Information literacy skills and the transition to professional practice

This article describes a teaching innovation by health librarians at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) delivered to final year nursing students which was designed to demonstrate the value of their existing information skills to professional practice. Using NHS Evidence as the information resource and a theme of 'transitions' - moving from an academic to a professional environment - the sessions illustrated how search skills could be transferred to the workplace. Work based scenarios were used to raise awareness of the potential of fast access to quality information in an attempt to overcome some of the perceived barriers around access to information

Preventive and creative approaches to social work practice: Understanding and responding to the needs of families with children with disabilities and additional needs

To address the gap in preventative support, the aim of the FDW role is to offer support for parents and cares of children with disabilities and additional needs, who do not meet the criteria to access services through the children with disabilities social work team. This Welsh evaluation included a survey for professionals (n=23) and parents/carers (n=5) to explore their attitudes on the new Family Disability Worker (FDW) role. Following this, a series of semi-structured interviews were completed to gather the experiences of professionals (n=23) and parents/carers (n=3) of working with the FDW. The findings suggest the development of preventative social work practice to reduce isolation and support these families to feel connected to their community. The participants shared attitudes and experiences supporting the development of the FDW role, to enhance and develop creative and strength-based approaches to social work practice operationalised through a new FDW practice toolkit. <br/

Framing the detection of elder financial abuse as bystander intervention: Decision cues, pathways to detection and barriers to action

This article is (c) Emerald Group Publishing and permission has been granted for this version to appear here (http://bura.brunel.ac.uk/handle/2438/8569). Emerald does not grant permission for this article to be further copied/distributed or hosted elsewhere without the express permission from Emerald Group Publishing Limited.This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the detection and prevention of elder financial abuse through the lens of a “professional bystander intervention model”. The authors were interested in the decision cues that raise suspicions of financial abuse, how such abuse comes to the attention of professionals who do not have a statutory responsibility for safeguarding older adults, and the barriers to intervention. Design/methodology/approach – In-depth interviews were conducted using the critical incident technique. Thematic analysis was carried out on transcribed interviews. In total, 20 banking and 20 health professionals were recruited. Participants were asked to discuss real cases which they had dealt with personally. Findings – The cases described indicated that a variety of cues were used in coming to a decision that financial abuse was very likely taking place. Common to these cases was a discrepancy between what is normal and expected and what is abnormal or unexpected. There was a marked difference in the type of abuse noticed by banking and health professionals, drawing attention to the ways in which context influences the likelihood that financial abuse will be detected. The study revealed that even if professionals suspect abuse, there are barriers which prevent them acting. Originality/value – The originality of this study lies in its use of the bystander intervention model to study the decision-making processes of professionals who are not explicitly charged with adult safeguarding. The study was also unique because real cases were under consideration. Hence, what the professionals actually do, rather than what they might do, was under investigation.Economic and Social Research Counci

Assessment feedback:What do students want and need

This study reports on a school-wide project conducted in a UK higher education institution with the aim of informing enhancements to assessment feedback processes within the institution. Data were collected using online questionnaires (n = 127) and semi-structured interviews (n = 20). Participants were undergraduate students (from 9 programmes) and postgraduate students (from 21 programmes) from the Education Faculty. Qualitative data were coded and analysed using thematic analysis, while quantitative data were processed by frequency analysis. Findings indicate that students valued written feedback more than other forms of feedback. Regarding effective feedback, students attached considerable importance to specificity, consistency, and developmental orientation of assessment feedback. The findings also contribute to a discussion of feedback literacy by offering some potential approaches to improving students’ strategies for understanding and capitalising on feedback, including offering chances for students to have collective and live communication about the given feedback. Findings also reveal the tension between students’ high expectations of assessment feedback and the time allocated by institutions to marking within the staff workload tariff, and the sufficiency of this time for the creation of high-quality feedback

A Follow-Up Study on the Clinical Impact of Pre-Registration Extended Immersive Ward-Based Simulation

Aim: To explore how extended immersive ward-based simulation influenced graduate nurses’ experiences six-months post-registration. Background: Graduates of nursing training programs are expected to enter the workforce meeting the role of a registered nurse. Extended immersive ward-based simulation has been adopted by nurse educators as a means of easing the transition to professional practice. To what degree transfer of learning occurs from these experiences is yet to be determined. Design: A qualitative descriptive design was used to conduct a series of face-to-face focus groups. Methods: Participants were nine former students who had participated in a series of ward-based simulation workshops before graduating. A semi-structured interview process explored participants’ transition experiences. Results: Past simulation experiences were used as a base for practice in areas of teamwork, communication, conflict, and time management. Simulations were used as a point of reference and built confidence for transition to practice. Conclusions: Transition to professional practice was supported by simulated experiences. Transfer of learning was demonstrated among participants