GSTF Digital Library (GSTF-DL): Open Journal Systems (Global Science and Technology Forum)
Not a member yet
1709 research outputs found
Sort by
Compassion Fatigue among Healthcare Personnel in Acute Care Contexts: An Integrative Review
Healthcare workers in acute care settings experience considerable emotional exhaustion on a daily basis, which might lead to the manifestation of compassion fatigue that adversely impacts their wellbeing. There has been an increasing awareness in understanding compassion fatigue on healthcare workers recently, but the literature within this area remains ambiguous due to the use of different terminology. This integrative review aims to synthesize the existing research knowledge of the manifestation of compassion fatigue and the related concepts in acute care contexts. A total of 27 full-text research articles were retrieved for analysis. The interpretation of the selected articles yielded four main categories, which included the prevalence, risk factors, protective factors, and consequences regarding compassion fatigue among healthcare workers. These findings provide an outline for decision makers of healthcare organizations to formulate a strategic plan for helping healthcare workers to cope with compassion fatigue in everyday work and disaster events
A study of the Causes of Schedule overrun in Indian High-rise construction using Relative Importance Index
Construction projects across the world are plagued with time and schedule overruns. Schedule overruns are caused due to a wide range of factors associated to site-related issues to the issues related to payment. Although the principal reasons for construction delays are comparable across different locations within a country, several factors pertaining to local industry, socio-economic issues, cultural effects and project characteristics also contribute to construction delays. Through a series of studies performed across the past few decades, it has been seen that the causes and extent of schedule overruns varies across different countries and no universal causes of delay have been identified. On these grounds, it can also be hypothesised that in a country as diverse as India, the causes of delay may vary across different states and regions. This research tries to ascertain the causes of schedule overrun associated to the various construction project locations in India, identified through a questionnaire survey and analysed using statistical methods. The findings of this study suggest that though there are certain similarities in the delay causes, but there is a difference between their relative importances. There are certain unique causes specific to some locations
Tailored Intervention for Parents to Promote their Adolescents’ Vaccination against HPV
We conducted a pilot study to examine the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary effects of a computer-tailored intervention for parents to promote their adolescents’ HPV vaccination. Among 29 parents recruited from clinics (n = 24; 83%) and the community (21%) who completed intervention and pre- and post-intervention assessments, all (100%) intended to vaccinate their adolescents aged 11-17 after the intervention. Furthermore, all parents recruited from the clinics consented to their adolescents receiving the first HPV vaccine, except for one parent who wanted to wait until the child turned 13 years old. Regarding the theoretical mediators, results of Wilcoxon Signed Ranks test suggested significant positive changes in HPV-related knowledge and facilitators over time. Nearly all (97%) of the parents reported that the intervention helped them make a decision about their child’s HPV vaccination and was a good way for the parents to learn about HPV and the vaccines. All parents stated that they would recommend this intervention to other parents who had unvaccinated adolescents
Are nursing students in Hong Kong wellprepared for urinary incontinence care?
—Background: Urinary incontinence is a common disorder that affects men and women of all ages. An effective management of urinary incontinence requires adequate knowledge and positive attitudes from health care professionals. Nursing students who share similar care tasks with qualified nurses should have adequate knowledge to provide quality continence care. There is little evidence to inform the knowledge and attitudes toward urinary incontinence among nursing students in Hong Kong. The purpose of this study was to examine nursing students’ urinary incontinence knowledge and attitude. Methods: A crosssectional survey was conducted in February 2017. A sample of 392 nursing students from 5 different educational institutions in Hong Kong was recruited. Two validated questionnaires, the Urinary Incontinence Knowledge Scale (UIKS) and Urinary Incontinence Attitude Scale (UIAS) were used to measure knowledge and attitudes towards urinary incontinence respectively. Results: Overall urinary incontinence knowledge was moderate (73.3%, mean 22.0/30, SD 4.4) and attitudes concerning urinary incontinence were generally positive (69.3%, mean 41.6/60, SD 4.5). There was a weak correlation between urinary incontinence knowledge and attitudes (r = 0.175, p = 0.001). A high level of interest in learning more about urinary incontinence was reported (71.2%). Conclusions: Hong Kong nursing students had moderate level of knowledge and positive attitude towards urinary incontinence. This study suggests that nursing students in Hong Kong are not well prepared to provide urinary incontinence care. There is still a need to examine the urinary incontinence course content within the nursing programme in Hong Kong
Intervention program to promote self-management for prevention of lymphedema after gynecological cancer surgery ― Evaluation of the effectiveness at 12 months after the intervention –
In Japan cancer has been the most common cause of deaths since 1981, and effort has been made to provide countermeasure for cancers. The key to countermeasures is for the general population including cancer patients to know about and overcome cancer. Because the development of cancer is related to lifestyle, it is necessary to work at preventing cancer with attention to the conduct of daily life. The five-year relative survival rate registered in the community from 2006 to 2008 was 62.1%, and this illustrates that there are many cancer survivors leading daily lives after contracting cancer. Uterine cancer was the fifth most common in cancer in 2013. However, it is an important object of the treatment to prevent postoperative complications in gynecologic cancer patients, such as development of lymphedema, because it is reported that the survival rate of uterine cancer is high. The incidence of lymphedema is reported to be between 27.2% and 42% in Japan. Once lymphedema develops, it is difficult to cure, making prevention of the onset an important issue.As a result of the multiple logistic regression analysis performed here using patients where the right femoral circumference increased 2 cm or more as an objective variable, there were differences between the groups analyzed (intervention and control). Compared to the intervention group, 4.46 times more patients in the control group had increases in the right femoral circumference by 2 cm or more. We conducted a randomized controlled trial of an intervention program to promote self-management to prevent lymphedema development after gynecological cancer surgery, and examined the effectiveness at 12 months after the surgery. From the results it can be inferred that observing the lymphedema symptoms including measuring and recording of femoral circumferences and body weight by patients themselves influenced the promotion of self-management. Six months after the surgery, there were significantly more patients who developed lymphedema in the control group, but there were no differences between the groups at 12 months after the surgery. Lymphedema development after gynecological cancer surgery appears about 2.6 months after surgery and chronic lymphedema often appears around 9.7 months after surgery. It can be inferred that this difference is due to the temporary improvement of lymphatic reflux after the improvement of edema. The difference in femoral circumferences is sometimes used as one diagnostic tool for the determination of lymphedema. In this study, we compared the right femoral circumferences before discharge and 12 months after the surgery. Mild lymphedema is defined as larger than 10 mm but smaller than 20 mm in any dimension. In severe cases, a dimension may be larger than 20 mm]. In this study, we performed a multiple logistic regression analysis by defining the patients with lymphedema as patients whose right femoral circumference is increased more than 2 cm. The analysis showed the following as factors influencing the increase in the right femoral circumference by more than 2 cm: group (intervention and control), aerobic exercise, and self-efficacy. Compared to the intervention group, 4.46 times more patients in the control group had increases in the right femoral circumference of more than 2 cm, and this suggests that the intervention program to promote self-management to prevent lymphedema after gynecological cancer surgery is effective at 12 months after the surgery
Ethnopsychological peculiarities of the structure of value scope of titular ethnicity of Kazakhstan
Fundamental change of the public system and other changes over the past decade in the Republic of Kazakhstan after receiving State independence, demanded reassessment of values, including character and features of value orientations of the Kazakh people. Interest in the value orientations of the individual and society is increasing in crisis, critical stages of historical development, which raises the need for their full understanding. Studying value orientations of ethnology is one of the most actual problems of modern psychological theory and practice. Undoubtedly, the new values of modern civilization affect the ethnic consciousness-oriented people who value traditional culture. This influence affects the system of values of the individual and, in particular, on a system of ethical values of ethnology.The purpose of the research: Explore the structure of value scope of titular nation of Kazakhstan at the modern stage. The main hypothesis of the study: the value orientations of the Kazakh people in the system of cultural relations and relationships are based on a system-forming ethno-value component, which determines the conditions for their development, direction, character of activity of personality and provides the integrity and unity of the Kazakh ethnos. Research hypothesis: There are similarities and differences in the structure of value orientations among representatives of the Kazakh ethnos, depending on characteristics of respondents (on the example of the titular ethnic group of Kazakhstan, youth and adulthood).In the structure of the value sphere of the titular ethnos of Kazakhstan, value orientations related to adherence to the principles of conformity to nature and traditionality, equality and freedom of love are also significant. These value orientations reveal themselves also in the ability to be persistent with a simultaneous focus on the desire to be useful to others, to act for others. The value orientations of activity, initiative and employment, self-realization in interrelation with a sense of community and well-being, a happy family life and a financially secure life also occupy a large place in the structure of the value sphere of the titular ethnos of Kazakhstan. To examine the value orientations of the Kazakhs, we have developed a comprehensive package of psychological techniques, which allows to consider the structure of value scope of titular nation (method of Sh. Schwartz (value questionnaire Schwartz), methodology of studying value orientations of Milton Rokeach, system diagnostic methodology of value orientations by E.B. Fantalova, L. S. Kolmogorova, D. V. Kashyrsky, modification of method of Kun "Who am I?". According to the results of our research, value orientation activity, initiative, employment generally takes an important place in the structure of value scope of titular nation of Kazakhstan Along with this, informative factor as the national value belonging to the title ethnicity of Kazakhstan during factor analysis is equal to 1.8%, which corresponds to only 19 factors in the structure of value scope of sampling study. The results of factor analysis allow us to conclude that the structure of value scope of titular nation of Kazakhstan is multifaceted and includes both individual and group, social values. Valuable orientation of Kazakh people in the system of cultural ties and relationships are based on valuable backbone component, which determines the conditions for their development, orientation, the nature of the activity of the individual and to ensure the integrity and the unity of ethnic group: the most important characteristics of the structure of value scope of titular nation of Kazakhstan are: competence, commitment, self-discipline, which testifies to the importance of achieving social success, success in work for the Kazakh ethnic group. In summary, we would like to point out that the formation of a national identity based on values is a long process, which, of course, for the period of the beginning of the modern history of Kazakhstan is not completed yet. The results of this research can be used for implementing national policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan and works towards the preservation of cultural traditions of Kazakh people. The theoretical and practical analysis carried out in the research suggests that the problem of preserving and enriching the ethnic values of the titular nation Kazakhstan, is now extremely urgent, but it is not enough elaborated now.
Urban Rejuvenation through Techno Art Intervention: A case of Kolkata
The images of urban spaces, at present, are manifesting dystopic imageries that are obstructing for the functioning of the public realm. Habitable space of a city should be shaped according to human purposes and to satisfy their needs. In defining urban space design, urban nodes acted as nuclei to provide access and opportunity to the people. Nodes generate out of physical traits, activities and are supported by physical spatial design and public interaction. The scale of nodes varies from large urban squares to a small park, to a partially enclosed space in front of a building, to a sidewalk. Since the cores of the cities are generally highly congested and promoted multi-layered activities, Nodes can be presented strategically to get perceptual importance. Imageability of all these spaces is dependent on the quality attributed to the physical presentation of a space that induces high probability of evoking strong images in the mind of the observer. Thus, rejuvenation of these urban nodes can act as an intervening process to regenerate habitable breathing space amongst the dystopic condition of the city.With analysis of the existing scenario of these nodes, the elements for techno-art intervention to alter the physical, tangible imageability of the nodes can possibly be identified. Thus, the paper explores the present rate of imageability of the nodes and what could be the possible art and design solutions based on the expert's opinion to intervene for the betterment of the experience of the physical space
Reducing Icy Conditions Over Bridges, Through Passive
Icy road conditions are a major cause for car crashes. 70% of all roads in the United States are 8 located in icy regions, and winter and snow related maintenance account for 20% of the roads 9 maintenance budgets (FHWA, 2017), Snow also reduces the average road speed by 30 to 40% on 10 roads. More than 450 people are killed each year in the United States due to icy conditions on 11 roads (icyroadsaftey.co, 2015) of which more than 10% of these deaths are caused by accidents 12 over icy bridges. Due to this, many innovative systems have been designed and used to prevent 13 bridge icing. Most of these systems either use heat sources to heat the bridges’ surfaces or 14 chemical spray to melt the ice that forms over bridges. Unfortunately, these systems are usually 15 costly and require regular maintenance. Many researchers contributed bridge icing to the fact that 16 bridges are suspended above ground resulting in bridge surfaces to freeze before adjacent roads, 17 thus bridge decks lose heat from both the top and bottom surfaces while roads gain some heat 18 from their contact with the ground. However, field monitoring and building simulation showed 19 that the thermal properties of bridge surfaces are the true determining factor as to why bridges 20 freeze before adjacent roads. Furthermore, icy bridge surfaces become dangerous when 1) the 21 bridge’s surface reaches freezing point before adjacent roads, and 2) the existence of water or 22 GSTF Journal of Engineering Technology (JET) Vol.5 No.1, 2018© The Author(s) 2018. This article is published with open access by the GSTFDOI: 10.5176/ 2251-3701_5. 1.109snow over bridges when adjacent roads are dry (preferential icing). This research presents 23 literature review related to bridge freezing. The research also used field observation of a 175-mile 24 highway section during a snowstorm to investigate icing conditions over bridges. This research 25 revealed that while bridges might freeze before roads during early night hours, dangerous icing 26 formation over bridges occurs when snow is shoveled against the bridges’ parapets after 27 snowstorms. Thus, when air temperature rises above freezing, the snow melts and the water runs 28 over the bridges’ surfaces. When temperature drops again below freezing later at night, water can 29 freeze over bridges and create dangerous icy conditions. This research suggests that a 30 combination of applying paint with higher absorptive and lower emissive materials over bridges, 31 along with better snow removal practices, will reduce the dangerous icy conditions over bridges 32 significantly
The Big Five, Mindfulness, and Psychological Well-being
How do personality variables and mindfulness relate to psychological well-being? Research relates personality variables and psychological well-being and distress (as in depression, anxiety and stress); and mindfulness and psychological well-being - especially since mindfulness became a fashionable area to study from the 2000s. However, few studies have linked personality (the Big Five), mindfulness and psychological well-being though they would appear to be related. We examined the relationships in our study which used a community sample of 286 participants who completed biographical details, Ryff’s Psychological Well-being scale, the International Personality Item Pool- Big Five Scale, an adaptation of the Five Facet Mindfulness Questionnaire-Short Form, and a Social Desirability Scale. Hierarchical multiple regression indicated that both mindfulness and personality predicted psychological well-being and that both together contributed significantly increased levels of variance to psychological well-being. This pilot study appears to be one of the first to show that mindfulness significantly adds to personality in predicting psychological well-being and supports attention to developing programs in mindfulness to help increase psychological well-being
Factors related to administrative abilities of nurse administrators – focusing on confidence in nursing
Purpose: This study aims to identify factors related to the administrative abilities of nurses in education programs for nurse administrators. Methods: We distributed a selfrating questionnaire survey to 1291 nurse administrators in positions equivalent to head nurse in 69 participating hospitals among the 172 hospitals with 300 beds or more in the Kanto and Tokai regions of Japan. The surveyed items are ability in nurse administration, demographic characteristics, and workplace environment. Results: We received 984 (76.2%) responses. Excluding responses that included two or more choices to a question and where there was no response to questions of gender and administrative abilities, this left 880 (68.2%) responses which were considered valid and these were included in the further analysis. We performed a multiple regression analysis with the focus on confidence in nursing. Here, the nurse administrators who showed better administrative abilities reported that ‘I am decisive’, ‘My judgment in nursing is appropriate’, ‘I read books about new nursing and medical care developments’, ‘I can demonstrate my ability in this job’, ‘I fulfill my responsibilities to achieve goals in accordance with my beliefs’, ‘The present ward (department) has an active atmosphere that makes work enjoyable’, and ‘I work with an awareness of work-life balance (WLB)’. Nurse administrators who showed poorer administrative abilities reported that ‘I became less kind to people since I became a nurse’. Conclusion: The findings suggest that nurse administrators who are confident in themselves and their decision making abilities, who fulfill their responsibilities in accordance with their beliefs, who think their workplace culture is good, and who work with an awareness of WLB may have better administrative abilities. In addition, nurse administrators with low cynicism (developing negative attitudes) scores, a subscale of the burnout score, appear to have better administrative abilities. Education programs for nurse administrators need to Vol.4 No.1, May-2019include support that enables nurse administrators to work reliably with an awareness of WLB, in the efforts to improve the workplace environment, and ensure that they are prevented from developing cynical attitude