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hartman, Suzanne; Manfra, Louis

2016-01-01

This study explored the relation between childcare quality (staff-child ratio and staff-child interactions) and behavioural development between the beginning and the end of the childcare year among a sample of 44 low-income Latino four-year-olds in 14 childcare programmes. Neither staff-child ratio nor staff-child interactions were related to…

Mapping Africa's advanced public health education capacity: the AfriHealth project.

PubMed

Ijsselmuiden, C B; Nchinda, T C; Duale, S; Tumwesigye, N M; Serwadda, D

2007-12-01

Literature on human resources for health in Africa has focused on personal health services. Little is known about graduate public health education. This paper maps "advanced" public health education in Africa. Public health includes all professionals needed to manage and optimize health systems and the public's health. Data were collected through questionnaires and personal visits to departments, institutes and schools of community medicine or public health. Simple descriptive statistics were used to analyse the data. For more than 900 million people, there are fewer than 500 full-time staff, around two-thirds of whom are male. More men (89%) than women (72%) hold senior degrees. Over half (55%) of countries do not have any postgraduate public health programme. This shortage is most severe in lusophone and francophone Africa. The units offering public health programmes are small: 81% have less than 20 staff, and 62% less than 10. On the other hand, over 80% of Africans live in countries where at least one programme is available, and there are six larger schools with over 25 staff. Programmes are often narrowly focused on medical professionals, but "open" programmes are increasing in number. Public health education and research are not linked. Africa urgently needs a plan for developing its public health education capacity. Lack of critical mass seems a key gap to be addressed by strengthening subregional centres, each of which should provide programmes to surrounding countries. Research linked to public health education and to educational institutions needs to increase.

Impact of a person-centred dementia care training programme on hospital staff attitudes, role efficacy and perceptions of caring for people with dementia: A repeated measures study.

PubMed

Surr, C A; Smith, S J; Crossland, J; Robins, J

2016-01-01

People with dementia occupy up to one quarter of acute hospital beds. However, the quality of care delivered to this patient group is of national concern. Staff working in acute hospitals report lack of knowledge, skills and confidence in caring for people with dementia. There is limited evidence about the most effective approaches to supporting acute hospital staff to deliver more person-centred care. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of a specialist training programme for acute hospital staff regarding improving attitudes, satisfaction and feelings of caring efficacy, in provision of care to people with dementia. A repeated measures design, with measures completed immediately prior to commencing training (T1), after completion of Foundation level training (T2: 4-6 weeks post-baseline), and following Intermediate level training (T3: 3-4 months post-baseline). One NHS Trust in the North of England, UK. 40 acute hospital staff working in clinical roles, the majority of whom (90%) were nurses. All participants received the 3.5 day Person-centred Care Training for Acute Hospitals (PCTAH) programme, comprised of two levels, Foundation (0.5 day) and Intermediate (3 days), delivered over a 3-4 months period. Staff demographics and previous exposure to dementia training were collected via a questionnaire. Staff attitudes were measured using the Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire (ADQ), satisfaction in caring for people with dementia was captured using the Staff Experiences of Working with Demented Residents questionnaire (SEWDR) and perceived caring efficacy was measured using the Caring Efficacy Scale (CES). The training programme was effective in producing a significant positive change on all three outcome measures following intermediate training compared to baseline. A significant positive effect was found on the ADQ between baseline and after completion of Foundation level training, but not for either of the other measures. Training acute hospital staff in Intermediate level person-centred dementia care is effective in producing significant improvements in attitudes towards and satisfaction in caring for people with dementia and feelings of caring efficacy. Foundation level training is effective in changing attitudes but does not seem to be sufficient to bring about change in satisfaction or caring efficacy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A novel mentorship programme for residents integrating academic development, clinical teaching and graduate medical education assessment.

PubMed

Bhatia, Kriti; Takayesu, James Kimo; Nadel, Eric S

2016-02-01

Mentorship fosters career development and growth. During residency training, mentorship should support clinical development along with intellectual and academic interests. Reported resident mentoring programmes do not typically include clinical components. We designed a programme that combines academic development with clinical feedback and assessment in a four-year emergency medicine residency programme. Incoming interns were assigned an advisor. At the conclusion of the intern year, residents actively participated in selecting a mentor for the duration of residency. The programme consisted of quarterly meetings, direct clinical observation and specific competency assessment, assistance with lecture preparation, real-time feedback on presentations, simulation coaching sessions, and discussions related to career development. Faculty participation was recognized as a valuable component of the annual review process. Residents were surveyed about the overall programme and individual components. Over 88 % of the respondents said that the programme was valuable and should be continued. Senior residents most valued the quarterly meetings and presentation help and feedback. Junior residents strongly valued the clinical observation and simulation sessions. A comprehensive mentorship programme integrating clinical, professional and academic development provides residents individualized feedback and coaching and is valued by trainees. Individualized assessment of clinical competencies can be conducted through such a programme.

Software Technology Transfer and Export Control.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-01-01

development projects of their own. By analogy, a Soviet team might be able to repeat the learning experience of the ADEPT-50 junior staff...recommendations concerning product form and further study . The posture of this group has been to consider software technology and its transfer as a process...and views of the Software Subgroup of Technical Working Group 7 (Computers) of the Critical Technologies Project . The work reported

Facilitation of an end-of-life care programme into practice within UK nursing care homes: A mixed-methods study.

PubMed

Kinley, Julie; Preston, Nancy; Froggatt, Katherine

2018-06-01

The predicted demographic changes internationally have implications for the nature of care that older people receive and place of care as they age. Healthcare policy now promotes the implementation of end-of-life care interventions to improve care delivery within different settings. The Gold Standards Framework in Care Homes (GSFCH) programme is one end-of-life care initiative recommended by the English Department of Health. Only a small number of care homes that start the programme complete it, which raises questions about the implementation process. To identify the type, role, impact and cost of facilitation when implementing the GSFCH programme into nursing care home practice. A mixed-methods study. Nursing care homes in south-east England. Staff from 38 nursing care homes undertaking the GSFCH programme. Staff in 24 nursing care homes received high facilitation. Of those, 12 also received action learning. The remaining 14 nursing care homes received usual local facilitation of the GSFCH programme. Study data were collected from staff employed within nursing care homes (home managers and GSFCH coordinators) and external facilitators associated with the homes. Data collection included interviews, surveys and facilitator activity logs. Following separate quantitative (descriptive statistics) and qualitative (template) data analysis the data sets were integrated by 'following a thread'. This paper reports study data in relation to facilitation. Three facilitation approaches were provided to nursing home staff when implementing the GSFCH programme: 'fitting it in' facilitation; 'as requested' facilitation; and 'being present' facilitation. 'Being present' facilitation most effectively enabled the completion of the programme, through to accreditation. However, it was not sufficient to just be present. Without mastery and commitment, from all participants, including the external facilitator, learning and initiation of change failed to occur. Implementation of the programme required an external facilitator who could mediate multi-layered learning at an individual, organisational and appreciative system level. The cost savings in the study outweighed the cost of providing a 'being present' approach to facilitation. Different types of facilitation are offered to support the implementation of end-of-life care initiatives. However, in this study 'being present' facilitation, when supported by multi-layered learning, was the only approach that initiated the change required. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Engaging Students and Staff with Educational Development through Appreciative Inquiry

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kadi-Hanifi, Karima; Dagman, Ozlem; Peters, John; Snell, Ellen; Tutton, Caroline; Wright, Trevor

2014-01-01

Appreciative inquiry (AI) offers a constructive, strengths-based framework for engaging students and staff in the enhancement of academic programmes of study. This paper explores the basis of AI, its potential for educational development and the many agendas it might help address. Students and academic staff involved in an AI project, focused on…

Feasibility and inter-rater reliability of the ICU Mobility Scale.

PubMed

Hodgson, Carol; Needham, Dale; Haines, Kimberley; Bailey, Michael; Ward, Alison; Harrold, Megan; Young, Paul; Zanni, Jennifer; Buhr, Heidi; Higgins, Alisa; Presneill, Jeff; Berney, Sue

2014-01-01

The objectives of this study were to develop a scale for measuring the highest level of mobility in adult ICU patients and to assess its feasibility and inter-rater reliability. Growing evidence supports the feasibility, safety and efficacy of early mobilization in the intensive care unit (ICU). However, there are no adequately validated tools to quickly, easily, and reliably describe the mobility milestones of adult patients in ICU. Identifying or developing such a tool is a priority for evaluating mobility and rehabilitation activities for research and clinical care purposes. This study was performed at two ICUs in Australia. Thirty ICU nursing, and physiotherapy staff assessed the feasibility of the 'ICU Mobility Scale' (IMS) using a 10-item questionnaire. The inter-rater reliability of the IMS was assessed by 2 junior physical therapists, 2 senior physical therapists, and 16 nursing staff in 100 consecutive medical, surgical or trauma ICU patients. An 11 point IMS scale was developed based on multidisciplinary input. Participating clinicians reported that the scale was clear, with 95% of respondents reporting that it took <1 min to complete. The junior and senior physical therapists showed the highest inter-rater reliability with a weighted Kappa (95% confidence interval) of 0.83 (0.76-0.90), while the senior physical therapists and nurses and the junior physical therapists and nurses had a weighted Kappa of 0.72 (0.61-0.83) and 0.69 (0.56-0.81) respectively. The IMS is a feasible tool with strong inter-rater reliability for measuring the maximum level of mobility of adult patients in the ICU. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A Prospective Epidemiological Study of Injuries in Japanese National Tournament-Level Badminton Players From Junior High School to University

PubMed Central

Miyake, Eiji; Yatsunami, Mitsunobu; Kurabayashi, Jun; Teruya, Koji; Sekine, Yasuhiro; Endo, Tatsuaki; Nishida, Ryuichiro; Takano, Nao; Sato, Seiko; Jae Kyung, Han

2016-01-01

Background: Injury prevention programs have recently been created for various sports. However, a longitudinal study on badminton injuries, as assessed by a team’s dedicated medical staff, at the gymnasium has not been performed. Objectives: We aimed to perform the first such study to measure the injury incidence, severity and type as the first step in creating a badminton injury prevention program. Patients and Methods: A prospective, longitudinal survey was conducted between April 2012 and March 2013 with 133 national tournament-level badminton players from junior high school to university in Japan with the teams’ physical therapists at the gymnasium. Injury incidence was measured as the injury rate (IR) for every 1,000 hour (1000 hour) and IR for every 1,000 athlete exposures (1000 AE). Severity was classified in 5 levels by the number of days the athlete was absent from practice or matches. Injury types were categorized as trauma or overuse. Results: Practice (IR) (1,000 hour) was significantly higher in female players than in male players; the rates increased with increasing age. IR (1,000 AE) was significantly higher in matches than in practice in both sexes of all ages, except for female junior high school students and injuries were most frequent for high school students in matches. The majority of the injuries were slight (83.8%); overuse injuries occurred approximately 3 times more than trauma. Conclusions: This is the first study in which medical staff assessed injuries in badminton, providing value through benchmark data. Injury prevention programs are particularly necessary for female university students in practice and high school students in matches. PMID:27217933

Enhancing staff attitudes, knowledge and skills in supporting the self-determination of adults with intellectual disability in residential settings in Hong Kong: a pretest-posttest comparison group design.

PubMed

Wong, P K S; Wong, D F K

2008-03-01

The ecological perspective recognizes the critical role that is played by rehabilitation personnel in helping people with intellectual disability (ID) to exercise self-determination, particularly in residential settings. In Hong Kong, the authors developed the first staff training programme of its kind to strengthen the competence of personnel in this area. The purpose of this study was to examine the effectiveness of staff training in enhancing residential staff's attitudes, knowledge and facilitation skills in assisting residents with ID to exercise self-determination. A pretest-posttest comparison group design was adopted. Thirty-two participants in an experimental group attended a six-session staff training programme. A 34-item self-constructed scale was designed and used for measuring the effectiveness of the staff training. The results showed that the experimental group achieved statistically significant positive changes in all domains, whereas no significant changes were found in the comparison group. The findings provided initial evidence of the effectiveness of staff training that uses an interactional attitude-knowledge-skills model for Chinese rehabilitation personnel. The factors that contributed to its effectiveness were discussed and recommendations for future research were made.

An Impact Evaluation of the "FoodMate" Programme: Perspectives of Homeless Young People and Staff

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Meiklejohn, Sarah J.; Barbour, Liza; Palermo, Claire E.

2017-01-01

Objectives: Food insecurity remains an issue for vulnerable populations in developed countries. The potential dietary and food security impacts of nutrition education programmes in Australia remain largely undocumented. This study investigated the impacts of an eight-session nutrition education programme delivered within community case management…

The British Airways Employee Assistance Programme: a community response to a company's problems.

PubMed

Smith, K G; McKee, A D

1992-02-01

Employee Assistance Programmes have developed since the early 1940s, particularly in North America, and are now part of many UK companies benefits packages for their staff (particularly in North America). This article details the development, philosophy, structure and practice of the British Airways Employee Assistance Programme.

Consumer participation in early detection of the deteriorating patient and call activation to rapid response systems: a literature review.

PubMed

Vorwerk, Jane; King, Lindy

2016-01-01

This review investigated the impact of consumer participation in recognition of patient deterioration and response through call activation in rapid response systems. Nurses and doctors have taken the main role in recognition and response to patient deterioration through hospital rapid response systems. Yet patients and visitors (consumers) have appeared well placed to notice early signs of deterioration. In response, many hospitals have sought to partner health professionals with consumers in detection and response to early deterioration. However, to date, there have been no published research-based reviews to establish the impact of introducing consumer involvement into rapid response systems. A critical research-based review was undertaken. A comprehensive search of databases from 2006-2014 identified 11 studies. Critical appraisal of these studies was undertaken and thematic analysis of the findings revealed four major themes. Following implementation of the consumer activation programmes, the number of calls made by the consumers following detection of deterioration increased. Interestingly, the number of staff calls also increased. Importantly, mortality numbers were found to decrease in one major study following the introduction of consumer call activation. Consumer and staff knowledge and satisfaction with the new programmes indicated mixed results. Initial concerns of the staff over consumer involvement overwhelming the rapid response systems did not eventuate. Evaluation of successful consumer-activated programmes indicated the importance of: effective staff education and training; ongoing consumer education by nurses and clear educational materials. Findings indicated positive patient outcomes following introduction of consumer call activation programmes within rapid response systems. Effective consumer programmes included information that was readily accessible, easy-to-understand and available in a range of multimedia materials accompanied by the explanation and support of health professionals. Introduction of consumer-activated programmes within rapid response systems appears likely to improve outcomes for patients experiencing deterioration. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Evaluation of the 'Ladder to the Moon, Culture Change Studio Engagement Programme' staff training: Two quasi-experimental case studies.

PubMed

Guzmán, Azucena; Wenborn, Jennifer; Swinson, Tom; Orrell, Martin

2017-09-01

To evaluate the impact of the CCSEP on care home staff in two care settings for older people in one nursing home and one residential home. Care homes provide personal care and accommodation for older people. The English Dementia Strategy aims to improve the quality of service provision for people with dementia. This includes specific mention of improving the quality of life in care homes and as such includes objectives related to developing the workforce knowledge and skills. The Ladder to the Moon Culture Change Studio Engagement Programme (CCSEP) is a staff training approach based on the Positive Psychology framework that uses theatre- and film-based activities. This study used a wait-list controlled design. However, the data analysis plan was amended to reflect difficulties in data collection, and a quasi-experimental case study approach was consequently utilised. Outcome measures for staff attitudes and beliefs were as follows: Sense of Competence in Dementia Care Staff; Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire; Job Satisfaction Index; Brief Learning Transfer System Inventory; and Scale of Positive and Negative Experience. The Quality of Interaction Schedule (QUIS) was used to observe changes in staff-resident interaction. Fifty staff in two care homes completed the questionnaires and forty-one undertook formal CCSEP training. In Home A (nursing home), there was no significant change in any of the measures. In Home B (residential home), the QUIS showed an increase in positive interactions post intervention; a significant increase in the Building Relationship subscale of Sense of Competence; and a significant increase in staff sense of hopefulness towards people with dementia. The Brief Learning Transfer System Inventory showed a significant decrease post-intervention. The intervention did not significantly affect the happiness or job satisfaction of care home staff. The results of this study provide tentative evidence about the efficacy of this staff training programme. Some significant improvement in staff attitudes to people with dementia, staff sense of competence and positive staff-resident interactions were found in one of two homes. It is likely that the organisational problems affecting the other care home limited the implementation and therefore efficacy of the intervention there. The results therefore suggest that when a supportive management structure is in place, CCSEP may be more effective in improving staff attitudes, sense of competence and interactions with residents. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Interventions to reduce the use of seclusion and restraint in inpatient psychiatric settings: what we know so far a review of the literature.

PubMed

Scanlan, Justin Newton

2010-07-01

In recent times, much attention has been focused on the reduction of seclusion and restraint in psychiatric settings. This paper analyzes evidence available from evaluations of single seclusion and/or restraint reduction programmes. A total of 29 papers were included in the review. Seven key strategy types emerged from the analysis: (i) policy change/leadership; (ii) external review/debriefing; (iii) data use; (iv) training; (v) consumer/family involvement; (vi) increase in staff ratio/crisis response teams; and (vii) programme elements/changes. Outcomes indicate that a range of reduction programmes are successful in reducing the frequency and duration of seclusion and restraint use, while at the same time maintaining a safe environment. The development of new seclusion and restraint reduction programmes should include strong leadership from local management; external seclusion and restraint review committees or post-incident debriefing and analysis; broad-based staff training and programme changes at a local level. Behavioural and cognitive-behavioural programmes appear to be very useful in child and adolescent services. Further systematic research should be conducted to more fully understand which elements of successful programmes are the most powerful in reducing incidents of seclusion and restraint.

Vocation, friendship and resilience: a study exploring nursing student and staff views on retention and attrition.

PubMed

Williamson, Graham R; Health, Val; Proctor-Childs, Tracey

2013-01-01

There is international concern about retention of student nurses on undergraduate programmes. United Kingdom Higher Education Institutions are monitored on their attrition statistics and can be penalised financially, so they have an incentive to help students remain on their programmes beyond their moral duty to ensure students receive the best possible educational experience. to understand students' and staff concerns about programmes and placements as part of developing our retention strategies. This study reports qualitative data on retention and attrition collected as part of an action research study. One University School of Nursing and Midwifery in the South West of England. Staff, current third year and ex-student nurses from the adult field. Data were collected in focus groups, both face-to face and virtual, and individual telephone interviews. These were transcribed and subjected to qualitative content analysis. FOUR THEMES EMERGED: Academic support, Placements and mentors, Stresses and the reality of nursing life, and Dreams for a better programme. The themes Academic support, Placements and mentors and Stresses and the reality of nursing life, resonate with international literature. Dreams for a better programme included smaller group learning. Vocation, friendship and resilience seem instrumental in retaining students, and Higher Education Institutions should work to facilitate these. 'Vocation' has been overlooked in the retention discussions, and working more actively to foster vocation and belongingness could be important.

Improving patient care over weekends by reducing on-call work load and better time management

PubMed Central

Gardezi, Syed Anjum Ali

2014-01-01

The Royal College of Physicians states that “handover, particularly of temporary ‘on-call’ responsibility, has been identified as a point at which errors are likely to occur.”[1] Working a weekend on-call covering medical wards is often busy and stressful for all junior doctors. The high volume of routine and unplanned tasks make the situation even worse. In Nevill Hall hospital Abergavenny, we measured the workload on a junior doctor for medical ward cover on weekends by counting the number of times he/she was bleeped for routine tasks. Initial study demonstrated that on average 30–40% of time on a long day shift was spent on jobs which could have been done on the preceding Friday. The “FRIDAYS” checklist was introduced for clinical staff (particularly junior doctors) to identify these jobs. According to this model, all the junior doctors were encouraged to review: F: Phlebotomy R: Rewriting drug charts I: IV fluids D: discharge summaries A: Antibiotic review Y: Yellow book/Warfarin dose S: Status of resuscitation and escalation plans before leaving the wards on Friday afternoon. This implementation successfully showed reduction in weekend workload, allowing the ward cover to be focused on care and safety of comparatively sick patients while at the same time reducing the stress for the on-call team. PMID:26734257

Gender equity programmes in academic medicine: a realist evaluation approach to Athena SWAN processes.

PubMed

Caffrey, Louise; Wyatt, David; Fudge, Nina; Mattingley, Helena; Williamson, Catherine; McKevitt, Christopher

2016-09-08

Gender inequity has persisted in academic medicine. Yet equity is vital for countries to achieve their full potential in terms of translational research and patient benefit. This study sought to understand how the gender equity programme, Athena SWAN, can be enabled and constrained by interactions between the programme and the context it is implemented into, and whether these interactions might produce unintended consequences. Multimethod qualitative case studies using a realist evaluation approach. 5 departments from a university medical school hosting a Translational Research Organisation. 25 hours of observations of gender equality committee meetings, 16 in-depth interviews with Heads of Departments, Committee Leads and key personnel involved in the initiative. 4 focus groups with 15 postdoctoral researchers, lecturers and senior lecturers. The implementation of Athena SWAN principles was reported to have created social space to address gender inequity and to have highlighted problematic practices to staff. However, a number of factors reduced the programme's potential to impact gender inequity. Gender inequity was reproduced in the programme's enactment as female staff was undertaking a disproportionate amount of Athena SWAN work, with potential negative impacts on individual women's career progression. Early career researchers experienced problems accessing Athena SWAN initiatives. Furthermore, the impact of the programme was perceived to be undermined by wider institutional practices, national policies and societal norms, which are beyond the programme's remit. Gender equity programmes have the potential to address inequity. However, paradoxically, they can also unintentionally reproduce and reinforce gender inequity through their enactment. Potential programme impacts may be undermined by barriers to staff availing of career development and training initiatives, and by wider institutional practices, national policies and societal norms. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Perceptions of music therapy for older people among healthcare professionals.

PubMed

Khan, Waqas Ullah; Mohamad Onn Yap, Irin Arina; O'Neill, Desmond; Moss, Hilary

2016-03-01

To investigate the perceptions of healthcare providers on music therapy and their recommendations on wider adoption in a hospital setting. A qualitative exploratory study employing short semistructured interviews using a thematic analysis method of data analysis. A qualitative exploratory study, employing short semistructured interviews was conducted in March 2015 in an urban teaching hospital to explore healthcare providers' attitudes towards and recommendations on music therapy. Convenience sampling was used for recruitment of hospital staff from a multidisciplinary geriatric unit. Only staff who had exposure, awareness, or participated in the hospital music therapy programme were asked to partake in an in-depth qualitative interview. Themes emerging reflected a belief among hospital staff that music therapy was of benefit to patients and staff; perceptions of how a hospital music therapy programme should be implemented and a desire for expansion of the music therapy programme throughout the hospital setting. Music therapy is of great importance to patients and healthcare professionals, and thus more attention is warranted to better integrate and advance this programme. This study is important because although numerous studies have examined music therapy from a patient health perspective, no report has analysed the perceptions of healthcare providers on this intervention and their recommendations on further development of music therapy services. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

Curriculum Reform: Quality in Basic Education. Background/Policy Paper. Improving the Quality of Basic Education. Volume I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bacchus, Kazim; And Others

The theme of the 1990 meeting of the Ministers of Education of the Commonwealth of Nations was improving the quality of basic education. Basic education was defined as "the activities of primary and junior secondary schools, and of programmes of out-of-school education at an equivalent level, both for children and for adults." This…

North–south collaboration and capacity development in global health research in low- and middle-income countries – the ARCADE projects

PubMed Central

Atkins, Salla; Marsden, Sophie; Diwan, Vishal; Zwarenstein, Merrick

2016-01-01

Background Research capacity enhancement is needed in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) for improved health, wellbeing, and health systems’ development. In this article, we discuss two capacity-building projects, the African/Asian Regional Capacity Development (ARCADE) in Health Systems and Services Research (HSSR) and Research on Social Determinants of Health (RSDH), implemented from 2011 to 2015. The two projects focussed on providing courses in HSSR and social determinants of health research, and on developing collaborations between universities, along with capacity in LMIC universities to manage research grant submissions, financing, and reporting. Both face-to-face and sustainable online teaching and learning resources were used in training at higher postgraduate levels (Masters and Doctoral level). Design We collated project meeting and discussion minutes along with project periodic reports and deliverables. We extracted key outcomes from these, reflected on these in discussions, and summarised them for this paper. Results Nearly 55 courses and modules were developed that were delivered to over 920 postgraduate students in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Junior researchers were mentored in presenting, developing, and delivering courses, and in preparing research proposals. In total, 60 collaborative funding proposals were prepared. The consortia also developed institutional capacity in research dissemination and grants management through webinars and workshops. Discussion ARCADE HSSR and ARCADE RSDH were comprehensive programmes, focussing on developing the research skills, knowledge, and capabilities of junior researchers. One of the main strengths of these programmes was the focus on network building amongst the partner institutions, where each partner brought skills, expertise, and diverse work cultures into the consortium. Through these efforts, the projects improved both the capacity of junior researchers and the research environment in Africa, Asia, and Europe. PMID:27725081

North-south collaboration and capacity development in global health research in low- and middle-income countries - the ARCADE projects.

PubMed

Atkins, Salla; Marsden, Sophie; Diwan, Vishal; Zwarenstein, Merrick

2016-01-01

Research capacity enhancement is needed in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) for improved health, wellbeing, and health systems' development. In this article, we discuss two capacity-building projects, the African/Asian Regional Capacity Development (ARCADE) in Health Systems and Services Research (HSSR) and Research on Social Determinants of Health (RSDH), implemented from 2011 to 2015. The two projects focussed on providing courses in HSSR and social determinants of health research, and on developing collaborations between universities, along with capacity in LMIC universities to manage research grant submissions, financing, and reporting. Both face-to-face and sustainable online teaching and learning resources were used in training at higher postgraduate levels (Masters and Doctoral level). We collated project meeting and discussion minutes along with project periodic reports and deliverables. We extracted key outcomes from these, reflected on these in discussions, and summarised them for this paper. Nearly 55 courses and modules were developed that were delivered to over 920 postgraduate students in Africa, Asia, and Europe. Junior researchers were mentored in presenting, developing, and delivering courses, and in preparing research proposals. In total, 60 collaborative funding proposals were prepared. The consortia also developed institutional capacity in research dissemination and grants management through webinars and workshops. ARCADE HSSR and ARCADE RSDH were comprehensive programmes, focussing on developing the research skills, knowledge, and capabilities of junior researchers. One of the main strengths of these programmes was the focus on network building amongst the partner institutions, where each partner brought skills, expertise, and diverse work cultures into the consortium. Through these efforts, the projects improved both the capacity of junior researchers and the research environment in Africa, Asia, and Europe.

Study protocol of a cluster randomized controlled trial evaluating the efficacy of a comprehensive pressure ulcer prevention programme for private for-profit nursing homes.

PubMed

Kwong, Enid Wai-yung; Lee, Paul Hong; Yeung, Kwan-mo

2016-01-18

Because the demand for government-subsidized nursing homes in Hong Kong outstrips the supply, the number of for-profit private nursing homes has been increasing rapidly. However, the standard of care in such homes is always criticized. Pressure ulcers are a major long-term care issue that is closely associated with the quality of care delivered in nursing home settings. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a pressure ulcer prevention programme for residents in private for-profit nursing homes. This is a two-arm cluster randomized controlled trial with an estimated sample size of 1088 residents and 74 care staff from eight for-profit private nursing homes. Eligible nursing homes will be those classified as category A2 homes in the Enhanced Bought Place Scheme (EBPS), having a capacity of around 130-150 beds, and no structured PU prevention protocol and/or programmes in place. Care staff will be health workers, personal care workers, and nurses who are front-line staff providing direct care to residents. Eight nursing homes will be randomly assigned to either an experimental or control group. The experimental group will be provided with an intensive training programme and will be involved in the implementation of a 16-week pressure ulcer prevention protocol, while the control group will deliver the usual pressure ulcer prevention care. The study outcomes are the pressure ulcer prevention knowledge and skills of the care staff and the prevalence and incidence of pressure ulcers. Data on the knowledge and skills of care staff, and prevalence of pressure ulcer will be collected at the base line, and then at the 8(th) week and at completion of the implementation of the protocol. The assessment of the incidence of pressures will start from before the commencement of the intensive training course to the end of the implementation of the protocol. In view of the negative impact of pressure ulcers, it is important to have an effective and evidence-based pressure ulcer prevention programme to improve preventive care in private for-profit nursing homes. The programme will potentially improve the knowledge and skills of care staff on the prevention of pressure ulcers and also lead to a reduction in the development of pressure ulcers in nursing homes. The Current Controlled Trial is NCT02270385, 18 October 2014.

Strategy-Based Development of Teacher Educators' ICT Competence through a Co-operative Staff Development Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lavonen, Jari; Lattu, Matti; Juuti, Kalle; Meisalo, Veijo

2006-01-01

An ICT strategy and an implementation plan for teacher education were created in a co-operative process. Visions and expectations of staff members and students were registered by questionnaires and by making notes during sessions in which the strategy was created. Thereafter, an implementation document, where the staff development programme and…

Engaging or Training Sessional Staff: Evidence from an Australian Case of Enhanced Engagement and Motivation in Teaching Delivery

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Byers, Philippa; Tni, Massimiliano

2014-01-01

This paper examines the effectiveness of a programme of weekly meetings between sessional staff and the unit coordinator of a large first-year class at an Australian university. Interviews with sessional staff indicate that, in addition to training and targeted professional development initiatives, management initiatives that promote engagement…

Clinical decision making in the recognition of dying: a qualitative interview study.

PubMed

Taylor, Paul; Dowding, Dawn; Johnson, Miriam

2017-01-25

Recognising dying is an essential clinical skill for general and palliative care professionals alike. Despite the high importance, both identification and good clinical care of the dying patient remains extremely difficult and often controversial in clinical practice. This study aimed to answer the question: "What factors influence medical and nursing staff when recognising dying in end-stage cancer and heart failure patients?" This study used a descriptive approach to decision-making theory. Participants were purposively sampled for profession (doctor or nurse), specialty (cardiology or oncology) and grade (senior vs junior). Recruitment continued until data saturation was reached. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with NHS medical and nursing staff in an NHS Trust which contained cancer and cardiology tertiary referral centres. An interview schedule was designed, based on decision-making literature. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed and analysed using thematic framework. Data were managed with Atlas.ti. Saturation was achieved with 19 participants (7 seniors; 8 intermediate level staff; 4 juniors). There were 11 oncologists (6 doctors, 5 nurses) and 8 cardiologists (3 doctors, 5 nurses). Six themes were generated: information used; decision processes; modifying factors; implementation; reflecting on decisions and related decisions. The decision process described was time-dependent, ongoing and iterative, and relies heavily on intuition. This study supports the need to recognise the strengths and weaknesses of expertise and intuition as part of the decision process, and of placing the recognition of dying in a time-dependent context. Clinicians should also be prepared to accept and convey the uncertainty surrounding these decisions, both in practice and in communication with patients and carers.

Distributed Leadership and Research Degree Administration: Understanding the Role of a Good Programme Administrator for Professional Doctorate Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkes, Denise; Johansson, Carol; McSweeney, Catherine

2017-01-01

Studies of the interaction between professional and academic staff in leadership in higher education institutions have focused on distributed leadership. Whilst such studies have considered the leadership of the whole university, aspects of this model also apply to the relationship between programme leaders and administrators. This paper aims to…

Teacher Effectiveness Enhancement Programme: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Endowment Foundation, 2016

2016-01-01

The Teacher Effectiveness Enhancement Programme (TEEP) is a CPD programme that aims to improve teachers' classroom practice. TEEP training is offered as a whole-school approach by the Schools, Students and Teachers Network (SSAT). All staff in a school received three days of training over a period of two terms. A smaller cohort of teachers, chosen…

The impact of a unique knowledge translation programme implemented in a large multisite paediatric hospital.

PubMed

Christensen, Catie; Wessells, David; Byars, Michelle; Marrie, James; Coffman, Shaun; Gates, Erin; Selhorst, Mitch

2017-04-01

Physical therapists (PTs) display positive attitudes toward evidence-based practice (EBP), and implementing it can improve patient outcomes and reduce costs. However, barriers can lead to inconsistent use of EBP. The objectives of this manuscript are to (i) describe the initiation and revisions to a knowledge translation (KT) programme, (ii) assess staff participation in KT, and (iii) evaluate availability, internal use and external dissemination of evidence-based recommendations and research. The KT programme was implemented in a large paediatric hospital employing 66 PTs who provide services in the inpatient, outpatient developmental and sports and orthopaedics settings in 15 locations. The KT programme was initiated 9 years ago but underwent improvements over the past 3 years. Five key revisions included the subdivision of the EBP and Research Coordinator positions by area of practice, increasing the structure of the KT programme, implementing strategies to encourage use of local recommendations, obtaining leadership support to emphasize KT and providing staff education. With the revisions, staff participation in local recommendation development increased from 16.3-68.2%. Research involvement increased from 4.1-50%. The number of local recommendations increased from 1 to 9, and an overall compliance rate of 79% was achieved for the recommendations presented in an algorithm format. External dissemination increased from 1 to 44 for presentations and 0 to 7 for publications. Revisions to a KT programme improved PT engagement in KT activities, increased the availability of local recommendations, encouraged use of EBP and increased external dissemination of information. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Hunter New England Training (HNET): how to effect culture change in a psychiatry medical workforce.

PubMed

Cohen, Martin; Llewellyn, Anthony; Ditton-Phare, Philippa; Sandhu, Harsimrat; Vamos, Marina

2011-12-01

It is now recognized that education and training are at the core of quality systems in health care. In this paper we discuss the processes and drivers that underpinned the development of high quality education and training programs and placements for all junior doctors. The early identification and development of doctors interested in psychiatry as a career, engagement and co-operation with the broader junior doctor network and the creation of teaching opportunities for trainees that was linked to their stage of development were identified as key to the success of the program. Targeted, high quality education programs and clinical placements coupled with strategic development of workforce has reduced staff turn over, led to the stabilization of the medical workforce and created a culture where learning and supervision are highly valued.

A process evaluation of the 'Aware' and 'Supportive Communities' gambling harm-minimisation programmes in New Zealand.

PubMed

Kolandai-Matchett, Komathi; Bellringer, Maria; Landon, Jason; Abbott, Max

2018-04-01

The Gambling Act 2003 mandated a public health strategy for preventing and minimising gambling harm in New Zealand. Aware Communities and Supportive Communities are two public health programmes subsequently implemented nationwide. These programmes differed from common health promotion initiatives such as media or education campaigns as they were community-action based (requiring community involvement in programme planning and delivery). We carried out a process evaluation to determine their implementation effectiveness and inform improvement and future programme planning. Our qualitative dominant mixed methods design comprised analysis of over a hundred implementer progress reports (submitted July 2010 - June 2013), a staff survey and a staff focus group interview. The programmes demonstrated capacity to not only achieve expected outcomes (e.g. enhanced community awareness about harmful gambling), but also to enhance social sustainability at the community level (e.g. established trustful relationships) and achieve some programme sustainability (e.g. community ownership over ongoing programme delivery). The evaluation noted the potential for a sustainable gambling harm-minimisation model. Community-action based harm-minimisation programmes offer programme sustainability potential which in turn offers funding cost-effectiveness when there are continual public health outcomes beyond initial funding. Although resource intensive, the community-action based approach enables culturally appropriate public health programmes suitable for societies where specific ethnic groups have higher gambling risk. Recognition of such harm-minimisation programmes' contribution to social sustainability is important considering the potential for broader public health outcomes (e.g. better life quality, lesser social problems) within socially sustainable societies.

Staff Retention. Personnel Management Module. Operational Management Programme. Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Peter

This module on staff retention is intended to show the direct link between problems in staff recruitment and retention and level of job satisfaction in hospitality settings. The material is presented in a self-instructional format in four sections. At the beginning of each section is a statement of the objectives that will be achieved as a result…

Critical care staff rotation: outcomes of a survey and pilot study.

PubMed

Richardson, Annette; Douglas, Margaret; Shuttler, Rachel; Hagland, Martin R

2003-01-01

Staff rotation is defined as a reciprocal exchange of staff between two or more clinical areas for a predetermined period of time. The rationale for introducing a 'Critical Care Nurse Rotation Programme' includes important issues such as improving nurses' knowledge and skills, providing development opportunities, networking, the ability to recruit and retain nurses and the provision of a more versatile and flexible workforce. To gain the understanding of nurses' views and opinions on critical care rotation programmes, evidence was collected by means of questionnaires involving 153 critical care nurses and by undertaking semi-structured interviews with four nurses. On the basis of the responses, a pilot of three Critical Care Nurse Rotation Programmes was introduced. An evaluation of the pilot project assessed participants, supervisors and senior nurses' experience of rotation and revealed very positive experiences being reported. The benefits highlighted included improving clinical skills and experience, improving interdepartmental relationships, heightened motivation and opportunities to network. The disadvantages focused on the operational and managerial issues, such as difficulties maintaining supervision and providing an adequate supernumerary period. Evidence from the survey and pilot study suggests that in the future, providing rotational programmes for critical care nurses would be a valuable strategy for recruitment, retention and developing the workforce.

Outreach programmes to attract girls into computing: how the best laid plans can sometimes fail

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lang, Catherine; Fisher, Julie; Craig, Annemieke; Forgasz, Helen

2015-07-01

This article presents a reflective analysis of an outreach programme called the Digital Divas Club. This curriculum-based programme was delivered in Australian schools with the aim of stimulating junior and middle school girls' interest in computing courses and careers. We believed that we had developed a strong intervention programme based on previous literature and our collective knowledge and experiences. While it was coordinated by university academics, the programme content was jointly created and modified by practicing school teachers. After four years, when the final data were compiled, it showed that our programme produced significant change to student confidence in computing, but the ability to influence a desire to pursue a career path in computing did not fully eventuate. To gain a deeper insight in to why this may be the case, data collected from two of the schools are interrogated in more detail as described in this article. These schools were at the end of the expected programme outcomes. We found that despite designing a programme that delivered a multi-layered positive computing experience, factors beyond our control such as school culture and teacher technical self-efficacy help account for the unanticipated results. Despite our best laid plans, the expectations that this semester long programme would influence students' longer term career outcomes may have been aspirational at best.

Enhanced recovery clinical education programme improves quality of post-operative care.

PubMed

McDonald, Ruth

2015-01-01

Quality is the driving principle of Enhanced Recovery (ER). It improves the patient experience by getting patients better sooner and changes clinical practice to make care safer and more efficient. As a consequence of ER patients spend less time in hospital. A successful ER programme began to fail after organisational restructuring and staff changes. Patients did not meet their ER goals and length of stay (LOS) increased. An ER nurse was appointed to get the programme back on track. This involved a multidisciplinary approach to an ER clinical education programme. The programme aimed to develop knowledge of the physiology of post-operative recovery and the evidence underpinning the interventions required. This was considered crucial to secure longer term staff engagement while avoiding unthinking protocol driven compliance. Success of the education programme was measured by improved outcomes in patient LOS and readmission statistics. During the four months of the clinical education programme there were no significant changes in monthly LOS. At six months post implementation of the programme there was a reduction in LOS of 0.6 days compared to the previous six months. At 12 months there was a reduction in 1.1 days compared with previous 12 months. There was a mean reduction of 28 day readmissions for all elective gynaecology surgery of 1.1 patients per month in the 12 months post programme implementation compared to the 12 months before. Delivering a multidisciplinary participatory education programme improved overall understanding of ER, and achieved sustained improvement in ER for patient benefit.

Implementing cognitive remediation therapy (CRT) in a mental health service: staff training.

PubMed

Dark, Frances; Newman, Ellie; Harris, Meredith; Cairns, Alice; Simpson, Michael; Gore-Jones, Victoria; Whiteford, Harvey; Harvey, Carol; Crompton, David

2016-04-01

This paper describes the establishment of training in cognitive remediation for psychosis within a community mental health service. Clinical staff working in the community of a mental health service were surveyed to ascertain their interest in cognitive aspects of psychosis and skills training in cognitive remediation (CR). Based on the results of the survey a tiered training programme was established with attendance figures reported for each level of training. Fidelity assessment was conducted on the five CR programmes operating. Of 106 clinical staff working in the community with people diagnosed with a psychotic illness 51 completed the survey (48% response rate). The training needs varied with all 106 staff receiving the fundamental (mandatory) training and 51 staff receiving CR facilitator training. Thirty three percent of staff trained as facilitators were delivering CR. Up skilling the mental health workforce to incorporate an understanding of the cognitive aspects of psychosis into care delivery can be facilitated by a tiered training structure. Fundamental training on the psychosocial aspects of psychosis can act as a platform for focussed CR skills based training. There is also a need for accessible therapy based supervision for staff wishing to develop competencies as CR therapists. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2015.

Improving preparedness of medical students and junior doctors to manage patients with diabetes.

PubMed

Kelly, Narcie A A; Brandom, Kevin G; Mattick, Karen L

2015-01-01

New medical graduates are the front-line staff in many hospital settings and manage patients with diabetes frequently. Prescribing is an area of concern for junior doctors, however, with insulin prescribing reported as a particular weakness. This study aimed to produce an educational intervention which aimed to improve preparedness to manage patients with diabetes and evaluate it using a mixed methods approach. An e-resource (http://www.diabetesscenariosforjuniordoctors.co.uk) was created to contain commonplace and authentic diabetes decision-making scenarios. -32 junior doctors (n=20) and year 5 students (n=12) in South West England worked through the scenarios while 'thinking aloud' and then undertook a semistructured interview. Qualitative data were transcribed verbatim and analyzed thematically. Participant confidence to manage patients with diabetes before, immediately after, and 6 weeks after the educational intervention was also measured using a self-rating scale. Participants reported that patients with diabetes were daunting to manage because of the wide array of insulin products, their lack of confidence with chronic disease management and the difficulty of applying theory to practice. The e-resource was described as authentic, practical, and appropriate for the target audience. Junior doctors' self-rated confidence to manage patients with diabetes increased from 4.7 (of 10) before using the e-resource, to 6.4 immediately afterwards, and 6.8 6 weeks later. Medical students' confidence increased from 5.1 before, to 6.4 immediately afterwards, and 6.4 6 weeks later. Providing opportunities to work with authentic scenarios in a safe environment can help to ameliorate junior doctors' lack of confidence to manage patients with diabetes.

Developing a multidisciplinary approach within the ED towards domestic violence presentations.

PubMed

Basu, Subhashis; Ratcliffe, Giles

2014-03-01

To improve the detection and quality of care of patients who attend the emergency department (ED) with confirmed or suspected domestic abuse (DA). A quality improvement report on the design, implementation and evaluation of a specialised service and structured training programme to detect and manage DA presentations within an emergency medicine department. The study was set in the ED at the Northern General Hospital, Sheffield, UK. Key measures for improvement included introducing a service within the ED to help staff manage DA and coordinate responses; improve staff confidence in detecting DA; develop a structured and consistent process by which to manage DA presentations. An Independent Domestic Violence Advocate service was introduced into the department in July 2011 through a multiagency agreement. A structured training and education programme was delivered to ED staff. A 'communications form' was developed for DA risk assessment and case management. The process was reviewed quarterly. One hundred and seventy-two referrals were made to the service (121 distinct clients) over a 12-month period. Staff reported greater confidence in detecting DA, and community partners highlighted the role the service had in improving DA detection and care quality within the city. Strong leadership and prioritising the issue within the department has facilitated the development of the process and contributed substantially to its success. Support from community partners has been invaluable in tailoring the service and education programme to the needs of staff and patients within the department.

Patient and Staff Perceptions of Intradialytic Exercise before and after Implementation: A Qualitative Study

PubMed Central

Young, Hannah M. L.; Hudson, Nicky; Clarke, Amy L.; Dungey, Maurice; Feehally, John; Burton, James O.; Smith, Alice C.

2015-01-01

Introduction Despite guidance and evidence for the beneficial effects of intradialytic exercise (IDE), such programmes are rarely adopted within practice and little is known about how they may best be sustained. The Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) was used to guide the understanding of the barriers and facilitators to initial and ongoing IDE participation and to understand how these are influential at each stage. Materials and Methods Focus groups explored patient (n=24) and staff (n=9) perceptions of IDE prior to the introduction of a programme and, six months later, face to face semi-structured interviews captured exercising patients (n=11) and staffs’ (n=8) actual experiences. Data were collected at private and NHS haemodialysis units within the UK. All data were audio-recorded, translated where necessary, transcribed verbatim and subject to framework analysis. Results IDE initiation can be facilitated by addressing the pre-existing beliefs about IDE through the influence of peers (for patients) and training (for staff). Participation was sustained through the observation of positive outcomes and through social influences such as teamwork and collaboration. Despite this, environment and resource limitations remained the greatest barrier perceived by both groups. Conclusions Novel methods of staff training and patient education should enhance engagement. Programmes that clearly highlight the benefits of IDE should be more successful in the longer term. The barrier of staff workload needs to be addressed through specific guidance that includes recommendations on staffing levels, roles, training and skill mix. PMID:26068875

Working relationships between obstetric care staff and their managers: a critical incident analysis.

PubMed

Chipeta, Effie; Bradley, Susan; Chimwaza-Manda, Wanangwa; McAuliffe, Eilish

2016-08-26

Malawi continues to experience critical shortages of key health technical cadres that can adequately respond to Malawi's disease burden. Difficult working conditions contribute to low morale and frustration among health care workers. We aimed to understand how obstetric care staff perceive their working relationships with managers. A qualitative exploratory study was conducted in health facilities in Malawi between October and December 2008. Critical Incident Analysis interviews were done in government district hospitals, faith-based health facilities, and a sample of health centres' providing emergency obstetric care. A total of 84 service providers were interviewed. Data were analyzed using NVivo 8 software. Poor leadership styles affected working relationships between obstetric care staff and their managers. Main concerns were managers' lack of support for staff welfare and staff performance, lack of mentorship for new staff and junior colleagues, as well as inadequate supportive supervision. All this led to frustrations, diminished motivation, lack of interest in their job and withdrawal from work, including staff seriously considering leaving their post. Positive working relationships between obstetric care staff and their managers are essential for promoting staff motivation and positive work performance. However, this study revealed that staff were demotivated and undermined by transactional leadership styles and behavior, evidenced by management by exception and lack of feedback or recognition. A shift to transformational leadership in nurse-manager relationships is essential to establish good working relationships with staff. Improved providers' job satisfaction and staff retentionare crucial to the provision of high quality care and will also ensure efficiency in health care delivery in Malawi.

Political Repression Against Soviet Astronomers in the 1930s

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eremmeva, A. I.

1993-12-01

The Soviet government's repression of the Russian intelligentsia in the late 1930s had a devastating effect on astronomy. This period was marked by the strengthening of a rigid ideology in society and a growing atmosphere of suspicion, fear, and spy mania. Under these conditions the international nature of astronomy--in particular the need for foreign contacts--became the excuse for accusations of "wrecking" against astronomers. The fate of individual astronomers and institutions depended greatly, however, on local circumstances. For example, the general political repression of the 1930s began in Leningrad at a time when Pulkovo Observatory director B. P. Gerasimovich was engaged in a sharp conflict with a small group of junior staff led by V. A. Ambartsumian. In addition, the very first arrest of a Leningrad astronomer--namely the arrest of B. V. Numerov--appears to have initiated a cascading series of arrests that spread like an avalanche through the close-knit com- munity of Leningrad astronomers. These two factors led to the devastating ruin of Pulkovo. Completely different circumstances saved GAISh. This was a com- paratively young institute whose junior staff had spent its formative years at GAISh rather than joining the staff from out- side (as had been the case at Pulkovo). Thus the GAISh staff had a greater degree of homogeneity and solidarity, and this, in turn, may explain why the ideological department at GAISh (the "partburo") conducted itself in a manner that differed sharply from that of the "partburo" at Pulkovo. Thanks to these circum- stances not even one arrest occurred at GAISh. The directors of Pulkovo and GAISh came from very similar back- grounds, but the different conditions at Pulkovo and GAISh led to dramatic differences in their fates: execution for B. P. Gerasimovich in 1937 and "only" the persecution of GAISh director V. G. Fesenkov. The persecution of V. G. Fesenkov included his dismissal from the post of chairman of the Astronomical Council in 1937 and his removal as director of GAISh in 1939.

Sustaining Institution-Wide Induction for Sessional Staff in a Research-Intensive University: The Strength of Shared Ownership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matthews, Kelly E.; Duck, Julie M.; Bartle, Emma

2017-01-01

The "Tutors@UQ" programme provides an example of a formalised, institution-wide, cross-discipline, academic development programme to enhance the quality of teaching that has been maintained for seven years despite a pattern of substantial organisational change. We present a case study of the programme framed around a four-phase model of…

Current State of Inclusion of Children with Special Needs in Child Care Programmes in One Canadian Province

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiart, Lesley; Kehler, Heather; Rempel, Gwen; Tough, Suzanne

2014-01-01

Background: Access to quality child care is an important support for families with children with disabilities. The objectives of this study were to determine: (1) the current state of inclusion of children with special needs in child care programmes, and (2) the presence of child care staff practices and programme characteristics that support…

Teacher Experiences of Delivering an Obesity Prevention Programme (The WAVES Study Intervention) in a Primary School Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Griffin, Tania L; Clarke, Joanne L; Lancashire, Emma R; Pallan, Miranda J; Passmore, Sandra; Adab, Peymane

2015-01-01

Objective: There has been a wealth of childhood obesity prevention studies in school-based settings. However, few have investigated the experiences of school staff charged with delivery of such programmes. This study aimed to elicit teachers' experiences of delivering a childhood obesity prevention programme for children aged 6-7 years. Design:…

Moving on the Continuum between Teaching and Learning: Communities of Practice in a Student Support Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naude, Luzelle; Bezuidenhout, Hannemarie

2015-01-01

The focus of this article is on the experiences of staff members involved in a student support programme. The experiential, social, and student-centred approaches incorporated in this programme provided not only students, but also academics with pathways to lifelong learning. Functioning in a community of practice (CoP) (with students and also…

Vocation, Friendship and Resilience: A Study Exploring Nursing Student and Staff Views on Retention and Attrition

PubMed Central

Williamson, Graham R; Health, Val; Proctor-Childs, Tracey

2013-01-01

Introduction: There is international concern about retention of student nurses on undergraduate programmes. United Kingdom Higher Education Institutions are monitored on their attrition statistics and can be penalised financially, so they have an incentive to help students remain on their programmes beyond their moral duty to ensure students receive the best possible educational experience. Aims: to understand students’ and staff concerns about programmes and placements as part of developing our retention strategies. Design: This study reports qualitative data on retention and attrition collected as part of an action research study. Setting: One University School of Nursing and Midwifery in the South West of England. Participants: Staff, current third year and ex-student nurses from the adult field. Methods: Data were collected in focus groups, both face-to face and virtual, and individual telephone interviews. These were transcribed and subjected to qualitative content analysis. Results: Four themes emerged: Academic support, Placements and mentors, Stresses and the reality of nursing life, and Dreams for a better programme. Conclusions: The themes Academic support, Placements and mentors and Stresses and the reality of nursing life, resonate with international literature. Dreams for a better programme included smaller group learning. Vocation, friendship and resilience seem instrumental in retaining students, and Higher Education Institutions should work to facilitate these. ‘Vocation’ has been overlooked in the retention discussions, and working more actively to foster vocation and belongingness could be important. PMID:24167537

Staff-reported antecedents to aggression in a post-acute brain injury treatment programme: What are they and what implications do they have for treatment?

PubMed Central

Giles, Gordon Muir; Scott, Karen; Manchester, David

2013-01-01

Research in psychiatric settings has found that staff attribute the majority of inpatient aggression to immediate environmental stressors. We sought to determine if staff working with persons with brain injury-related severe and chronic impairment make similar causal attributions. If immediate environmental stressors precipitate the majority of aggressive incidents in this client group, it is possible an increased focus on the management of factors that initiate client aggression may be helpful. The research was conducted in a low-demand treatment programme for individuals with chronic cognitive impairment due to acquired brain injury. Over a six-week period, 63 staff and a research assistant reported on 508 aggressive incidents. Staff views as to the causes of client aggression were elicited within 72 hours of observing an aggressive incident. Staff descriptions of causes were categorised using qualitative methods and analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Aggression towards staff was predominantly preceded by (a) actions that interrupted or redirected a client behaviour, (b) an activity demand, or (c) a physical intrusion. The majority of aggressive incidents appeared hostile/angry in nature and were not considered by staff to be pre-meditated. Common treatment approaches can be usefully augmented by a renewed focus on interventions aimed at reducing antecedents that provoke aggression. Possible approaches for achieving this are considered. PMID:23782342

Staff-reported antecedents to aggression in a post-acute brain injury treatment programme: what are they and what implications do they have for treatment?

PubMed

Giles, Gordon Muir; Scott, Karen; Manchester, David

2013-01-01

Research in psychiatric settings has found that staff attribute the majority of in-patient aggression to immediate environmental stressors. We sought to determine if staff working with persons with brain injury-related severe and chronic impairment make similar causal attributions. If immediate environmental stressors precipitate the majority of aggressive incidents in this client group, it is possible an increased focus on the management of factors that initiate client aggression may be helpful. The research was conducted in a low-demand treatment programme for individuals with chronic cognitive impairment due to acquired brain injury. Over a six-week period, 63 staff and a research assistant reported on 508 aggressive incidents. Staff views as to the causes of client aggression were elicited within 72 hours of observing an aggressive incident. Staff descriptions of causes were categorised using qualitative methods and analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. Aggression towards staff was predominantly preceded by (a) actions that interrupted or redirected a client behaviour, (b) an activity demand, or (c) a physical intrusion. The majority of aggressive incidents appeared hostile/angry in nature and were not considered by staff to be pre-meditated. Common treatment approaches can be usefully augmented by a renewed focus on interventions aimed at reducing antecedents that provoke aggression. Possible approaches for achieving this are considered.

Gathering, strategizing, motivating and celebrating: the team huddle in a teaching general practice.

PubMed

Walsh, Allyn; Moore, Ainsley; Everson, Jennifer; DeCaire, Katharine

2018-03-01

To understand how implementing a daily team huddle affected the function of a complex interprofessional team including learners. A qualitative descriptive study using semi-structured interviews in focus groups. An academic general practice teaching practice. All members of one interprofessional team, including nurses, general practitioners, junior doctors, and support staff. Focus group interviews using semi-structured guidance were transcribed and the results analysed using qualitative content analysis. Four interrelated themes were identified: communication and knowledge sharing; efficiency of care; relationship and team building; and shared responsibility for team function. The implementation of the daily team huddle was seen by participants to enhance the collaboration within the team and to contribute to work life enjoyment. Participants perceived that problems were anticipated and solved quickly. Clinical updates and information about patients benefited the team including learners. Junior doctors quickly understood the scope of practice of other team members, but some felt reluctant to offer clinical opinions. The implementation of a daily team huddle was viewed as worthwhile by this large interprofessional general practice team. The delivery of patient care was more efficient, knowledge was readily distributed, and problem solving was shared across the team, including junior doctors.

Survey on the knowledge and expectations of Psychiatry of Intellectual Disability (ID) in Junior Doctors joining a NHS Mental Health Trust.

PubMed

Thalitaya, Madhusudan Deepak; Reynolds, Claire

2017-09-01

Nationally, there is a drive to rotate more Foundation and GP Trainee Doctors through Psychiatry posts. In East London Foundation Trust (ELFT) in Bedfordshire, doctors from Core Psychiatry, Foundation and GP training programmes come to train in Psychiatry. Many will not have worked in Psychiatry before and have little experience of patients with ID. The prevalence of people with ID is increasing with improved life expectancy. They are a complex and vulnerable group with considerable wider legal, ethical and social issues. Recent national reports including the Confidential Inquiry in to Premature Deaths in People with Learning Disability 3 and Transforming Care 4 have recommended increased training and awareness of the roles and responsibilities for all health staff who provide care to people with ID. To survey the knowledge level and expectations of junior doctors on Psychiatry placements in Bedfordshire in relation to ID and local logistical arrangements of services and on call duties. The local ID governance committee together with the Postgraduate Medical Education Department created a questionnaire which was circulated to new trainee Doctors on placements with ELFT. The questionnaire was distributed to new trainees after 3 different inductions throughout the year. This combined self-rating questions using Likert scales, multiple choice answers and others allowing for expanded free text answers. The results show the self-rated knowledge levels of ID psychiatry in general and with regard to local services and on call arrangements amongst new trainees was low. The majority of trainees indicated they would have liked to have received information on the suggested areas at the start of the placement. When given the option of themes of information the psychiatric and medical presentation was most sought, although general and on call specific information was also indicated to be useful. The most popular delivery of information was found to be oral presentation and hand out at induction, followed by an electronic document. 8 trainees were interested in attending clinical sessions in ID and most felt it would be feasible in their posts to get to these. This survey shows that Junior Doctors from different training programmes rate their knowledge of ID psychiatry to be low. This has implications during their rotation in a mental health trust as they are expected to cover an ID ward whilst on call, but also going forward in their careers as all specialties will encounter patients with ID. It is known that awareness of patients with ID is lacking in many healthcare professionals and we know that people with ID are living longer, however continue to have worse health than the general population. The results show trainees would like more education on ID and would be interested in attending clinical sessions in ID psychiatry. The results will enable clinicians in ID services how best to improve the local induction experience for trainees. It also will guide how to educate colleagues outside of the specialty to improve their practice with people with ID, which will improve standards in the quality of care people with ID receive from doctors who treat them.

Junior doctors' experiences of managing patients with medically unexplained symptoms: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Yon, Katherine; Nettleton, Sarah; Walters, Kate; Lamahewa, Kethakie; Buszewicz, Marta

2015-12-01

To explore junior doctors' knowledge about and experiences of managing patients with medically unexplained symptoms (MUS) and to seek their recommendations for improved future training on this important topic about which they currently receive little education. Qualitative study using in-depth interviews analysed using the framework method. Participants were recruited from three North Thames London hospitals within the UK. Twenty-two junior doctors undertaking the UK foundation two-year training programme (FY1/FY2). The junior doctors interviewed identified a significant gap in their training on the topic of MUS, particularly in relation to their awareness of the topic, the appropriate level of investigations, possible psychological comorbidities, the formulation of suitable explanations for patients' symptoms and longer term management strategies. Many junior doctors expressed feelings of anxiety, frustration and a self-perceived lack of competency in this area, and spoke of over-investigating patients or avoiding patient contact altogether due to the challenging nature of MUS and a difficulty in managing the accompanying uncertainty. They also identified the negative attitudes of some senior clinicians and potential role models towards patients with MUS as a factor contributing to their own attitudes and management choices. Most reported a need for more training during the foundation years, and recommended interactive case-based group discussions with a focus on providing meaningful explanations to patients for their symptoms. There is an urgent need to improve postgraduate training about the topics of MUS and avoiding over-investigation, as current training does not equip junior doctors with the necessary knowledge and skills to effectively and confidently manage patients in these areas. Training needs to focus on practical skill development to increase clinical knowledge in areas such as delivering suitable explanations, and to incorporate individual management strategies to help junior doctors tolerate the uncertainty associated with MUS. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/

An evaluation of the critical care assistant role within an acute NHS Trust Critical Care Unit.

PubMed

McGloin, Sarah; Knowles, Judie

2005-01-01

This study provides an evaluation of a training programme designed for developing six critical care assistants to work alongside registered nurses to care for patients within the critical care environment. The programme was run as a pilot funded from the Department of Health's 'critical care bid'. At 18 months long, the programme incorporated a foundation programme, and National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) level 3 in care and adapted Operating Department Practitioner (ODP) NVQ units. Six critical care assistants successfully completed the programme; however, they all then left the unit to undertake further study for pre-registration nursing qualifications. Upon evaluation, a number of key issues were identified. Clear definition of the critical care assistants's role is essential as are dedicated practice development staff, who focus purely on developing the critical care assistant role. More importantly, however, with such key changes in the staffing structure within critical care units, appropriate change management techniques should be employed, ensuring that all staff contributing to the training and development are fully involved from the start.

Junior doctor-led ‘near-peer’ prescribing education for medical students

PubMed Central

Gibson, Kyle R; Qureshi, Zeshan U; Ross, Michael T; Maxwell, Simon R

2014-01-01

Aims Prescribing errors are common and inadequate preparation of prescribers appears to contribute. A junior doctor-led prescribing tutorial programme has been developed for Edinburgh final year medical students to increase exposure to common prescribing tasks. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of these tutorials on students and tutors. Methods One hundred and ninety-six tutorials were delivered to 183 students during 2010–2011. Each student completed a questionnaire after tutorial attendance which explored their previous prescribing experiences and the perceived benefits of tutorial attendance. Tutors completed a questionnaire which evaluated their teaching experiences and the impact on their prescribing practice. Student tutorial attendance was compared with end-of-year examination performance using linear regression analysis. Results The students reported increased confidence in their prescribing knowledge and skills after attending tutorials. Students who attended more tutorials also tended to perform better in end-of-year examinations (Drug prescribing: r = 0.16, P = 0.015; Fluid prescribing: r = 0.18, P = 0.007). Tutors considered that participation enhanced their own prescribing knowledge and skills. Although they were occasionally unable to address student uncertainties, 80% of tutors reported frequently correcting misconceptions and deficits in student knowledge. Ninety-five percent of students expressed a preference for prescribing training delivered by junior doctors over more senior doctors. Conclusions A ‘near-peer’ junior doctor-led approach to delivering prescribing training to medical students was highly valued by both students and tutors. Although junior doctors have relatively less clinical experience of prescribing, we believe that this can be addressed by training and academic supervision and is outweighed by the benefits of these tutorials. PMID:23617320

Preschool and school programme in humanizing children's hospital stay.

PubMed

Kornhauser, P

1980-01-01

Introducing the article, the author emphasizes the importance of preschool and school instruction of the hospitalized children. Although this education and instruction programme differs in many particularities from that in normal schools, it should adhere to the same principles regarding the content and organization of the educational process and promote collaboration between the teaching staff in regular schools and teachers in hospitals. "Play therapy' is only one of the aspects of this activity and it is our task as pediatricians to provide a satisfactory number of full-time preschool and school teachers on the ward. Good planning in this field is of utmost importance. Suitable facilities for playing and learning are necessary, as well as toys, books and other possibilities for handcraft skills. Appropriate staff rooms should be provided for the hospital teaching staff. Today, the idea of hospital education and instruction programme is accepted and teachers and preschool teachers already work in some pediatric hospitals. Our task is, however, that kindergarten and school find their place in each children's hospital. This should also be enacted by law.

Educators’ perspectives about how older hospital patients can engage in a falls prevention education programme: a qualitative process evaluation

PubMed Central

Hill, Anne-Marie; McPhail, Steven M; Francis-Coad, Jacqueline; Waldron, Nicholas; Etherton-Beer, Christopher; Flicker, Leon; Ingram, Katharine; Haines, Terry P

2015-01-01

Objectives Falls are the most frequent adverse event reported in hospitals. Patient and staff education delivered by trained educators significantly reduced falls and injurious falls in an older rehabilitation population. The purpose of the study was to explore the educators’ perspectives of delivering the education and to conceptualise how the programme worked to prevent falls among older patients who received the education. Design A qualitative exploratory study. Methods Data were gathered from three sources: conducting a focus group and an interview (n=10 educators), written educator notes and reflective researcher field notes based on interactions with the educators during the primary study. The educators delivered the programme on eight rehabilitation wards for periods of between 10 and 40 weeks. They provided older patients with individualised education to engage in falls prevention and provided staff with education to support patient actions. Data were thematically analysed and presented using a conceptual framework. Results Falls prevention education led to mutual understanding between staff and patients which assisted patients to engage in falls prevention behaviours. Mutual understanding was derived from the following observations: the educators perceived that they could facilitate an effective three-way interaction between staff actions, patient actions and the ward environment which led to behaviour change on the wards. This included engaging with staff and patients, and assisting them to reconcile differing perspectives about falls prevention behaviours. Conclusions Individualised falls prevention education effectively provides patients who receive it with the capability and motivation to develop and undertake behavioural strategies that reduce their falls, if supported by staff and the ward environment. PMID:26656027

Skynet Junior Scholars: From Idea to Enactment--Tales from the Trenches II Implementation with Blind and Low Vision Youth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beasley, Jeremiah; Fahlberg, Tim; Hoette, Vivian L.; Mekeel, Tina; Meredith, Kate; Williamson, Kathryn; Hoette, B. Charles; Skynet Robotic Telescope Network, University of North Carolina

2016-01-01

Skynet Junior Scholars is an ambitious program that aims to:--Develop online tools that enable middle school and high school aged youth to use robotic optical and radio telescopes to do astronomy--Create an inquiry-based curriculum that promotes critical thinking and scientific habits of mind--Proactively incorporate Principles of Universal Design in all SJS development tasks to ensure access by blind/low vision and deaf/hard of hearing youth--Prepare 180 adult youth leaders from diverse backgrounds including 4-H leaders, museum educators, amateur astronomers and teachers to facilitate SJS activities in a variety of settings.In this paper we describe the work of staff and volunteers at the Wisconsin School for the Blind and Visually Impaired who have implemented SJS activities in school and camp environments, as well as ways in which they have empowered their students to take on leadership roles. Students from the Wisconsin School for the Blind and Visually Impaired planned and co-hosted a Magic of Astronomy (Harry Potter Themed) star party that incorporated topics learned as part of the SJS program; filters, exposure time, locating objects in the sky, as well as, how to make an image request from the Skynet network. Their experiences in successfully doing active astronomy will provide insight into how anyone can engage everyone in programs like Skynet Junior Scholars.Skynet Junior Scholars is supported by the National Science Foundation under Grant Numbers 1223687, 1223235 and 1223345.

Factors Affecting the Involvement of Day Centre Care Staff in the Delivery of Physiotherapy to Adults with Intellectual Disabilities: An Exploratory Study in One London Borough

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Middleton, M. -J.; Kitchen, S. S.

2008-01-01

Background: Physiotherapists for adults with intellectual disabilities often work in day centres, relying on care staff to support programmes. This study investigates factors affecting physiotherapy delivery in 4 day centres in one London borough. Materials and Method: Semi-structured interviews were carried out with day centre care staff,…

Transforming Professional Learning into Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sahin, Iclal; Yildirim, Ali

2016-01-01

In this qualitative case study, we explored how ten EFL teachers who attended an in-service staff development programme subsequently integrated professional learning into their classroom practice, and which staff development practices were effective in this process. We triangulated data from interviews, observations, and document analysis. The…

Cross-boundary rotational working for neonatal nurses.

PubMed

Kane, Tina

2007-05-01

Neonatal services in England and Wales are undergoing significant changes as a result of technological advances as well as the development of new networks. These changes have had a dramatic effect on the neonatal workforce. The skills of the available staff govern the level of activity of neonatal units: many units have had to re-evaluate the services they can safely deliver with the available workforce. This has resulted in the re-configuration of some neonatal units and changes in the dependency levels of many. Units have had to undertake reviews of the patterns of working of their staff to ensure that a skilled and competent workforce is available to provide the level of care each neonatal service requires. Shortages in some areas have meant that units have had to find new ways to retain and update skilled staff. This article describes a rotational programme developed with the aim of providing a continued clinical development pathway for neonatal nursing staff. The programme incorporates competency assessments of emergency skills and clinical and technological advances in neonatal care.

Impact of an Inclusive Programme on Achievement, Attendance and Perceptions towards the School Climate and Social-Emotional Adaptation among Students with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sakiz, Halis

2017-01-01

The aim of this paper is to report outcomes of a school-based programme aiming to promote achievement, attendance and positive perceptions towards the school climate and social-emotional adaptation among students with disabilities (SWD). The programme included a series of training and social activities for school staff, parents and children…

Not Seeing the Wood for the Trees: Developing a Feedback Analysis Tool to Explore Feed Forward in Modularised Programmes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hughes, Gwyneth; Smith, Holly; Creese, Brian

2015-01-01

This paper considers feedback in the context of modularised programmes in higher education in the UK. It is argued that the self-contained nature of modular assessment may limit feedback dialogue between staff and students to assignment-specific issues, and may impede student progress towards holistic programme-level aims and outcomes. A feedback…

The impact of the Dementia ABC educational programme on competence in person-centred dementia care and job satisfaction of care staff.

PubMed

Rokstad, Anne Marie Mork; Døble, Betty Sandvik; Engedal, Knut; Kirkevold, Øyvind; Benth, Jūratė Šaltytė; Selbaek, Geir

2017-06-01

The objective of the study was to evaluate the impact of the Dementia ABC educational programme on the participants' competence in person-centred care and on their level of job satisfaction. The development of person-centred care for people with dementia is highly recommended, and staff training that enhances such an approach may positively influence job satisfaction and the possibility of recruiting and retaining competent care staff. The study is a longitudinal survey, following participants over a period of 24 months with a 6-month follow-up after completion of the programme. A total of 1,795 participants from 90 municipalities in Norway are included, and 580 from 52 municipalities completed all measurements. The person-centred care assessment tool (P-CAT) is used to evaluate person-centredness. The psychosocial workplace environment and job satisfaction questionnaire is used to investigate job satisfaction. Measurements are made at baseline, and after 12, 24 and 30 months. A statistically significant increase in the mean P-CAT subscore of person-centred practice and the P-CAT total score is found at 12, 24 and 30 months compared to baseline. A statistically significant decrease in scores in the P-CAT subscore for organisational support is found at all points of measurement compared to baseline. Statistically significant increases in satisfaction with workload, personal and professional development, demands balanced with qualifications and variation in job tasks as elements of job satisfaction are reported. The evaluation of the Dementia ABC educational programme identifies statistically significant increases in scores of person-centredness and job satisfaction, indicating that the training has a positive impact. The results indicate that a multicomponent training programme including written material, multidisciplinary reflection groups and workshops has a positive impact on the development of person-centred care practice and the job satisfaction of care staff. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Challenges in implementing an advance care planning programme in long-term care.

PubMed

McGlade, Ciara; Daly, Edel; McCarthy, Joan; Cornally, Nicola; Weathers, Elizabeth; O'Caoimh, Rónán; Molloy, D William

2017-02-01

A high prevalence of cognitive impairment and frailty complicates the feasibility of advance care planning in the long-term-care population. Research aim: To identify challenges in implementing the 'Let Me Decide' advance care planning programme in long-term-care. This feasibility study had two phases: (1) staff education on advance care planning and (2) structured advance care planning by staff with residents and families. Participants and research context: long-term-care residents in two nursing homes and one community hospital. Ethical considerations: The local research ethics committee granted ethical approval. Following implementation, over 50% of all residents had completed some form of end-of-life care plan. Of the 70 residents who died in the post-implementation period, 14% had no care plan, 10% (with capacity) completed an advance care directive and lacking such capacity, 76% had an end-of-life care plan completed for them by the medical team, following discussions with the resident (if able) and family. The considerable logistical challenge of releasing staff for training triggered development of an e-learning programme to facilitate training. The challenges encountered were largely concerned with preserving resident's autonomy, avoiding harm and suboptimal or crisis decision-making, and ensuring residents were treated fairly through optimisation of finite resources. Although it may be too late for many long-term-care residents to complete their own advance care directive, the ' Let Me Decide' programme includes a feasible and acceptable option for structured end-of-life care planning for residents with variable capacity to complete an advance care directive, involving discussion with the resident (to the extent they were able) and their family. While end-of-life care planning was time-consuming to deliver, nursing staff were willing to overcome this and take ownership of the programme, once the benefits in improved communication and enhanced peace of mind among all parties involved became apparent in practice.

Cost and impact of a quality improvement programme in mental health services.

PubMed

Beecham, Jennifer; Ramsay, Angus; Gordon, Kate; Maltby, Sophie; Walshe, Kieran; Shaw, Ian; Worrall, Adrian; King, Sarah

2010-04-01

To estimate the cost and impact of a centrally-driven quality improvement initiative in four UK mental health communities. Total costs in year 1 were identified using documentation, a staff survey, semi-structured interviews and discussion groups. Few outcome data were collected within the programme so thematic analysis was used to identify the programme's impact within its five broad underlying principles. The survey had a 40% response. Total costs ranged between pound164,000 and pound458,000 per site, plus staff time spent on workstreams. There was a very hazy view of the resources absorbed and poor recording of expenditure and activity. The initiative generated little demonstrable improvements in service quality but some participants reported changes in attitudes. Given the difficult contexts, short time-scales and capacity constraints, the programme's lack of impact is not surprising. It may, however, represent a worthwhile investment in cultural change which might facilitate improvements in how services are delivered.

Critical interactions between Global Fund-supported programmes and health systems: a case study in Indonesia.

PubMed

Desai, Monica; Rudge, James W; Adisasmito, Wiku; Mounier-Jack, Sandra; Coker, Richard

2010-11-01

The Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria has played an important role in financing the response to HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis (TB) in Indonesia. As part of a series of case studies, we assessed the nature and extent of integration of Global Fund portfolios into the national HIV and TB programmes, integration of the HIV and TB programmes within the general health system, and system-wide effects of Global Fund support on the health care system in Indonesia. The study relied on a literature review and interviews with 22 key informants using the Systemic Rapid Assessment Toolkit and thematic analysis. Global Fund programmes in Indonesia are highly vertical and centralized, in contrast with the decentralized nature of the Indonesian health system. Consequently, there is more integration of all functions at local levels than centrally. There is a high level of integration of planning of Global Fund HIV and TB portfolios into the National AIDS and TB programmes and some limited integration of these programmes with other disease programmes, through joint working groups. Other synergies include strengthening of stewardship and governance and increased staff recruitment encouraged by incentive payments and training. Monitoring and evaluation functions of the Global Fund programmes are not integrated with the disease programmes, with parallel indicators and reporting systems. System-wide effects include greater awareness of governance and stewardship in response to the temporary suspension of Global Fund funding in 2008, and increased awareness of the need to integrate programme planning, financing and service delivery. Global Fund investment has freed up resources for other programmes, particularly at local levels. However, this may hinder a robust exit strategy from Global Fund funding. Furthermore, Global Fund monetary incentives may result in staff shifting into HIV and TB programmes.

The challenge of achieving professionalism and respect of diversity in a UK Earth Sciences department

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Imber, Jonathan; Taylor, Michelle; Callaghan, Mark; Castiello, Gabriella; Cooper, George; Foulger, Gillian; Gregory, Emma; Herron, Louise; Hoult, Jill; Lo, Marissa; Love, Tara; Macpherson, Colin; Oakes, Janice; Phethean, Jordan; Riches, Amy

2017-04-01

The Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, has a balanced gender profile at undergraduate, postgraduate and postdoctoral levels (38%, 42% and 45% females, respectively), but one of the lowest percentages, relative to the natural applicant pool, of female academic staff amongst UK geoscience departments. There are currently 9% female academic staff at Durham, compared with a median value (in November 2015) of 20% for all Russell Group geoscience departments in the UK. Despite the fact that the female staff group is relatively senior, the Department's current academic management is essentially entirely male. The Department has an informal working culture, in which academics operate an "open door" policy, and staff and students are on first name terms. This culture, open plan office space, and our fieldwork programme, allow staff and students to socialise. A positive outcome of this culture is that > 95% of final year undergraduate students deemed the staff approachable (National Student Survey 2016). Nevertheless, a survey of staff and research student attitudes revealed significant differences in the way males and females perceive our working environment. Females are less likely than males to agree with the statements that "the Department considers inappropriate language to be unacceptable" and "inappropriate images are not considered acceptable in the Department". That anyone could find "inappropriate" language and images "acceptable" is a measure of the challenge faced by the Department. Males disagree more strongly than females that they "have felt uncomfortable because of [their] gender". The Department is proactively working to improve equality and diversity. It held a series of focus group meetings, divided according to gender and job role, to understand the differences in male and female responses. Female respondents identified examples of inappropriate language (e.g. sexual stereotyping) that were directed at female, but not male, colleagues. Males recognised the unacceptability of inappropriate language, but were unsure how it is defined. These differences have serious implications for professional relationships in our department, in which males occupy all positions of managerial authority and most academic positions. Such asymmetric relationships make it difficult for students and junior staff to challenge inappropriate behaviour. The Department will hold a workshop for all staff, and student representatives, facilitated by the University's Centre for Academic, Researcher & Organisational Development, on "Professionalism and Respecting Diversity in Earth Sciences". The objectives are to: 1) define the boundaries between informality and inappropriate behaviour in office, laboratory and fieldwork environments; 2) encourage all colleagues to reflect on their own behaviours; and 3) develop a culture to empower individuals to intervene where inappropriate behaviour occurs. Outcomes of the workshop will be discussed in this presentation. Our immediate aim is to encourage positive change whilst preserving the best aspects of our open door culture. Longer term, we hope that by fostering a positive working environment, we will encourage outstanding female academics to work at Durham. The Department's objective is to achieve the average gender balance of the Russell Group geoscience departments over a period of 10 years.

Evaluation of e-Bug, an educational pack, teaching about prudent antibiotic use and hygiene, in the Czech Republic, France and England.

PubMed

Lecky, Donna M; McNulty, Cliodna A M; Touboul, Pia; Herotova, Tereza Koprivova; Benes, Jirí; Dellamonica, Pierre; Verlander, Neville Q; Kostkova, Patty; Weinberg, Julius

2010-12-01

e-Bug, a junior and senior school educational programme to decrease the spread of infection and unnecessary antibiotic use, was developed and consisted of eight sections providing information on the spread, treatment and prevention of infection as well as basic information on microbes, both useful and harmful. Each section comprised teacher background information, lesson plans and an interactive student activity, and extension activities were also available for more able students. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the e-Bug pack in improving children's knowledge in these key areas, when used within the National Curriculum in England, France and the Czech Republic. Junior (9-11 years) and senior (12-15 years) school classes were divided into either control or intervention groups for evaluation of the resource. Students were required to complete identical knowledge questionnaires at three timepoints (before, immediately after and 6 weeks after teaching), to assess knowledge change and retention. Teaching, using the e-Bug pack, was given by junior and senior school teachers. The junior e-Bug teaching pack demonstrated a significant improvement in student's knowledge in all sections and there was no significant decrease in student knowledge observed after a 6 week period. Knowledge improvement with the senior e-Bug pack varied between regions, although consistent improvement was observed for Gloucestershire (England) and Ostrava (Czech Republic). Although a success, modifications are required in both packs to further improve student knowledge and make the packs more appealing.

Enhanced recovery clinical education programme improves quality of post-operative care

PubMed Central

McDonald, Ruth

2015-01-01

Quality is the driving principle of Enhanced Recovery (ER). It improves the patient experience by getting patients better sooner and changes clinical practice to make care safer and more efficient. As a consequence of ER patients spend less time in hospital. A successful ER programme began to fail after organisational restructuring and staff changes. Patients did not meet their ER goals and length of stay (LOS) increased. An ER nurse was appointed to get the programme back on track. This involved a multidisciplinary approach to an ER clinical education programme. The programme aimed to develop knowledge of the physiology of post-operative recovery and the evidence underpinning the interventions required. This was considered crucial to secure longer term staff engagement while avoiding unthinking protocol driven compliance. Success of the education programme was measured by improved outcomes in patient LOS and readmission statistics. During the four months of the clinical education programme there were no significant changes in monthly LOS. At six months post implementation of the programme there was a reduction in LOS of 0.6 days compared to the previous six months. At 12 months there was a reduction in 1.1 days compared with previous 12 months. There was a mean reduction of 28 day readmissions for all elective gynaecology surgery of 1.1 patients per month in the 12 months post programme implementation compared to the 12 months before. Delivering a multidisciplinary participatory education programme improved overall understanding of ER, and achieved sustained improvement in ER for patient benefit. PMID:26734343

TB treatment in a chronic complex emergency: treatment outcomes and experiences in Somalia.

PubMed

Liddle, Karin Fischer; Elema, Riekje; Thi, Sein Sein; Greig, Jane; Venis, Sarah

2013-11-01

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides TB treatment in Galkayo and Marere in Somalia. MSF international supervisory staff withdrew in 2008 owing to insecurity but maintained daily communication with Somali staff. In this paper, we aimed to assess the feasibility of treating TB in a complex emergency setting and describe the programme adaptations implemented to facilitate acceptable treatment outcomes. Routinely collected treatment data from 2005-2012 were retrospectively analysed. In multivariate analyses, factors associated with successful outcome (cure or completion versus failure, death and default) were assessed, including the presence of international supervisory staff. Informal interviews were conducted with Somali staff regarding programmatic factors affecting patient management and perceived reasons for default. In total, 6167 patients were admitted (34.8% female; median age 24.0 years [IQR 13.0-38.0 years]). Treatment success was 79% (programme range 69-87%). Presence of international staff did not improve outcomes (adjusted OR 0.85, 95% CI 0.66-1.09; p=0.27). Perceived reasons for default included being away from family, nomadic group, insecurity, travel cost, need to return to grazing land or feeling better. Despite the challenges, a high percentage of patients were successfully treated. Treatment outcomes were not adversely affected by withdrawal of international supervisory staff.

Review of transnational nursing education programme curricula: process, findings, and recommendations.

PubMed

Mackay, Maria; Joyce-McCoach, Joanne; Stephens, Moira; Cutler, Natalie; Brown, Roy; Fernandez, Ritin; Froggatt, Terry J; Heaton, Leeanne; Moxham, Lorna; Sim, Jenny; Traynor, Victoria; Bourgeois, Sharon

2016-07-01

The University of Wollongong (UOW) delivers two Transnational International Programmes (TNEP) in Hong Kong (HK): a 1-year undergraduate Bachelor of Nursing (Conversion) degree and a 2-year postgraduate Master of Nursing degree. A curriculum review of these programmes has been undertaken to ensure the quality of the programme remains consistently high and competitive in an international environment. The aim of the Curriculum Review Project was to utilise the experience of expert academic staff to review the TNEP curricula delivered by an Australian University in Hong Kong (HK) to ensure it met contemporary needs of students, the university, and the Hong Kong Authority. The curriculum review projects followed a qualitative research methodology. Thematic analysis was undertaken utilising Braun and Clarke's six-phase method (2006), as this method facilitated an inductive semantic approach where themes are strongly linked to the data and sourced from the explicit meaning of the discourse within the interview (Braun and Clarke, 2006). In total, there were 6 participants who were all permanent academic staff members within the School of Nursing at the UOW. The results of this project have been reported within a strengths, weaknesses, opportunity, and threats (SWOT) framework. Participants recognised the value and challenges to both individual students and the broader nursing profession in HK. Overall, there was a perception that being involved as an academic staff member in a TNEP developed both their subject knowledge and teaching skills. This project has demonstrated that the TNEP makes an important contribution to the nursing profession in HK, while also facilitating the growth and development of academic staff at UOW. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

'Getting to Know Me': The second phase roll-out of a staff training programme for supporting people with dementia in general hospitals.

PubMed

Elvish, Ruth; Burrow, Simon; Cawley, Rosanne; Harney, Kathryn; Pilling, Mark; Gregory, Julie; Keady, John

2018-01-01

Objectives The aims were to evaluate a second phase roll-out of a dementia care training programme for general hospital staff and to further develop two outcome scales: the Confidence in Dementia scale for measuring confidence in working with people with dementia and the Knowledge in Dementia scale for measuring knowledge in dementia. Method Following a 'training the trainers' phase, the study involved the delivery of the 'Getting to Know Me' training programme to a large number of staff (n = 517) across three National Health Service (NHS) Trusts situated in North-West England. The impact of the programme was evaluated using a pre-post design which explored: (i) changes in confidence in dementia, (ii) changes in knowledge in dementia, and (iii) changes in beliefs about behaviours that challenge. Results Statistically significant change was identified between pre-post training on all outcome measures (Confidence in Dementia: eight point increase, p < 0.001; Knowledge in Dementia: two point increase p < 0.001; controllability beliefs scale: four point decrease, p < 0.001). Medium to large effect sizes were demonstrated on all outcome measures. The psychometric properties of the Confidence in Dementia and Knowledge in Dementia scales are reported. Conclusion Staff knowledge in dementia and confidence in working with people with dementia significantly increased following attendance at the training sessions. The findings are consistent with preliminary findings and strengthen current knowledge about the impact of dementia care training in general hospitals. The Confidence in Dementia and Knowledge in Dementia scales continue to demonstrate psychometrically sound properties and demonstrate utility in the field of dementia research.

Laparoscopic simulation training in gynaecology: Current provision and staff attitudes - a cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Burden, Christy; Fox, Robert; Hinshaw, Kim; Draycott, Timothy J; James, Mark

2016-01-01

The objectives of this study were to explore current provision of laparoscopic simulation training, and to determine attitudes of trainers and trainees to the role of simulators in surgical training across the UK. An anonymous cross-sectional survey with cluster sampling was developed and circulated. All Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) Training Programme Directors (TPD), College Tutors (RCT) and Trainee representatives (TR) across the UK were invited to participate. One hundred and ninety-six obstetricians and gynaecologists participated. Sixty-three percent of hospitals had at least one box trainer, and 14.6% had least one virtual-reality simulator. Only 9.3% and 3.6% stated that trainees used a structured curriculum on box and virtual-reality simulators, respectively. Respondents working in a Large/Teaching hospital (p = 0.008) were more likely to agree that simulators enhance surgical training. Eighty-nine percent agreed that simulators improve the quality of training, and should be mandatory or desirable for junior trainees. Consultants (p = 0.003) and respondents over 40 years (p = 0.011) were more likely to hold that a simulation test should be undertaken before live operation. Our data demonstrated, therefore, that availability of laparoscopic simulators is inconsistent, with limited use of mandatory structured curricula. In contrast, both trainers and trainees recognise a need for greater use of laparoscopic simulation for surgical training.

Simulation training for improving the quality of care for older people: an independent evaluation of an innovative programme for inter-professional education.

PubMed

Ross, Alastair J; Anderson, Janet E; Kodate, Naonori; Thomas, Libby; Thompson, Kellie; Thomas, Beth; Key, Suzie; Jensen, Heidi; Schiff, Rebekah; Jaye, Peter

2013-06-01

This paper describes the evaluation of a 2-day simulation training programme for staff designed to improve teamwork and inpatient care and compassion in an older persons' unit. The programme was designed to improve inpatient care for older people by using mixed modality simulation exercises to enhance teamwork and empathetic and compassionate care. Healthcare professionals took part in: (a) a 1-day human patient simulation course with six scenarios and (b) a 1-day ward-based simulation course involving five 1-h exercises with integrated debriefing. A mixed methods evaluation included observations of the programme, precourse and postcourse confidence rating scales and follow-up interviews with staff at 7-9 weeks post-training. Observations showed enjoyment of the course but some anxiety and apprehension about the simulation environment. Staff self-confidence improved after human patient simulation (t=9; df=56; p<0.001) and ward-based exercises (t=9.3; df=76; p<0.001). Thematic analysis of interview data showed learning in teamwork and patient care. Participants thought that simulation had been beneficial for team practices such as calling for help and verbalising concerns and for improved interaction with patients. Areas to address in future include widening participation across multi-disciplinary teams, enhancing post-training support and exploring further which aspects of the programme enhance compassion and care of older persons. The study demonstrated that simulation is an effective method for encouraging dignified care and compassion for older persons by teaching team skills and empathetic and sensitive communication with patients and relatives.

General Douglas MacArthur Military Leadership Writing Competition, Command and General Staff College 2012 Award Winning Essays

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

shift meets leadership expectations of “ millennials .14” Study has shown, “one of the best ways to keep them [millenials] engaged is to communicate a...identifying our current pool of junior Soldiers used by popular media. 15. Rainer III, Sam S. “Next Generation Needs: Leading Millennials Requires...normally associated with SPs (nicknamed ‘Artisans’) and NTPs (most highly represented among entrepreneurs ), and relational skills most clearly linked

General Douglas MacArthur Military Leadership Writing Competition, Command and General Staff College, 2012

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-01-01

shift meets leadership expectations of “ millennials .14” Study has shown, “one of the best ways to keep them [millenials] engaged is to communicate a...identifying our current pool of junior Soldiers used by popular media. 15. Rainer III, Sam S. “Next Generation Needs: Leading Millennials Requires...normally associated with SPs (nicknamed ‘Artisans’) and NTPs (most highly represented among entrepreneurs ), and relational skills most clearly linked

NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) Guide to Teaching Materials for English, Grades 7-12; An Annotated Listing of Textbooks and Related Materials for Secondary Schools Prepared by the NCTE Staff. 1975-76 Supplement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Council of Teachers of English, Urbana, IL.

This supplement to the "NCTE Guide to Teaching Materials for English, Grades 7-12" contains annotations for English anthologies, textbooks, workbooks, multimedia packages, and other materials for the junior high and high school levels. Works of literature, audiovisual materials, and professional publications are included when related to specific,…

Jefferson Proving Ground, South of the Fining Line, Final Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study, Resource Management Plan

DTIC Science & Technology

1993-01-01

and various DOD sites. I From 1984 to 1987, Mr. Pincock was a Certified Radiation and Chemistry Technician for United Nuclear Industries. He performed...in 1983, Mr. Pincock assisted the senior technical staff in radiation protection as a Junior Health Physics Technician at the Nuclear Support Services...SCOPE OF PROGRAM This plan contains a description of the personnel and procedures for managing the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study (RI/FS) at

NOTES FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEES, I, II--REPORTS OF ANNUAL CONFERENCES CONDUCTED FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEES AND PRESIDENTS BY THE MIDWEST COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEADERSHIP PROGRAM (1ST, 2D, 3D, ANN ARBOR, MICHIGAN).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

BANFIELD, RALPH W.; HALL, GEORGE L.

PAPERS PRESENTED AT THREE CONFERENCES FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGE TRUSTEES AND PRESIDENTS INCLUDED (1) A CONSIDERATION OF THE ROLES OF THE LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGE, THE UNIVERSITY, AND THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE, (2) FACULTY RELATIONS WITH ADMINISTRATION AND STAFF, (3) A CASE STUDY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE ST. LOUIS JUNIOR COLLEGE DISTRICT, (4) FEDERAL…

Markers of data quality in computer audit: the Manchester Orthopaedic Database.

PubMed

Ricketts, D; Newey, M; Patterson, M; Hitchin, D; Fowler, S

1993-11-01

This study investigates the efficiency of the Manchester Orthopaedic Database (MOD), a computer software package for record collection and audit. Data is entered into the system in the form of diagnostic, operative and complication keywords. We have calculated the completeness, accuracy and quality (completeness x accuracy) of keyword data in the MOD in two departments of orthopaedics (Departments A and B). In each department, 100 sets of inpatient notes were reviewed. Department B obtained results which were significantly better than those in A at the 5% level. We attribute this to the presence of a systems coordinator to motivate and organise the team for audit. Senior and junior staff did not differ significantly with respect to completeness, accuracy and quality measures, but locum junior staff recorded data with a quality of 0%. Statistically, the biggest difference between the departments was the quality of operation keywords. Sample sizes were too small to permit effective statistical comparisons between the quality of complication keywords. In both departments, however, the poorest quality data was seen in complication keywords. The low complication keyword completeness contributed to this; on average, the true complication rate (39%) was twice the recorded complication rate (17%). In the recent Royal College of Surgeons of England Confidential Comparative Audit, the recorded complication rate was 4.7%. In the light of the above findings, we suggest that the true complication rate of the RCS CCA should approach 9%.

[Workplace health promotion through human resources development part II: practical transfer of qualification programme for prevention of psychic stresses].

PubMed

Gregersen, S; Zimber, A; Kuhnert, S; Nienhaus, A

2010-04-01

This article is a follow-on from the first article on the development and evaluation of an intervention programme aiming to teach the staff of care facilities how to better deal with the mental strain they are exposed to. After a brief review of the programme's goal of 'increasing in-house health through staff development' and of the pilot study, this report initially shows how the findings from the pilot phase have been integrated into the original programme and what modifications have been carried out. For example, elements that proved to be successful such as the setting up of a 'steering circle' have been kept and, in addition, solutions for acknowledged weak points such as the insufficient transfer of the acquired knowledge to everyday work situations have been developed. In order to adequately support health care facilities during the implementation of the programme, additional courses to train multipliers who are to offer the necessary assistance, were carried out. The article also covers the evaluation of the quality of the development programme and of the accompanying implementation of the programme by the multipliers. At the end, a practical example is used to illustrate the issue and to demonstrate what actual shape the implementation at the different facilities can take. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart, New York.

Leadership scheme to develop the careers of talented candidates.

PubMed

Lynas, Karen

2012-02-01

The Top Leaders programme supports career development by identifying talented staff and equipping them with a range of management skills and approaches. The programme uses a diagnostic test to help candidates assess their strengths, leadership styles and development needs, and offers them 360 degrees feedback. This enables them to identify areas they need to develop to be effective and supportive leaders. Two case studies illustrate the programme in action.

Organizational factors related to the confidence of workers in working with residents with dementia or depression in aged care facilities.

PubMed

McCabe, Marita P; Mellor, David; Karantzas, Gery; Von Treuer, Kathryn; Davison, Tanya E; O'Connor, Daniel

2017-05-01

There has been limited research examining how organizational factors are associated with the level of confidence of residential aged care staff in managing both residents' depression and the behavioural and psychological symptoms of residents with dementia (BPSD). This study investigated this issue. A cross-sectional study design was employed. In total, 255 aged care staff (131 senior staff, 124 junior staff) from 21 residential care facilities participated in the study. All staff completed measures of self-efficacy in managing BPSD as well as confidence in working with older people with depression. They also completed measures of organizational climate (autonomy, cohesion, trust, pressure, support, recognition, fairness and encouragement of innovation) and measures of workplace experience (job role, number of years working in aged care facilities), job stress and satisfaction, and knowledge of depression. The results demonstrated that autonomy, trust, support, and job stress were associated with confidence in managing BPSD, while the factors related to confidence in managing depression were autonomy, support, job stress, job satisfaction, and knowledge of depression. These findings highlight that organizational climate factors need to be addressed in order to increase staff confidence in managing BPSD and depression. In particular, the findings demonstrate the importance of fostering organizational environments in which autonomy is promoted and there is support and cooperation among aged care staff. Attention to these factors is likely to increase the confidence of staff as they carry out their carer role.

Patterns of health service utilization at a medical school clinic in Ghana.

PubMed

Yawson, A E; Malm, K L; Adu, A A; Wontumi, G-M; Biritwum, R B

2012-09-01

The University of Ghana Medical School (UGMS) Clinic provides healthcare service which is free at point of service to students, staff, retired staff and dependents of staff of the College of Health Sciences. However, since 1983, no in-depth review of health service provision or utilization has been undertaken. This study reviewed client characteristics, utilization and disease patterns at the clinic and also compared the disease patterns to that of other primary health facilities nationwide. This was an analytical cross-sectional study undertaken at the UGMS clinic in Korle-Bu. It was a retrospective review of records of all clients attending the facility from January 2002 to December, 2004. More males than females attended the clinic and majority (63.9%) of clients were between 15-44 years (median age was 26 years). Dependents of staff constituted the highest attendants (41%) to the clinic. Among staff, junior staffs were in the majority. Malaria, respiratory tract infection and musculoskeletal pain were the most common conditions seen. Overall, 83% of clients were treated and discharged per visit without the need for review visits. Dependents of staff used the facility the most and they live in many different part of the city of Accra, and to ask them to attend the clinic for care is not efficient. It will be better to provide or supplement their securing of insurance so that they could access health care close to their homes and save time and attention to students and staff.

Computer-Based Training for Library Staff: From Demonstration to Continuing Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bayne, Pauline S.

1993-01-01

Describes a demonstration project developed at the University of Tennessee (Knoxville) libraries to train nonprofessional library staff with computer-based training using HyperCard that was created by librarians rather than by computer programmers. Evaluation methods are discussed, including formative and summative evaluation; and modifications…

Staff training and outreach support for Cognitive Stimulation Therapy and its implementation in practice: a cluster randomised trial.

PubMed

Streater, Amy; Spector, Aimee; Hoare, Zoe; Aguirre, Elisa; Russell, Ian; Orrell, Martin

2017-12-01

There is evidence that Cognitive Stimulation Therapy and maintenance Cognitive Stimulation Therapy are effective in mild to moderate dementia. There is, however, little evidence available for its implementation in practice and the impact of outreach support on the sustainability of the programme. Two hundred and forty-one staff members were randomised from 63 dementia care settings between outreach support including an online forum, email, and telephone support, compared to usual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy control group. The primary outcome was average number of attendees to the Cognitive Stimulation Therapy and maintenance Cognitive Stimulation Therapy programmes. There was no difference in average number of attendees between the intervention and usual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy control groups for the Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (p = 0.82) or the maintenance Cognitive Stimulation Therapy programme (p = 0.97). Outreach support does not affect the average number of people with dementia attending the Cognitive Stimulation Therapy or maintenance Cognitive Stimulation Therapy programme. Irrespective of outreach support, the programmes remain widely implemented and yield perceived benefits for people with dementia. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Staff experiences of an early warning indicator for unstable patients in Australia.

PubMed

Green, Anna; Williams, Allison; Allison, William

2006-01-01

The objective of this study is to explore nursing and medical staff's perceptions of a clinical marker referral tool implemented to assist in the early identification of unstable patients in the general surgical and medical ward environment. A descriptive, exploratory survey design was undertaken 6 months after the implementation of a clinical marker referral tool. The target population for the survey was all ward nursing, junior medical staff and intensive care unit (ICU) registrars in a metropolitan tertiary referral hospital in Australia. The survey consisted of open-ended and closed-ended questions, as well as statements asking participants to explore their perceptions, attitudes and perceived understanding of the clinical marker referral tool. The surveys were sent to all targeted staff in a personally addressed envelope via the internal mail system. Overall, nursing and medical staff (n = 178) responses were positive to the clinical marker project/tool, offering clear guidelines for staff to respond to the patient's clinical condition and contact the medical staff and the ICU liaison team as appropriate. Furthermore, comments were made in relation to the ICU liaison team acting as a 'support' and 'prompt back-up' for nursing staff when needed. However, ward medical staff had reservations with the clinical markers chosen and with ward nurses being able to contact the ICU registrar after hours. Additionally, the ICU registrars commented on an increase to their workload in having to review unstable patients after hours. These results suggest that the ward nurses required additional support and guidance in caring for the unstable patient in the ward which may improve patient outcomes. Further research investigating the less-favourable responses of the ward medical staff and ICU medical staff is warranted.

Workplace-based clinical leadership training increases willingness to lead.

PubMed

MacPhail, Aleece; Young, Carmel; Ibrahim, Joseph Elias

2015-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to reflect upon a workplace-based, interdisciplinary clinical leadership training programme (CLP) to increase willingness to take on leadership roles in a large regional health-care centre in Victoria, Australia. Strengthening the leadership capacity of clinical staff is an advocated strategy for improving patient safety and quality of care. An interdisciplinary approach to leadership is increasingly emphasised in the literature; however, externally sourced training programmes are expensive and tend to target a single discipline. Appraisal of the first two years of CLP using multiple sourced feedback. A structured survey questionnaire with closed-ended questions graded using a five-point Likert scale was completed by participants of the 2012 programme. Participants from the 2011 programme were followed up for 18 months after completion of the programme to identify the uptake of new leadership roles. A reflective session was also completed by a senior executive staff that supported the implementation of the programme. Workplace-based CLP is a low-cost and multidisciplinary alternative to externally sourced leadership courses. The CLP significantly increased willingness to take on leadership roles. Most participants (93 per cent) reported that they were more willing to take on a leadership role within their team. Fewer were willing to lead at the level of department (79 per cent) or organisation (64 per cent). Five of the 11 participants from the 2011 programme had taken on a new leadership role 18 months later. Senior executive feedback was positive especially around the engagement and building of staff confidence. They considered that the CLP had sufficient merit to support continuation for at least another two years. Integrating health-care professionals into formal and informal leadership roles is essential to implement organisational change as part of the drive to improve the safety and quality of care for patients and service users. This is the first interdisciplinary, workplace-based leadership programme to be described in the literature, and demonstrates that it is possible to deliver low-cost, sustainable and productive training that increases the willingness to take on leadership roles.

Clinical use of sensory gardens and outdoor environments in norwegian nursing homes: a cross-sectional e-mail survey.

PubMed

Gonzalez, Marianne Thorsen; Kirkevold, Marit

2015-01-01

Gardens and outdoor environments offer multiple therapeutic possibilities for the residents in nursing homes. Web-based questionnaires were sent to 488 nursing home leaders and 121 leaders responded. The clinical impressions of the leaders and staff regarding the benefits of sensory gardens (SGs) to the residents were consistent with previous research. SGs facilitated taking residents outdoors, offered convenient topics for communication and facilitated social privacy for relatives. For improved clinical use of SGs and outdoor environments, systematic assessment of residents' interests, performance and experiences when outdoors, implementation of seasonal clinical programmes and educational programmes for leaders and staff are recommended.

Investigating the effect of distance between the teacher and learner on the student perception of a neuroanatomical near-peer teaching programme.

PubMed

Stephens, Jonny R; Hall, Samuel; Andrade, Matheus Gesteira; Border, Scott

2016-12-01

Near-peer teaching (NPT) is a highly valuable resource for the education of medical undergraduates with benefits to the students, teachers themselves, and the faculty. To maximise the effectiveness of such teaching programmes, the aim of this study was to determine how the student learning experience, and underpinning social and cognitive congruencies changes as the learner-teacher distance increases. Second-year medical students at the University of Southampton participated in a series of neuroanatomy, extra-curricular revision sessions taught by the third-, fourth-, and fifth-year medical students and junior doctors. The students completed a validated questionnaire after the session rating various aspects of the teaching. Although all teachers delivered sessions that we rated highly with a mean perceived gain in knowledge of 18 % amongst all students, it was found that the third- and fourth-year medical students delivered a session that was rated significantly better than the fifth-year students and junior doctors across all, but one areas of feedback. We believe that these findings may be explained by the diminishing social and cognitive congruencies shared between learner and teacher with increasing distance. From our results, we hypothesise that graduation is an important threshold, where there is a significant drop in congruencies between the learner and teacher, therefore, having a significant impact on the perception of the NPT session.

Working better together: joint leadership development for doctors and managers.

PubMed

Kelly, Nicola

2014-01-01

Traditionally, there have been tensions between frontline healthcare professionals and managers, with well-known stereotypes of difficult consultants and pen-pushing managers. Many junior doctors have limited management experience and have often never even met a manager prior to taking on a consultant role. Based on a successful programme pioneered by Dr Robert Klaber (Imperial, London) we have set-up an innovative scheme for Birmingham Children's Hospital, pairing junior doctors and managers to learn and work together. Our aim was to cultivate positive attitudes and understanding between the two groups, break down inter-professional barriers, and to provide practical leadership experience and education. We recruited 60 managers and doctors to participate in shadowing, conversation, and quality improvement projects. Thought-provoking online materials, blogs, socials, and popular monthly workshops consisting of patient-focused debate and discussion around key leadership themes, have helped to support learning and cement shared values. Formal evaluation has demonstrated an improvement in how participants perceive their knowledge and ability based on key NHS Leadership Framework competencies. Participant feedback has been extremely positive, and everyone plans to continue to incorporate Paired Learning into their continuing professional development. We are now embedding Paired Learning in the on-going educational programme offered at Birmingham Children's Hospital, whilst looking at extending the scheme to include different professional groups and other trusts across the region and nationally.

Measles prevention in adolescents: lessons learnt from implementing a high school catch-up vaccination programme in New South Wales, Australia, 2014–2015

PubMed Central

Seale, Holly; Sheppeard, Vicky; Campbell-Lloyd, Sue

2016-01-01

Introduction In response to a significant increase of measles cases and a high percentage of unvaccinated adolescents in New South Wales, Australia, a measles high school catch-up vaccination programme was implemented between August and December 2014. This study aimed to explore the factors affecting school-based supplementary immunization activities (SIAs) and to inform future SIA and routine school-based vaccination programme implementation and service provision. Methods Focus group analysis was conducted among public health unit (PHU) staff responsible for implementing the SIA catch-up programme. Key areas discussed were pre-programme planning, implementation, resources, consent materials, media activity and future directions for school vaccination programme delivery. Sessions were audio recorded, transcribed verbatim and reviewed. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify the major themes. Results Two independent focus groups with 32 participants were conducted in January 2015. Barriers to the SIA implementation included lead time, consent processes, interagency collaboration, access to the targeted cohort and the impact of introducing a SIA to an already demanding curriculum and school programme immunization schedule. A positive PHU school coordinator rapport and experience of PHU staff facilitated the implementation. Consideration of different approaches for pre-clinic vaccination status checks, student involvement in the vaccination decision, online consent, workforce sharing between health districts and effective programme planning time were identified for improving future SIA implementation. Conclusion Although many barriers to school programme implementation have been identified in this study, with adequate resourcing and lead time, SIAs implemented via a routine school vaccination programme are an appropriate model to target adolescents. PMID:27757258

"It Is My Decision, and It's Really up to Me. But They Wanted Me to Do It": An Exploration of Choice in Enrolling in a Reengagement Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Jeff; Dyment, Janet; Moltow, David; Hay, Ian

2016-01-01

This study explores how choice to enter a reengagement programme was experienced and understood by students and staff. In seeking to understand choice, we sought to gain insight into one design element that is considered to be vital for effective reengagement programmes: namely, that they are voluntary or choice-based. We interviewed 12 students…

Smartphone and medical related App use among medical students and junior doctors in the United Kingdom (UK): a regional survey.

PubMed

Payne, Karl Frederick Braekkan; Wharrad, Heather; Watts, Kim

2012-10-30

Smartphone usage has spread to many settings including that of healthcare with numerous potential and realised benefits. The ability to download custom-built software applications (apps) has created a new wealth of clinical resources available to healthcare staff, providing evidence-based decisional tools to reduce medical errors.Previous literature has examined how smartphones can be utilised by both medical student and doctor populations, to enhance educational and workplace activities, with the potential to improve overall patient care. However, this literature has not examined smartphone acceptance and patterns of medical app usage within the student and junior doctor populations. An online survey of medical student and foundation level junior doctor cohorts was undertaken within one United Kingdom healthcare region. Participants were asked whether they owned a Smartphone and if they used apps on their Smartphones to support their education and practice activities. Frequency of use and type of app used was also investigated. Open response questions explored participants' views on apps that were desired or recommended and the characteristics of apps that were useful. 257 medical students and 131 junior doctors responded, equating to a response rate of 15.0% and 21.8% respectively. 79.0% (n=203/257) of medical students and 74.8% (n=98/131) of junior doctors owned a smartphone, with 56.6% (n=115/203) of students and 68.4% (n=67/98) of doctors owning an iPhone.The majority of students and doctors owned 1-5 medical related applications, with very few owning more than 10, and iPhone owners significantly more likely to own apps (Chi sq, p<0.001). Both populations showed similar trends of app usage of several times a day. Over 24 hours apps were used for between 1-30 minutes for students and 1-20 minutes for doctors, students used disease diagnosis/management and drug reference apps, with doctors favouring clinical score/calculator apps. This study found a high level of smartphone ownership and usage among medical students and junior doctors. Both groups endorse the development of more apps to support their education and clinical practice.

[Medical rehabilitation group-programmes concerning health promotion, patient education and psychoeducation - a 2010 national survey].

PubMed

Reusch, A; Schug, M; Küffner, R; Vogel, H; Faller, H

2013-08-01

High quality demands are being placed on concepts of educational group programmes in medical rehabilitation as well as the related trainer qualifications. A nationwide survey of German medical rehabilitation clinics in 2005 had revealed a need for improving educational practice according to these quality criteria. An updated investigation was performed in 2010 aiming at describing group programmes used in medical rehabilitation. 1 473 inpatient and outpatient medical rehabilitation clinics were invited to participate. 908 clinics reported on their training programmes. Data from clinics caring for patients with somatic disorders could be compared to the 2005 survey. Data from clinics for both psychosomatic and substance abuse disorders was collected for the first time in 2010. Overall, psychologists and physicians were reported to be the most frequent conductors of educative programmes. In somatic clinics, psychologists, dieticians and occupational therapists or physiotherapists were the most common conductors. Two-thirds of the institutions reported no training prerequisites for staff members to perform patient education. 80% of the education programmes were categorized post hoc into 3 classes: "generic health education", "disorder-specific patient education", and "psychoeducational group programmes". Almost two-thirds of all programmes were carried out with 8-15 participants, and many used several interactive didactic methods. Programmes conducted in small groups (<8 participants) used significantly more interactive methods than those conducted in larger groups did (>15 participants). Only half of the programmes were manualized. Significantly more interactive methods were used in completely manualized programmes. Only about half of the programmes were evaluated, and only very few evaluation studies were published. The institutions wished additional support by workshops especially concerning qualification of their staff and concerning educational concepts. A need for further improvement and support exists relative to the training of educators and the development of manuals as well as evaluation and publication of the programmes. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Peer mentoring: evaluation of a novel programme in paediatrics

PubMed Central

Eisen, Sarah; Sukhani, Seema; Brightwell, Alex; Stoneham, Sara; Long, Andrew

2014-01-01

Background Mentoring is important for personal and professional development of doctors. Peer mentoring is a core skill in the UK paediatric postgraduate curriculum. However, there is a paucity of peer mentoring programmes aimed at postgraduate doctors in training (postgraduate trainees), and there are no such schemes within paediatrics described in the literature. We developed a regional peer mentoring programme for postgraduate trainees in paediatrics to assess demand and need for peer mentoring and to explore the benefits for both peer mentees and mentors. Programme design Junior postgraduate trainees, randomly selected from volunteers, received peer mentoring from more senior trainees for 1 year. Peer mentors were selected by competitive application and undertook tailored training followed by an experiential learning programme. The programme was evaluated using structured questionnaires. Results 90% (76/84) of first-year postgraduate trainees in paediatrics applied to participate, demonstrating high demand. 18 peer mentor–mentee pairs were matched. Peer mentors and mentees reported high satisfaction rates, acquisition of new and transferable skills and changed behaviours. All peer mentors intended to use the skills in their workplace and, later, as an educational supervisor. Conclusions Our programme represents a novel approach to meeting the demonstrated demand and the curriculum requirement for peer mentoring, and enabled peer mentors and mentees to develop a valuable and versatile skill set. To our knowledge, it is the first such programme in paediatrics and provides a feasibility model that may be adapted locally to allow education providers to offer this important experience to postgraduate trainees. PMID:24152570

Nutrition education for care staff and possible effects on nutritional status in residents of sheltered accommodation.

PubMed

Faxén-Irving, G; Andrén-Olsson, B; Geijerstam, A; Basun, H; Cederholm, T

2005-08-01

We investigated the nutritional, cognitive and functional status in residents of two service-flat (SF) complexes and the effects of a nutrition education programme for care staff. Controlled nonrandomised study. Two SF complexes, that is community-assisted accommodation. Of 115 eligible SF residents, 80 subjects participated (age 83+/-7 y, 70% women). The nutritional status was assessed using body mass index (BMI, kg/m(2)), subjective global assessment (SGA), serum concentrations of albumin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and vitamin B(12). Cognitive and functional status were evaluated using the Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE, 0-30 points, <24 points indicates impaired cognition) and the Katz activities of daily living (ADL) index, respectively. Two assessments were made with a 5-month interval. At the start, a 12-h education programme was given to the staff at one of the SF complexes. At baseline, the means of BMI and the biochemical nutritional indices were normal, whereas one-third had BMI <22 kg/m(2) and one-fourth had lost > or =10% of previous weight. According to SGA, 30% demonstrated possible or serious malnutrition. The median MMSE was 23 points (19.5-26.5, 25-75th percentile). Nearly 70% were ADL-independent. At the 5-month follow-up there were no differences in the nutritional and cognitive status of the residents. The nutritional knowledge of the staff improved slightly (P<0.05) at both SF complexes (NS between groups). Around one-third of SF residents appeared to be at nutritional risk. Five months after a 12-h staff nutrition education programme, no objective changes were seen in the nutritional status of the SF residents.

Descriptions of verbal communication errors between staff. An analysis of 84 root cause analysis-reports from Danish hospitals.

PubMed

Rabøl, Louise Isager; Andersen, Mette Lehmann; Østergaard, Doris; Bjørn, Brian; Lilja, Beth; Mogensen, Torben

2011-03-01

Poor teamwork and communication between healthcare staff are correlated to patient safety incidents. However, the organisational factors responsible for these issues are unexplored. Root cause analyses (RCA) use human factors thinking to analyse the systems behind severe patient safety incidents. The objective of this study is to review RCA reports (RCAR) for characteristics of verbal communication errors between hospital staff in an organisational perspective. Two independent raters analysed 84 RCARs, conducted in six Danish hospitals between 2004 and 2006, for descriptions and characteristics of verbal communication errors such as handover errors and error during teamwork. Raters found description of verbal communication errors in 44 reports (52%). These included handover errors (35 (86%)), communication errors between different staff groups (19 (43%)), misunderstandings (13 (30%)), communication errors between junior and senior staff members (11 (25%)), hesitance in speaking up (10 (23%)) and communication errors during teamwork (8 (18%)). The kappa values were 0.44-0.78. Unproceduralized communication and information exchange via telephone, related to transfer between units and consults from other specialties, were particularly vulnerable processes. With the risk of bias in mind, it is concluded that more than half of the RCARs described erroneous verbal communication between staff members as root causes of or contributing factors of severe patient safety incidents. The RCARs rich descriptions of the incidents revealed the organisational factors and needs related to these errors.

Reality of working in a community-based, recovery-oriented mental health rehabilitation unit: A pragmatic grounded theory analysis.

PubMed

Parker, Stephen; Dark, Frances; Newman, Ellie; Korman, Nicole; Rasmussen, Zoe; Meurk, Carla

2017-08-01

In the present study, we explored the experiences of staff working at a recovery-oriented, community-based residential mental health rehabilitation unit in Brisbane, Australia, called a 'community care unit' (CCU). A pragmatic approach to grounded theory was taken in the analysis of the transcripts of semistructured interviews with eight staff. Convenience sampling was used, and there was representation of junior and senior staff across nursing, allied health, and non-clinical support roles. Four key themes emerged from the analysis: (i) rehabilitation is different to treatment; (ii) the CCU is a positive transitional space; (iii) they (consumers) have to be ready to engage; and (iv) recovery is central to rehabilitation practice. Staff understandings of recovery in rehabilitation work were complex and included consideration of both personal and clinical recovery concepts. Rehabilitation readiness was considered important to the ability to deliver recovery-oriented care; however, the shared role of staff in maintaining engagement was acknowledged. Threats to recovery-oriented rehabilitation practice included staff burnout and external pressure to accept consumers who are not ready. The reality of working at a community-based recovery-oriented rehabilitation unit is complex. Active vigilance is needed to maintain a focus on recovery and rehabilitation. Leadership needs to focus on reducing burnout and in adapting these services to emergent needs. © 2016 Australian College of Mental Health Nurses Inc.

Sexual Health Promotion Programme: Participants' Perspectives on Capacity Building

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keogh, Brian; Daly, Louise; Sharek, Danika; De Vries, Jan; McCann, Edward; Higgins, Agnes

2016-01-01

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate a Health Service Executive (HSE) Foundation Programme in Sexual Health Promotion (FPSHP) with a specific emphasis on capacity building. Design: A mixed-method design using both quantitative and qualitative methods was used to collect the data. Setting: The FPSHP was delivered to staff working in…

The Challenges of Incorporating ePortfolio into an Undergraduate Nursing Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Haggerty, Carmel; Thompson, Trish

2017-01-01

Registered nurses today are required to maintain a portfolio of evidence of their competence to practice. This evidence collection commences at undergraduate level with nursing programmes requiring portfolio's as assessments, which are often submitted in hard copy. This paper describes the outcome when a small group of tutorial staff introduced…

Evaluating Team Project-Work Using Triangulation: Lessons from Communities in Northern Ghana

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clark, Gordon; Jasaw, Godfred Seidu

2014-01-01

This paper uses triangulation to assess key aspects of a team-based, participatory action research programme for undergraduates in rural communities across northern Ghana. The perceptions of the programme and its effects on the students, staff and host communities are compared, showing areas of agreement and disagreement. The successes of the…

Maintaining Long-Term Therapeutic Programmes: A Qualitative Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, J. F.

2006-01-01

Maintaining therapeutic programmes for people with learning disabilities over long periods of time presents a major challenge to care systems as the limited and slow pace of client behavioural change is often insufficient to sustain staff behaviour. In this study, a 17-year-old young man with profound learning difficulties was successfully…

Enhancing Thinking Skills in Early Childhood

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aubrey, Carol; Ghent, Kathryn; Kanira, Eleni

2012-01-01

A case study approach was adopted to investigate two thinking skills programmes for a maximum variation sample of five- to six-year-olds in four schools, in two local authorities (LAs), in England and Wales, using multiple methods. School staff interviewed felt that thinking skills programmes enhanced critical thinking skills and improved use of…

Can a focused staff training programme improve the ward atmosphere and patient satisfaction in a forensic psychiatric hospital? A pilot study.

PubMed

Nesset, Merete Berg; Rossberg, Jan Ivar; Almvik, Roger; Friis, Svein

2009-03-01

The main aim of the study was to describe whether staff training and lectures on milieu therapy to nursing staff can change the treatment environment, as perceived by the patients, in a desirable direction. The study was approved by the Regional Ethics Committee for Medical Research. To measure the patients' perceptions of the treatment environment we used the Ward Atmosphere Scale (WAS). The ward atmosphere was evaluated three times during a 12-month period. Additionally, the patients completed five questions concerning satisfaction with the treatment environment. Between the first and the second ward evaluation the nursing staff was given 3 weeks of lectures on different aspects of milieu therapy. The nursing staff completed the WAS and three satisfaction items. The study revealed a change in desired direction after education in five of the six key subscales of the WAS (Involvement, Support, Practical orientation, Angry and aggressive behaviour and Order and organization). Staff control was the only subscale with no changes. The patients also reported an increase in satisfaction. The study revealed no major changes in the staff scores. The present study included only a small number of patients and examined the changes in only one psychiatric department; hence it could be argued that the results cannot be generalized to equivalent populations within the forensic services. The study indicated that it is possible to improve the ward atmosphere in a desirable direction by a 3-week training programme for nursing staff about important aspects of milieu therapy.

Costs of a community-based glaucoma detection programme: analysis of the Philadelphia Glaucoma Detection and Treatment Project.

PubMed

Pizzi, Laura T; Waisbourd, Michael; Hark, Lisa; Sembhi, Harjeet; Lee, Paul; Crews, John E; Saaddine, Jinan B; Steele, Deon; Katz, L Jay

2018-02-01

Glaucoma is the foremost cause of irreversible blindness, and more than 50% of cases remain undiagnosed. Our objective was to report the costs of a glaucoma detection programme operationalised through Philadelphia community centres. The analysis was performed using a healthcare system perspective in 2013 US dollars. Costs of examination and educational workshops were captured. Measures were total programme costs, cost/case of glaucoma detected and cost/case of any ocular disease detected (including glaucoma). Diagnoses are reported at the individual level (therefore representing a diagnosis made in one or both eyes). Staff time was captured during site visits to 15 of 43 sites and included time to deliver examinations and workshops, supervision, training and travel. Staff time was converted to costs by applying wage and fringe benefit costs from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. Non-staff costs (equipment and mileage) were collected using study logs. Participants with previously diagnosed glaucoma were excluded. 1649 participants were examined. Mean total per-participant examination time was 56 min (SD 4). Mean total examination cost/participant was $139. The cost/case of glaucoma newly identified (open-angle glaucoma, angle-closure glaucoma, glaucoma suspect, or primary angle closure) was $420 and cost/case for any ocular disease identified was $273. Glaucoma examinations delivered through this programme provided significant health benefit to hard-to-reach communities. On a per-person basis, examinations were fairly low cost, though opportunities exist to improve efficiency. Findings serve as an important benchmark for planning future community-based glaucoma examination programmes. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Community-based learning in a challenging context: the development and evaluation of an outreach dental public health programme in Damascus University, Syria.

PubMed

Joury, E

2016-02-01

This study aimed to describe the development and evaluation of an outreach dental public health (DPH) programme in Damascus University, in terms of developing undergraduates' required knowledge, skills and attitudes (KSA), improving the quality aspects of training and assessment (T&A), and achieving the satisfaction of served children and their social network. The outreach DPH programme offered opportunities to undergraduates to carry out outreach health-promotion activities, conduct and communicate the results of applied DPH research, and build partnership with students in other higher education sectors. A cross-sectional evaluation collected mixed qualitative and quantitative data, by a means of a short-essay and a self-completed questionnaire, from 400 third-year dental undergraduates, on KSA gained from outreach activities and quality aspects of T&A. The latter were compared with corresponding figures of other traditional dental programmes (TDP). Satisfaction with the outreach activities were collected from 215 children with special needs and 130 parents and school staff, by questionnaires. The response rates were 74.8%, 100% and 100% for undergraduates, children and parents/school staff, respectively. The derived categories of students' gained KSA included the following: unique clinical skills, social responsibility, voluntarism, communication, team working, personal growth, reflection on career aspirations and self-satisfaction with the contribution to needy groups. Their satisfaction with quality aspects of T&A was significantly higher than TDP (P < 0.001). Children's and parents/school staff's satisfaction was high. The outreach DPH programme in Damascus University is a successful example of developing undergraduates' required KSA, improving the quality aspects of T&A, and achieving the satisfaction of served community. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

INVOGE (International Geological Masters in Volcanology and geotechniques): a strategy to train and maintain globally mobile geoscientists

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Wyk de Vries, B.; Bion, P.; Rose, W. I.; Tibaldi, A.; Calder, E.; Wooten, K.; Sealing, C.; Menassian, S.

2012-04-01

INVOGE is an EU-US bilateral cooperation programme funded by the EACEA (EU) and FIPSE (US). The partner universities are Blaise Pascal ( UBP, Clermont-Ferrand, France), University of Milan-Bicocca (Italy), Michigan Technological University (US) and the University at Buffalo (US). Students spend one academic year on the opposing side of the Atlantic and a shorter time on mobility at the secondary European partner. The project is a partial merger of four masters programmes that have similar fields of study, but widely differing speciality courses and great cultural and linguistic differences. The partner universities also have major implantations in developing nations, in Latin America and South East Asia, areas from which are drawn a both students and staff. In this presentation we show how we are creating a sustainable structure to train internationally mobile, multilingual geoscientists in both developed and developing nations both within the present INVOGE master and in associated programmes. For example at UBP the newly created CLERVOLC 'laboratoire d'excelence' programme associates research in several domains with the international outreach associated with the Institute for Research and Development (IRD) into the international Masters programme, seamlessly coupling research and education into projects such as INVOGE. The other partner universities are developing similar internconnected international projects. We also will detail the problems related to moving students from widely different backgrounds around culturally and linguistically diverse universities and will discuss how we are tackling such problems, with internet-based courses, language and cultural training for students and staff training, curriculum changes, close student - staff integration into project development and the creation of alumni organisations.

Occupational exposure among medical students and house staff at a New York City Medical Center.

PubMed

Resnic, F S; Noerdlinger, M A

1995-01-09

The purpose of the study was to ascertain the prevalence of and reasons for underreporting of occupational exposures to patients' blood and body fluids among students and house staff. A questionnaire surveyed 110 medical students and 275 house staff members regarding the number of reported and unreported exposures to patients' body fluids, and the reasons why the respondents did or did not report their exposures during the previous 6 months. Of 385 surveys returned, representing a response rate of 60%, 122 respondents (32%) experienced 330 occupational exposures during the previous 6 months. Fifty-two percent of surgical house staff, 27% of students, and 20% of medical house staff were exposed. Whereas the exposure risk to surgical house staff increased with training, the risk to medical house staff decreased with training. Only 29% of exposed respondents reported an exposure. Exposures from sources known to be positive or at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus had the highest reporting rates. The most frequent reason for not reporting an exposure was that the patient was thought not to be infectious. Forty-six percent of respondents exposed to sources of unknown human immunodeficiency virus status who did not report chose "patient thought not to be infectious" as the reason. The most common reason for reporting an exposure was "hospital policy." Although limited by recall bias, this study showed that a high proportion of students and house staff experience occupational exposures. The results suggest that populations at high risk for exposures are the more experienced surgical house staff and the junior medical house staff. Exposures from sources known to be positive or at high risk for human immunodeficiency virus were reported more frequently than those from unknown risk sources.

Communicating curriculum reform to students: advice in hindsight...

PubMed

McLean, Michelle M

2003-06-03

In view of the changing health care needs of communities, curriculum reform of traditional curricula is inevitable. In order to allay the apprehension that may accompany such change, curriculum development and implementation should be an inclusive process, with both staff and students being well informed of the planned reform. In 2001, the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine implemented Year 1 of a problem-based learning curriculum. During the design phase, students and staff were invited to take part in the development and were kept abreast of developments through meetings and newsletters. A survey of Years 1-5 students of the last intake into the traditional curriculum was undertaken a few months prior to the implementation of the new programme. Students were generally well informed about the impending change, having heard about it from fellow students and staff. The more senior the students, the less the perceived impact of the reform. Although most of what students had heard was correct, some, however, had misconceptions that were generally extreme views (e.g. all self-directed learning; no Anatomy) about the new programme. Others expressed valid concerns (e.g. underpreparedness of students from disadvantaged schools; overcrowding in hospitals). Advice offered to institutions considering curriculum reform include using various methods to inform internal and external affected parties, ensuring that the student representative body and staff is well informed, reiterating the need for the change, confirming that the new programme meets recognised standards and that the students most affected are reassured about their future studies.

Status of cold chain in routine immunisation centres of the Expanded Programme on Immunisation in Quetta, Pakistan.

PubMed

Buledi, Rahim; Butt, Zahid Ahmad; Ahmed, Jamil; Alizai, Aamir Akram

2017-05-01

To determine the status of cold chain and knowledge and practices of health workers about cold chain maintenance in routine immunisation health centres. This cross-sectional study was conducted in Quetta, Pakistan, from May to July 2012, and comprised health facilities in the district. We interviewed the staff responsible for vaccine storage and cold chain maintenance and used a checklist to assess cold chain maintenance of routine expanded programme on immunisation vaccines. SPSS 16 was used for data analysis.. Of the 42 health facilities, staff of 13(30%) wrongly indicated that measles and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin were cold sensitive vaccines. Temperature of the ice-lined refrigerators was not maintained twice daily in 18(43%) centres. There were no voltage stabilisers and standby power generators in 31(74%) and 38(90%) centres, respectively. Vaccine arrangement was found to be inappropriate in ice-lined refrigerators of 38(90%) centres and ice packs were incorrectly used in carriers in 22(52%) centres. Vaccine stock was not charted in 39(93%) centres. Moreover, 4(10%) facilities did not have dedicated expanded programme on immunisation rooms whereas about 5(12%) and 33(79%) had no vaccinator and separate expanded programme on immunisation incharge appointed. Also, 32(76%) centres did not have a female vaccinator appointed. Although the majority of health staff had adequate knowledge, there were weaknesses in practice of maintaining the cold chain.

The CORE Service Improvement Programme for mental health crisis resolution teams: study protocol for a cluster-randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Lloyd-Evans, Brynmor; Fullarton, Kate; Lamb, Danielle; Johnston, Elaine; Onyett, Steve; Osborn, David; Ambler, Gareth; Marston, Louise; Hunter, Rachael; Mason, Oliver; Henderson, Claire; Goater, Nicky; Sullivan, Sarah A; Kelly, Kathleen; Gray, Richard; Nolan, Fiona; Pilling, Stephen; Bond, Gary; Johnson, Sonia

2016-03-22

As an alternative to hospital admission, crisis resolution teams (CRTs) provide intensive home treatment to people experiencing mental health crises. Trial evidence supports the effectiveness of the CRT model, but research suggests that the anticipated reductions in inpatient admissions and increased user satisfaction with acute care have been less than hoped for following the scaling up of CRTs nationally in England, as mandated by the National Health Service (NHS) Plan in 2000. The organisation and service delivery of the CRTs vary substantially. This may reflect the lack of a fully specified CRT model and the resources to enhance team model fidelity and to improve service quality. We will evaluate the impact of a CRT service improvement programme over a 1-year period on the service users' experiences of care, service use, staff well-being, and team model fidelity. Twenty-five CRTs from eight NHS Trusts across England will be recruited to this cluster-randomised trial: 15 CRTs will be randomised to receive the service improvement programme over a 1-year period, and ten CRTs will not receive the programme. Data will be collected from 15 service users and all clinical staff from each participating CRT at baseline and at the end of the intervention. Service use data will be collected from the services' electronic records systems for two 6-month periods: the period preceding and the period during months 7-12 of the intervention. The study's primary outcome is service user satisfaction with CRT care, measured using a client satisfaction questionnaire. Secondary outcomes include the following: perceived continuity of care, hospital admission rates and bed use, rates of readmission to acute care following CRT support, staff morale, job satisfaction, and general health. The adherence of the services to a model of best practice will be assessed at baseline and follow-up. Outcomes will be compared between the intervention and control teams, adjusting for baseline differences and participant characteristics using linear random effects modelling. Qualitative investigations with participating CRT managers and staff and programme facilitators will explore the experiences of the service improvement programme. Our trial will show whether a theoretically underpinned and clearly defined package of resources are effective in supporting service improvement and improving outcomes for mental health crisis resolution teams. Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN47185233.

Cluster randomised controlled trial of a multicomponent intervention to support the implementation of policies and practices that promote healthier environments at junior sports clubs: study protocol

PubMed Central

Milner, Sharin; Sherker, Shauna; Clinton-McHarg, Tara; Dray, Julia; Zukowski, Nadya; Gonzalez, Sharleen; Kingsland, Melanie; Ooi, Jia Ying; Murphy, Allan; Brooke, Daisy; Wiggers, John

2018-01-01

Introduction A large proportion of children and adolescents participate in organised sport, making community sports clubs a promising setting to support healthy behaviours. To date, however, there have been few interventions conducted in junior sports clubs that have targeted health-promoting practices. The primary aim of this pilot study is to assess the potential effectiveness of an intervention to implement health-promoting policies and practices in junior sporting clubs targeting alcohol and tobacco practices, healthy food and beverage availability, and physical activity via participation in sport. A secondary outcome is to assess the impact of such strategies on child exposure to alcohol and tobacco use at the club, purchasing behaviours by/for children at the club canteen and child sports participation opportunities. Methods and analysis The study will employ a cluster randomised controlled trial design and be conducted in metropolitan and regional areas of two Australian states. Randomisation will occur at the level of the football league. Community football clubs with over 40 junior players (players under 18 years) within each league will be eligible to participate. The intervention will be developed based on frameworks that consider the social, cultural and environmental factors that influence health behaviours. Intervention clubs will be supported to implement 16 practices targeting alcohol management, tobacco use, nutrition practices, new player recruitment activity, equal participation for players and the development of policies to support these practices. Trained research staff will collect outcome data via telephone interviews at baseline and follow-up. Interviews will be conducted with both club representatives and parents of junior players. Ethics and dissemination The study has been approved by the University of Newcastle Human Research Ethics Committee (H-2013-0429). The results of the study will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and presentations at conferences. Trial registration number ACTRN12617001044314; Pre-results. PMID:29362260

A qualitative study on barriers in the prevention of anaemia during pregnancy in public health centres: perceptions of Indonesian nurse-midwives.

PubMed

Widyawati, Widyawati; Jans, Suze; Utomo, Sutarti; van Dillen, Jeroen; Janssen, A L M Lagro

2015-02-26

Anemia in pregnancy remains a major problem in Indonesia over the past decade. Early detection of anaemia in pregnancy is one of the components which is unsuccessfully implemented by nurse-midwives. This study aims to explore nurse-midwives' experiences in managing pregnant women with anaemia in Public Health Centres. We conducted a qualitative study with semi-structured face to face interviews from November 2011 to February 2012 with 23 nurse-midwives in five districts in Yogyakarta Special Province. Data analysis was thematic, using the constant comparison method, making comparison between participants and supported by ATLAS.ti software. Twelve nurse-midwives included in the interviews had less than or equal to 10 years' working experience (junior nurse-midwives) and 11 nurse-midwives had more than 10 years' working experience (senior nurse-midwives) in Public Health Centres. The senior nurse-midwives mostly worked as coordinators in Public Health Centres. Three main themes emerged: 1) the lack of competence and clinical skill; 2) cultural beliefs and low participation of family in antenatal care programme; 3) insufficient facilities and skilled support staff in Public Health Centres. The nurse-midwives realized that they need to improve their communication and clinical skills to manage pregnant women with anaemia. The husband and family involvement in antenatal care was constrained by the strength of cultural beliefs and lack of health information. Moreover, unfavourable work environment of the Public Health Centres made it difficult to apply antenatal care the pregnant womens' need. The availability of facilities and skilled staffs in Public Health Centre as well as pregnant women's husbands or family members contribute to the success of managing anaemia in pregnancy. Nurse-midwives and pregnant women need to be empowered to achieve the optimum result of anaemia management. We recommend a more comprehensive approach in managing pregnant women with anaemia, which synergizes the available resources and empowers nurse-midwives and pregnant women.

Development and perceived effects of an educational programme on quality and safety in medication handling in residential facilities.

PubMed

Mygind, Anna; El-Souri, Mira; Rossing, Charlotte; Thomsen, Linda Aagaard

2018-04-01

To develop and test an educational programme on quality and safety in medication handling for staff in residential facilities for the disabled. The continuing pharmacy education instructional design model was used to develop the programme with 22 learning objectives on disease and medicines, quality and safety, communication and coordination. The programme was a flexible, modular seven + two days' course addressing quality and safety in medication handling, disease and medicines, and medication supervision and reconciliation. The programme was tested in five Danish municipalities. Municipalities were selected based on their application for participation; each independently selected a facility for residents with mental and intellectual disabilities, and a facility for residents with severe mental illnesses. Perceived effects were measured based on a questionnaire completed by participants before and after the programme. Effects on motivation and confidence as well as perceived effects on knowledge, skills and competences related to medication handling, patient empowerment, communication, role clarification and safety culture were analysed conducting bivariate, stratified analyses and test for independence. Of the 114 participants completing the programme, 75 participants returned both questionnaires (response rate = 66%). Motivation and confidence regarding quality and safety in medication handling significantly improved, as did perceived knowledge, skills and competences on 20 learning objectives on role clarification, safety culture, medication handling, patient empowerment and communication. The programme improved staffs' motivation and confidence and their perceived ability to handle residents' medication safely through improved role clarification, safety culture, medication handling and patient empowerment and communication skills. © 2017 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

Staff attitudes and job satisfaction in the care of demented elderly people: group living compared with long-term care institutions.

PubMed

Alfredson, B B; Annerstedt, L

1994-11-01

The present study is one part of a study evaluating group living (GL) care for demented elderly people in comparison with traditional institutional (TI) care. The present report concentrates on personal and work-related effects on staff. A staff training programme has been implemented, including relevant gerontological knowledge, principles of the new care concept, support and supervision. Effects are evaluated by staff interviews, observation and staff turnover rates. Results show increased knowledge and new emotional and social attitudes, resulting in higher competence and professional conduct towards patients as well as increased motivation, job satisfaction and quality of work for GL staff but not for TI staff. Group living is now a rapidly developing form of care in Sweden.

Say 'trouble's gone': chronic illness and employability in job training programmes.

PubMed

Tsui, Emma K

2013-01-01

The concept of biographical disruption has unique relevance for socioeconomically disadvantaged groups who participate in entry-level job training programmes. In these programmes trainees often suffer from various forms of chronic illness and must arrange these illnesses into a picture of employability. In this article I use ethnographic data and narrative analysis to examine closely two trainees' illness-related experiences, expressions and talk, and find that their ability to present their illnesses in ways that are consistent with programmatic goals is strongly influenced by family support, responsibilities and roles, as well as particular aspects of illness, like the interpretability of symptoms. I also find that the concept of biographical disruption has a curious traction in the world of job training, particularly among job training programme staff who would like to see trainees mobilise a variety of resources to help manage their illness. However, for trainees, many of whom have lived with chronic illness for years, the concept of biographical disruption may be more limited as a tool for understanding the experiences of illness. A more meaningful disruptive force in the lives of trainees appears to be the programme itself and the strategies for dealing with illness that programme staff may extend. © 2012 The Author. Sociology of Health & Illness © 2012 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness/Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Employees' perceptions of the Aid-for-AIDS disease-management programme, South Africa.

PubMed

Rothberg, Alan; Van Huyssteen, Karen

2008-11-01

It is estimated that 18-20% of South Africa's more than 5 million HIV-positive individuals are formally employed. Disease management programmes for these employees vary in scope and sophistication, with services provided by the employer, or third-party specialist disease managers, or through medical aid schemes. This study surveyed 215 HIV-positive employees in two organisations contracted to the Aid for AIDS (AfA) disease management programme through their in-house medical aid schemes. The two organisations differed in their overall approach to HIV and AIDS: one mainly relies on on-site access to voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) and AfA's management of registered HIV-positive employees, while the other has invested in and actively developed a comprehensive programme that also extends to families and the community as well as links employees to the AfA programme. Responses received from 28 of the 215 employees surveyed indicate that fear of disclosure of one's HIV status and of stigmatisation are reasons for late registration with the AfA programme or non-utilisation of other available support programmes. Respondents mentioned that confidence in the employer's ability to maintain confidentiality was also an issue. Respondents' important suggestions for change included: a) on-site educational and awareness programmes for management personnel and staff in order to reduce HIV discrimination and stigmatisation; b) information directed at HIV-positive employees publicising the benefits and effectiveness of medical treatment; c) support groups for HIV-positive employees; and d) management personnel to engage with HIV-infected employees who are willing to take an active role in staff education and the development of workplace policies and programmes.

Active Play in After-school Programmes: development of an intervention and description of a matched-pair cluster-randomised trial assessing physical activity play in after-school programmes.

PubMed

Riiser, Kirsti; Helseth, Sølvi; Ellingsen, Hanna; Fallang, Bjørg; Løndal, Knut

2017-08-04

Interventions delivered in after-school programmes (ASPs) have the potential to become a means of ensuring adequate physical activity among schoolchildren. This requires a motivational climate, allowing for self-determined play. If trained, ASP staff may represent a valuable resource for supporting such play. Increasing knowledge and supportive skills among ASP staff may also potentially increase their motivation for work. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of the 'Active Play in ASP' intervention, which aims to promote physical activity among first graders attending ASP, and to present a protocol for a matched-pair cluster-randomised trial to evaluate the intervention. Informed by experiences from practice, evidence-based knowledge and theory, the intervention was developed in a stepwise process including focus group meetings and a small-scale pilot test. The intervention contains a course programme for ASP staff to increase their skills in how to support physical activity through play. In a cluster randomised controlled trial, the ASPs will be matched and randomly allocated to receive the 7-month intervention or to a control group. Outcomes will be assessed at baseline, after 7 and 19 months. First graders attending the ASPs included are eligible. The primary outcome will be accelerometer-determined minutes in moderate to vigorous physical activity in the ASP. The study uses a mixed methods approach including observations and interviews to provide rich descriptions of the concept of children's physical activity in ASP. Moreover, the trial will assess whether the ASP staff benefits from participation in the intervention in terms of increased work motivation. Lastly, process evaluations of programme fidelity, satisfaction and suggestions on improvement will be performed. The study is approved by the Data Protection Official for Research (reference no 46008). Results will be presented in conferences and peer-reviewed journals. Clinical Trials (NCT02954614), pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

The importance of KMR completion for dermatology income in secondary care in the UK.

PubMed

Hague, J; Nichols, H; Klimmeck, J; Lanigan, S

2007-05-01

In the UK, a Korner Medical Record (KMR) document is completed for each inpatient discharged from hospital. The number and type of medical conditions entered onto this record are used to determine the income the department will receive for that individual patient. We set out to audit the accuracy of the KMR documentation of our dermatology ward, and to assess what impact improving these records would have on the department's income. The audit standard was that KMRs should be completed accurately and contain all of the relevant information. KMRs from May 2005, which had been completed initially by the ward clerk, and later by the junior medical staff, were reviewed. They were then completed by the main auditor, who had received training in KMR completion from the coding department. All three sets of KMRs were reviewed by the coding officer, and their respective income calculated. In total, 20 patients were discharged from the dermatology ward during April 2005. The main diagnosis given for two patients was initially incorrect, and in another eight cases it could have been more accurate than was originally documented. The total number of comorbid or 'secondary' diagnoses (for all 20 patients) reported by the ward clerk was 5. Junior staff added a further 36 secondary diagnoses. The main auditor identified an additional 35 secondary diagnoses. In total, an extra pound 9211 would have been paid to the department if KMRs had been completed by the main auditor rather than the ward clerk. On an annual basis, a potential pound 110,532 would remain unclaimed if KMR completion continued to be performed by the ward clerk. This audit shows that KMR completion is inadequate when performed by a nonmedical practitioner. Training of medical staff in KMR completion by the coding department also significantly increases the accuracy and completeness of documentation. Dermatologists of all grades need to be aware of the importance and process of KMR completion, and routine training of medical staff by their coding department in KMR completion is recommended.

Investigating knowledge regarding antibiotics and antimicrobial resistance among pharmacy students in Sri Lankan universities.

PubMed

Sakeena, M H F; Bennett, Alexandra A; Jamshed, Shazia; Mohamed, Fahim; Herath, Dilanthi R; Gawarammana, Indika; McLachlan, Andrew J

2018-05-08

Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major challenge for global health care. Pharmacists play a key role in the health care setting to help support the quality use of medicines. The education, training, and experiences of pharmacy students have the potential to impact on patterns of antibiotic use in community and hospital settings. The aim of this study was to investigate antibiotic use, knowledge of antibiotics and AMR among undergraduate pharmacy students at Sri Lankan universities and to compare this between junior and senior pharmacy student groups. A cross-sectional study was conducted at the six universities in Sri Lanka that offer pharmacy undergraduate programmes. All pharmacy students in each university were invited to participate in this study using a self-administered questionnaire with ethics approval. The study instrument comprised five major sections: demographic information, self-reported antibiotic use, knowledge of antibiotic uses in human health, knowledge of AMR and antibiotic use in agriculture. Descriptive data analyses were conducted and Chi-squared analysis was used to explore associations between different variables and level of pharmacy education. Four hundred sixty-six pharmacy students completed the questionnaire. A majority of participants (76%) reported antibiotic use in the past year. More than half (57%) of the junior pharmacy students incorrectly indicated that antibiotic use is appropriate for the management of cold and flu conditions. Senior pharmacy students (n = 206) reported significantly better antibiotic knowledge than junior students (n = 260), p < 0.05. Overall pharmacy students showed good understanding of AMR and their knowledge level increased as the year of pharmacy study increased. This study found that pharmacy students commonly report using antibiotics. Junior students report some misconceptions about antimicrobials. A comparison between junior and senior pharmacy students suggests that pharmacy education is associated with improved understanding of appropriate antibiotic use and AMR among undergraduate pharmacy students in Sri Lanka.

Creating a positive workplace culture.

PubMed

Sergeant, Jenny; Laws-Chapman, Colette

2012-02-01

This article considers the link between emotional resilience and the mental and physical wellbeing of healthcare staff, and how this affects leadership and patient care. The authors outline six steps to building and sustaining emotional resilience. In two NHS surveys (Boorman 2009, Healthcare Commission 2010) staff reported that their physical health and emotional wellbeing affected their ability to undertake daily activities and their ability to care for patients. Some NHS trusts are addressing staff wellbeing through emotional resilience training. Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, London, for example, includes it in its preceptorship programme, which supports transition from student to staff nurse.

Fashioning Docile Teacher Bodies? The Strange Space of the "Staff Teaching Seminar"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Grant, Barbara; Barrow, Mark

2013-01-01

For 40 years, the "staff teaching seminar" has aimed to prepare academics to meet the complex demands of university teaching. In Aotearoa/New Zealand (NZ), as elsewhere, the seminar emerged in the late 1960s-early 1970s, and preceded centrally funded academic development (AD) centres. Targeting new academics, the programme typically…

The Role of the PBL Tutor within Blended Academic Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Donnelly, Roisin

2013-01-01

The central idea of this study is using blended problem-based learning (PBL) in an academic development context with key roles emphasised: academic staff in the role of students and the academic developer as the tutor. The context is a module entitled "Designing e-Learning" on a postgraduate programme for academic staff in Ireland. It is…

Reworking or Reaffirming Practice? Perceptions of Professional Learning in Alternative and Flexible Education Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Plows, Vicky

2017-01-01

The success of alternative and flexible education settings, serving young people for whom mainstream schooling has not worked well, rests on the practices of their staff. This paper explores interview and survey data on the professional learning experiences and perceptions of staff working in flexible learning programmes across Victoria,…

Trauma-Informed Day Services for Individuals with Intellectual/Developmental Disabilities: Exploring Staff Understanding and Perception within an Innovative Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keesler, John M.

2016-01-01

Background: Trauma-informed care (TIC) is a systems-level philosophy of service delivery which integrates choice, collaboration, empowerment, safety and trust to create an organizational culture sensitive to trauma. This study explores staff understandings and perceptions within an innovative trauma-informed day program for individuals with…

Is the delivery of a quality improvement education programme in obstetrics and gynaecology for final year medical students feasible and still effective in a shortened time frame?

PubMed

Kool, Bridget; Wise, Michelle R; Peiris-John, Roshini; Sadler, Lynn; Mahony, Faith; Wells, Susan

2017-05-26

Teaching clinical audit skills to nascent health professionals is one strategy to improve frontline care. The undergraduate medical curriculum at the University of Auckland provides improvement science theory and skills in Year 5 teaching, and the opportunity to put this into practice during an Obstetrics and Gynaecology (O&G) clinical attachment in Year 6. In 2015, a revised medical school curriculum at the university resulted in a planned reduction of the O&G attachment from five weeks to four, necessitating revision of the Year 6 Quality Improvement (QI) project. The aim of this study was to evaluate if the revised programme provided an important experiential learning opportunity for medical students without imposing an unsustainable burden on clinical services. Based on a CIPP (Context/Input/Process/Product) evaluation model, the study was conducted in several stages to get a sense of the context as the new programme was being planned (Context evaluation), the feasibility of an alternative approach to meet the educational need (Input evaluation), the implementation of the revised programme (Process evaluation) and finally, the programme outcomes (Product evaluation). We used multiple data sources (supervisors, students, academic administrators, and hospital staff) and data collection methods (questionnaires, focus groups, individual interviews, consultative workshops, student reports and oral presentations). The context evaluation revealed the Year 6 QI programme to be valuable and contributed to O&G service improvements, however, the following concerns were identified: time to complete the project, timely topic selection and access to data, recognition of student achievement, and staff workload. The evaluation of the revised QI project indicated improvement in student perceptions of their QI knowledge and skills, and most areas previously identified as challenging, despite the concurrent reduction in the duration of the O&G attachment. Applying the CIPP model for evaluation to our revised QI programme enabled streamlining of procedures to achieve greater efficiency without compromising the quality of the learning experience, or increasing pressure on staff. A four week clinical rotation is adequate for medical educators to consider opportunities for including QI projects as part of student experiential learning.

Development and evaluation of an online, interactive information and advice tool for pre-registration nursing students.

PubMed

Ryan, Gemma Sinead; Davies, Fiona

2016-03-01

Attrition rates for student nurses on academic programmes is a challenge for UK Higher Education Institutions. Reasons for leaving a programme of study include personal, financial issues or practice placement experiences. Research has shown systematic and integrated support mechanisms may improve attrition rates and student experience. This project explored the sources of, and support needs of nursing and allied health students, develop and evaluate and interactive online tool: 'SignpOSt'. Enabling students to access 'the right support, at the right time, from the right place'. Focus groups were carried out with 14, 3rd year students and 8 academic staff including personal tutors, programme/module leaders. Thematic analysis of transcribed data under four key themes for support and advice: 1. Financial 2. Programme 3. Personal 4. Study/academic, found poor student knowledge and little clarity of responsibilities of academic staff and services leads to students sourcing support from the wrong place at the wrong time. Students valued the speed and accessibility of information from informal, programme specific Facebook groups. Conversely, there were also concerns about the accuracy of these. Further research into the use of informal Facebook groups may be useful along with additional evaluation of the SOS tool. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

General practitioners and mental health staff sharing patient care: working model.

PubMed

Horner, Deborah; Asher, Kim

2005-06-01

The paper describes a shared care programme developed by mental health services and general practitioners for shifting patients with chronic psychiatric disorders to the care of a general practitioner. The programme is characterized by: (i) a dedicated mental health service general practitioner liaison position to manage the programme and provide support to both patients and doctors; (ii) a multidisciplinary care planning meeting that includes mental health staff, the patient, the general practitioner and a carer; and (iii) a jointly developed individual management plan that specifies patient issues, strategies to deal with these issues, persons responsible for monitoring and a review date. The shared care protocol, the results of a review of patient mental health indicators and general practitioner satisfaction with the programme are described. Outcomes to date suggest that patients' mental health is not compromised and may be enhanced by transfer to general practitioners within the shared care model. Indicators of mental health outcomes (Health of the Nation Outcome Scale and Life Skills Profile scores) show improved patient symptomatology and functioning in most cases. The programme fits the model of recovery-based mental health services and complies with current local, state and Commonwealth policies that encourage integrated and collaborative approaches by mental health services and general practitioners in delivering mental health care to persons with chronic mental illness.

Which preparatory curriculum for the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme is best? The challenge for international schools with regard to mathematics and science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corlu, M. Sencer

2014-12-01

There are two mainstream curricula for international school students at the junior high level: the International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE). The former was developed in the mid-1990s and is currently being relaunched in a 21st-century approach. The latter programme of study was developed by University of Cambridge International Examinations in 1985 and has become popular in recent years among British domestic and international schools worldwide due to the clarity of its learning content. The prevailing uncertainty about which curriculum is best to prepare students for the IB Diploma Programme represents a challenge for international schools. The purpose of the current study is to develop a methodology through causal models which can explain the relationship between student performance in the IGCSE and the Diploma Programme with regard to mathematics and science. The data evaluated here consisted of external examination scores of students who attended a private international high school between the years 2005 and 2012. Two structural equation models were developed. The first model employed a maximum likelihood estimation, while the second model used a Bayesian estimation with a Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. Both models fit the data well. The evidence suggests that the IGCSE provides a good foundational preparation for the Diploma Programme in mathematics and science.

MA TESOL Dissertations in a Changing Global Landscape: A Case from Iran

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tavakoli, Parvaneh; Hasrati, Mostafa

2018-01-01

This paper has investigated the way the dissertation writing component of MA TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) programmes in Iran has changed over the past decade in relation to globalization. The data, collected from 40 questionnaires completed by Iranian academic staff teaching these programmes, suggest that while change in…

Conversations about Research Supervision--Enabling and Accrediting a Community of Practice Model for Research Degree Supervisor Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Geof; Vaughan, Sian

2018-01-01

The authors' lived experience of devising a professional development programme for research supervisors and securing SEDA (Staff and Educational Development Association) accreditation informs this paper. Our first purpose is to outline the programme and discuss its uniqueness in using a community of practice model in conjunction with practitioner…

Blending Q and P: Incorporating Action Learning in a Master's Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Boak, George

2011-01-01

This paper is based on the experience of incorporating action learning within a Master's degree programme over a period of 14 years. The MA in Leading Innovation and Change was launched in 1995. It was first developed, and subsequently delivered, by a small group of staff working collaboratively across organisational boundaries. It is currently…

Moving out of Their Comfort Zones: Enhancing Teaching Practice in Transnational Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamers, Antonia M.; Admiraal, Wilfried F.

2018-01-01

This paper investigates the development of teaching practice of the multinational staff delivering UK programmes in a higher education institution in Oman hosting these programmes. It presents a tool to evaluate the teaching practice, and points to those elements of an academic development framework that were found to be most useful in supporting…

Quality of basic life support education and automated external defibrillator setting in schools in Ishikawa, Japan.

PubMed

Takamura, Akiteru; Ito, Sayori; Maruyama, Kaori; Ryo, Yusuke; Saito, Manami; Fujimura, Shuhei; Ishiura, Yuna; Hori, Ariyuki

2017-03-01

Automated external defibrillators (AED) have been installed in schools in Japan since 2004, and the government strongly recommends teaching basic life support (BLS). We therefore examined the quality of BLS education and AED installation in schools. We conducted a prefecture-wide questionnaire survey of all primary and junior high schools in 2016, to assess BLS education and AED installation against the recommendations of the Japan Circulation Society. The results were analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-squared test. In total, 195 schools out of 315 (62%) responded, of which 38% have introduced BLS education for children. BLS training was held in a smaller proportion of primary schools (18%) than junior high schools (86%). More than 90% of primary school staff had undergone BLS training in the previous 2 years. The most common locations of AED were the gymnasium (32%) followed by entrance hall (28%), staffroom (25%), and infirmary (12%). The reasons given for location were that it was obvious (34%), convenient for staff (32%), could be used out of hours (17%), and the most likely location for a heart attack (15%). Approximately 18% of schools reported that it takes >5 min to reach the AED from the furthest point. BLS training, AED location, and understanding of both are not sufficient to save children's lives efficiently. Authorities should make recommendations about the correct number of AED, and their location, and provide more information to improve the quality of BLS training in schools. © 2016 Japan Pediatric Society.

A one-year practice-based learning programme for new general practice nurses in Scotland: evaluation of the pilot.

PubMed

Wakeling, Judy; Ferguson, Julie; Kennedy, Susan

2016-01-01

This paper summarises the evaluation of a pilot programme introduced by NHS Education for Scotland to provide education and skills training for nurses new to general practice. The programme was developed through extensive consultation with existing general practice nurses and was educationally accredited by the Royal College of General Practitioners and the Royal College of Nursing in 2013. Twelve nurses embarked upon the programme 2012-2013 and nine completed it. The programme was extensively evaluated through questionnaires (with supervisors, practice staff and participants), analysis of programme documentation and interviews with participants. Based on the evaluation feedback, alterations have been made to subsequent deliveries of the programme. These include removing some topic areas and lengthening the programme by three months. The programme continues to be successfully delivered and evaluation is ongoing to ensure it continues to meet nurses' needs.

'You do not cross them': Hierarchy and emotion in doctors' narratives of power relations in specialist training.

PubMed

Crowe, Sophie; Clarke, Nicholas; Brugha, Ruairi

2017-08-01

Studies of medical education often focus on experiences and socialisation processes among undergraduate students, with fewer examining emotionality among postgraduate trainees. This article explores the relationship between power and emotion, questioning how affective relations between senior and junior doctors are patterned on the hierarchical structure of medicine. The study employs qualitative methods of in-depth, face-to-face and telephone interviews with fifty doctors at initial and advanced stages of specialist postgraduate training in teaching hospitals across Ireland, conducted between May and July, 2015. The study found that respect for hierarchy, anger and fear, intimidation, and disillusion were key themes in participants' narratives of relationships with senior staff who oversaw their postgraduate training. The implications of these emotional subjectivities for quality of training, patient care and willingness of junior doctors to pursue careers in Ireland, are discussed and recommendations and areas for further research proposed. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Peer mentoring: evaluation of a novel programme in paediatrics.

PubMed

Eisen, Sarah; Sukhani, Seema; Brightwell, Alex; Stoneham, Sara; Long, Andrew

2014-02-01

Mentoring is important for personal and professional development of doctors. Peer mentoring is a core skill in the UK paediatric postgraduate curriculum. However, there is a paucity of peer mentoring programmes aimed at postgraduate doctors in training (postgraduate trainees), and there are no such schemes within paediatrics described in the literature. We developed a regional peer mentoring programme for postgraduate trainees in paediatrics to assess demand and need for peer mentoring and to explore the benefits for both peer mentees and mentors. Junior postgraduate trainees, randomly selected from volunteers, received peer mentoring from more senior trainees for 1 year. Peer mentors were selected by competitive application and undertook tailored training followed by an experiential learning programme. The programme was evaluated using structured questionnaires. 90% (76/84) of first-year postgraduate trainees in paediatrics applied to participate, demonstrating high demand. 18 peer mentor-mentee pairs were matched. Peer mentors and mentees reported high satisfaction rates, acquisition of new and transferable skills and changed behaviours. All peer mentors intended to use the skills in their workplace and, later, as an educational supervisor. Our programme represents a novel approach to meeting the demonstrated demand and the curriculum requirement for peer mentoring, and enabled peer mentors and mentees to develop a valuable and versatile skill set. To our knowledge, it is the first such programme in paediatrics and provides a feasibility model that may be adapted locally to allow education providers to offer this important experience to postgraduate trainees.

Assessment of laparoscopic suturing skills of urology residents: a pan-European study.

PubMed

Kroeze, Stephanie G C; Mayer, Erik K; Chopra, Samarth; Aggarwal, Rajesh; Darzi, Ara; Patel, Anup

2009-11-01

It has been acknowledged that standardised training programmes are needed to improve laparoscopic training of urologic trainees. Previous studies have suggested that simulator-based laparoscopic training can improve performance during real laparoscopic procedures. To determine if there are performance differences for the completion of a simulated laparoscopic suturing task among urology residents based on their postgraduate year of training (PGY). Using a validated scoring checklist, two independent observers objectively scored the completion of a standardised laparoscopic suturing task in a bench-top laparoscopic box trainer. PGY and previous exposure to laparoscopic surgery and laparoscopic simulated training was obtained from self-administered questionnaires. Data acquisition was undertaken at the European Urological Residents Education Programme (EUREP) 2007, run by the European School of Urology, and included a pan-European cohort of 201 urology residents. Reliability among those rating the suturing tasks was excellent (Cronbach's α=0.83). Each resident was scored for the suturing task. Residents were categorised into three groups based on their PGY status (junior [n=8]; intermediate [n=37]; senior [n=156]). The Kruskal-Wallis test was used to measure trend across the PGY; the Mann-Whitney U test was used to determine variation among categorised PGY groups. Laparoscopic suturing skill was significantly different across PGY levels (p=0.032), and between junior residents and both intermediate and senior residents (p=0.008 and p=0.012, respectively). There was no significant difference between intermediate and senior residents (p=0.697). Only 12% of participants rated their existing volume of laparoscopic operative cases as sufficient, while 55% of participants had no regular opportunities, and 32% of participants had not performed laparoscopic procedures as primary surgeon. Most residents (96%) reported the use of laparoscopic simulators to be beneficial in training, although current European training programmes appear to provide <50% of residents with the opportunity to train with them. A discernable relationship existed between the score obtained for a laparoscopic suturing task and year of resident training. Modular simulator training as part of a formal training programme may help to overcome some of the shortfall in residents' exposure to laparoscopic procedures as primary surgeon.

Coffee, Cake & Culture: Evaluation of an art for health programme for older people in the community.

PubMed

Roe, Brenda; McCormick, Sheila; Lucas, Terri; Gallagher, Wendy; Winn, Andrea; Elkin, Sophie

2016-07-01

Arts for health initiatives and networks are being developed in a number of countries and an international literature is emerging on the evidence of their benefits to people's health, wellbeing and quality of life. Engagement in cultural and creative arts by older people can increase their morale and self-confidence and provides opportunities for social connection. Museums and galleries are increasingly required to justify their expenditure, reach and impact and some are working in partnership with local councils, hospitals, schools and communities to improve access to their collections. There is a body of literature emerging that describes such initiatives but empirical evidence of their benefits is less developed. This article reports an evaluation of an art for health initiative - Coffee, Cake & Culture organised and delivered by Whitworth Art Gallery and Manchester Museum in 2012 for older people living in a care home and a supported living facility. The study has identified the benefits and impacts of the arts for health programme and its feasibility for older people, with or without diagnosed memory loss - dementia, living in a care home or supported living facility and their care staff. The findings demonstrate there were benefits to the older people and their care staff in terms of wellbeing, social engagement, learning, social inclusion and creativity. These benefits were immediate and continued in the short term on their return home. The majority of older people and care staff had not previously been to the art gallery or museum and the programme encouraged creative arts and cultural appreciation which promoted social inclusion, wellbeing and quality of life. The programme is feasible and important lessons were identified for future planning. Further research involving partnerships of researchers, arts for health curators, artists, care staff, older people and their families is warranted. © The Author(s) 2014.

Back-to-basics with a surgical rotation programme.

PubMed

Hall, Catherine L

This article describes the development and implementation of a rotation programme for Band 5 nurses within the surgical directorate at Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust. The article highlights the challenges raised for nurses with health service modernization and develops the rationale for the need for a different way of thinking. At Heart of England NHS Foundation Trust, the authors evaluation has led to the development of the surgical rotation programme for Band 5 nurses. This rotation programme challenged basic clinical practice and traditional modes of staff placement. Indications, so far, are that quality of care for patients has improved and nurses satisfaction has increased as a result of the implementation of the Band 5 surgical rotation programme.

Surgical journal club as a community of practice: a case study.

PubMed

Quinn, Edel Marie; Cantillon, Peter; Redmond, Henry Paul; Bennett, Deirdre

2014-01-01

Journal club has become a signature pedagogy in postgraduate medical education. In this article, social learning theory, through the lens of "communities of practice" (CoP), is applied to elucidate the process of learning in journal club. The study is a case study of a surgical journal club. Video recordings of 2 journal club sessions were followed by semistructured audio-recorded interviews with a sample of journal club participants. Thematic content analysis was performed, mapping data to themes arising based on the key tenets of CoP. Features of the 4 tenets of CoP learning (community, meaning, identity, and practice) were identified in both the video recordings of journal club and the participant interviews. A shared enterprise and common sense of purpose (community) was seen throughout the video recordings, but feelings of belonging to the community were much stronger for senior members (consultants/attending staff and senior trainees) compared with junior members (junior trainees and students). Experiences and perspectives were more commonly exchanged between senior trainees and consultants, with junior trainees not partaking in discussions, an example of newcomers beginning at the periphery. The main impediment to learning was found with low senior member attendance at journal club, thus limiting access to narratives of senior experience of practice and feedback. In attempting to improve journal club design for learning, ensuring the participation of senior community members and thus access to narratives of experience along with active engagement of junior members to allow them develop their own meaning should be incorporated into the journal club design. Copyright © 2014 Association of Program Directors in Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Comparison of ergometer- and track-based testing in junior track-sprint cyclists. Implications for talent identification and development.

PubMed

Tofari, Paul J; Cormack, Stuart J; Ebert, Tammie R; Gardner, A Scott; Kemp, Justin G

2017-10-01

Talent identification (TID) and talent development (TDE) programmes in track sprint cycling use ergometer- and track-based tests to select junior athletes and assess their development. The purpose of this study was to assess which tests are best at monitoring TID and TDE. Ten male participants (16.2 ± 1.1 year; 178.5 ± 6.0 cm and 73.6 ± 7.6 kg) were selected into the national TID squad based on initial testing. These tests consisted of two 6-s maximal sprints on a custom-built ergometer and 4 maximal track-based tests (2 rolling and 2 standing starts) using 2 gear ratios. Magnitude-based inferences and correlation coefficients assessed changes following a 3-month TDE programme. Training elicited meaningful improvements (80-100% likely) in all ergometer parameters. The standing and rolling small gear, track-based effort times were likely and very likely (3.2 ± 2.4% and 3.3 ± 1.9%, respectively) improved by training. Stronger correlations between ergometer- and track-based measures were very likely following training. Ergometer-based testing provides a more sensitive tool than track-based testing to monitor changes in neuromuscular function during the early stages of TDE. However, track-based testing can indicate skill-based improvements in performance when interpreted with ergometer testing. In combination, these tests provide information on overall talent development.

Creating a sustainable culture of quality through the SLMTA programme in a district hospital laboratory in Kenya.

PubMed

Maruti, Phidelis M; Mulianga, Ekesa A; Wambani, Lorna N; Wafula, Melda N; Mambo, Fidelis A; Mutisya, Shadrack M; Wakaria, Eric N; Mbati, Erick M; Amayo, Angela A; Majani, Jonathan M; Nyary, Bryan; Songwe, Kilian A

2014-01-01

Bungoma District Hospital Laboratory (BDHL), which supports a 200-bed referral facility, began its Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation (SLMTA) journey in 2011 together with eight other laboratories in the second round of SLMTA rollout in Kenya. To describe how the SLMTA programme and enhanced quality interventions changed the culture and management style at BDHL and instilled a quality system designed to sustain progress for years to come. SLMTA implementation followed the standard three-workshop series, mentorship site visits and audits. In order to build sustainability of progress, BDHL integrated quality improvement processes into its daily operations. The lab undertook a process of changing its internal culture to align all hospital stakeholders - including upper management, clinicians, laboratory staff and maintenance staff - to the mission of sustainable quality practices at BDHL. After 16 months in the SLMTA programme, BDHL improved from zero stars (38%) to four stars (89%). Over a period of two to three years, external quality assessment results improved from 47% to 87%; staff punctuality increased from 49% to 82%; clinician complaints decreased from 83% to 16; rejection rates decreased from 12% to 3%; and annual equipment repairs decreased from 40 to 15. Twelve months later the laboratory scored three stars (81%) in an external surveillance audit conducted by Kenya Accreditation Service (KENAS). Management buy-in, staff participation, use of progress-monitoring tools and feedback systems, as well as incorporation of improvement processes into routine daily activities, were vital in developing and sustaining a culture of quality improvement.

Communicating curriculum reform to students: Advice in hindsight.....

PubMed Central

McLean, Michelle M

2003-01-01

Backgound In view of the changing health care needs of communities, curriculum reform of traditional curricula is inevitable. In order to allay the apprehension that may accompany such change, curriculum development and implementation should be an inclusive process, with both staff and students being well informed of the planned reform. In 2001, the Nelson R. Mandela School of Medicine implemented Year 1 of a problem-based learning curriculum. During the design phase, students and staff were invited to take part in the development and were kept abreast of developments through meetings and newsletters. Method A survey of Years 1–5 students of the last intake into the traditional curriculum was undertaken a few months prior to the implementation of the new programme. Results Students were generally well informed about the impending change, having heard about it from fellow students and staff. The more senior the students, the less the perceived impact of the reform. Although most of what students had heard was correct, some, however, had misconceptions that were generally extreme views (e.g. all self-directed learning; no Anatomy) about the new programme. Others expressed valid concerns (e.g. underpreparedness of students from disadvantaged schools; overcrowding in hospitals). Conclusions Advice offered to institutions considering curriculum reform include using various methods to inform internal and external affected parties, ensuring that the student representative body and staff is well informed, reiterating the need for the change, confirming that the new programme meets recognised standards and that the students most affected are reassured about their future studies. PMID:12783623

Corporate social responsibility and mental health: the Premier League football Imagine Your Goals programme.

PubMed

Henderson, Claire; O'Hara, Stefanie; Thornicroft, Graham; Webber, Martin

2014-08-01

Football is increasingly used to facilitate recovery in mental health services, often in partnership with football clubs. However, few clubs have made mental health part of their corporate social responsibility programmes until recently. We report the impact on participants of the 'Imagine Your Goals' programme, run by 16 Premier League football clubs in conjunction with England's Time to Change programme to reduce mental health-related stigma and discrimination. Mixed methods evaluation used pre/post measures of well-being, access to social capital, focus groups held early on and towards the end of the two-year programmes, and questionnaires for coaching staff. There were no significant changes to participants' mental well-being scores between baseline and follow-up, nor to the total number of social resources accessible through their networks. However, there was a statistically significant increase at follow-up in the mean score of the personal skills subscale of the Resource Generator-UK. Participants' individual skills were also higher at follow-up. Qualitative data showed programmes had largely met participants' expectations in terms of socializing, providing structure and improving fitness levels, exceeded expectations in relationships with coaching staff and additional activities, but did not always meet them in improving football skills. Participants varied in their knowledge of exit opportunities, depending on which club's programme they attended. A minority of clubs reported difficulties in recruitment and concerns about planning for the future of the projects. Football clubs and the charitable foundations they set up can successfully deliver programmes to people with mental health problems which improve access to personal skills social capital and have other potential benefits.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust Fellowships in Clinical Leadership Programme: An Evaluation.

PubMed

Miani, Celine; Marjanovic, Sonja; Jones, Molly Morgan; Marshall, Martin; Meikle, Samantha; Nolte, Ellen

2013-01-01

Leadership is seen to be central to improving the quality of healthcare and existing research suggests that absence of leadership is related to poor quality and safety performance. Leadership training might therefore provide an important means through which to promote quality improvement and, more widely, performance within the healthcare environment. This article presents an evaluation of the Fellowships in Clinical Leadership Programme, which combines leadership training and quality improvement initiatives with the placement of temporary external clinical champions in Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. We assessed impacts of the Programme on individual and organisational change, alongside core enablers and barriers for Programme success. Analyses drew on the principles of a theory-of-change-led realist evaluation, using logic modelling to specify the underlying causal mechanisms of the Programme. Data collection involved a stakeholder workshop, online questionnaires of programme participants, senior managers and support staff (n=114), and follow-up in-depth semi-structured interviews with a subsample of survey participants (n=15). We observed that the Programme had notable impacts at individual and organisational levels. Examples of individual impact included enhanced communication and negotiation skills or increased confidence as a result of multi-modal leadership training. At the organisational level, participants reported indications of behaviour change among staff, with evidence of spill-over effects to non-participants towards a greater focus on patient-centred care. Our findings suggest that there is potential for combined leadership training and quality improvement programmes to contribute to strengthening a culture of care quality in healthcare organisations. Our study provides useful insights into strategies seeking to achieve sustainable improvement in NHS organisations.

Improving communication and practical skills in working with inpatients who self-harm: a pre-test/post-test study of the effects of a training programme

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Differing perspectives of self-harm may result in a struggle between patients and treatment staff. As a consequence, both sides have difficulty communicating effectively about the underlying problems and feelings surrounding self-harm. Between 2009 and 2011, a programme was developed and implemented to train mental health care staff (nurses, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and occupational therapists) in how to communicate effectively with and care for patients who self-harm. An art exhibition focusing on self-harm supported the programme. Lay experts in self-harm, i.e. people who currently harm themselves, or who have harmed themselves in the past and have the skills to disseminate their knowledge and experience, played an important role throughout the programme. Methods Paired sample t-tests were conducted to measure the effects of the training programme using the Attitude Towards Deliberate Self-Harm Questionnaire, the Self-Perceived Efficacy in Dealing with Self-Harm Questionnaire, and the Patient Contact Questionnaire. Effect sizes were calculated using r. Participants evaluated the training programme with the help of a survey. The questionnaires used in the survey were analysed descriptively. Results Of the 281 persons who followed the training programme, 178 completed the questionnaires. The results show a significant increase in the total scores of the three questionnaires, with large to moderate effect sizes. Respondents were positive about the training, especially about the role of the lay expert. Conclusion A specialised training programme in how to care for patients who self-harm can result in a more positive attitude towards self-harm patients, an improved self-efficacy in caring for patients who self-harm, and a greater closeness with the patients. The deployment of lay experts is essential here. PMID:24592861

Improving communication and practical skills in working with inpatients who self-harm: a pre-test/post-test study of the effects of a training programme.

PubMed

Kool, Nienke; van Meijel, Berno; Koekkoek, Bauke; van der Bijl, Jaap; Kerkhof, Ad

2014-03-04

Differing perspectives of self-harm may result in a struggle between patients and treatment staff. As a consequence, both sides have difficulty communicating effectively about the underlying problems and feelings surrounding self-harm. Between 2009 and 2011, a programme was developed and implemented to train mental health care staff (nurses, social workers, psychologists, psychiatrists, and occupational therapists) in how to communicate effectively with and care for patients who self-harm. An art exhibition focusing on self-harm supported the programme. Lay experts in self-harm, i.e. people who currently harm themselves, or who have harmed themselves in the past and have the skills to disseminate their knowledge and experience, played an important role throughout the programme. Paired sample t-tests were conducted to measure the effects of the training programme using the Attitude Towards Deliberate Self-Harm Questionnaire, the Self-Perceived Efficacy in Dealing with Self-Harm Questionnaire, and the Patient Contact Questionnaire. Effect sizes were calculated using r. Participants evaluated the training programme with the help of a survey. The questionnaires used in the survey were analysed descriptively. Of the 281 persons who followed the training programme, 178 completed the questionnaires. The results show a significant increase in the total scores of the three questionnaires, with large to moderate effect sizes. Respondents were positive about the training, especially about the role of the lay expert. A specialised training programme in how to care for patients who self-harm can result in a more positive attitude towards self-harm patients, an improved self-efficacy in caring for patients who self-harm, and a greater closeness with the patients. The deployment of lay experts is essential here.

Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust Fellowships in Clinical Leadership Programme

PubMed Central

Miani, Celine; Marjanovic, Sonja; Jones, Molly Morgan; Marshall, Martin; Meikle, Samantha; Nolte, Ellen

2013-01-01

Abstract Leadership is seen to be central to improving the quality of healthcare and existing research suggests that absence of leadership is related to poor quality and safety performance. Leadership training might therefore provide an important means through which to promote quality improvement and, more widely, performance within the healthcare environment. This article presents an evaluation of the Fellowships in Clinical Leadership Programme, which combines leadership training and quality improvement initiatives with the placement of temporary external clinical champions in Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust. We assessed impacts of the Programme on individual and organisational change, alongside core enablers and barriers for Programme success. Analyses drew on the principles of a theory-of-change-led realist evaluation, using logic modelling to specify the underlying causal mechanisms of the Programme. Data collection involved a stakeholder workshop, online questionnaires of programme participants, senior managers and support staff (n=114), and follow-up in-depth semi-structured interviews with a subsample of survey participants (n=15). We observed that the Programme had notable impacts at individual and organisational levels. Examples of individual impact included enhanced communication and negotiation skills or increased confidence as a result of multi-modal leadership training. At the organisational level, participants reported indications of behaviour change among staff, with evidence of spill-over effects to non-participants towards a greater focus on patient-centred care. Our findings suggest that there is potential for combined leadership training and quality improvement programmes to contribute to strengthening a culture of care quality in healthcare organisations. Our study provides useful insights into strategies seeking to achieve sustainable improvement in NHS organisations. PMID:28083304

Medical team training and coaching in the Veterans Health Administration; assessment and impact on the first 32 facilities in the programme.

PubMed

Neily, Julia; Mills, Peter D; Lee, Pamela; Carney, Brian; West, Priscilla; Percarpio, Katherine; Mazzia, Lisa; Paull, Douglas E; Bagian, James P

2010-08-01

Communication is problematic in healthcare. The Veterans Health Administration is implementing Medical Team Training. The authors describe results of the first 32 of 130 sites to undergo the programme. This report is unique; it provides aggregate results of a crew resource-management programme for numerous facilities. Facilities were taught medical team training and implemented briefings, debriefings and other projects. The authors coached teams through consultative phone interviews over a year. Implementation teams self-reported implementation and rated programme impact: 1='no impact' and 5='significant impact.' We used logistic regression to examine implementation of briefing/debriefing. Ninety-seven per cent of facilities implemented briefings and debriefings, and all implemented an additional project. As of the final interview, 73% of OR and 67% of ICU implementation teams self-reported and rated staff impact 4-5. Eighty-six per cent of OR and 82% of ICU implementation teams self-reported and rated patient impact 4-5. Improved teamwork was reported by 84% of OR and 75% of ICU implementation teams. Efficiency improvements were reported by 94% of OR implementation teams. Almost all facilities (97%) reported a success story or avoiding an undesirable event. Sites with lower volume were more likely to conduct briefings/debriefings in all cases for all surgical services (p=0.03). Sites are implementing the programme with a positive impact on patients and staff, and improving teamwork, efficiency and safety. A unique feature of the programme is that implementation was facilitated through follow-up support. This may have contributed to the early success of the programme.

Linking User and Staff Perspectives in the Evaluation of Innovative Transition Projects for Youth with Disabilities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McAnaney, Donal F.; Wynne, Richard F.

2016-01-01

A key challenge in formative evaluation is to gather appropriate evidence to inform the continuous improvement of initiatives. In the absence of outcome data, the programme evaluator often must rely on the perceptions of beneficiaries and staff in generating insight into what is making a difference. The article describes the approach adopted in an…

Establishing an Inclusive Educational System in Samara a Partnership between West Lothian, Barnardo's and Samara

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Currie, Laura-Ann; Prudnikova, Victoria; Yarkova, Natalya

2005-01-01

In this article, Laura Ann Currie and Victoria Prudnikova describe a three-year Russian/Scottish partnership designed to take forward an inclusive educational policy in the Samara Region of Russia. Education staff from West Lothian Council and Barnardo's visited the Samara Region to train staff there to help take forward their inclusion programme.…

Measuring the quality of junior hospital doctors in general medicine.

PubMed

Jones, J M; Sanderson, C F; Black, N A

1992-05-01

During the course of a larger study aimed at relating staffing levels of junior doctors in general medicine to the safety of the care provided, it became clear that consultant doctors considered the quality of their junior staff as being at least as important as the quantity. This paper describes several attempts to develop a feasible and valid method of measuring the quality of senior house officers (SHOs) and registrars using routinely available data. Having rejected three methods and had difficulties with three other methods, a modified Delphi survey was used to explore the extent to which consultants agreed on the key attributes of a high quality SHO or registrar. Sixty-seven (60%) of all consultants in the South-West Thames and Trent regions responded to two rounds of questionnaires which revealed communication skills as being consistently the most significant factor. This was confirmed in a second, anonymous survey of 198 (78%) SHO and registrar posts in the North-West Thames region. It also became clear that consultants viewed the quality of their own SHOs and registrars as generally high. This being so it is argued that the requirement to adjust for quality, when comparing SHO and registrar levels between hospitals, is of minor importance. These results also suggest that the explicit teaching of communication skills should have a high priority in undergraduate and postgraduate education.

Bullying among trainee doctors in Southern India: a questionnaire study.

PubMed

Bairy, K L; Thirumalaikolundusubramanian, P; Sivagnanam, G; Saraswathi, S; Sachidananda, A; Shalini, A

2007-01-01

Workplace bullying is an important and serious issue in a healthcare setting because of its potential impact on the welfare of care-providers as well as the consumers. To gauge the extent of bullying among the medical community in India; as a subsidiary objective, to assess the personality trait of the bullying victims. A cross-sectional, anonymous, self-reported questionnaire survey was undertaken among a convenient sample of all the trainee doctors at a Government Medical College in Tamil Nadu, India. A questionnaire, in English with standard written explanation of bullying was used. Basic information like age, sex, job grade and the specialty in case of Postgraduates (PGs) were also collected. The results were subjected to descriptive statistical analysis and Chi-square test for comparison of frequencies. A total of 174 doctors (115 PGs and 59 junior doctors), took part in the study with a cent percent response. Nearly half of the surveyed population reported being subjected to bullying. Nearly 54 (53%) of the men and 35 (48%) of women were subjected to bullying. Significant proportions (P < 0.0001) of medical personnel and paramedical staff bullied the PGs and junior doctors, respectively. More than 85 (90%) of bullying incidents went unreported. A significant (P < 0.0001) percentage of PGs and junior doctors revealed a personality trait towards bully. Workplace bullying is common among trainee doctors and usually goes unreported.

Comparative study of an externship program versus a corporate-academic cooperation program for enhancing nursing competence of graduating students

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background New graduates report intense stress during the transition from school to their first work settings. Managing this transition is important to reduce turnover rates. This study compared the effects of an externship program and a corporate-academic cooperation program on enhancing junior college students’ nursing competence and retention rates in the first 3 months and 1 year of initial employment. Methods This two-phase study adopted a pretest and posttest quasi-experimental design. All participants were graduating students drawn from a 5-year junior nursing college in Taiwan. There were 19 and 24 students who participated in the phase I externship program and phase II corporate-academic cooperation program, respectively. The nursing competence of the students had to be evaluated by mentors within 48 hours of practicum training and after practicum training. The retention rate was also surveyed at 3 months and 1 year after beginning employment. Results Students who participated in the corporate-academic cooperation program achieved a statistically significant improvement in nursing competence and retention rates relative to those who participated in the externship program (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, respectively). Conclusions The corporate-academic cooperation program facilitates the transition of junior college nursing students into independent staff nurses, enhances their nursing competence, and boosts retention rates. PMID:23945287

Assessing the role of prevention partnerships in STD prevention: a review of comprehensive STD prevention systems progress reports.

PubMed

Hogben, Matthew; Hood, Julia; Collins, Dayne; McFarlane, Mary

2013-11-01

Systematic analysis of STD programme data contributes to a national portrait of sexually transmitted disease (STD) prevention activities, including research and evaluation specifically designed to optimise programme efficiency and impact. We analysed the narrative of the 2009 annual progress reports of the US Comprehensive STD Prevention Systems cooperative agreement for 58 STD programmes, concentrating on programme characteristics and partnerships. Programmes described 516 unique partnerships with a median of seven organisations cited per STD programme. Non-profit organisations (including service providers) were most frequently cited. Higher gonorrhoea morbidity was associated with reporting more partnerships; budget problems were associated with reporting fewer. Challenges to engaging in partnerships included budget constraints, staff turnover and low interest. Data provide a source of information for judging progress in programme collaboration and for informing a sustained programme-focused research and evaluation agenda.

Qualitative Evaluation of a Physical Activity Health Promotion Programme for People with Intellectual Disabilities in a Group Home Setting

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dixon-Ibarra, A.; Driver, S.; Nery-Hurwit, M.; VanVolkenburg, H.

2018-01-01

Background: There is a lack of health promotion programming designed to change the physical activity environment of the group home setting. The Menu-Choice programme assists staff in creating physical activity goals alongside residents with intellectual disabilities and provides strategies to incorporate activity into the group home schedule. The…

An Approach to the Internationalisation of the Curriculum: Sino-British Joint Efforts for Three Online Courses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yawan, Li; Ying, Li

2011-01-01

With a view to facilitating good practice and enhancing further exchanges and collaboration with the Open University UK, the Open University of China initiated a joint programme of training to offer online tutors and academic management staff three courses: Student Support, Tutoring On-line, and Course Design. The programme brought in not only a…

Local governments’ dependence on tobacco tax revenue: a deterrent to tobacco control in the Republic of Korea

PubMed Central

Park, Kidong

2009-01-01

Abstract Objective To investigate, in the Republic of Korea, whether local governments’ participation in an anti-smoking programme supported by the National Health Promotion Fund in 2002–2003 was related to the percentage of local tax revenue comprised by the tobacco consumption tax (TCT). Methods Using financial and administrative data on 163 municipalities, the authors estimated logit models of local governments’ participation in the anti-smoking programme as a function of the proportion of local tax revenue that came from the TCT and a set of control variables, namely local socioeconomic characteristics and the size of the staff in the local public health centre (PHC). Findings Local governments that derived a greater percentage of their local tax revenue from the TCT, particularly those that ranked in the upper fourth in terms of this percentage, were less likely to participate in the anti-smoking programme. Insufficient staff in the PHC was also found to be associated with lower participation in the anti-smoking programme. Conclusion Local governments’ dependence on revenue from the TCT may be a deterrent to tobacco control in the Republic of Korea. PMID:19784449

A decade of an HIV workplace programme in armed conflict zones; a social responsibility response of the International Committee of the Red Cross.

PubMed

Du Mortier, Stéphane; Mukangu, Silas; Sagna, Charles; Nyffenegger, Laurent; Aebischer Perone, Sigiriya

2016-01-01

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works in fragile States and in armed conflict zones. Some of them are affected by the HIV pandemic. Within the framework of its social responsibility programme concerning HIV affecting its staff members, the organization has implemented an HIV workplace programme since 2004. We carried out a retrospective analysis over 10 years. Data collected were initially essentially qualitative and process-oriented, but were complemented over the years by data on annual voluntary counselling and testing (VCT) uptake and on direct annual costs covering awareness, testing and antiretroviral therapy. The number of people covered by the programme grew from none in 2003 to 4,438 in 2015, with an increase in annual VCT uptake over the years increasing from 376 persons (14 %) in 2007 to 2,663 in 2015 (60 %). Over the years, the services were expanded from awareness raising to bringing VCT to the workplace, as well as offering testing and health coverage of other conditions and innovative approaches to facing challenges linked to situations of violence. Within its social responsibility framework, the ICRC has shown the importance and feasibility of a workplace HIV programme in conflict zones. A sustainable workplace programme in these conflict settings requires constant adaptation, with regular follow-up given the relatively high turnover of staff, and ensuring sustainable stocks of condoms and antiretroviral drugs.

Global health diplomacy investments in Afghanistan: adaptations and outcomes of global fund malaria programs.

PubMed

Kevany, Sebastian; Sahak, Omar; Workneh, Nibretie Gobezie; Saeedzai, Sayed Ataullah

2014-01-01

Global health programmes require extensive adaptation for implementation in conflict and post-conflict settings. Without such adaptations, both implementation success and diplomatic, international relations and other indirect outcomes may be threatened. Conversely, diplomatic successes may be made through flexible and responsive programmes. We examine adaptations and associated outcomes for malaria treatment and prevention programmes in Afghanistan. In conjunction with the completion of monitoring and evaluation activities for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, we reviewed adaptations to the structure, design, selection, content and delivery of malaria-related interventions in Afghanistan. Interviews were conducted with programme implementers, service delivery providers, government representatives and local stakeholders, and site visits to service delivery points were completed. Programmes for malaria treatment and prevention require a range of adaptations for successful implementation in Afghanistan. These include (1) amendment of educational materials for rural populations, (2) religious awareness in gender groupings for health educational interventions, (3) recruitment of local staff, educated in languages and customs, for both quality assurance and service delivery, (4) alignment with diplomatic principles and, thereby, avoidance of confusion with broader strategic and military initiatives and (5) amendments to programme 'branding' procedures. The absence of provision for these adaptations made service delivery excessively challenging and increased the risk of tension between narrow programmatic and broader diplomatic goals. Conversely, adapted global health programmes displayed a unique capacity to access potentially extremist populations and groups in remote regions otherwise isolated from international activities. A range of diplomatic considerations when delivering global health programmes in conflict and post-conflict settings are required in order to ensure that health gains are not offset by broader international relations losses through challenges to local cultural, religious and social norms, as well as in order to ensure the security of programme staff. Conversely, when global health programmes are delivered with international relations considerations in mind, they have the potential to generate unquantified diplomatic outcomes.

A pressure ulcer prevention programme specially designed for nursing homes: does it work?

PubMed

Kwong, Enid W-Y; Lau, Ada T-Y; Lee, Rainbow L-P; Kwan, Rick Y-C

2011-10-01

The aim of this study was to evaluate a pressure ulcer prevention programme for nursing homes to ascertain the feasibility of its implementation, impact on care staff and outcomes for pressure ulcer knowledge and skills and pressure ulcer reduction. No pressure ulcer prevention protocol for long-term care settings has been established to date. The first author of this study thus developed a pressure ulcer prevention programme for nursing homes. A quasi-experimental pretest and post-test design was adopted. Forty-one non-licensed care providers and eleven nurses from a government-subsidised nursing home voluntarily participated in the study. Knowledge and skills of the non-licensed care providers were assessed before, immediately after and six weeks after the training course, and pressure ulcer prevalence and incidence were recorded before and during the protocol implementation. At the end of the programme implementation, focus group interviews with the subjects were conducted to explore their views on the programme. A statistically significant improvement in knowledge and skills scores amongst non-licensed care providers was noted. Pressure ulcer prevalence and incidence rates dropped from 9-2·5% and 2·5-0·8%, respectively, after programme implementation. The focus group findings indicated that the programme enhanced the motivation of non-licensed care providers to improve their performance of pressure ulcer prevention care and increased communication and cooperation amongst care staff, but use of the modified Braden scale was considered by nurses to increase their workload. A pressure ulcer prevention programme for nursing homes, which was feasible and acceptable, with positive impact and outcome in a nursing home was empirically developed. The study findings can be employed to modify the programme and its outcomes for an evaluation of effectiveness of the programme through a randomised controlled trial. © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Junior Solar Sprint: Securing Students’ Enthusiasm for Science and Engineering

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-24

luckily we had a new interactive exhibit this year that was on time; the Mobile Discovery Center courtesy of the National Science Center. Also making...0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 3% 5. Percentage of free or reduced lunches your students receive, if aplicable ? 1- 19 % 20 -2 9% 30 -3 9% 40 -4 9% 50 -5 9% 60...rising up and leading the National Anthem. Thank you to the US Army Mobil Discovery Unit staff who entertained the teams while they waited for

An educational programme for nursing college staff and students during a MERS- coronavirus outbreak in Saudi Arabia.

PubMed

Stirling, Bridget V; Harmston, Jennie; Alsobayel, Hana

2015-01-01

The Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus is a serious and emerging issue in Saudi Arabia and the world. A response was required to reduce possible disease transmission between the hospital and university. College of Nursing academic staff developed a programme in response to the educational and emotional needs of participants. A MERS-CoV Task Force responded to the rapidly unfolding epidemic. The aim was to find out what nursing staff and nursing students in the college knew about MERS- CoV. While most gaps in knowledge were addressed after an intense information seminar, other learning needs were identified and responded to. The Task Force developed mandatory information sessions for all nursing faculty, students and staff. All staff were informed by email, letters and posters. There are 28 faculty staff, 84 support staff and 480 students in the College of Nursing. The information settings all took place within the College of Nursing, Princess Nourah University, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. Questionnaires were given to faculty, students and staff to understand their baseline knowledge. After the sessions, faculty, students and staff were asked about what was learned through the sessions, and what educational needs still needed to be addressed. Approval was sought and received by the Ethics Committee for the College of Nursing. Participants completed informed consent forms and the voluntary nature of the study was explained. The total number of people attending the education sessions was133, including 65 students. 18 faculty members attended and 57 support staff. Data was gathered on gaps in participant knowledge and a plan was developed to address the gaps. Policies were established around student participation in clinical and return to work practices for staff with any symptoms. In hospitals there is above average risk for exposure to infectious diseases. Student nurses travel between hospital and university, with the capacity to act as a conduit of pathogens to large, susceptible populations. Nursing colleges must respond thoroughly to protect students and staff and prevent spread of disease into the university community in the midst of an epidemic.

Hospital staff views of prescribing and discharge communication before and after electronic prescribing system implementation.

PubMed

Mills, Pamela Ruth; Weidmann, Anita Elaine; Stewart, Derek

2017-12-01

Background Electronic prescribing system implementation is recommended to improve patient safety and general practitioner's discharge information communication. There is a paucity of information about hospital staff perspectives before and after system implementation. Objective To explore hospital staff views regarding prescribing and discharge communication systems before and after hospital electronic prescribing and medicines administration (HEPMA) system implementation. Setting A 560 bed United Kingdom district general hospital. Methods Semi-structured face-to-face qualitative interviews with a purposive sample of hospital staff involved in the prescribing and discharge communication process. Interviews transcribed verbatim and coded using the Framework Approach. Behavioural aspects mapped to Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to highlight associated behavioural change determinants. Main outcome measure Staff perceptions before and after implementation. Results Nineteen hospital staff (consultant doctors, junior doctors, pharmacists and advanced nurse practitioners) participated before and after implementation. Pre-implementation main themes were inpatient chart and discharge letter design and discharge communication process with issues of illegible and inaccurate information. Improved safety was anticipated after implementation. Post-implementation themes were improved inpatient chart clarity and discharge letter quality. TDF domains relevant to staff behavioural determinants preimplementation were knowledge (task or environment); skills (competence); social/professional roles and identity; beliefs about capabilities; environmental context and resources (including incidents). An additional two were relevant post-implementation: social influences and behavioural regulation (including self-monitoring). Participants described challenges and patient safety concerns pre-implementation which were mostly resolved post-implementation. Conclusion HEPMA implementation produced perceptions of patient safety improvement. TDF use enabled behaviour change analysis due to implementation, for example, staff adoption of behaviours to ensure general practitioners receive good quality discharge information.

Development of innovative problem based learning model with PMRI-scientific approach using ICT to increase mathematics literacy and independence-character of junior high school students

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wardono; Waluya, B.; Kartono; Mulyono; Mariani, S.

2018-03-01

This research is very urgent in relation to the national issue of human development and the nation's competitiveness because of the ability of Indonesian Junior High School students' mathematics literacy results of the Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) by OECD field of Mathematics is still very low compared to other countries. Curriculum 2013 launched one of them reflect the results of PISA which is still far from the expectations of the Indonesian nation and to produce a better quality of education, PISA ratings that reflect the nation's better competitiveness need to be developed innovative, interactive learning models such as innovative interactive learning Problem Based Learning (PBL) based on the approach of Indonesian Realistic Mathematics Education (PMRI) and the Scientific approach using Information and Communication Technology (ICT).The research was designed using Research and Development (R&D), research that followed up the development and dissemination of a product/model. The result of the research shows the innovative interactive learning PBL model based on PMRI-Scientific using ICT that developed valid, practical and effective and can improve the ability of mathematics literacy and independence-character of junior high school students. While the quality of innovative interactive learning PBL model based on PMRI-Scientific using ICT meet the good category.

Evaluation of a tele-education programme in Brazil.

PubMed

Joshi, Ashish; Novaes, Magdala A; Iyengar, Sriram; Machiavelli, Josiane L; Zhang, Jiajie; Vogler, Robert; Hsu, Chiehwen E

2011-01-01

We evaluated a tele-education programme for primary care staff in Pernambuco State, Brazil. During 2008 and 2009, tele-education sessions occurred four times each week for one hour per day. The topics included public health, child and adolescent health, mental health and nursing. After each session, participants completed an evaluation questionnaire. A total of 73 municipalities and 141 health centres participated in the programme. There were 254 tele-education sessions scheduled during the 20-month study period; of these, 224 sessions were successfully performed and 30 were cancelled. We collected 3504 responses from the satisfaction survey. There was high acceptance of the programme: 97% rated it as excellent or good.

Smartphone and medical related App use among medical students and junior doctors in the United Kingdom (UK): a regional survey

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Smartphone usage has spread to many settings including that of healthcare with numerous potential and realised benefits. The ability to download custom-built software applications (apps) has created a new wealth of clinical resources available to healthcare staff, providing evidence-based decisional tools to reduce medical errors. Previous literature has examined how smartphones can be utilised by both medical student and doctor populations, to enhance educational and workplace activities, with the potential to improve overall patient care. However, this literature has not examined smartphone acceptance and patterns of medical app usage within the student and junior doctor populations. Methods An online survey of medical student and foundation level junior doctor cohorts was undertaken within one United Kingdom healthcare region. Participants were asked whether they owned a Smartphone and if they used apps on their Smartphones to support their education and practice activities. Frequency of use and type of app used was also investigated. Open response questions explored participants’ views on apps that were desired or recommended and the characteristics of apps that were useful. Results 257 medical students and 131 junior doctors responded, equating to a response rate of 15.0% and 21.8% respectively. 79.0% (n=203/257) of medical students and 74.8% (n=98/131) of junior doctors owned a smartphone, with 56.6% (n=115/203) of students and 68.4% (n=67/98) of doctors owning an iPhone. The majority of students and doctors owned 1–5 medical related applications, with very few owning more than 10, and iPhone owners significantly more likely to own apps (Chi sq, p<0.001). Both populations showed similar trends of app usage of several times a day. Over 24hours apps were used for between 1–30 minutes for students and 1–20 minutes for doctors, students used disease diagnosis/management and drug reference apps, with doctors favouring clinical score/calculator apps. Conclusions This study found a high level of smartphone ownership and usage among medical students and junior doctors. Both groups endorse the development of more apps to support their education and clinical practice. PMID:23110712

Reducing alcohol-related harm and social disorder in a university community: a framework for evaluation.

PubMed

Cousins, Kimberly; Connor, Jennie L; Kypri, Kypros

2010-10-01

In New Zealand and other middle to high income countries, university student are at high risk of alcohol-related injury and other problems due to their typical pattern of episodic heavy drinking. In 2007, one university implemented Campus Watch, a novel and extensive programme to reduce social disorder, including alcohol-related injury, in the university area. To quantify the effects of this complex intervention. A large public university campus and surrounding community in New Zealand. A health promotion evaluation model was used, examining: (1) how the programme was developed, introduced and received by the community? (process); (2) whether the programme affected behaviour? (impact); and (3) whether the programme reduced social disorder and alcohol-related harm in particular? (outcome). The outcome phase uses a non-equivalent control group design to measure changes occurring in the Campus Watch area compared with other universities, and with a same-city control site. Programme staff, university students and other community members. Interviews with university administrators and Campus Watch staff; surveys of local residents' views; Campus Watch incident data; national surveys of university students in 2005, 2007 and 2009; police data; fire department data. Prevalence of heavy episodic drinking; number of acute alcohol-related harms; incidence of antisocial behaviour, assault and street fires. Regression analyses will be used to examine changes in the intervention site relative to changes in the control areas.

Financial obligations and economic barriers to antiretroviral therapy experienced by HIV positive women who participated in a job-creation programme in northern Uganda

PubMed Central

Dovel, Kathryn; Thompson, Kallie

2016-01-01

Economic costs are commonly cited as barriers to women’s use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa; however, little is known about how changes in women’s income influence economic barriers to care. We analysed in-depth interviews with 17 HIV positive women who participated in a job-creation programme in northern Uganda and two key informant interviews with programme staff to examine lingering economic barriers to care experienced after programme enrolment. We found that participants continued to experience economic barriers even after receiving steady a income and improving their economic status. Two themes emerged: first, limited resources in health facilities (e.g., drug and staff shortages) led participants to view ART utilisation as a primarily economic endeavour where clients made informal payments for prompter services or sought treatment in private facilities where ART was readily available; second, increased economic status also increased expectations of economic reciprocity among participants’ social networks. Financial obligations often manifested in the form of caring for additional dependents, limiting the resources women could allocate toward their HIV treatment. When paired with limited resources in health facilities, increased financial obligations perpetuated the economic barriers to care experienced by participants. Job-creation programmes should consider how health institutions interact with participants’ financial obligations to influence women’s access to HIV services. PMID:26652011

Financial obligations and economic barriers to antiretroviral therapy experienced by HIV-positive women who participated in a job-creation programme in northern Uganda.

PubMed

Dovel, Kathryn; Thomson, Kallie

2016-01-01

Economic costs are commonly cited as barriers to women's use of antiretroviral therapy (ART) in sub-Saharan Africa; however, little is known about how changes in women's income influence economic barriers to care. We analysed in-depth interviews with 17 HIV-positive women who participated in a job-creation programme in northern Uganda and two key informant interviews with programme staff to examine lingering economic barriers to care experienced after programme enrollment. We found that participants continued to experience economic barriers even after receiving a steady income and improving their economic status. Two themes emerged: first, limited resources in health facilities (e.g. drug and staff shortages) led participants to view ART utilisation as a primarily economic endeavour where clients made informal payments for prompter service or sought treatment in private facilities where ART was readily available; second, increased economic status among participants increased expectations of economic reciprocity among participants' social networks. Financial obligations often manifested themselves in the form of caring for additional dependents, limiting the resources women could allocate toward their HIV treatment. When paired with limited resources in health facilities, increased financial obligations perpetuated the economic barriers experienced by participants. Job-creation programmes should consider how health institutions interact with participants' financial obligations to influence women's access to HIV services.

Staff Retention. Personnel Management Module. Operational Management Programme. Increasing Opportunities for Supervisors and Managers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, Jennifer

This self-instructional unit for supervisors and managers in the British hotel and catering industry is based on the view that problems in staff recruitment and retention are directly linked to the level of job satisfaction. The document begins with an introduction and advice on how to use the unit. Five sections cover the following topics: (1)…

Getting the Right Staff. Personnel Management Module. Operational Management Programme. Increasing Opportunities for Supervisors and Managers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goddard, Tessa; Murray, Jennifer

This self-instructional unit for supervisors and managers in the British hotel and catering industry contains information on all the important stages in the process of recruiting staff. The document begins with an introduction and advice on how to use the unit. Five sections cover the following topics: (1) the cost of employment; (2) planning for…

What works in delivering dementia education or training to hospital staff? A critical synthesis of the evidence.

PubMed

Surr, Claire A; Gates, Cara

2017-10-01

The quality of care delivered to people with dementia in hospital settings is of international concern. People with dementia occupy up to one quarter of acute hospital beds, however, staff working in hospitals report lack of knowledge and skills in caring for this group. There is limited evidence about the most effective approaches to training hospital staff on dementia. The purpose of this literature review was to examine published evidence on the most effective approaches to dementia training and education for hospital staff. The review was conducted using critical synthesis and included qualitative, quantitative and mixed/multi- methods studies. Kirkpatrick's four level model for the evaluation of training interventions was adopted to structure the review. The following databases were searched: MEDLINE, PsycINFO, CINAHL, AMED, British Education Index, Education Abstracts, ERIC (EbscoHost), The Cochrane Library-Cochrane reviews, Economic evaluations, CENTRAL (Wiley), HMIC (Ovid), ASSIA, IBSS (Proquest), Conference Proceedings Citation Indexes (Web of Science), using a combination of keyword for the following themes: Dementia/Alzheimer's, training/education, staff knowledge and patient outcomes. A total of 20 papers were included in the review, the majority of which were low or medium quality, impacting on generalisability. The 16 different training programmes evaluated in the studies varied in terms of duration and mode of delivery, although most employed face-to-face didactic techniques. Studies predominantly reported on reactions to training and knowledge, only one study evaluated outcomes across all of the levels of the Kirkpatrick model. Key features of training that appeared to be more acceptable and effective were identified related to training content, delivery methods, practicalities, duration and support for implementation. The review methodology enabled inclusion of a broad range of studies and permitted common features of successful programmes to be identified. Such features may be used in the design of future dementia training programmes, to increase their potential for effectiveness. Further research on the features of effective dementia training for hospital staff is required. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

[An analysis of status of personnel in occupational disease prevention and treatment institutions in Hunan Province, China, from 1996 to 2015].

PubMed

Liu, X L; Xiao, Y L; Tang, H Q; Chen, B L; Yang, L H; Xiao, Y L; Lv, S J

2018-01-20

Objective: To analyze the status of personnel in occupational disease prevention and treatment institutions in Hunan Province, China, from 1996 to 2015, to predict staff composition using grey model (GM) (1, 1) , and to provide a scientific basis and reference for optimizing human resource planning of occupational disease prevention and treatment in other provinces and regions and promoting the service capacity of the institutions. Methods: The data of the staff in occupational disease prevention and treatment institutions in Hunan Province, China, from 1996 to 2015 were obtained from the established basic information management system. The descriptive analysis method was used to analyze the dynamic changes in number and composition of the staff and the GM (1, 1) was used to predict the staff composition. Results: The numbers of the staff members in 1996 and 2015 in occupational disease prevention and treatment institutions in Hunan Province, China were 1591 and 1429, respectively. In the twenty years, the main education level of the staff transformed from "technical secondary school education and non-academic qualifications" to "bachelor degree or above and college degree"; the main major of the staff transformed from "other majors" to "public health and clinical medicine"; the proportion of the staff members without professional titles changed from >1/3 to 5%; and the proportions of the staff members with senior, intermediate, and junior professional titles were steadily rising. GM prediction showed that the proportions of highly educated staff members in 2018 and 2020 would be up to 41.00% and 45.61%, respectively; and the proportions of the staff members with a major in public health in 2018 and 2020 would be up to 44.15% and 46.60%, respectively. Conclusion: The staff in occupational disease prevention and treatment institutions in Hunan Province, China, in the twenty years have slight changes in staff size and great improvement in staff quality, which is beneficial to sustainable development of the occupational disease prevention and treatment undertakings. The education level and major will be further optimized in the next five years.

Development of an implementation plan for the 6-PACK falls prevention programme as part of a randomised controlled trial: protocol for a series of preimplementation studies.

PubMed

Barker, Anna L; Morello, Renata T; Ayton, Darshini R; Hill, Keith D; Landgren, Fiona S; Brand, Caroline A

2016-12-01

Inhospital falls cause morbidity, staff burden and increased healthcare costs. It is unclear if the persistent problem of inhospital falls is due to the use of ineffective interventions or their suboptimal implementation. The 6-PACK programme appears to reduce fall injuries and a randomised controlled trial (RCT) was undertaken to confirm effects. This paper describes the protocol for the preimplementation studies that aimed to identify moderators of the effective use of the 6-PACK programme to inform the development of an implementation plan to be applied in the RCT. The 6-PACK project included five preimplementation studies: (1) a profile of safety climate; (2) review of current falls prevention practice; (3) epidemiology of inhospital falls; (4) acceptability of the 6-PACK programme; and (5) barriers and enablers to implementation of the 6-PACK programme. The Theoretical Domain Framework that includes 12 behaviour change domains informed the design of these studies that involved 540 staff and 8877 patients from 24 wards from six Australian hospitals. Qualitative and quantitative methods were applied with data collected via: structured bedside observation; daily nurse unit manager verbal report of falls; audit of medical records, incident reporting and hospital administrative data; surveys of ward nurses; focus groups with ward nurses; and key informant interviews with senior staff. Information on contextual, system, intervention, patient and provider level factors is critical to the development of an implementation plan. Information gained from these studies was used to develop a plan applied in the RCT that addressed the barriers and harnessed enablers. The RCT is registered with the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry, number ACTRN12611000332921. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Does the Janani Suraksha Yojana cash transfer programme to promote facility births in India ensure skilled birth attendance? A qualitative study of intrapartum care in Madhya Pradesh.

PubMed

Chaturvedi, Sarika; De Costa, Ayesha; Raven, Joanna

2015-01-01

Access to facility delivery in India has significantly increased with the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) cash transfer programme to promote facility births. However, a decline in maternal mortality has only followed secular trends as seen from the beginning of the decade well before the programme began. We, therefore, examined the quality of intrapartum care provided in facilities under the JSY programme to study whether it ensures skilled attendance at birth. 1) Non-participant observations (n=18) of intrapartum care during vaginal deliveries at a representative sample of 11 facilities in Madhya Pradesh to document what happens during intrapartum care. 2) Interviews (n=10) with providers to explore reasons for this care. Thematic framework analysis was used. Three themes emerged from the data: 1) delivery environment is chaotic: delivery rooms were not conducive to safe, women-friendly care provision, and coordination between providers was poor. 2) Staff do not provide skilled care routinely: this emerged from observations that monitoring was limited to assessment of cervical dilatation, lack of readiness to provide key elements of care, and the execution of harmful/unnecessary practices coupled with poor techniques. 3) Dominant staff, passive recipients: staff sometimes threatened, abused, or ignored women during delivery; women were passive and accepted dominance and disrespect. Attendants served as 'go-betweens' patients and providers. The interviews with providers revealed their awareness of the compromised quality of care, but they were constrained by structural problems. Positive practices were also observed, including companionship during childbirth and women mobilising in the early stages of labour. Our observational study did not suggest an adequate level of skilled birth attendance (SBA). The findings reveal insufficiencies in the health system and organisational structures to provide an 'enabling environment' for SBA. We highlight the need to ensure quality obstetric care prior to increasing coverage of facility births if cash transfer programmes like the JSY are to improve health outcomes.

Perceptions and Impact of Mandatory eLearning for Foundation Trainee Doctors: A Qualitative Evaluation.

PubMed

Brooks, Hannah L; Pontefract, Sarah K; Vallance, Hannah K; Hirsch, Christine A; Hughes, Elizabeth; Ferner, Robin E; Marriott, John F; Coleman, Jamie J

2016-01-01

Junior doctors in the UK must complete various educational components during their two year Foundation training programme. It is important that mandatory learning is informative and engaging. The aim of this study was to evaluate trainee doctors' perceptions of a Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) programme developed to improve prescribing competency. Focus groups and interviews were conducted at three hospital sites in the West Midlands. Codes, sub-themes and themes were determined using deductive and inductive thematic analysis. Data were collected from 38 Foundation trainee doctors. Results revealed major themes relating to prescribing education, the user experience and user engagement. Key findings included the positive impact of preparedness following undergraduate education on the user experience of the TEL programme at the postgraduate level; the impact of content, structure, and individual learning needs and styles on the user experience; and the impact of motivation and time on engagement. Most trainees engaged with the programme owing to its mandatory nature; however, some trainees also used the programme voluntarily, for example, to acquire knowledge prior to starting a new placement. It is important to ensure that learners are willing to engage with mandatory TEL, and that they have the time and motivation to do so. It is also important to ensure that learners have a positive user experience and that in designing TEL individual differences in learning styles and needs are taken into account. These findings have implications for educators and system developers in the construction and design of mandatory eLearning programmes.

Effect of a universal anxiety prevention programme (FRIENDS) on children's academic performance: results from a randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Skryabina, Elena; Taylor, Gordon; Stallard, Paul

2016-11-01

Evaluations of school-based anxiety prevention programmes have reported improvements in psychological functioning although little is known about their effect upon educational outcomes. One thousand three hundred and sixty-two children from 40 primary schools in England took part in the randomised controlled trial, Preventing Anxiety in Children through Education in Schools. The trial investigated the effectiveness of a universal school-based cognitive behaviour therapy prevention programme, FRIENDS, delivered by health care staff or school staff compared with usual personal, social, health and education (PSHE) lessons. Self-report psychological outcomes and educational attainment on national standardised attainment tests in reading, writing and maths were collected 12 months postintervention. Analysis was performed at individual level using multivariable mixed effect models controlling for gender, type of intervention and school effect. Registered trial: ISRCTN: 23563048. At 12 months, anxiety reduced in the health-led FRIENDS group compared to school-led FRIENDS and PSHE. There were no between-group differences in academic performance regardless of gender, deprivation, ethnicity and additional educational needs. School-based mental health interventions should assess psychological and educational outcomes. Further research should directly compare the effects of interventions led by health and school staff. © 2016 The Authors. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health.

Processes and challenges of community mobilisation for latrine promotion under Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan in rural Odisha, India.

PubMed

Routray, Parimita; Torondel, Belen; Jenkins, Marion W; Clasen, Thomas; Schmidt, Wolf-Peter

2017-05-16

Despite efforts to eradicate it, open defecation remains widely practiced in India, especially in rural areas. Between 2013 and 2014, 50 villages in one district of Odisha, India, received a sanitation programme under the Nirmal Bharat Abhiyan (NBA - "Clean India Campaign"), the successor of India's Total Sanitation Campaign. This paper documents the strategies and processes of NBA community mobilisation for latrine promotion in these villages and assesses the strengths and limitations of the mobilisation activities. NBA's community mobilisation activities were observed and assessed against the programme's theory of change in 10 randomly selected programme villages from start to finish. Additional data was collected through review of documents, individual interviews (n = 80) and focus group discussions (n = 26) with staff of the implementing NGOs and community members. Our study revealed the lack of a consistent implementation strategy, lack of capacities and facilitation skills of NGO staff to implement sanitation programmes, political interference, challenges in accessing government financial incentives for latrine construction, and lack of clarity on the roles and responsibilities among government and NGO staff, leading to failure in translating government policies into sustainable actions. Social divisions and village dynamics related to gender and caste further constrained the effectiveness of mobilisation activities. Meetings were often dominated by male members of upper caste households, and excluded low caste community members and views of women. Community discussions revolved largely around the government's cash incentive for latrines. Activities aimed at creating demand for sanitation and use of latrines often resonated poorly with community members. An assessment by the implementers, 1 year after community mobilisation found 19% of households had a completed latrine across the 50 villages, a marginal increase of 7 percentage points over baseline. In this setting, the Government of India's NBA programme to increase rural sanitation coverage and use is hampered by political, programmatic, logistical and socio-structural constraints. Sanitation demand generation was difficult for local implementing NGOs as village populations had lost trust in organisations due to previous indications of fraud. Agencies or organisations implementing sanitation campaigns and conducting sanitation promotions need to enhance their staff's knowledge and build capacity in order to address important social heterogeneity within villages. This trial's registration number is NCT01214785 (October 4, 2010).

Comparison of violence and abuse in juvenile correctional facilities and schools.

PubMed

Davidson-Arad, Bilha; Benbenishty, Rami; Golan, Miriam

2009-02-01

Peer violence, peer sexual harassment and abuse, and staff abuse experienced by boys and girls in juvenile correctional facilities are compared with those experienced by peers in schools in the community. Responses of 360 youths in 20 gender-separated correctional facilities in Israel to a questionnaire tapping these forms of mistreatment were compared with those of 7,012 students in a representative sample of Israeli junior high and high schools. Victimization was reported more frequently by those in correctional facilities than by those in schools. However, some of the more prevalent forms of violence and abuse were reported with equal frequency in both settings, and some more frequently in schools. Despite being victimized more frequently, those in the correctional facilities tended to view their victimization as a significantly less serious problem than those in the schools and to rate the staff as doing a better job of dealing with the problem.

Mobile Phones as a Potential Vehicle of Infection in a Hospital Setting.

PubMed

Chao Foong, Yi; Green, Mark; Zargari, Ahmad; Siddique, Romana; Tan, Vanessa; Brain, Terry; Ogden, Kathryn

2015-01-01

The objective of this article is to investigate the potential role of mobile phones as a reservoir for bacterial colonization and the risk factors for bacterial colonization in a hospital setting. We screened 226 staff members at a regional Australian hospital (146 doctors and 80 medical students) between January 2013 and March 2014. The main outcomes of interest were the types of microorganisms and the amount of contamination of the mobile phones. This study found a high level of bacterial contamination (n = 168/226, 74%) on the mobile phones of staff members in a tertiary hospital, with similar organisms isolated from the staff member's dominant hand and mobile phones. While most of the isolated organisms were normal skin flora, a small percentage were potentially pathogenic (n = 12/226, 5%). Being a junior medical staff was found to be a risk factor for heavy microbial growth (OR 4.00, 95% CI 1.54, 10.37). Only 31% (70/226) of our participants reported cleaning their phones routinely, and only 21% (47/226) reported using alcohol containing wipes on their phones. This study demonstrates that mobile phones are potentially vehicles for pathogenic bacteria in a hospital setting. Only a minority of our participants reported cleaning their phones routinely. Disinfection guidelines utilizing alcohol wipes should be developed and implemented.

[Health coaching as a part of integration into the job market--evaluation of a qualification concept].

PubMed

Heinmüller, M; Liel, K; Angerer, P; Gündel, H; Geldermann, B; Gottwald, M; Kimil, A; Limm, H

2014-03-01

The aim of this study is to develop, implement and evaluate an education programme enabling the pedagogic staff of employment promotion agencies to integrate health promotion approaches und activities in vocational training programmes. The evaluation of the education programme is based on Kirkpatrick's 4 levels training evaluation model. Besides the participants' verbal end of session feedback, a standardised questionnaire was used at the end of the education programme and after 3 months practical experience. Process evaluation included the implementation level of the methods learned. From a total of 71 participants, 56 completed the first and 31 the second questionnaire (return rate 79% and 44%, respectively). The participants' mean age was 42 years, 80% were female. Only 22% of them integrated health topics systematically into their daily work. A 3-day basic training followed by case conferences during practical work was developed to transfer knowledge and practical competence in person-to-person talks and group activities (so called FIT-counselling and FIT-group). For 96% of participants, their expectations regarding the education programme were met completely or predominantly. 91% indicated a rise in motivation to work as health coach. When rating the training material, 96% judged it helpful for implementation/transfer. Many participants marked the education programme as being too short and wished more time for the topic of "mental health" and exchange of experiences. The follow-up after 3 months on-the-job training revealed that 84 and 97%, respectively, found FIT-counselling and FIT-groups helpful for their daily work. In all employment promotion agencies FIT-counselling and FIT-groups were implemented. Our results affirm the need for and prove the acceptance of education programmes enabling the pedagogic staff of job-training programmes to deliver health coaching. Periodic case conferences take into account the participants' request for more exchange of experiences, facilitate implementation and contribute to quality and sustainability. Further development of the education programme is ongoing. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Improving capacity in ethnicity and health research: report of a tailored programme for NHS Public Health practitioners.

PubMed

Salway, Sarah; Piercy, Hilary; Chowbey, Punita; Brewins, Louise; Dhoot, Permjeet

2013-10-01

To determine whether an intervention designed to enhance research capacity among commissioners in the area of ethnicity and health was feasible and impactful, and to identify programme elements that might usefully be replicated elsewhere. How healthcare commissioners should be equipped to understand and address multiethnic needs has received little attention to-date. Being able to mobilise and apply evidence is a central element of the commissioning process that requires development. Researching ethnicity and health is widely recognised as challenging and several prior interventions have aimed to enhance competence in this area. These have, however, predominantly taken place in North America and have not been evaluated in detail. An innovative research capacity development programme was delivered to public health staff within a large healthcare commissioning organisation in England. Evaluation methodology drew on 'pluralistic' evaluation principles and included formative and summative elements. Participant evaluation forms gave immediate feedback during the programme. Participants also provided feedback at two weeks and 12 months after the programme ended. In addition, one participant and one facilitator provided reflective accounts of the programme's strengths and weaknesses, and programme impact was traced through ongoing partnership work. The programme was well received and had a tangible impact on knowledge, confidence and practice for most participants. Factors important to success included: embedding learning within the participants' work context; ensuring a balance between theory and practical tips to enhance confidence; and having sustained interaction between trainers and participants. Despite positive signs, the challenging nature of the topic was highlighted, as were wider structural and cultural factors that impede progress in this area. Although it is unrealistic to expect such programmes to have a major impact on commissioning practices, they may well make an important contribution to raising the confidence and competence of staff to undertake work in this area.

Using action research to build mentor capacity to improve orientation and quality of nursing students' aged care placements: what to do when the phone rings.

PubMed

Lea, Emma J; Andrews, Sharon; Stronach, Megan; Marlow, Annette; Robinson, Andrew L

2017-07-01

To describe whether an action research approach can be used to build capacity of residential aged care facility staff to support undergraduate nursing students' clinical placements in residential aged care facilities, using development of an orientation programme as an exemplar. Aged care facilities are unpopular sites for nursing students' clinical placements. A contributing factor is the limited capacity of staff to provide students with a positive placement experience. Strategies to build mentor capability to shape student placements and support learning and teaching are critical if nursing students are to have positive placements that attract them to aged care after graduation, an imperative given the increasing care needs of the ageing population worldwide. Action research approach employing mixed-methods data collection (primarily qualitative with a quantitative component). Aged care facility staff (n = 32) formed a mentor group at each of two Tasmanian facilities and met regularly to support undergraduate nursing students (n = 40) during placements. Group members planned, enacted, reviewed and reflected on orientation procedures to welcome students, familiarise them with the facility and prepare them for their placement. Data comprised transcripts from these and parallel student meetings, and orientation data from student questionnaires from two successive placement periods (2011/2012). Problems were identified in the orientation processes for the initial student placements. Mentors implemented a revised orientation programme. Evaluation demonstrated improved programme outcomes for students regarding knowledge of facility operations, their responsibilities and emergency procedures. Action research provides an effective approach to engage aged care facility staff to build their capacity to support clinical placements. Building capacity in the aged care workforce is vital to provide appropriate care for residents with increasing care needs. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A member of the Shoshone-Bannock Native American community from Fort Hall, Idaho, displays a handmade item with the STS-107 logo. Dancers from Shoshone-Bannock Junior-Senior High School performed a healing ceremony during the memorial held at the Space Memorial Mirror, in the KSC Visitor Complex. Feb. 1 is the one-year anniversary of the loss of the crew and orbiter Columbia in a tragic accident as the ship returned to Earth following mission STS-107. Students and staff of the Shoshone-Bannock Nation had an experiment on board Columbia. The public was invited to the memorial service, held in the KSC Visitor Complex, which included comments by Center Director Jim Kennedy and Executive Director of Florida Space Authority Winston Scott. Scott is a former astronaut who flew on Columbia in 1997.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-02-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A member of the Shoshone-Bannock Native American community from Fort Hall, Idaho, displays a handmade item with the STS-107 logo. Dancers from Shoshone-Bannock Junior-Senior High School performed a healing ceremony during the memorial held at the Space Memorial Mirror, in the KSC Visitor Complex. Feb. 1 is the one-year anniversary of the loss of the crew and orbiter Columbia in a tragic accident as the ship returned to Earth following mission STS-107. Students and staff of the Shoshone-Bannock Nation had an experiment on board Columbia. The public was invited to the memorial service, held in the KSC Visitor Complex, which included comments by Center Director Jim Kennedy and Executive Director of Florida Space Authority Winston Scott. Scott is a former astronaut who flew on Columbia in 1997.

Pain management: evaluating the effectiveness of an educational programme for surgical nursing staff.

PubMed

Lin, Pi-Chu; Chiang, Hsiao-Wen; Chiang, Ting-Ting; Chen, Chyang-Shiong

2008-08-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the effectiveness of a pain management education programme in improving the nurses' knowledge about, attitude towards and application of relaxation therapy. Pain of surgical patients has long been an existing problem of health care. Nursing staff need to be educated continuously to develop the professional ability of pain management. A quasi-study design with pre- and posttest and post- and posttest was used. Subjects were chosen from a medical centre in Taipei by convenience sampling. The total sample size of 81 was segregated into a study group of 42 and control group of 39 participants. The study group attended a seven-session pain management programme totalling 15 hours. The control group received no pain management training. Scaled measurements were taken on pain management knowledge and attitude and relaxation therapy practice. (1) Scores for pain management knowledge differed significantly between the two groups (F = 40.636, p = 0.001). (2) Attitudes towards pain management differed between the two groups (F = 8.328, p = 0.005) and remained stable over time (F = 1.603, p = 0.205). (3) Relaxation therapy practice differed significantly between the two groups, with the study group better than the control group (F = 4.006, p = 0.049). (4) Relaxation therapy was applied to nearly all (97.5%) of the patients cared for by study group nurses. All of the instructed patients performed this technique one to three times per day postsurgery. Continuing education can improve nurses' knowledge about, attitude towards and behaviour of pain management. Results of this study could be used to guide the development and implementation of continuing education programmes for nursing staff to enhance patients' care knowledge and skills.

Active Residents in Care Homes (ARCH): study protocol to investigate the implementation and outcomes of a whole-systems activity programme in residential care homes for older people.

PubMed

Koskela, Sian A; Jones, Fiona; Clarke, Natasha; Anderson, Liezl; Kennedy, Bernadette; Grant, Robert; Gage, Heather; Hurley, Michael V

2017-03-01

To evaluate the effectiveness, acceptability and costs of Active Residents in Care Homes, ARCH - a programme aiming to increase opportunities for activity in older care home residents. Feasibility study. Residential care homes for older people. 10-15 residents, staff and family members will be recruited in each of the three participating care homes. ARCH is a 12-month 'whole-systems' programme implemented by occupational therapists and physiotherapists. They will conduct a comprehensive assessment of each care home, considering the physical environment, working practices and organisation structure as well as residents' individual needs, and recommend ways to address barriers and increase residents' activity levels. The therapists will then work with staff to improve understanding of the issues, instigate training, environmental, organisational and working practice changes as necessary. Residents' activity levels, health and quality of life will be tested using several measures to see which are practicable and appropriate for this population in this context. This includes: Assessment of Physical Activity in Frail Older People; Pool Activity Level Checklist; Dementia Care Mapping observations; and EQ-5D-5L. Residents will be assessed prior to programme implementation then 4- and 12-months post-implementation. Semi-structured interviews will explore the experiences of residents, staff, family members and therapists. Providing evidence of effectiveness and acceptability of ARCH, and documenting factors that impede/facilitate implementation will help us identify ways to enhance the care and quality of life of older people in residential care, and our understanding of how to implement them. ISRCTN24000891. Copyright © 2015 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reducing the cost of lower limb wound management through industry partnership and staff education.

PubMed

Norris, R; Staines, K; Vogwill, V

2012-05-01

Following an audit of practice in North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT), obstacles in the management of lower limb conditions were identified. An appraisal of needs in terms of skills and theory updates for staff led to a fixed-term 'honorary contract' between the trust and a wound-care company to facilitate a rolling programme of education, to upskill staff in terms of assessment and treatment, and develop standardised care pathways. After 3 months, a repeated practice audit revealed a reduction in nurse contact hours of 1156 hours. The partnership with industry proved to be beneficial and did not compromise care, and trust staff were not obligated to use their product.

Anaesthesia and hospital links: strengthening healthcare through South-North hospital partnerships.

PubMed

Parry, E H O; Percy, D B

2007-12-01

Health services can respond to the needs of the poorest people in developing countries if those who work in the front line of health care are supported and motivated and if development needs in services and training programmes can be filled. This can be achieved when a Health Link between a southern hospital and/or training school and its northern counterpart is designed to build a disciplined and long-term programme of staff development including the needs of anaesthetic services, which meets the needs identified by the southern partner. Development of anaesthetic practice is best carried out in the context of an institution-wide Health Link where not only the staff and systems involved in anaesthesia but all the essential 'back office' or support services are also supported and developed.

Using a high-definition stereoscopic video system to teach microscopic surgery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ilgner, Justus; Park, Jonas Jae-Hyun; Labbé, Daniel; Westhofen, Martin

2007-02-01

Introduction: While there is an increasing demand for minimally invasive operative techniques in Ear, Nose and Throat surgery, these operations are difficult to learn for junior doctors and demanding to supervise for experienced surgeons. The motivation for this study was to integrate high-definition (HD) stereoscopic video monitoring in microscopic surgery in order to facilitate teaching interaction between senior and junior surgeon. Material and methods: We attached a 1280x1024 HD stereo camera (TrueVisionSystems TM Inc., Santa Barbara, CA, USA) to an operating microscope (Zeiss ProMagis, Zeiss Co., Oberkochen, Germany), whose images were processed online by a PC workstation consisting of a dual Intel® Xeon® CPU (Intel Co., Santa Clara, CA). The live image was displayed by two LCD projectors @ 1280x768 pixels on a 1,25m rear-projection screen by polarized filters. While the junior surgeon performed the surgical procedure based on the displayed stereoscopic image, all other participants (senior surgeon, nurse and medical students) shared the same stereoscopic image from the screen. Results: With the basic setup being performed only once on the day before surgery, fine adjustments required about 10 minutes extra during the operation schedule, which fitted into the time interval between patients and thus did not prolong operation times. As all relevant features of the operative field were demonstrated on one large screen, four major effects were obtained: A) Stereoscopy facilitated orientation for the junior surgeon as well as for medical students. B) The stereoscopic image served as an unequivocal guide for the senior surgeon to demonstrate the next surgical steps to the junior colleague. C) The theatre nurse shared the same image, anticipating the next instruments which were needed. D) Medical students instantly share the information given by all staff and the image, thus avoiding the need for an extra teaching session. Conclusion: High definition stereoscopy bears the potential to compress the learning curve for undergraduate as well as postgraduate medical professionals in minimally invasive surgery. Further studies will focus on the long term effect for operative training as well as on post-processing of HD stereoscopy video content for off-line interactive medical education.

Cluster randomised controlled trial of a multicomponent intervention to support the implementation of policies and practices that promote healthier environments at junior sports clubs: study protocol.

PubMed

Milner, Sharin; Sherker, Shauna; Clinton-McHarg, Tara; Dray, Julia; Zukowski, Nadya; Gonzalez, Sharleen; Kingsland, Melanie; Ooi, Jia Ying; Murphy, Allan; Brooke, Daisy; Wiggers, John; Wolfenden, Luke

2018-01-23

A large proportion of children and adolescents participate in organised sport, making community sports clubs a promising setting to support healthy behaviours. To date, however, there have been few interventions conducted in junior sports clubs that have targeted health-promoting practices. The primary aim of this pilot study is to assess the potential effectiveness of an intervention to implement health-promoting policies and practices in junior sporting clubs targeting alcohol and tobacco practices, healthy food and beverage availability, and physical activity via participation in sport. A secondary outcome is to assess the impact of such strategies on child exposure to alcohol and tobacco use at the club, purchasing behaviours by/for children at the club canteen and child sports participation opportunities. The study will employ a cluster randomised controlled trial design and be conducted in metropolitan and regional areas of two Australian states. Randomisation will occur at the level of the football league. Community football clubs with over 40 junior players (players under 18 years) within each league will be eligible to participate. The intervention will be developed based on frameworks that consider the social, cultural and environmental factors that influence health behaviours. Intervention clubs will be supported to implement 16 practices targeting alcohol management, tobacco use, nutrition practices, new player recruitment activity, equal participation for players and the development of policies to support these practices. Trained research staff will collect outcome data via telephone interviews at baseline and follow-up. Interviews will be conducted with both club representatives and parents of junior players. The study has been approved by the University of Newcastle Human Research Ethics Committee (H-2013-0429). The results of the study will be disseminated via peer-reviewed publications and presentations at conferences. ACTRN12617001044314; Pre-results. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

An empowerment framework for nursing leadership development: supporting evidence.

PubMed

Macphee, Maura; Skelton-Green, Judith; Bouthillette, France; Suryaprakash, Nitya

2012-01-01

This article is a report on a descriptive study of nurse leaders' perspectives of the outcomes of a formal leadership programme. Effective nurse leaders are necessary to address complex issues associated with healthcare systems reforms. Little is known about the types of leadership development programmes that most effectively prepare nurse leaders for healthcare challenges. When nurse leaders use structural and psychological empowerment strategies, the results are safer work environments and better nurse outcomes. The leadership development programme associated with this study is based on a unifying theoretical empowerment framework to empower nurse leaders and enable them to empower others. Twenty seven front-line and mid-level nurse leaders with variable years of experience were interviewed for 1 year after participating in a formal leadership development programme. Data were gathered in 2008-2009 from four programme cohorts. Four researchers independently developed code categories and themes using qualitative content analysis. Evidence of leadership development programme empowerment included nurse leader reports of increased self-confidence with respect to carrying out their roles and responsibilities; positive changes in their leadership styles; and perceptions of staff recognition of positive stylistic changes. Regardless of years of experience, mid-level leaders had a broader appreciation of practice environment issues than front-line leaders. Time for reflection was valuable to all participants, and front-line leaders, in particular, appreciated the time to discuss nurse-specific issues with their colleagues. This study provides evidence that a theoretical empowerment framework and strategies can empower nurse leaders, potentially resulting in staff empowerment. © 2011 The Authors. Journal of Advanced Nursing © 2011 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Mixed methods evaluation of an interdisciplinary sexuality education programme for staff working with people who have an acquired physical disability.

PubMed

Higgins, Agnes; Sharek, Danika; Nolan, Maeve; Sheerin, Barbara; Flanagan, Paul; Slaicuinaite, Sniguole; Mc Donnell, Sinead; Walsh, Heather

2012-11-01

.  To report a study evaluating the effectiveness of a 1-day interdisciplinary sexuality education programme for staff working with people with acquired physical disability.   Changes associated with an acquired physical disability can diminish a person's self-esteem, sense of attractiveness, relationships, and sexual functioning. Research suggests that people are dissatisfied with the quality of information and support around sexuality during their rehabilitation.   A mixed methods design was used, involving pretest and posttest questionnaires and interviews. Questionnaire data were analysed using descriptive statistics and paired samples t-tests to evaluate the effects of the programme on knowledge, skills, and comfort. Interview data were analyzed thematically, with particular emphasis on participants' opinions about the application of the course within practice. Participants were working in the area of acquired disability and rehabilitation, and were drawn from a number of disciplines. Data were collected between 2008-2009.   Comparison of the pre- and postmeasures, based on paired samples t-tests, showed that the programme statistically significantly increased participants' knowledge, skills, and comfort. Participants felt positive and enthusiastic about the programme and reported numerous incidents where they were more willing to raise issues for discussion and create a supportive listening space for patients to talk about their concerns around sexuality.   Providing healthcare practitioners with a 1-day programme leads to positive changes in knowledge, skills, and comfort towards sexuality. Sexuality education may be an ideal topic for bringing practitioners together within an interdisciplinary education context. © 2012 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

A rapid assessment of a community health worker pilot programme to improve the management of hypertension and diabetes in Emfuleni sub-district of Gauteng Province, South Africa.

PubMed

Ndou, Tshipfuralo; van Zyl, Greer; Hlahane, Salamina; Goudge, Jane

2013-01-24

Non-communicable diseases (NCD) and infectious chronic illnesses are recognised as significant contributing factors to the burden of disease globally, specifically in South Africa, yet clinical management is often poor. The involvement of community health workers (CHWs) in TB and HIV care in South Africa, and other low- and middle-income settings, suggests that they could make an important contribution in the management of NCDs. Using a rapid assessment, this study examines the outcomes of a pilot CHW programme to improve the management of hypertension and diabetes in Gauteng province, South Africa. A record review compared outcomes of patients receiving home visits (n56) with a control group (n168) attending the clinic, matched, as far as possible, on age, gender, and condition. Focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews with CHWs, patients, district, clinic, and NGO staff were used to obtain descriptions of the functioning of the programme and patient experiences. Despite the greater age and co-morbidity among those in the pilot programme, the findings suggest that control of hypertension was improved by CHW home visits in comparison to usual clinic care. However, too few doctor visits, insufficient monitoring of patient outcomes by clinic staff, and a poor procurement process for supplies required by the CHWs hampered the programme's activities. The role of CHWs in the management of hypertension should be given greater consideration, with larger studies being conducted to provide more robust evidence. Adequate training, supervision, and operational support will be required to ensure success of any CHW programme.

Developing eLearning for pressure ulcer prevention and management.

PubMed

Cameron, Rosie; Rodgers, Angela; Welsh, Lynn; McGown, Katrina

2014-08-12

The impact of pressure ulcers is psychologically, physically and clinically challenging for both patients and NHS staff. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde (NHS GGC), in line with the Scottish Best Practice Statement for the Prevention and Management of Pressure Ulcers ( Quality Improvement Scotland, 2009 ), and the NHS Health Improvement Scotland (2011) Preventing Pressure Ulcers Change Package, launched an awareness campaign throughout the organisation in April 2012 and has more recently adopted a 'zero-tolerance' approach to pressure damage. The tissue viability service in NHS GGC recognised that in order to achieve this aim, education of front-line staff is essential. An educational framework for pressure ulcer prevention was developed for all levels of healthcare staff involved in the delivery of patient care. As a means to support the framework, an initiative to develop web-based eLearning modules has been taken forward. This has resulted in the creation of an accessible, cost-effective, stimulating, relevant, and evidence-based education programme designed around the educational needs of all healthcare staff. In conjunction with the organisation's 'top ten tools' for pressure ulcer prevention and management, the modular online education programme addresses the aims of quality improvement and zero tolerance by supporting the provision of safe and effective person-centered care.

Support to the Safe Motherhood Programme in Nepal: an integrated approach.

PubMed

Barker, Carol E; Bird, Cherry E; Pradhan, Ajit; Shakya, Ganga

2007-11-01

Evidence gathered from 1997 to 2006 indicates progress in reducing maternal mortality in Nepal, but public health services are still constrained by resource and staff shortages, especially in rural areas. The five-year Support to the Safe Motherhood Programme builds on the experience of the Nepal Safer Motherhood Project (1997-2004). It is working with the Government of Nepal to build capacity to institute a minimum package of essential maternity services, linking evidence-based policy development with health system strengthening. It has supported long-term planning, working towards skilled attendance at every birth, safe blood supplies, staff training, building management capacity, improving monitoring systems and use of process indicators, promoting dialogue between women and providers on quality of care, and increasing equity and access at district level. An incentives scheme finances transport costs to a health facility for all pregnant women and incentives to health workers attending deliveries, with free services and subsidies to facilities in the poorest 25 districts. Despite bureaucracy, frequent transfer of key government staff and political instability, there has been progress in policy development, and public health sector expenditure has increased. For the future, a human resources strategy with career paths that encourage skilled staff to stay in the government service is key.

The Prevent programme: an ethical dilemma for teachers as well as psychiatrists

PubMed Central

Reed, Stephanie

2016-01-01

The UK government's Prevent programme affects professionals and the people who rely on their services across the public sector, particularly now that workers are legally bound to report their concerns about individuals they believe to be at risk of radicalisation. This article discusses the risks that the strategy presents to the work of teachers and the bonds of trusts between staff and students. PMID:27087992

Maladjustment of programmable ventricular shunt valves by inadvertent exposure to a common hospital device.

PubMed

Fujimura, R; Lober, R; Kamian, K; Kleiner, L

2018-01-01

Programmable ventricular shunt valves are commonly used to treat hydrocephalus. They can be adjusted to allow for varying amounts of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) flow using an external magnetic programming device, and are susceptible to maladjustment from inadvertent exposure to magnetic fields. We describe the case of a 3-month-old girl treated for hydrocephalus with a programmable Strata TM II valve found at the incorrect setting on multiple occasions during her hospitalization despite frequent reprogramming and surveillance. We found that the Vocera badge, a common hands-free wireless communication system worn by our nursing staff, had a strong enough magnetic field to unintentionally change the shunt setting. The device is worn on the chest bringing it into close proximity to the shunt valve when care providers hold the baby, resulting in the maladjustment. Some commonly used medical devices have a magnetic field strong enough to alter programmable shunt valve settings. Here, we report that the magnetic field from the Vocera hands-free wireless communication system, combined with the worn position, results in shunt maladjustment for the Strata TM II valve. Healthcare facilities using the Vocera badges need to put protocols in place and properly educate staff members to ensure the safety of patients with Strata TM II valves.

Evaluation of the Effectiveness and Implementation of the BokSmart Safe Six Injury Prevention Programme: a study protocol.

PubMed

Sewry, Nicola; Verhagen, Evert; Lambert, Mike; van Mechelen, Willem; Brown, James

2017-12-01

The injury burden in rugby union ('rugby') is high. While exercise-based injury prevention programmes have successfully reduced injuries in other sports such as football, there is minimal research on this topic in rugby union. To evaluate the effectiveness and implementation of an exercise-based intervention (BokSmart Safe Six ) in junior rugby players that aims to reduce the injury risk profile and burden of injury. 14-16-year-old junior rugby players in two geographically separated locations in South Africa over the 2017 rugby playing season. A cluster-randomised controlled trial where the teams are allocated to groups that either (1) have a coach-delivered exercise intervention in their warm-up (BokSmart Safe Six ) or (2) continue with their warm-up 'as usual' (control group). Injury risk profiles will be assessed through musculoskeletal screening on all players performed at the beginning, middle and end of the trial. Epidemiological measurements include injury surveillance at all matches and training sessions, and exposure to the various warm-up exercises (including BokSmart Safe Six exercises). Behavioural determinants of coaches will be assessed through standardised theory of planned behaviour questionnaires and focus groups before and after the intervention. Comparison in injury risk profiles and burden of injury between the intervention and control groups. Changes in the behavioural determinants of coaches. PACTR201608001730223. Pre-Results. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

Capacity building of skilled birth attendants: a review of pre-service education curricula.

PubMed

Adegoke, Adetoro A; Mani, Safiyanu; Abubakar, Aisha; van den Broek, Nynke

2013-07-01

to assess the level, type and content of pre-service education curricula of health workers providing maternity services against the ICM global standards for Midwifery Education and Essential competencies for midwifery practice. We reviewed the quality and relevance of pre-service education curricula of four cadres of health-care providers of maternity care in Northern Nigeria. we adapted and used the ICM global standards for Midwifery Education and Essential competencies for midwifery practice to design a framework of criteria against which we assessed curricula for pre-service training. We reviewed the pre-service curricula for Nurses, Midwives, Community Health Extension Workers (CHEW) and Junior Community Health Extension Workers (JCHEW) in three states. Criteria against which the curricula were evaluated include: minimum entry requirement, the length of the programme, theory: practice ratio, curriculum model, minimum number of births conducted during training, clinical experience, competencies, maximum number of students allowable and proportion of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health components (MNCH) as part of the total curriculum. four pre-service education programmes were reviewed; the 3 year basic midwifery, 3 year basic nursing, 3 year Community Health Extension Worker (CHEW) and 2 year Junior Community Health Extension Worker (JCHEW) programme. Findings showed that, none of these four training curricula met all the standards. The basic midwifery curriculum most closely met the standards and competencies set out. The nursing curriculum showed a strong focus on foundations of nursing practice, theories of nursing, public health and maternal newborn and child health. This includes well-defined modules on family health which are undertaken from the first year to the third year of the programme. The CHEW and JCHEW curricula are currently inadequate with regard to training health-care workers to be skilled birth attendants. although the midwifery curriculum most closely reflects the ICM global standards for Midwifery Education and Essential competencies for midwifery practice, a revision of the competencies and content is required especially as it relates to the first year of training. There is an urgent need to modify the JCHEW and CHEW curricula by increasing the content and clinical hands-on experience of MNCH components of the curricula. Without effecting these changes, it is doubtful that graduates of the CHEW and JCHEW programmes have the requisite competencies needed to function adequately as skilled birth attendants in Health Centres, PHCs and MCHs, without direct supervision of a midwife or medical doctor with midwifery skills. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Junior hospital doctors' views on their training in the UK.

PubMed Central

Panayiotou, B. N.; Fotherby, M. D.

1996-01-01

To ascertain the views of senior house officers and registrars on the educational and training component of their posts, a questionnaire was sent to all full-time doctors working in training posts in general and/or geriatric medicine at three district general and three teaching hospitals. Completed questionnaires were received from 64 (61%) of 105 doctors who were contacted. Most had a careers counsellor or tutor, although less than two-thirds thought they had benefited from this arrangement. The majority of doctors attended at least two medical tutorials or meetings per week; most wanted to attend more but were unable to because of other work commitments. Supervision by more senior staff on the ward was deemed by most to be satisfactory, but less so in out-patient clinics. Overall, one-third of doctors thought that training was inadequate and three-quarters wanted a greater amount of formal education. The majority of junior doctors' time was spent on routine work and most considered :training' constituted less than 10% of their working time. Doctors in training require more sessions designated as educational, with protected time to attend these. PMID:8949591

The Library Technician Programme in Lebanon

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rafidi, Samia

1973-01-01

A description of the library technician program established by the Beirut College for Women in February 1970: its curriculum, professional staff, students, and reactions produced by the program is presented. (Author/SJ)

Investigating staff knowledge of safeguarding and pressure ulcers in care homes.

PubMed

Ousey, K; Kaye, V; McCormick, K; Stephenson, J

2016-01-01

To investigate whether nursing/care home staff regard pressure ulceration as a safeguarding issue; and to explore reporting mechanisms for pressure ulcers (PUs) in nursing/care homes. Within one clinical commissioning group, 65 staff members from 50 homes completed a questionnaire assessing their experiences of avoidable and unavoidable PUs, grading systems, and systems in place for referral to safeguarding teams. Understanding of safeguarding was assessed in depth by interviews with 11 staff members. Staff observed an average of 2.72 PUs in their workplaces over the previous 12 months, judging 45.6% to be avoidable. Only a minority of respondents reported knowledge of a grading system (mostly the EPUAP/NPUAP system). Most respondents would refer PUs to the safeguarding team: the existence of a grading system, or guidance, appeared to increase that likelihood. Safeguarding was considered a priority in most homes; interviewees were familiar with the term safeguarding, but some confusion over its meaning was apparent. Quality of written documentation and verbal communication received before residents returned from hospital was highlighted. However, respondents expressed concern over lack of information regarding skin integrity. Most staff had received education regarding ulcer prevention or wound management during training, but none reported post-registration training or formal education programmes; reliance was placed on advice of district nurses or tissue viability specialists. Staff within nursing/care homes understand the fundamentals of managing skin integrity and the importance of reporting skin damage; however, national education programmes are needed to develop knowledge and skills to promote patient health-related quality of life, and to reduce the health-care costs of pressure damage. Further research to investigate understanding, knowledge and skills of nursing/care home staff concerning pressure ulcer development and safeguarding will become increasingly necessary, as levels of the older population who may require assisted living continue to rise.

Doctors' perspectives of informed consent for non-emergency surgical procedures: a qualitative interview study.

PubMed

Wood, Fiona; Martin, Sean Michael; Carson-Stevens, Andrew; Elwyn, Glyn; Precious, Elizabeth; Kinnersley, Paul

2016-06-01

The need to involve patients more in decisions about their care, the ethical imperative and concerns about ligation and complaints has highlighted the issue of informed consent and how it is obtained. In order for a patient to make an informed decision about their treatment, they need appropriate discussion of the risks and benefits of the treatment. To explore doctors' perspectives of gaining informed consent for routine surgical procedures. Qualitative study using semi-structured interviews selected by purposive sampling. Data were analysed thematically. Twenty doctors in two teaching hospitals in the UK. Doctors described that while consent could be taken over a series of consultations, it was common for consent to be taken immediately prior to surgery. Juniors were often taking consent when they were unfamiliar with the procedure. Doctors used a range of communication techniques to inform patients about the procedure and its risks including quantifying risks, personalizing risk, simplification of language and use of drawings. Barriers to effective consent taking were reported to be shortage of time, clinician inexperience and patients' reluctance to be involved. Current consent processes do not appear to be ideal for many doctors. In particular, junior doctors are often not confident taking consent for surgical procedures and require more support to undertake this task. This might include written information for junior staff, observation by senior colleagues when undertaking the task and ward-based communication skills teaching on consent taking. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Choosing a career in paediatrics: do trainees' views change over the first year of specialty training?

PubMed

Goodyear, Helen M; Lakshminarayana, Indumathy; Wall, David; Bindal, Taruna

2014-09-01

To look at why a regional cohort of UK doctors chose a paediatric career and to ascertain views on their career near the end of training year one. A 20-item questionnaire was sent to all new regional paediatric specialty trainees. Three focus groups were held with trainees near the end of year one to elicit key themes. West Midlands Deanery, UK. Twenty-nine new regional paediatric specialty trainees in year one completed the questionnaire. A total of 15 trainees participated in the focus groups near the end of year one training. Reasons for choosing a paediatric career and factors which further influence career choice for trainees during their first specialty training year. Key influencing factors for choosing paediatrics were enjoying working with children and positive undergraduate experience of the specialty. All trainees had paediatrics as their first choice specialty and undertook a paediatric Foundation post. Near the end of year one, doubts were cast on career aspirations due to seeing middle grade colleagues struggling with work-life balance and a growing feeling that family came first. Senior trainees need to be aware that they act as powerful role models for their more junior colleagues and therefore have an influential role on how juniors perceive a paediatric career. Family friendly flexible working patterns in paediatrics are vital to retain junior trainees. All paediatric staff are role models and need to be enthusiastic, keen to teach and to promote a positive working environment.

Providing activity for people with dementia in care homes: a cluster randomised controlled trial.

PubMed

Wenborn, Jennifer; Challis, David; Head, Jenny; Miranda-Castillo, Claudia; Popham, Carolyn; Thakur, Ruchi; Illes, Jacqueline; Orrell, Martin

2013-12-01

Activity levels remain low in care homes, but activity engagement can enhance residents' quality of life. This study aimed to assess an occupational therapy programme designed to enable care home staff to increase activity provision. A cluster randomised controlled trial with blinded assessment of outcome was conducted. A total of 210 residents with dementia in 16 care homes were recruited. Intervention homes received the programme, and control homes were provided usual care. Primary outcome is quality of life; secondary measures are dependency, challenging behaviour, depression, anxiety, severity of dementia and number and type of medication. Quality of life decreased overall with statistically significant change in staff ratings (p < 0.001). At follow-up, staff-rated quality of life was slightly lower in the intervention group (mean difference in staff ratings = -1.91, 95% CI -3.39 to -0.43, p = 0.01). There were no significant differences between the two groups for self-rated quality of life or secondary outcomes. The results may be related to the following: wide variability in how the intervention was implemented, such as low staff attendance at the education and coaching sessions, and patchy provision of additional activities to residents; or the residents' severity of dementia or the choice of outcome measures. Future studies need to pay more attention to process measures such as implementation and fidelity strategies, and outcome measures that better capture the focus of the intervention such as level of engagement and activity. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Cluster randomised controlled trial of 'whole school' child maltreatment prevention programme in primary schools in Northern Ireland: study protocol for Keeping Safe.

PubMed

McElearney, Aisling; Brennan-Wilson, Aoibheann; Murphy, Christina; Stephenson, Phyllis; Bunting, Brendan

2018-05-03

Child maltreatment has a pervasive, detrimental impact on children's wellbeing. Despite a growing focus on prevention through school based education, few programmes adopt a whole- school approach, are multi-component, seek to address all forms of maltreatment, or indeed have been robustly evaluated. This paper describes a cluster randomised controlled trial designed to evaluate a school based child maltreatment prevention programme: 'Keeping Safe' in primary schools in Northern Ireland. The intervention has been designed by a non-profit agency. Programme resources include 63 lessons taught incrementally to children between four and 11 years old, and is premised on three core themes: healthy relationships, my body, and being safe. There are programme resources to engage parents and to build the capacity and skills of school staff. A cluster Randomised Controlled Trial (RCT) will be conducted with children in 80 schools over a two-year period. The unit of randomisation is the school. Schools will be allocated to intervention or wait-list control groups using a computer-generated list. Data will be collected at three time points: baseline, end of year one, and end of year two of programme implementation. Primary outcomes will include: children's understanding of key programme concepts, self-efficacy to keep safe in situations of maltreatment, anxiety arising from programme participation, and disclosure of maltreatment. Secondary outcomes include teachers' comfort and confidence in teaching the programme and parents' confidence in talking to their children about programme concepts. This RCT will address gaps in current practice and evidence regarding school based child maltreatment prevention programmes. This includes the use of a whole- school approach and multi-component programme that addresses all maltreatment concepts, a two-year period of programme implementation, and the tracking of outcomes for children, parents, and teachers. Methodologically, it will extend our understanding and learning in: capturing sensitive outcome data from young children, adapting and using standardised measures with children of different ages, the use of school level administrative data on staff reports/children's disclosure of maltreatment as behavioural outcomes, and the conduct of complex trials within the busy school environment. ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02961010 (Retrospectively registered 8 November 2016).

Humans, 'things' and space: costing hospital infection control interventions.

PubMed

Page, K; Graves, N; Halton, K; Barnett, A G

2013-07-01

Previous attempts at costing infection control programmes have tended to focus on accounting costs rather than economic costs. For studies using economic costs, estimates tend to be quite crude and probably underestimate the true cost. One of the largest costs of any intervention is staff time, but this cost is difficult to quantify and has been largely ignored in previous attempts. To design and evaluate the costs of hospital-based infection control interventions or programmes. This article also discusses several issues to consider when costing interventions, and suggests strategies for overcoming these issues. Previous literature and techniques in both health economics and psychology are reviewed and synthesized. This article provides a set of generic, transferable costing guidelines. Key principles such as definition of study scope and focus on large costs, as well as pitfalls (e.g. overconfidence and uncertainty), are discussed. These new guidelines can be used by hospital staff and other researchers to cost their infection control programmes and interventions more accurately. Copyright © 2013 The Healthcare Infection Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Time to audit.

PubMed

Smyth, L G; Martin, Z; Hall, B; Collins, D; Mealy, K

2012-09-01

Public and political pressures are increasing on doctors and in particular surgeons to demonstrate competence assurance. While surgical audit is an integral part of surgical practice, its implementation and delivery at a national level in Ireland is poorly developed. Limits to successful audit systems relate to lack of funding and administrative support. In Wexford General Hospital, we have a comprehensive audit system which is based on the Lothian Surgical Audit system. We wished to analyse the amount of time required by the Consultant, NCHDs and clerical staff on one surgical team to run a successful audit system. Data were collected over a calendar month. This included time spent coding and typing endoscopy procedures, coding and typing operative procedures, and typing and signing discharge letters. The total amount of time spent to run the audit system for one Consultant surgeon for one calendar month was 5,168 min or 86.1 h. Greater than 50% of this time related to work performed by administrative staff. Only the intern and administrative staff spent more than 5% of their working week attending to work related to the audit. An integrated comprehensive audit system requires a very little time input by Consultant surgeons. Greater than 90% of the workload in running the audit was performed by the junior house doctors and administrative staff. The main financial implications for national audit implementation would relate to software and administrative staff recruitment. Implementation of the European Working Time Directive in Ireland may limit the time available for NCHD's to participate in clinical audit.

Teaching Radiology Trainees From the Perspective of a Millennial.

PubMed

Chen, Po-Hao; Scanlon, Mary H

2018-06-01

The millennial generation consists of today's medical students, radiology residents, fellows, and junior staff. Millennials' comfort with immersive technology, high expectations for success, and desire for constant feedback differentiate them from previous generations. Drawing from an author's experiences through radiology residency and fellowship as a millennial, from published literature, and from the mentorship of a long-time radiology educator, this article explores educational strategies that embrace these characteristics to engage today's youngest generation both in and out of the reading room. Copyright © 2018 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Development and pilot testing of an interprofessional patient-centered team training programme in medical rehabilitation clinics in Germany: a process evaluation.

PubMed

Becker, Sonja; Körner, Mirjam; Müller, Christian; Lippenberger, Corinna; Rundel, Manfred; Zimmermann, Linda

2017-07-14

Interprofessional teamwork is considered to be a key component of patient-centred treatment in healthcare, and especially in the rehabilitation sector. To date, however, no interventions exist for improving teamwork in rehabilitation clinics in Germany. A team training programme was therefore designed that is individualised in content but standardised regarding methods and process. It is clinic specific, task related, solution focused and context oriented. The aim of the study was to implement and evaluate this training for interprofessional teams in rehabilitation clinics in Germany. The measure consists of a training of a varying number of sessions with rehabilitation teams that consists of four distinct phases. Those are undergone chronologically, each with clinic-specific contents. It was implemented between 2013 and 2014 in five rehabilitation clinics in Germany and evaluated by the participants via questionnaire (n = 52). Staff in three clinics evaluated the programme as helpful, in particular rating moderation, discussions and communication during the training positively. Staff in the remaining two clinics rated it as not very or not helpful and mentioned long-term structural problems or a lack of need for team training as a reason for this. The team training is applicable and accepted by staff. It should, however, be tested in a greater sample and compared with a control group. Processes should be studied in more detail in order to determine what differentiates successful from non-successful interventions and the different requirements each of these might have.

Collaborating for oral health in support of vulnerable older people: co-production of oral health training in care homes.

PubMed

Patel, Rakhee; Robertson, Claire; Gallagher, Jennifer E

2017-11-23

In recent years, the value of co-production has become embedded in the social care agenda. Care home residents are at significantly higher risk of dental diseases and often rely on the care team for support. It is therefore vital that staff are trained and confident in delivering evidence based oral care to their clients. Three London care homes co-produced a pilot oral health training programme, informed by in-depth interviews and group discussions. The initiative was evaluated using pre/post-questionnaires of carers and semi-structured interviews of managers and the dental teams. Two care homes were available for delivery of the programme, which resulted in training of 64% (n = 87) of care staff. The training programme involved videos and resources and was delivered flexibly with the support of an oral health educator and a dental therapist. There was an improvement in knowledge and self-reported confidence post-training; however, only 54% (n = 45) completed the post-training questionnaire. This study suggests that co-production of an oral care training package for care home staff, is possible and welcome, but challenging in this complex and changing environment. Further work is needed to explore the feasibility, sustainability and impact of doing so. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Faculty of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

Perceptions and Impact of Mandatory eLearning for Foundation Trainee Doctors: A Qualitative Evaluation

PubMed Central

Brooks, Hannah L.; Vallance, Hannah K.; Hirsch, Christine A.; Hughes, Elizabeth; Ferner, Robin E.; Marriott, John F.; Coleman, Jamie J.

2016-01-01

Background Junior doctors in the UK must complete various educational components during their two year Foundation training programme. It is important that mandatory learning is informative and engaging. The aim of this study was to evaluate trainee doctors’ perceptions of a Technology Enhanced Learning (TEL) programme developed to improve prescribing competency. Method Focus groups and interviews were conducted at three hospital sites in the West Midlands. Codes, sub-themes and themes were determined using deductive and inductive thematic analysis. Results Data were collected from 38 Foundation trainee doctors. Results revealed major themes relating to prescribing education, the user experience and user engagement. Key findings included the positive impact of preparedness following undergraduate education on the user experience of the TEL programme at the postgraduate level; the impact of content, structure, and individual learning needs and styles on the user experience; and the impact of motivation and time on engagement. Most trainees engaged with the programme owing to its mandatory nature; however, some trainees also used the programme voluntarily, for example, to acquire knowledge prior to starting a new placement. Conclusions It is important to ensure that learners are willing to engage with mandatory TEL, and that they have the time and motivation to do so. It is also important to ensure that learners have a positive user experience and that in designing TEL individual differences in learning styles and needs are taken into account. These findings have implications for educators and system developers in the construction and design of mandatory eLearning programmes. PMID:28005938

Selection, de-selection and progression in German football talent promotion.

PubMed

Güllich, Arne

2014-01-01

This study explored to which extent the development of German professional football players is based on early talent identification (TID) and long-term nurture in talent promotion (TP) programmes or on their emergence in the course of repeated procedures of player selection and de-selection in these programmes through childhood and youth. The annual turnover of squad members in national junior teams (2001-2013) and youth elite academies was calculated; national U-team members were followed up with regard to nominations through subsequent seasons and to their success level eventually achieved at senior age; and all current Bundesliga players were analysed retrospectively regarding their earlier involvement in TID/TP programmes. Analyses revealed that the mean annual turnover of squad members was 24.5% (youth academies) and 41.0% (national U-teams), respectively. At any age, the probability of persisting in the programme three years later was <50%. Among current Bundesliga players, the age of recruitment into the TID/TP programme was widely evenly distributed across childhood and youth, respectively. Accordingly, the number of (future) Bundesliga players who were involved in TID/TP was built up continuously through all age categories. The observations suggest that the collective of professional players emerged from repeated procedures of selection and de-selection through childhood and youth rather than from early selection and long-term continuous nurture in TID/TP programmes. The findings are discussed with regard to the uncertainty of TID and of interventions applied to the selected players, and they are related to the individualistic and collectivistic approach in TP.

Variation in community intervention programmes and consequences for children and families: the example of Sure Start Local Programmes.

PubMed

Melhuish, Edward; Belsky, Jay; Anning, Angela; Ball, Mog; Barnes, Jacqueline; Romaniuk, Helena; Leyland, Alastair

2007-06-01

An area-based initiative, Sure Start Local Programmes (SSLPs), was established by the UK government to reduce social exclusion through improving the well-being of children aged 0-3 years and their families in disadvantaged communities; a true community intervention in that all children under four and their families in specified areas served as targets of universal services. A national evaluation examined the links between variation in programme implementation and effectiveness. Data gathered from multiple sources produced measures of implementation in terms of proficiency, services and staffing. Measures of programme impact on child/parenting outcomes derived from multilevel models, controlling for child, family and area characteristics, were identified to demonstrate programme effectiveness. Some modest linkage between programme implementation (e.g., proficiency, empowerment of parents and staff, identification of users) and effectiveness for child and parenting outcomes. Overall proficiency and specific aspects of implementation may influence effectiveness, which should guide the design of other child, family and community services.

Commentary: restarting NTD programme activities after the Ebola outbreak in Liberia.

PubMed

Thomas, Brent C; Kollie, Karsor; Koudou, Benjamin; Mackenzie, Charles

2017-05-01

It is widely known that the recent Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) in West Africa caused a serious disruption to the national health system, with many of ongoing disease focused programmes, such as mass drug administration (MDA) for onchocerciasis (ONC), lymphatic filariasis (LF) and schistosomiasis (SCH), being suspended or scaled-down. As these MDA programmes attempt to restart post-EVD it is important to understand the challenges that may be encountered. This commentary addresses the opinions of the major health sectors involved, as well as those of community members, regarding logistic needs and challenges faced as these important public health programmes consider restarting. There appears to be a strong desire by the communities to resume NTD programme activities, although it is clear that some important challenges remain, the most prominent being those resulting from the severe loss of trained staff.

An integrative review of rural and remote nursing graduate programmes and experiences of nursing graduates.

PubMed

Fowler, Amanda C; Twigg, Diane; Jacob, Elisabeth; Nattabi, Barbara

2018-03-01

To examine international studies that specifically focus on transition to practice for graduate registered nurses in rural and remote areas. Supportive graduate nursing programmes are essential for enabling nursing graduates' transition to practice and reducing attrition rates. Literature examining support measures for nursing graduates within metropolitan areas is abundant. However, there is a paucity of evidence on effective graduate programmes for rural and remote-based nursing graduates. A systematic approach was used to identify robust research within appropriate electronic databases. Eligible articles were critically reviewed using the Mixed Method Appraisal Tool critical appraisal tool. Eligible articles were thematically analysed using the Braun and Clark approach. Eight articles met the selection criteria for inclusion. Findings revealed that while most graduate nurses survived the transition process, they often felt overwhelmed and abandoned with intense feelings of frustration. Many suffered transition shock and did not feel ready for the role. Socialisation of graduates to the clinical environment was lacking. Support offered in many graduate programmes was ad hoc and unstructured. Senior staff were inadequately supported in their roles as preceptors to assist with the transition. Critical support measures recommended included both debrief sessions and regular one-on-one support. Graduate programmes need to be structured yet flexible to accommodate the needs of rural and remote nurse graduates. Graduates need to be transitioned into practice with decremental support processes for both workloads and education. Preceptors require education on how to mentor before they can provide the appropriate support for graduates. Without these measures in place, a decrease in transition shock may not be possible. Graduate programmes need to be structured yet flexible, including assistance with both clinical skills and socialisation. Senior staff require education before they can adequately support new graduates. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Survey of staff attitudes to the smoking ban in a medium secure unit.

PubMed

Garg, Shruti; Shenoy, Suraj; Badee, May; Varghese, Joe; Quinn, Patrick; Kent, John

2009-10-01

The aim of this survey was to explore staff attitudes to the indoor smoking ban in a medium secure unit and to ascertain if they had experienced any difficulties in imposing the ban in the four months after its introduction. All staff members available on duty who agreed to participate in the survey were interviewed using a semi-structured questionnaire. The response rate was 65%. Sixty-four percent of the staff supported the smoking ban. Forty-three percent reported experiencing patient management problems with the majority complaining of increased patient aggression, increased use of staff time in supervising patients smoking. Additionally, supervising staff were still being exposed to passive smoking. Sixty-five percent reported positive effects due to the ban with the majority reporting that patients were sleeping at night due to the smoking area being closed at night. A significant proportion of the staff is still opposed to the smoking ban. Changing staff attitudes through educational programmes will be important in ensuring success of a possible future total ban in psychiatric units. 2009 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine.

[Mental health problems among female staff in a provincial maternal and child health hospital: an investigation of 647 individuals].

PubMed

He, W J; Xia, J H; Lv, X; Li, L M

2018-02-20

Objective: To investigate the current status of depression and anxiety among female staff in a maternal and child health hospital, and to provide a basis for developing related prevention and intervention measures and promoting the mental health of female staff. Methods: The female staff from a provincial maternal and child health hospital completed a psycho-health questionnaire survey on Internet from June to October, 2016. The questionnaires used in the survey consisted of Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ-9) , Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) , and Symptom Checklist-90 (SCL-90) . The distribution features of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety were analyzed according to the results: of the questionnaire survey. Results Of all female staff surveyed, 42.04% showed depression symptoms, 28.90% showed anxiety symptoms, and 26.12% showed comorbid symptoms of depression and anxiety. Moderate or severe depression (anxiety) was mainly distributed among the female staff with comorbid symptoms (90.63% and 97.01%, respectively) . There were significant differences in the distribution of moderate or severe anxiety symptoms between the medical staff and nursing staff (χ(2)= 5.81, P =0.05) and between those with intermediate and junior professional titles (χ(2)=7.99, P =0.018) . As for SCL-90 results, the total score, total average score, and scores on factors of somatization, compulsion, interpersonal sensitivity, depression, and anxiety in the female staff with comorbid symptoms, moderate or severe depression, and moderate or severe anxiety were significantly higher than the national norm ( P <0.01) , while the scores on paranoid and psychotic factors were significantly lower than the national norm ( P <0.01) . The numbers of cases of positive factors were significantly higher in the female staff with comorbid symptoms than in the female staff with a single symptom and asymptomatic female staff (both P <0.01) , and positive cases were mainly distributed in depression, interpersonal sensitivity, compulsion, anxiety, and somatic factors. Conclusion: The prevalence of depression and anxiety is high among female staff in the maternal and child health hospital, mainly characterized by comorbid symptoms of moderate or severe depression and anxiety. Comorbidity is accompanied by mental health problems such as interpersonal sensitivity, obsessive compulsion, and physical discomfort. Corresponding measures are needed for the prevention and intervention of mental health problems among female staff in the maternal and child health hospital.

Staff - Scott W. Crass | Alaska Division of Geological & Geophysical

Science.gov Websites

Position: Analyst/Programmer, Volcanology Address: 3354 College Road Fairbanks, AK 99709-3707 Phone: (907 Geological & Geophysical Surveys (DGGS) 3354 College Road, Fairbanks, AK 99709 Phone: (907) 451-5000 Fax

An Assessment of Psychological Need in Emergency Medical Staff in the Northern Health and Social Care Trust Area.

PubMed

Aisling, McAleese; Aisling, Diamond; David, Curran

2016-05-01

Psychological stress is increasingly recognised within emergency medicine, given the environmental and clinical stressors associated with the specialism. The current study assessed whether psychological distress is experienced by emergency medical staff and if so, what is the expressed need within this population? Participants included ambulance personnel, nursing staff, doctors and ancillary support staff within two Accident and Emergency (A&E) departments and twelve ambulance bases within one Trust locality in NI (N = 107). The General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12, Goldberg, 1972, 1978), Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale (STSS, Bride, 2004) and an assessment of need questionnaire were completed and explored using mixed method analysis. Results showed elevated levels of psychological distress within each profession except ambulance service clinical support officers (CSOs). Elevated levels of secondary trauma symptomatology were also found; the highest were within some nursing grades and junior doctors. Decreased enjoyment in job over time was significantly associated with higher scores. Analysis of qualitative data identified sources of stress to include low morale. A total of 65% of participants thought that work related stressors had negatively affected their mental health. Participants explored what they felt could decrease psychological distress including improved resources and psychoeducation. There were elevated levels of distress and secondary traumatic stress within this population as well as an expressed level of need, on both systemic and support levels.

Use of a virtual learning environment for training in maxillofacial emergencies: impact on the knowledge and attitudes of staff in accident and emergency departments.

PubMed

Elledge, Ross; McAleer, Sean; Thakar, Meera; Begum, Fathema; Singhota, Sanjeet; Grew, Nicholas

2016-02-01

Many graduates will take up junior roles in accident and emergency (A&E) departments to which a large proportion of patients present with facial injuries caused by interpersonal violence. However, it is widely recognised that undergraduates and postgraduates have few opportunities for training in oral and maxillofacial surgery. We aimed to assess the impact of a specifically designed maxillofacial emergencies virtual learning environment (VLE) on the knowledge and confidence of junior doctors in two A&E departments. They were given free access to the VLE for one month, and were asked to complete multiple choice questions and to rate their confidence to deal with 10 common situations on visual analogue scales (VAS) at baseline and one month after training. A total of 29 doctors agreed to pilot the website, 21 (72%) completed both sets of questions, and 18 (62%) completed both VAS assessments. The mean (SD) multiple choice score improved from 10 (2.52) to 13 (3.56) out of a maximum of 20 (p=0.004) and the mean (SD) VAS improved from 29.2 (19.2) mm to 45.7 (16.6) mm out of a maximum of 100 mm (p=0.007). This was a small pilot study with limited numbers, but it showed improvements in the knowledge of maxillofacial emergencies and in confidence, although the latter remained low. Further work is needed to examine how these brief educational interventions affect the attitudes of frontline staff to maxillofacial emergencies. Copyright © 2015 The British Association of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A student from Shoshone-Bannock Junior-Senior High School, Fort Hall, Idaho, holds part of a flag presented by dancers from the Shoshone-Bannock Native American community, Fort Hall, Idaho, commemorating the orbiter Columbia and her crew. The dancers performed a healing ceremony during the memorial service held at the Space Memorial Mirror for the crew of Columbia. Feb. 1 is the one-year anniversary of the loss of the crew and orbiter Columbia in a tragic accident as the ship returned to Earth following mission STS-107. Students and staff of the Shoshone-Bannock Nation had an experiment on board Columbia. The public was invited to the memorial service, held in the KSC Visitor Complex, which included comments by Center Director Jim Kennedy and Executive Director of Florida Space Authority Winston Scott. Scott is a former astronaut who flew on Columbia in 1997.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-02-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A student from Shoshone-Bannock Junior-Senior High School, Fort Hall, Idaho, holds part of a flag presented by dancers from the Shoshone-Bannock Native American community, Fort Hall, Idaho, commemorating the orbiter Columbia and her crew. The dancers performed a healing ceremony during the memorial service held at the Space Memorial Mirror for the crew of Columbia. Feb. 1 is the one-year anniversary of the loss of the crew and orbiter Columbia in a tragic accident as the ship returned to Earth following mission STS-107. Students and staff of the Shoshone-Bannock Nation had an experiment on board Columbia. The public was invited to the memorial service, held in the KSC Visitor Complex, which included comments by Center Director Jim Kennedy and Executive Director of Florida Space Authority Winston Scott. Scott is a former astronaut who flew on Columbia in 1997.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Astronaut John Herrington speaks to the visitors at the memorial service held at the Space Memorial Mirror for the crew of Columbia. Herrington, who is a Chickasaw from Oklahoma, introduced the Shoshone-Bannock Junior-Senior High School dancers, from the Native American community at Fort Hall, Idaho, who performed a healing ceremony. Students and staff of the Shoshone-Bannock Nation had an experiment on board Columbia. Feb. 1 is the one-year anniversary of the loss of the crew and orbiter Columbia in a tragic accident as the ship returned to Earth following mission STS-107. The public was invited to the memorial service, held in the KSC Visitor Complex, which included comments by Center Director Jim Kennedy and Executive Director of Florida Space Authority Winston Scott. Scott is a former astronaut who flew on Columbia in 1997.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-02-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - Astronaut John Herrington speaks to the visitors at the memorial service held at the Space Memorial Mirror for the crew of Columbia. Herrington, who is a Chickasaw from Oklahoma, introduced the Shoshone-Bannock Junior-Senior High School dancers, from the Native American community at Fort Hall, Idaho, who performed a healing ceremony. Students and staff of the Shoshone-Bannock Nation had an experiment on board Columbia. Feb. 1 is the one-year anniversary of the loss of the crew and orbiter Columbia in a tragic accident as the ship returned to Earth following mission STS-107. The public was invited to the memorial service, held in the KSC Visitor Complex, which included comments by Center Director Jim Kennedy and Executive Director of Florida Space Authority Winston Scott. Scott is a former astronaut who flew on Columbia in 1997.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A member of the Shoshone-Bannock Native American community from Fort Hall, Idaho, reads a tribute to the crew of Columbia while another displays a handmade item with the STS-107 logo. Dancers from Shoshone-Bannock Junior-Senior High School performed a healing ceremony during the memorial held at the Space Memorial Mirror, in the KSC Visitor Complex. Feb. 1 is the one-year anniversary of the loss of the crew and orbiter Columbia in a tragic accident as the ship returned to Earth following mission STS-107. Students and staff of the Shoshone-Bannock Nation had an experiment on board Columbia. The public was invited to the memorial service, held in the KSC Visitor Complex, which included comments by Center Director Jim Kennedy and Executive Director of Florida Space Authority Winston Scott. Scott is a former astronaut who flew on Columbia in 1997.

NASA Image and Video Library

2004-02-01

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, FLA. - A member of the Shoshone-Bannock Native American community from Fort Hall, Idaho, reads a tribute to the crew of Columbia while another displays a handmade item with the STS-107 logo. Dancers from Shoshone-Bannock Junior-Senior High School performed a healing ceremony during the memorial held at the Space Memorial Mirror, in the KSC Visitor Complex. Feb. 1 is the one-year anniversary of the loss of the crew and orbiter Columbia in a tragic accident as the ship returned to Earth following mission STS-107. Students and staff of the Shoshone-Bannock Nation had an experiment on board Columbia. The public was invited to the memorial service, held in the KSC Visitor Complex, which included comments by Center Director Jim Kennedy and Executive Director of Florida Space Authority Winston Scott. Scott is a former astronaut who flew on Columbia in 1997.

The BDA Dental Academic Staff Group Student Elective Workshop.

PubMed

Walmsley, A D; White, D A; Hobson, R; Ensor, S

2007-08-25

In the current climate in dental education, many schools are re-evaluating the role of the student elective in the curriculum, with two schools no longer running elective programmes. In order to discuss the future of student electives in the dental curriculum, the Dental Academic Staff Group (DASG) of the British Dental Association organised a Student Elective Workshop, which attracted 42 delegates including nine student representatives. The following article is an account of the Workshop and its conclusions.

“The Early Specialised Bird Catches the Worm!” – A Specialised Sampling Model in the Development of Football Talents

PubMed Central

Sieghartsleitner, Roland; Zuber, Claudia; Zibung, Marc; Conzelmann, Achim

2018-01-01

Characteristics of learning activities in early sport participation play a key role in the development of the sporting talent. Therefore, pathways of specialisation or diversification/sampling are as well debated as the implementation of practice- or play-oriented activities. The related issues are currently perceived as a two-dimensional construct of domain specificity and performance orientation. In this context, it has been shown that early specialisation, with experiences in practice and play, has led to Swiss junior national team football players reaching higher success levels as adults. This study aimed to examine whether a similar approach improves chances of even being selected for junior national teams from a broader sample. Hence, 294 youth players answered retrospective questionnaires on their early sport participation when entering the Swiss football talent development programme. Using the person-oriented Linking of Clusters after removal of a Residue (LICUR) method, volumes of in-club practice, free play and activities besides football until 12 years of age were analysed along with age at initial club participation. According to the results, clusters of Football enthusiasts (p = 0.01) with the most free play and above average in-club practice and Club players (p = 0.02) with the most in-club practice and average free play had a greater chance of reaching junior national team level. Thus, high levels of domain-specific activities seem to increase the chances of junior national team participation. Furthermore, the most successful constellation (Football enthusiasts) may illustrate the relevance of domain-specific diversity, induced by several types of practice and play. In line with previous studies, specialising in football and sampling different experiences within this specific domain seems to be the most promising pathway. Therefore, we argue that the optimal model for the development of football talents is a specialised sampling model. PMID:29515500

Responding to excessive alcohol consumption in third-level (REACT): a study protocol.

PubMed

Davoren, Martin P; Calnan, Susan; Mulcahy, Judith; Lynch, Emily; Perry, Ivan J; Byrne, Michael

2018-05-11

Problem alcohol use is an ongoing, worldwide phenomenon of considerable concern. Throughout the past 20 years, national policies have noted the importance of students when tackling alcohol consumption. Considering alcohol is a multifaceted issue, a multi-component response is required to combat its excessive use. This protocol sets out the approach used for developing, implementing and evaluating the REACT (Responding to Excessive Alcohol Consumption in Third-level) Programme. This evaluation will provide the evidence base for programme development, implementation and improvement. Stage one involved defining the multi-component intervention. This was developed following a systematic review of existing literature and a Delphi-consensus workshop involving university students, staff and relevant stakeholders. Following this, the programme is being implemented across the Higher Education sector in Ireland. A number of Higher Education Institutes have declined the invitation to participate in the programme. These institutions will act as control sites. Each intervention site will have a steering committee whose membership will include a mix of students and academic and student service staff. This steering committee will report to the REACT research team on the implementation of mandatory and optional action points at local sites. An online cross-sectional study at baseline and two-years post intervention will be utilised to determine the impact of the REACT programme. The impact assessment will focus on (1) whether the intervention has reduced alcohol consumption among third-level students (2); whether the programme altered students attitudes toward alcohol and (3) whether the programme has decreased the second-hand effects associated with excessive consumption. Finally, qualitative research will focus on factors influencing the take-up and implementation of this programme as well as students' views on the initiative. Alcohol consumption has remained on the policy agenda at both national and international level over recent decades. Students are regularly among the highest alcohol consumers, yet university management and public policymakers struggle to tackle this burgeoning issue. The REACT Programme provides a structure to translate policy into practice for those seeking to reduce hazardous alcohol consumption and related harms among third-level students.

Knowledge and perceptions of national and provincial tuberculosis control programme managers in Pakistan about the WHO Stop TB strategy: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Khan, Wasiq Mehmood; Smith, Helen; Qadeer, Ejaz; Hassounah, Sondus

2016-01-01

To understand how national and provincial tuberculosis programme managers in Pakistan perceive and engage with the Stop TB strategy, its strengths, weaknesses and their experience in its implementation. National and provincial tuberculosis programme managers play an important role in effective implementation of the Stop TB strategy. A qualitative interview study was conducted with 10 national and provincial tuberculosis programme managers to understand how they perceive and engage with the Stop TB strategy, its strengths, weaknesses and their experience in its implementation. Managers were selected purposively; 10 managers were interviewed (six national staff and four from provincial level). National and provincial tuberculosis programme managers in Pakistan. Managers were selected purposively; 10 managers were interviewed (six national staff and four from provincial level). National and provincial tuberculosis programmes in Pakistan. 1. Knowledge and perceptions of national and provincial tuberculosis programme managers about the Stop TB strategy 2. Progress in implementing the strategy in Pakistan 3. Significant success factors 4. Significant implementation challenges 5. Lessons learnt to scale up successful implementation. The managers reported that most progress had been made in extending DOTS, health systems strengthening, public -private mixed interventions, MDR-TB care and TB/HIV care. The four factors that contributed significantly to progress were the availability of DOTS services, the public-private partnership approach, comprehensive guidance for TB control and government and donor commitment to TB control. This study identified three main challenges as perceived by national and provincial tuberculosis programme managers in terms of implementing the Stop TB strategy: 1. Inadequate political commitment, 2. Issue pertaining to prioritisation of certain components in the TB strategy over others due to external influences and 3. Limitations in the overall health system. To improve the tuberculosis control programme in the country political commitment needs to be enhanced and public -private partnerships increased. This can be done through government prioritisation of TB control at both national and provincial levels; donor-funded components should not receive undue attention; and partnerships with the private health sector, health institutions not yet covered by DOTS services, non-governmental organisations and patient coalitions should be increased.

Does the Janani Suraksha Yojana cash transfer programme to promote facility births in India ensure skilled birth attendance? A qualitative study of intrapartum care in Madhya Pradesh

PubMed Central

Chaturvedi, Sarika; De Costa, Ayesha; Raven, Joanna

2015-01-01

Background Access to facility delivery in India has significantly increased with the Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) cash transfer programme to promote facility births. However, a decline in maternal mortality has only followed secular trends as seen from the beginning of the decade well before the programme began. We, therefore, examined the quality of intrapartum care provided in facilities under the JSY programme to study whether it ensures skilled attendance at birth. Design 1) Non-participant observations (n=18) of intrapartum care during vaginal deliveries at a representative sample of 11 facilities in Madhya Pradesh to document what happens during intrapartum care. 2) Interviews (n=10) with providers to explore reasons for this care. Thematic framework analysis was used. Results Three themes emerged from the data: 1) delivery environment is chaotic: delivery rooms were not conducive to safe, women-friendly care provision, and coordination between providers was poor. 2) Staff do not provide skilled care routinely: this emerged from observations that monitoring was limited to assessment of cervical dilatation, lack of readiness to provide key elements of care, and the execution of harmful/unnecessary practices coupled with poor techniques. 3) Dominant staff, passive recipients: staff sometimes threatened, abused, or ignored women during delivery; women were passive and accepted dominance and disrespect. Attendants served as ‘go-betweens’ patients and providers. The interviews with providers revealed their awareness of the compromised quality of care, but they were constrained by structural problems. Positive practices were also observed, including companionship during childbirth and women mobilising in the early stages of labour. Conclusions Our observational study did not suggest an adequate level of skilled birth attendance (SBA). The findings reveal insufficiencies in the health system and organisational structures to provide an ‘enabling environment’ for SBA. We highlight the need to ensure quality obstetric care prior to increasing coverage of facility births if cash transfer programmes like the JSY are to improve health outcomes. PMID:26160769

Compassion in practice-Evaluating the awareness, involvement and perceived impact of a national nursing and midwifery strategy amongst healthcare professionals in NHS Trusts in England.

PubMed

O'Driscoll, Mike; Allan, Helen; Liu, Liang; Corbett, Kevin; Serrant, Laura

2018-03-01

To report the findings from an evaluation of the impact of the Compassion in Practice Vision and Strategy (National Health Service England (NHSE), 2012) on nursing, midwifery and care staff. The Compassion in Practice Vision and Strategy was a programme of work to highlight the importance of compassionate care following the Francis Report in 2013 into the deficits in care in an NHS Hospital Trust. It was launched by NHS England in 2012 at a time when fiscal cuts were introduced by the Department of Health in England. Mixed methods. Inferential statistics were used to test whether there were significant differences between staff at different levels of seniority with regard to awareness and involvement in Compassion in Practice Vision and Strategy and their attitudes to it. Awareness and involvement of staff in Compassion in Practice Vision and Strategy were high amongst middle and senior management but limited at ward level. Staff involvement in Compassion in Practice Vision and Strategy was limited due to a lack of awareness. Ward level staff who were aware and involved, perceived a lack of support and communication from senior leadership to deliver the Compassion in Practice Vision and Strategy. Results reveal professional anger, distress and resistance to the Compassion in Practice Vision and Strategy and a view of the programme as a top-down initiative which did not sufficiently recognise structural constraints on nurses' ability to deliver compassionate care. We discuss the implications of our findings for global nursing. Participants emphasised that compassion for patients is only sustainable where there is compassion for staff and many participants felt that they were not being treated with compassion. National Health Service England should strongly affirm that nurses and midwives in general provide compassionate care. Trust leadership should provide support for ward level staff who deliver compassionate care in difficult circumstances. © 2017 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The Center for Devices and Radiological health: an update.

PubMed

Donawa, M

2001-12-01

At a recent medical device conference, Dr. David Feigal, the Director of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) stated that one-third of the CDRH staff will retire in five years. This is only one of many challenges that the Center faces.This article discusses key factors shaping current FDA device policies and programmes, the CDRH strategic plan, the continuing importance of the standards programme, and CDRH harmonisation activities.

Quality of doctoral nursing education in the United Kingdom: exploring the views of doctoral students and staff based on a cross-sectional questionnaire survey.

PubMed

McKenna, Hugh; Keeney, Sinead; Kim, Mi Ja; Park, Chang Gi

2014-07-01

To evaluate the quality of doctoral education in nursing in the United Kingdom. In recent decades, doctoral education programmes in nursing are increasing worldwide. There are many reasons for this and concerns have been raised regarding the quality of provision in and across countries. To date, the quality of doctoral education on a global level has not been reported in the literature. This United Kingdom study is part of a seven country investigation into the quality of doctoral education in nursing (Australia, Japan, Korea, South Africa, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States of America). A quantitative study using a cross-sectional comparative survey design. An online survey was administered to collect the views of doctoral students and staff members on four domains: programme, faculty/staff, resource and evaluation. The study was carried out between 2010-2012. In most cases, staff perceived these more positively than students and the differences in perception were often statistically significant. Interestingly, many students rated the quality of supervision as excellent, whereas no staff member rated supervision this highly. The crucial importance of resources was confirmed in the path analysis of the four Quality of Doctoral Nursing Education domains. This demonstrates that investment in resources is much more cost-effective than investment in the other domains in relation to improving the overall quality of doctoral education in nursing. This study has wide-ranging implications for how the quality of doctoral education is monitored and enhanced. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

The attitudes of undergraduate students and staff to the use of electronic learning.

PubMed

Gupta, B; White, D A; Walmsley, A D

2004-04-24

Computer-aided learning (CAL) offers advantages over traditional methods of learning as it allows students to work in their own time and pace. The School of Dentistry at the University of Birmingham has created an electronic learning website, named the Ecourse. This is designed to be a web-based supplement to the dental undergraduate curriculum. The aim of this study was to determine the attitudes of third year dental students and members of staff about the Ecourse website. A questionnaire was produced and piloted before being distributed to all 65 third year dental students to obtain their opinions about the Ecourse website. The views of Ecourse were sought from four members of staff by performing qualitative, semi-structured interviews. Lecture handouts and textbooks were reported as the sources used most often, by 96% of students. Eighty-six per cent of students are accessing the Ecourse mainly at the School of Dentistry, but 53% are also accessing it at home. Students liked the multiple-choice questions, downloading extra notes and looking at pictures and animation to explain clinical procedures. The majority of the students (79%) want the Ecourse to be used as a supplement to the undergraduate programme and 7% wanted it to replace formal lectures. Staff recognised the benefits of the Ecourse but were concerned about plagiarism, the effect on lecture attendance and the lack of feedback from students on existing CAL material. Students consider the Ecourse as a positive method of supplementing traditional methods of learning in the dental undergraduate programme. However in contrast teaching staff expressed negative views on the use of e-learning.

The Iatroref study: medical errors are associated with symptoms of depression in ICU staff but not burnout or safety culture.

PubMed

Garrouste-Orgeas, Maité; Perrin, Marion; Soufir, Lilia; Vesin, Aurélien; Blot, François; Maxime, Virginie; Beuret, Pascal; Troché, Gilles; Klouche, Kada; Argaud, Laurent; Azoulay, Elie; Timsit, Jean-François

2015-02-01

Staff behaviours to optimise patient safety may be influenced by burnout, depression and strength of the safety culture. We evaluated whether burnout, symptoms of depression and safety culture affected the frequency of medical errors and adverse events (selected using Delphi techniques) in ICUs. Prospective, observational, multicentre (31 ICUs) study from August 2009 to December 2011. Burnout, depression symptoms and safety culture were evaluated using the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), CES-Depression scale and Safety Attitudes Questionnaire, respectively. Of 1,988 staff members, 1,534 (77.2 %) participated. Frequencies of medical errors and adverse events were 804.5/1,000 and 167.4/1,000 patient-days, respectively. Burnout prevalence was 3 or 40 % depending on the definition (severe emotional exhaustion, depersonalisation and low personal accomplishment; or MBI score greater than -9). Depression symptoms were identified in 62/330 (18.8 %) physicians and 188/1,204 (15.6 %) nurses/nursing assistants. Median safety culture score was 60.7/100 [56.8-64.7] in physicians and 57.5/100 [52.4-61.9] in nurses/nursing assistants. Depression symptoms were an independent risk factor for medical errors. Burnout was not associated with medical errors. The safety culture score had a limited influence on medical errors. Other independent risk factors for medical errors or adverse events were related to ICU organisation (40 % of ICU staff off work on the previous day), staff (specific safety training) and patients (workload). One-on-one training of junior physicians during duties and existence of a hospital risk-management unit were associated with lower risks. The frequency of selected medical errors in ICUs was high and was increased when staff members had symptoms of depression.

Empowering international nursing students to become effective library users.

PubMed

Murray, Aoife; Preston, Hugh

2016-09-01

This article summarises the research conducted for a dissertation which addressed the needs of students and academic staff of the Bachelor of Nursing International programme at St. Angela's College, Ireland. Aoife Murray completed an MSc Econ Information and Library Studies in 2015 from Aberystwyth University via distance learning. She gained a distinction for her work and has co-written the article with Hugh Preston, her dissertation supervisor. Aoife highlights the recommendations she made as a result of her research and the programme put in place to deliver those recommendations. She also reports on some early evaluations of the new programme. AM. © 2016 Health Libraries Group.

Prescribing and formulating neonatal intravenous feeding solutions by microcomputer.

PubMed Central

MacMahon, P

1984-01-01

This paper describes a computer programme for a low cost microcomputer designed to assist in the task of administering total parenteral nutrition to neonates: no knowledge of computers is necessary to operate the system. The programme displays recommended values for each of the total parenteral nutrition constituents that must be prescribed, based on detailed analysis of all the pertinent variables. The recommended values may be rejected but they do provide a useful prompt, especially for the more junior doctors. The programme includes a number of safeguards that protect against entering potentially dangerous values. As soon as the operator has completed the procedure of entering total parenteral nutrition requirements the calculations necessary to formulate a solution containing these are automatically performed. The print out contains this data plus instructions on the infusion rate and an analysis of the formulation's calorific content. This system makes it easier to vary the quantity of individual total parenteral nutrition constituents and time has been saved which was previously wasted performing laborious calculations. One of the most important contributions has been the virtual elimination of errors in the complex task of prescribing and formulating total parenteral nutrition for sick neonates. PMID:6430246

Managing behavioural symptoms of dementia: effectiveness of staff education and peer support.

PubMed

Visser, S M; McCabe, M P; Hudgson, C; Buchanan, G; Davison, T E; George, K

2008-01-01

This study was designed to investigate the impact of staff education on the behaviour and quality of life of residents with dementia and on staff members' attitudes about working with people with dementia and level of burnout. Staff from three aged care facilities participated in the study (n=52). These facilities were randomly assigned to one of two intervention groups or a control group. Staff assigned to the intervention groups received an eight-week behaviourally-based programme. Staff from one aged care facility also participated in a peer support group designed to reinforce educational material and facilitate positive changes among staff members. Behavioural symptoms displayed by residents (n=76) in each of the facilities were also assessed. Assessments were conducted at pre-intervention, post-intervention, three- and six-month follow-up. The results of this study indicated that education or peer support was not associated with an improvement in resident behaviour or quality of life. Education or peer support also did not impact on staff members' level of burnout. There was, however, a change in staff members' attitudes about working with people with dementia. Possible explanations for these findings and implication for further research are considered.

Building laboratory capacity to support HIV care in Nigeria: Harvard/APIN PEPFAR, 2004-2012.

PubMed

Hamel, Donald J; Sankalé, Jean-Louis; Samuels, Jay Osi; Sarr, Abdoulaye D; Chaplin, Beth; Ofuche, Eke; Meloni, Seema T; Okonkwo, Prosper; Kanki, Phyllis J

From 2004-2012, the Harvard/AIDS Prevention Initiative in Nigeria, funded through the US President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief programme, scaled up HIV care and treatment services in Nigeria. We describe the methodologies and collaborative processes developed to improve laboratory capacity significantly in a resource-limited setting. These methods were implemented at 35 clinic and laboratory locations. Systems were established and modified to optimise numerous laboratory processes. These included strategies for clinic selection and management, equipment and reagent procurement, supply chains, laboratory renovations, equipment maintenance, electronic data management, quality development programmes and trainings. Over the eight-year programme, laboratories supported 160 000 patients receiving HIV care in Nigeria, delivering over 2.5 million test results, including regular viral load quantitation. External quality assurance systems were established for CD4+ cell count enumeration, blood chemistries and viral load monitoring. Laboratory equipment platforms were improved and standardised and use of point-of-care analysers was expanded. Laboratory training workshops supported laboratories toward increasing staff skills and improving overall quality. Participation in a World Health Organisation-led African laboratory quality improvement system resulted in significant gains in quality measures at five laboratories. Targeted implementation of laboratory development processes, during simultaneous scale-up of HIV treatment programmes in a resource-limited setting, can elicit meaningful gains in laboratory quality and capacity. Systems to improve the physical laboratory environment, develop laboratory staff, create improvements to reduce costs and increase quality are available for future health and laboratory strengthening programmes. We hope that the strategies employed may inform and encourage the development of other laboratories in resource-limited settings.

Eradication of schistosomiasis in Guangxi, China. Part 2: Political economy, management strategy and costs, 1953-92.

PubMed Central

Sleigh, A.; Jackson, S.; Li, X.; Huang, K.

1998-01-01

Reported are the results of a study of the political economy, management, and costs of the successful Guangxi schistosomiasis eradication programme, spanning 40 years from 1953 to 1992. For this purpose we analysed all government data and memoranda on the policy, management, technical support, finance, and the control strategy of the programme. We also interviewed many local staff involved in the programme over the 40-year period and obtained cost data from annual county-level records on seven major categories of variable costs. Schistosomiasis control in Guangxi began with one of the first examples of community participation and rapid assessment in public health history--the use of pre-franked envelopes to return disease questionnaires and suspect snails from rural areas. This approach quickly and accurately delineated the endemic area. This was Mao Zedong's "mass line", incorporating ideas and knowledge from peasants directly into services run for and by them, here the schistosomiasis control programme. Recognition by China's leaders that schistosomiasis was a great economic burden, steadfast prioritizing of the programme over 40 years, local innovative scientific study, agricultural and environmental focus on eradicating the snail hosts and boosting rural production, and mass community education and support were all key factors in the final success. Local leaders motivated programme staff and everyone involved knew the objectives. The programme was always multisectoral, with policy developed centrally, and strategy and collaboration encouraged and rewarded at the grass-roots. These features explain how a very poor autonomous region such as Guangxi finally eradicated schistosomiasis, spending less than US$ 0.50 per protected citizen per year; it is remarkable that the disease and snails were initially found across a large area of complex environments and modern drugs such as praziquantel were not available for most of the 40-year period. The lessons from Guangxi can be adapted elsewhere and should encourage other areas to control endemic schistosomiasis using methods devised to suit the local culture and geography. Images Fig. 2 PMID:9868841

The virtual continuity in learning programme: results.

PubMed

Wood, Eleanor; Tso, Simon

2012-08-01

The implementation of the European Working Time Directive and specialty-driven care has resulted in the loss of continuity of patient care, and thus a loss of continuity in learning. We proposed a potential solution to this fragmentation of junior doctor workplace learning in the Virtual Continuity in Learning Programme (VCLP). The VCLP enables the doctor to follow the virtual patient journey (of an actual patient who is no longer under their care) using the Virtual Consulting Room (VcR), and to understand the rationale behind clinical decision making prior to completing their case-based discussion (CbD) work-based assessments. Fifty-seven out of 62 (92%) of foundation doctors (Homerton University Hospital, London, UK) consented to participate in the study. Web-tracking software was used. Fifty-three out of 57 (93%) doctors completed an initial questionnaire. Twenty-nine out of 57 (51%) doctors returned a follow-up questionnaire 6 months later. Eleven doctors were interviewed in three focus groups: the VcR user group; the VcR non-user group; and a mixed group. The data was analysed qualitatively. Tracking showed 33.3 per cent (19/57) of doctors used the VcR over a 6-month period. Interestingly doctors used the VcR in a range of situations, not solely as instructed. Results enabled us to understand how doctors learn and their perception of using the VCLP to support their learning and completion of work-based assessments. Foundation doctors use the educational resources available, including the VcR, to help structure their workplace learning. The majority of VcR users found it particularly useful for just-in-time learning. The VCLP offers support to junior doctors learning during their preparation for case-based discussion. © Blackwell Publishing Ltd 2012.

National survey on school-based fluoride mouth-rinsing programme in Japan: regional spread conditions from preschool to junior high school in 2010.

PubMed

Komiyama, Karin; Kimoto, Kazunari; Taura, Katsuhiko; Sakai, Osamu

2014-06-01

We surveyed the state of implementation of the school-based fluoride mouth-rinsing programme (S-FMR) in schools in Japan from March 2010. Questionnaires on the implementation status of S-FMR in each type of school (including preschool and kindergarten) were sent by post to the oral health administration departments of all 47 prefectures and 89 cities (18 ordinance-designated cities, 23 special wards, 41 core cities and seven public health centres in ordinance-designated cities) with public health centres. The S-FMR implementation rate was low, at only 11% of all schools in Japan and only 6% of all participating school children aged 4-14 years. In many regions, the S-FMR was implemented more widely and received higher participation from children in either elementary schools and junior high schools or preschools and kindergartens. Inter-prefectural disparities were seen in S-FMR implementation, as some prefectures and cities did not include topical fluoride application in their health promotion plans, and some local public bodies did not include targets for fluoride mouth-rinsing. To reduce this disparity in Japan where systemic fluoride application is not performed, each local public body must consider implementing the S-FMR as a public health measure. We propose using the results of this survey as basic data for formulating S-FMR goals (numerical targets) and adopting S-FMR as a concrete measure in the second Healthy Japan 21, to be launched in the fiscal year for 2013, and within the basic matters of the Act Concerning the Promotion of Dental and Oral Health. © 2013 FDI World Dental Federation.

National survey on school-based fluoride mouth-rinsing programme in Japan: regional spread conditions from preschool to junior high school in 2010

PubMed Central

Komiyama, Karin; Kimoto, Kazunari; Taura, Katsuhiko; Sakai, Osamu

2014-01-01

Aims We surveyed the state of implementation of the school-based fluoride mouth-rinsing programme (S-FMR) in schools in Japan from March 2010. Methods Questionnaires on the implementation status of S-FMR in each type of school (including preschool and kindergarten) were sent by post to the oral health administration departments of all 47 prefectures and 89 cities (18 ordinance-designated cities, 23 special wards, 41 core cities and seven public health centres in ordinance-designated cities) with public health centres. Results The S-FMR implementation rate was low, at only 11% of all schools in Japan and only 6% of all participating school children aged 4–14 years. In many regions, the S-FMR was implemented more widely and received higher participation from children in either elementary schools and junior high schools or preschools and kindergartens. Conclusions Inter-prefectural disparities were seen in S-FMR implementation, as some prefectures and cities did not include topical fluoride application in their health promotion plans, and some local public bodies did not include targets for fluoride mouth-rinsing. To reduce this disparity in Japan where systemic fluoride application is not performed, each local public body must consider implementing the S-FMR as a public health measure. We propose using the results of this survey as basic data for formulating S-FMR goals (numerical targets) and adopting S-FMR as a concrete measure in the second Healthy Japan 21, to be launched in the fiscal year for 2013, and within the basic matters of the Act Concerning the Promotion of Dental and Oral Health. PMID:24256345

Corporate social responsibility: Benefits for youth in hydropower development in Laos

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sparkes, Stephen

2014-04-01

The role of the state as regulator combined with policies on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) that go beyond legal requirements to establishing programmes that promote development and good international business practice is an emerging new paradigm. In this paper, the example of a state-owned company, Statkraft A.S. of Norway, and its recent hydropower investment in central Laos illustrates how policy, implementation and follow-up can lead to benefits for local communities in the impacted area of the Theun-Hinboun Expansion Project (THXP). Programmes include both support for and improvement of existing government education programmes, employment opportunities and specific programmes for youth. They have been designed to mitigate possible negative effects of the influx of workers and rapid socio-economic change in the affected area. Young people continue to have a central role in the implementation of these programmes as peer educators under the supervision of project staff and non-governmental organisations (NGOs).

A technical writing programme implemented in a first-year engineering course at KU Leuven

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heylen, Christel; Vander Sloten, Jos

2013-12-01

Technical communication and technical writing are important skills for the daily work-life of every engineer. In the first-year engineering programme at KU Leuven, a technical writing programme is implemented within the project-based course 'Problem Solving and Engineering Design'. This paper describes a case study for implementing a writing programme based on active learning methods and situated learning in large classes. The programme consists of subsequent cycles of instructions, learning by doing and reflection on received feedback. In addition, a peer-review assignment, together with an interactive lecture using clicking devices, is incorporated within the assignments of the second semester. A checklist of desired writing abilities makes it easier to grade the large number of papers. Furthermore, this ensures that all staff involved in the evaluation process uses the same criteria to grade and for providing feedback.

Cultural adaptation of preschool PATHS (Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies) curriculum for Pakistani children.

PubMed

Inam, Ayesha; Tariq, Pervaiz N; Zaman, Sahira

2015-06-01

Cultural adaptation of evidence-based programmes has gained importance primarily owing to its perceived impact on the established effectiveness of a programme. To date, many researchers have proposed different frameworks for systematic adaptation process. This article presents the cultural adaptation of preschool Promoting Alternative Thinking Strategies (PATHS) curriculum for Pakistani children using the heuristic framework of adaptation (Barrera & Castro, 2006). The study was completed in four steps: information gathering, preliminary adaptation design, preliminary adaptation test and adaptation refinement. Feedbacks on programme content suggested universality of the core programme components. Suggested changes were mostly surface structure: language, presentation of materials, conceptual equivalence of concepts, training needs of implementation staff and frequency of programme delivery. In-depth analysis was done to acquire cultural equivalence. Pilot testing of the outcome measures showed strong internal consistency. The results were further discussed with reference to similar work undertaken in other cultures. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

The writing retreat: a high-yield clinical faculty development opportunity in academic writing.

PubMed

Cable, Christian T; Boyer, Debra; Colbert, Colleen Y; Boyer, Edward W

2013-06-01

The need for consistent academic productivity challenges junior clinician-scholars, who often lack the aptitude to ensure efficient production of manuscripts. To solve this problem, an academic division of a major medical center developed an off-site writing retreat. The purpose of the retreat was not to teach writing skills, but to offer senior mentor assistance with a focus on the elements of manuscript writing. The retreat paired senior faculty members with junior staff. Senior faculty identified manuscript topics and provided real-time writing and editing supervision. Team-building exercises, midcourse corrections, and debriefing interviews were built into the retreat. The number of manuscripts and grant proposals generated during the 2008-2011 retreats was recorded, and the program was evaluated by using unstructured debriefing interviews. An average of 6 to 7 faculty members and fellows participated in each retreat. During the past 4 years, participants produced an average of 3 grant proposals and 7 manuscripts per retreat. After the writing retreat, each fellow and junior faculty member produced an average of 4 scholarly products per year, compared to fewer than 2 for prior years' retreats. Participant feedback indicated the success of the retreat resulted from protected time, direct mentorship by the scholars involved, and pairing of authors, which allows for rapid production of manuscripts and accelerated the editing process. More than 80% of mentors returned each year to participate. The writing retreat is a feasible, effective strategy to increase scholarship among faculty, acceptable to mentees and mentors, and sustainable over time.

Injury risk is low among world-class volleyball players: 4-year data from the FIVB Injury Surveillance System

PubMed Central

Bere, Tone; Kruczynski, Jacek; Veintimilla, Nadège; Hamu, Yuichiro; Bahr, Roald

2015-01-01

Background Little is known about the rate and pattern of injuries in international volleyball competition. Objective To describe the risk and pattern of injuries among world-class players based on data from the The International Volleyball Federation (FIVB) Injury Surveillance System (ISS) (junior and senior, male and female). Methods The FIVB ISS is based on prospective registration of injuries by team medical staff during all major FIVB tournaments (World Championships, World Cup, World Grand Prix, World League, Olympic Games). This paper is based on 4-year data (September 2010 to November 2014) obtained through the FIVB ISS during 32 major FIVB events (23 senior and 9 junior). Results The incidence of time-loss injuries during match play was 3.8/1000 player hours (95% CI 3.0 to 4.5); this was greater for senior players than for junior players (relative risk: 2.04, 1.29 to 3.21), while there was no difference between males and females (1.04, 0.70 to 1.55). Across all age and sex groups, the ankle was the most commonly injured body part (25.9%), followed by the knee (15.2%), fingers/thumb (10.7%) and lower back (8.9%). Injury incidence was greater for centre players and lower for liberos than for other player functions; injury patterns also differed between player functions. Conclusions Volleyball is a very safe sport, even at the highest levels of play. Preventive measures should focus on acute ankle and finger sprains, and overuse injuries in the knee, lower back and shoulder. PMID:26194501

Choosing a career in paediatrics: do trainees’ views change over the first year of specialty training?

PubMed Central

Lakshminarayana, Indumathy; Wall, David; Bindal, Taruna

2014-01-01

Summary Objectives To look at why a regional cohort of UK doctors chose a paediatric career and to ascertain views on their career near the end of training year one. Design A 20-item questionnaire was sent to all new regional paediatric specialty trainees. Three focus groups were held with trainees near the end of year one to elicit key themes. Setting West Midlands Deanery, UK Participants Twenty-nine new regional paediatric specialty trainees in year one completed the questionnaire. A total of 15 trainees participated in the focus groups near the end of year one training. Main outcome measures Reasons for choosing a paediatric career and factors which further influence career choice for trainees during their first specialty training year. Results Key influencing factors for choosing paediatrics were enjoying working with children and positive undergraduate experience of the specialty. All trainees had paediatrics as their first choice specialty and undertook a paediatric Foundation post. Near the end of year one, doubts were cast on career aspirations due to seeing middle grade colleagues struggling with work–life balance and a growing feeling that family came first. Conclusions Senior trainees need to be aware that they act as powerful role models for their more junior colleagues and therefore have an influential role on how juniors perceive a paediatric career. Family friendly flexible working patterns in paediatrics are vital to retain junior trainees. All paediatric staff are role models and need to be enthusiastic, keen to teach and to promote a positive working environment. PMID:25352989

Improving driving advice provided to cardiology patients on discharge.

PubMed

Vusirikala, Amoolya; Backhouse, Mark; Schimansky, Sarah

2018-01-01

Certain cardiac conditions can limit patients' ability to drive. It remains the doctors' responsibility to advise patients of any driving restrictions and is particularly important after certain diagnoses or procedures. We identified that the quality of documented advice was variable and frequently no written driving advice was recorded on discharge. It was apparent that there was a lack of awareness and knowledge of the current Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) guidance among junior doctors. We therefore designed a quality improvement project using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) methodology to improve the provision of driving advice on discharge from a cardiology ward by focusing on staff education. After collecting baseline data, we created a template with cardiology-specific DVLA advice. During the second PDSA cycle, we improved the electronic template and also introduced a hard copy on the ward. During the third PDSA cycle, we incorporated information on DVLA guidance in the specialty induction session. We also evaluated junior doctors' confidence of providing driving advice before and after this intervention. Baseline measurements showed that 10% (9/92) of all discharge summaries included driving advice. This improved to 49% (34/69) after the third PDSA cycle. Importantly, after receiving information on driving advice in the induction, junior doctors felt more confident in providing driving advice to cardiology patients on discharge. In conclusion, the provision of driving advice on discharge is an important element of patient safety. However, clinicians' knowledge and awareness of current DVLA guidance is often limited. We demonstrated a significant increase in the provision of driving advice by introducing a standardised template.

Improving driving advice provided to cardiology patients on discharge

PubMed Central

Vusirikala, Amoolya; Backhouse, Mark; Schimansky, Sarah

2018-01-01

Certain cardiac conditions can limit patients’ ability to drive. It remains the doctors' responsibility to advise patients of any driving restrictions and is particularly important after certain diagnoses or procedures. We identified that the quality of documented advice was variable and frequently no written driving advice was recorded on discharge. It was apparent that there was a lack of awareness and knowledge of the current Driving and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) guidance among junior doctors. We therefore designed a quality improvement project using Plan–Do–Study–Act (PDSA) methodology to improve the provision of driving advice on discharge from a cardiology ward by focusing on staff education. After collecting baseline data, we created a template with cardiology-specific DVLA advice. During the second PDSA cycle, we improved the electronic template and also introduced a hard copy on the ward. During the third PDSA cycle, we incorporated information on DVLA guidance in the specialty induction session. We also evaluated junior doctors’ confidence of providing driving advice before and after this intervention. Baseline measurements showed that 10% (9/92) of all discharge summaries included driving advice. This improved to 49% (34/69) after the third PDSA cycle. Importantly, after receiving information on driving advice in the induction, junior doctors felt more confident in providing driving advice to cardiology patients on discharge. In conclusion, the provision of driving advice on discharge is an important element of patient safety. However, clinicians’ knowledge and awareness of current DVLA guidance is often limited. We demonstrated a significant increase in the provision of driving advice by introducing a standardised template. PMID:29610769

A case of iatrogenic stress? Results of the RCOG August rotation survey.

PubMed

Cooke, M; Morris, E

2014-10-01

Although there are a number of studies of patient safety during the August rotation, they often focus on newly qualified doctors. It remains unclear whether negative impacts are due to doctors' inexperience, lack of technical skill or other aspects of rotation. This study used an electronic survey to seek the views of doctors working in obstetrics and gynaecology in the UK. A total of 1,879 responses were received. The August rotation was felt to be a stressful time, with a negative effect on patient care (82%) and safety (73%), lasting up to 1 month (62%). Although reducing services was thought to be helpful, there was strong support for staggering the rotation by grade (80%). This would ensure availability of doctors to cover services during the induction period, which should improve patient care and reduce staff stress. In addition, intensive skills training for junior staff and a supportive culture during the 1st month could optimise the integration and performance of doctors of all grades.

The Secret Drama at the Patient's Bedside-Refusal of Treatment Because of the Practitioner's Ethnic Identity: The Medical Staff 's Point of View.

PubMed

Popper-Giveon, Ariela; Keshet, Yael

2018-04-01

Patients' refusal of treatment based on the practitioner's ethnic identity reveals a clash of values: neutrality in medicine versus patient-centered care. Taking the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into account, this article aims at examining Israeli health care professionals' points of view concerning patients' refusal of treatment because of a practitioner's ethnic identity. Fifty in-depth interviews were conducted with 10 managers and 40 health care professionals, Jewish and Arab, employed at 11 public hospitals. Most refusal incidents recorded are unidirectional: Jewish patients refusing to be treated by Arab practitioners. Refusals are usually directed toward nurses and junior medical staff members, especially if recognizable as religious Muslims. Refusals are often initiated by the patients' relatives and occur more frequently during periods of escalation in the conflict. The structural competency approach can be applied to increase awareness of the role of social determinants in shaping patients' ethnic-based treatment refusals and to improve the handling of such incidents.

Building a safety culture in global health: lessons from Guatemala.

PubMed

Rice, Henry E; Lou-Meda, Randall; Saxton, Anthony T; Johnston, Bria E; Ramirez, Carla C; Mendez, Sindy; Rice, Eli N; Aidar, Bernardo; Taicher, Brad; Baumgartner, Joy Noel; Milne, Judy; Frankel, Allan S; Sexton, J Bryan

2018-01-01

Programmes to modify the safety culture have led to lasting improvements in patient safety and quality of care in high-income settings around the world, although their use in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) has been limited. This analysis explores (1) how to measure the safety culture using a health culture survey in an LMIC and (2) how to use survey data to develop targeted safety initiatives using a paediatric nephrology unit in Guatemala as a field test case. We used the Safety, Communication, Operational Reliability, and Engagement survey to assess staff views towards 13 health climate and engagement domains. Domains with low scores included personal burnout, local leadership, teamwork and work-life balance. We held a series of debriefings to implement interventions targeted towards areas of need as defined by the survey. Programmes included the use of morning briefings, expansion of staff break resources and use of teamwork tools. Implementation challenges included the need for education of leadership, limited resources and hierarchical work relationships. This report can serve as an operational guide for providers in LMICs for use of a health culture survey to promote a strong safety culture and to guide their quality improvement and safety programmes.