Development and Psychometric Evaluation of the Nurses Professional Values Scale-3

Background and Purpose: The Nurses Professional Values Scale-3 (NPVS-3) is an instrument derived from the American Nurses Association Code designed to measure nurses\u27 professional values. The purpose of this study was to examine its psychometric properties. Methods: A random sample of 1,139 baccalaureate nursing students, graduate nursing students, and practicing nurses participated. The 28-item Likert-scale instrument was subjected to exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis. Principal components analysis with varimax rotation and Kaiser normalization resulted in a 3-factor solution. Results: Findings supported internal consistency reliability of 3 factors with alpha coefficients from .80 to .91 and total scale coefficient of .94. Construct validity was supported with a factor loading range of .31–.95 across 3 factors—Caring, Activism, Professionalism. Conclusion: NPVS-3 is a psychometrically sound instrument that can be used by nursing researchers, educators, administrators, and practitioners

Professional decision-making in medicine: Development of a new measure and preliminary evidence of validity

INTRODUCTION: This study developed a new Professional Decision-Making in Medicine Measure that assesses the use of effective decision-making strategies: seek help, manage emotions, recognize consequences and rules, and test assumptions and motives. The aim was to develop a content valid measure and obtain initial evidence for construct validity so that the measure could be used in future research or educational assessment. METHODS: Clinical scenario-based items were developed based on a review of the literature and interviews with physicians. For each item, respondents are tasked with selecting two responses (out of six plausible options) that they would choose in that situation. Three of the six options reflect a decision-making strategy; these responses are scored as correct. Data were collected from a sample of 318 fourth-year medical students in the United States. They completed a 16-item version of the measure (Form A) and measures of social desirability, moral disengagement, and professionalism attitudes. Professionalism ratings from clerkships were also obtained. A sub-group (n = 63) completed a second 16-item measure (Form B) to pilot test the instrument, as two test forms are useful for pre-posttest designs. RESULTS: Scores on the new measure indicated that, on average, participants answered 75% of items correctly. Evidence for construct validity included the lack of correlation between scores on the measure and socially desirable responding, negative correlation with moral disengagement, and modest to low correlations with professionalism attitudes. A positive correlation was observed with a clerkship rating focused on professionalism in peer interactions. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate modest proficiency in the use of decision-making strategies among fourth-year medical students. Additional research using the Professional Decision-Making Measure should explore scores among physicians in various career stages, and the causes and correlates of scores. Educators could utilize the measure to assess courses that teach decision-making strategies

Applied sport psychology: Are we a profession?

Although the field of applied sport psychology has developed, it faces further challenges on its way towards gaining greater professional status. The following principal criteria of professionalism are proposed as a test of such status (Carr, 1999): (a) provide an important public service; (b) underpinning knowledge base; (c) organizational regulation; (d) distinct ethical dimension; and (e) professional autonomy. This paper undertakes to explore the nature of implications for practice and the extent to which the suggested principal criteria justify a distinctive applied sport psychology profession. In doing so, we hope to stimulate debate on these, and other issues, in order that an even greater professionalization of our applied discipline may emerge

Human elements and the pragmatic approach in the Australian, Scottish and Swedish standards for newly qualified teachers

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Ensuring Professionalism of the External Evaluation Commission: The Slovenian Case Study

In 2006–2007, the Slovenian higher education (HE) system took the first steps toward building a national model of institutional external evaluation (IEE), which would be comparable with other European models. In the first part of the article, the authors discuss the main tendencies within the European he area. This is followed by an outline of the developments in the field of quality assurance within Slovenian he, stressing the years 2006 and 2007. The scientific contribution of the article lies in the evaluation outcomes of the national pilot IEES, with focus on the professional competences of the External evaluation commission (EEC) members. Observation results stress the importance of the proper training of EEC members. The authors propose that a systematic follow-up on the EEC work needs to be established and a code of ethics drawn up, highlighting the preferred values and principles of EEC members.quality assurance, higher education, external evaluation, institutional evaluation, external evaluation commission

Social Media in the Dental School Environment, Part B: Curricular Considerations

The goal of this article is to describe the broad curricular constructs surrounding teaching and learning about social media in dental education. This analysis takes into account timing, development, and assessment of the knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviors needed to effectively use social media tools as a contemporary dentist. Three developmental stages in a student’s path to becoming a competent professional are described: from undergraduate to dental student, from the classroom and preclinical simulation laboratory to the clinical setting, and from dental student to licensed practitioner. Considerations for developing the dental curriculum and suggestions for effective instruction at each stage are offered. In all three stages in the future dentist’s evolution, faculty members need to educate students about appropriate professional uses of social media. Faculty members should provide instruction on the beneficial aspects of this communication medium and help students recognize the potential pitfalls associated with its use. The authors provide guidelines for customizing instruction to complement each stage of development, recognizing that careful timing is not only important for optimal learning but can prevent inappropriate use of social media as students are introduced to novel situations

Factors affecting implementation of Good Government Governance (GGG) and their implications towards performance accountability

The study was intended to examine several key issues, i.e. the influence of the competence of local government apparatus and the professionalism of the governmental internal controlling apparatus towards the implementation of Good Government Governance (GGG) and the influence of the implementation of GGG to the local government accountability performance.This study applied explanatory research using questionnaires as the primary data and the Reports of the Evaluation on Accountability Performance in The Unit of Local Infrastructure of Riau Province as the secondary data.The sampling technique used was proportionate stratified cluster random sampling.The samples obtained in this study were 57 Local Government Unit Agencies.Our results show that the implementation of the competence of local government apparatus and the professionalism of the governmental internal controlling apparatus have significantly affect to the implementation of GGG and the application of GGG have significantly affect to the local government accountability performance

Social work practice and competing philosophies

Summary: Social work practice has often been subject to trends, something that could arguably be the case now. Postmodernism is on a march that threatens the long-standing modernist perspective on which social work has traditionally been practiced. However, postmodernism has important lessons to teach and may correctly be observed as an alternative practice approach with distinct theories and methods of application. Findings: The social work profession is under threat from creeping managerialism, bureaucracy and internally competing philosophies. Postmodernist perspectives have much to offer practitioners and the recipients of social work, but may be stifled because organisational structures, including academia, will have to embrace new practice methods in order for postmodernism to achieve widespread legitimacy. Traditional, modern social work practice with its empirically based frameworks and theories remains in the ascendancy for now