Holy Work with Children: Making Meaning Together

Holy work with children : Making meaning together is the culmination of personal experience and qualitative research by Campen (2021), children\u27s ministry pastor and director of the Discipleship of the Rio Texas Conference of the United Methodist Church in San Antonio, Texas

Bureaucracy and Burden: An Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis of Social Welfare Policy with Consequences for Carers of People with Life-Limiting Illness

Background: For informal carers of people with life-limiting illness, social welfare policy related to income support and housing has been associated with varied psychosocial issues, yet remains relatively under-explored. An intersectional approach offers potential to illuminate diverse experiences and implications. Aim: To explore the way in which caring in the context of life-limiting illness is framed within welfare policy, to articulate inequities encountered by carers, and to identify policy and practice recommendations. Design: The Intersectionality-Based Policy Analysis (IBPA) Framework was used to situate findings of a broader qualitative study. Setting/participants: Data were collected via semi-structured interviews with participants who were bereaved carers (n = 12), welfare workers (n = 14) and palliative care workers (n = 7), between November 2018 and April 2020, in an Australian region associated with socioeconomic disadvantage. Five elements of IBPA were applied to the products of analysis of this data. Results: Use of the IBPA Framework revealed that representations of carers and causes of their welfare needs in policy were underpinned by several assumptions; including that caring and grieving periods are temporary or brief, and that carers have adequate capacity to navigate complex systems. Policy and processes had differentiated consequences for carers, with those occupying certain social locations prone to accumulating disadvantage. Conclusions: This intersectional analysis establishes critical exploration of the framing and consequences of welfare policy for carers of people with life-limiting illness, presented in a novel conceptual model. Implications relate to intersectoral development of structural competency, responsiveness to structurally vulnerable carers in clinical practice, and needed policy changes

The Pursuit of Excellence in Nursing Care: What does it mean?

This study explores the meaning of excellence in nursing care held by nurses. Qualitative data were collected from 156 undergraduate and postgraduate nurses by means of an open-ended questionnaire. Respondents were asked to reflect on practice which enabled a clear understanding of the meanings given to excellence in nursing care. In addition, details of their nursing background, level of nursing experience, and demographics were sought. Responses were content-analysed for themes by three coders. Four major themes emerged: (1) professionalism, (2) holistic care, (3) practice, (4) humanism. The fourth theme comprised three sub-themes: (a) enabling personal qualities, (b) nurse-patient relationships, and (c) nurse-health team relationships. Responses revealed that professionalism constituted an all-encompassing theme subsuming all others. Findings suggested that the client is the central focus of excellent nursing care at all times. According to these respondents, nurses who deliver excellent nursing care implement nursing in a professional and competent manner, demonstrate a holistic approach to caring, possess certain personal qualities which enhance practice, and relate to patients, families, peers, hospital administrators and community members in a competent, cooperative manner. An important aspect of this study is the differential quality of responses provided by respondents, who were students enrolled in a nursing degree programme compared to respondents who were state-registered nurses and concurrently undertaking higher degree studies. The final result is suggestive of the stages of transition through which nurses pass in their quest for excellence

Elliott, Henry Thomas (1888-1967)

Henry T. Elliott served the Seventh-day Adventist church as an educator, academy principal, youth leader and an administrator at General Conference headquarters

Where to go for a Christian Research Degree? Part 2 of a two-part Report

Avondale University is committed to providing quality higher research degrees. Data on candidate and graduate experiences from the institution and across the sector are central in shaping good practice and informing policy, processes and systems designed to support candidate and supervisor research training (TEQSA, 2018) and employment opportunities (Bentley & Meek, 2018). This paper reports on research conducted at our institution which focused on the following two questions: What were the differences between the way current candidates and graduates reported on their postgraduate learning experiences in the MPhil or PhD degrees at Avondale? And, what were the differences between the way males and females reported on their postgraduate learning experiences in the MPhil or PhD degrees at Avondale? In this mixed methods research project questionnaires and interviews were used to determine what is valued by current and past HDR candidates of Avondale and which areas of our HDR programs need further development. This is the second of two papers that report the findings of this project and identifies future research which may further support HDR candidates’ holistic experiences

Becoming Better People: Children\u27s Perceptions of how a School\u27s Garden Program has Impacted their Actualisation of Values

Education is perceived, among other things, to be a character-building enterprise. Since the beginning of the twenty-first century, a renewed emphasis on character development through values education has been on the agendas of Australian schools. Many schools now offer programs designed to inculcate values into the lives of students. Although values literacy is widespread in schools, there is less evidence to demonstrate that values actualisation, that is, making positive values the basis of behaviour at school and in life, has taken root. This case study in one primary school used focus groups to gather children’s perceptions of how they actualised values in the context of a school garden program. The garden program’s organisational elements were found to positively impact the actualisation of intrapersonal and interpersonal values

Where to go for a Christian Research Degree? Part 2 of a two-part Report

Avondale University is committed to providing quality higher research degrees. Data on candidate and graduate experiences from the institution and across the sector are central in shaping good practice and informing policy, processes and systems designed to support candidate and supervisor research training (TEQSA, 2018) and employment opportunities (Bentley & Meek, 2018). This paper reports on research conducted at our institution which focused on the following two questions: What were the differences between the way current candidates and graduates reported on their postgraduate learning experiences in the MPhil or PhD degrees at Avondale? And, what were the differences between the way males and females reported on their postgraduate learning experiences in the MPhil or PhD degrees at Avondale? In this mixed methods research project questionnaires and interviews were used to determine what is valued by current and past HDR candidates of Avondale and which areas of our HDR programs need further development. This is the second of two papers that report the findings of this project and identifies future research which may further support HDR candidates’ holistic experiences

Efficacy of a Multimodal Lifestyle Intervention (The Lift Project) for Improving the Mental Health of Individuals with an Affective Mood Disorder Living in South Africa

Background: Affective disorders are becoming more pervasive worldwide, including in Southern Africa, where treating patients with these conditions is challenging due to social and financial constraints. A variety of non-pharmacological approaches including lifestyle medicine (e.g., exercise, nutrition, sleep) and positive psychology practices (e.g., gratitude, service), are effective for treating mental health (MH) conditions. Methods: Twenty-six individuals from South Africa with a diagnosed MH condition participated in a 10-week multimodal intervention incorporating a diverse range of non-pharmacological strategies for improving MH. MH metrics were assessed pre-and post-intervention, including general MH, vitality/energy (VIT), depression, anxiety, stress, and satisfaction with life. MH and VIT were also measured weekly. Results: Improvements were observed in all mental metrics from pre-to post-intervention: MH (59%, p \u3c 0.001, Cohen’s D = 1.36), VIT (110%, p \u3c 0.001, Cohen’s D = 1.71), depression (−46%, p \u3c 0.001, Cohen’s D = −1.06), anxiety (−48%, p \u3c 0.001, Cohen’s D = −1.21), stress (−36%, p \u3c 0.001, Cohen’s D = −1.08) and life satisfaction (23%, p \u3c 0.001, Cohen’s D = 0.66). Significant improvements in MH and VIT were observed after only 1 week of the intervention and progressively increased until the seventh week, after which further improvements were not statistically significant. Conclusion: The findings of this cohort study indicate that a multimodal intervention that incorporates lifestyle and positive psychology practices may benefit individuals living with an affective disorder. Non-pharmacological, multimodal interventions might offer a stigma-free way of providing MH promotion and treatment at a population level

Bender, Urbanus (1877-1959)

Urbanus Bender was a minister, conference president, and educator in the United States, the West Indies, and Africa

Turning Dark Pages and Transacting with the Inner Self: Adolescents\u27 Perspectives of Reading Horror Texts

This handbook examines the use of horror in storytelling, from oral traditions through folklore and fairy tales to contemporary horror fiction. Divided into sections that explore the origins and evolution of horror fiction, the recurrent themes that can be seen in horror, and ways of understanding horror through literary and cultural theory, the text analyses why horror is so compelling, and how we should interpret its presence in literature. Chapters explore historical horror aspects including ancient mythology, medieval writing, drama, chapbooks, the Gothic novel, and literary Modernism and trace themes such as vampires, children and animals in horror, deep dark forests, labyrinths, disability, and imperialism. Considering horror via postmodern theory, evolutionary psychology, postcolonial theory, and New Materialism, this handbook investigates issues of gender and sexuality, race, censorship and morality, environmental studies, and literary versus popular fiction