Nurses and Computers: An international perspective on how nurses are, and how they would like to be, using ICT in the workplace, and the support they consider that they need.

The use of IT in nursing (nursing informatics) is increasing, and has the potential to improve patient care. Research, and the experience of the author, have shown however that nurses lack basic IT skills and informatics knowledge. This study sought to explore what nurses’ want from IT in the workplace, and how pre-registration education can help to prepare nurses for working in this changing environment. The study, undertaken in New Zealand, a country also seeking to drive forwards its use of IT in healthcare, found that nurses want systems that save them time, and equipment readily available at the patients’ bedside. Nurses who had recently completed their pre-registration programmes tended to have better skills than nurses who had trained some time ago. Nurses who lacked skills, or confidence, wanted support available that understood the role of nurse, and could provide help when it was needed. Nursing schools in New Zealand tend to have a lecturer leading nursing informatics. Nursing informatics is included in pre-registration education programmes, and I was able to see several innovative developments supporting this. Qualified nurses and students generally considered that pre-registration programmes should include information security, legal and ethical issues and supporting patients in meeting their information needs as well as basic IT skills

The influence of the Amalgamated Metal Worker's Union (AMWU) on the New Zealand Engineer's Union (NZEU) with respect to the education and training reforms between 1987 and 1992

In the 1980s the AMWU influenced the NZEU with respect to education and training. The purpose of this study was to investigate the specific details of this relationship. It involved an extensive review of government policy documents and union literature. The study also involved twenty-three interviews in Australia and New Zealand. The findings confirmed and enhanced the previous observations about the influence of the AMWU. Not only did they identify in more depth the nature of the trans-Tasman influence; they also identified important similarities and differences between the contexts in which the two unions were operating. Specifically, the study found that whereas the AMWU had a long history and could be identified as pro-active; the NZEU came to education and training reform in response to labour market deregulation

Consumer Attitudes towards Sustainability Attributes on Food Labels

Concerns about climate change and the general status of the environment have increased expectation that food products have sustainability credentials, and that these can be verified. There are significant and increasing pressures in key export markets for information on Greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of products throughout its life-cycle. How this information is conveyed to consumers is a key issue. Labelling is a common method of communicating certain product attributes to consumers that may influence their choices. In a choice experiment concerning fruit purchase decisions, this study estimates willingness to pay for sustainability attributes by consumers in Japan and the UK. The role of label presentation format is investigated: text only, text and graphical, and graphical only. Results indicate that sustainability attributes influence consumers’ fruit purchase decisions. Reduction of carbon in fruit production is shown to be the least valued out of sustainability attributes considered. Differences are evident between presentation formats and between countries, with increased nutrient content being the most sensitive to format and country while carbon reduction is the most insensitive and almost always valued the least.Willingness to pay, Choice experiment, Food labelling, Sustainability, Cross-country comparison, Agricultural and Food Policy, Consumer/Household Economics, Environmental Economics and Policy, Food Consumption/Nutrition/Food Safety, Q18, Q51, Q56,

Nurses and computers. An international perspective on nurses' requirements.

This paper reports the findings from a Florence Nightingale Foundation Travel Scholarship undertaken by the author in the spring of 2006. The aim of the visit was to explore nurses' attitudes towards, and experiences of, using computers in their practice, and the requirements that they have to encourage, promote and support them in using ICT. Nurses were found to be using computers mainly for carrying out administrative tasks, such as updating records, rather than as information tools to support evidence based practice, or patient information needs. Nurses discussed the systems they used, the equipment provided, and their skills, or more often their lack of skills. The need for support was a frequent comment, most nurses feeling that it was essential that help was available at the point of need, and that it was provided by someone, preferably a nurse, who understood the work context. Three groups of nurses were identified. Engagers; Worried Willing and Resisters. The report concludes that pre-registration education has a responsibility to seek to ensure that newly qualified nurses enter practice as engagers

Climbing the high road: strategic design and management of New Zealand's human capital and economic transformation

‘Ui mai koe ki ahau he aha te mea nui o te ao, Maku e ki atu he tangata, he tangata he tangata’* ‘Ask me what is the greatest thing in the world, I will reply: It is people, it is people, it is people!’ The strategic design and management of New Zealand’s economic transformation is a sophisticated and long-term process. Economic transformation is not merely a re-branding exercise, although a forward-thinking national brand strategy could provide the catalyst for promoting the repositioning strategy. New Zealand’s economics performance has always been affected by global events, socio-cultural factors and physical constraints – small population size and distance from key global markets. Therefore, New Zealand cannot compete in ‘low road’ strategies by simply opening the economy to international trade, investment and technology flow, or by providing cheap labour. New Zealand’s economic future will be transformed by significant human capital developments to enable the workforce and businesses to become design-savvy and capable of harnessing and commercialising new technologies, networking globally and adding value to everything we produce that is significantly more innovative and better than that of our competitors. Managing such a ‘high road’ economic transformation strategy is both complex and challenging. Systems and process must be put in place to enable the government, corporations, businesses and universities to work in partnerships and clusters for exploiting creativity, innovation and technology to sustain global advantage. Capability development in creativity, innovation and the judicious use of technologies are the greatest assets for New Zealand’s economic transformation. A rich pool of creative human capital will enable the nation to integrate its products and services into global value chains – thus adding value, forging new competencies, developing niches, and establishing a high profile, national identity, brands, jobs and wealth for the nation. This paper will discuss these forces in details, and highlights the agencies to strategically manage the transformation processes along with the Government’s Growth and Innovation Framework, Sector Taskforces, Country Branding, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, and the bold New Zealand Design Policy to transform an agriculture economy into a design-savvy, high wage and high value globally competitive economy

Policy Watch: Governments at the Bidding Table

While governments the world over have been debating with how much vigour to pursue foreign investment projects the New Zealand government has recently indicated a reduced appetite for this activity. It has maintained even strengthened its commitment to subsidize screen production projects coming to the country but money to attract investments in other industries has been diverted to an outward investment strategy. In sharp contrast local governments have lately shown a much greater willingness to subsidize cultural or sporting events in order to boost local economic activity. Johannes Van Biesebroeck evaluates under what circumstances it makes sense for a government to subsidize private investments. He pays particular attention to interjurisdictional competition showing what governments should expect to pay when they join a bidding war and derive the expected welfare gain

Planet Mayday: COVID-19 and Global Warming

Has COVID-19 changed the world forever? Is it the signal to treat Nature differently and mobilise effective policies against global warming? Well-known commentators on climate change argue thus, but this argument is wrong. COVID-19 is entirely different from global warming. And COVID-19 will ruin the states: How to pay for both lockdown and energy transformation

A Review of New Zealands Digital Strategy

The advent of New Zealands world-leading Digital Strategy underpins the increasing importance of ICTs in community settings. It marks a significant change in government policy and marks the first attempt at a whole of government approach to ICTs. This paper explores some of the ideas behind the strategy, describes the processes for its implementation and discusses some of the potential limitations

カイガイ タンキ ケンシュウ ワ ゲンゴ ガクシュウ ホウリャク ニ ドノヨウナ エイキョウ オ オヨボスカ : ヤマガタ ダイガク ニオケル イブンカカン コミュニケーション ジッシュウ ノ ジレイ

本研究の目的は､短期語学研修が学習者の言語学習方略をどのように変化させるのかを明らかにすることである｡日本国内の多くの大学が短期海外研修を実施しているが､これらの研修が言語学習者にどのような影響を与えているのかに関する研究はそれほど多くはない｡本研究では､山形大学人文学部において開講された異文化間コミュニケーション実習に参加した学習者が､オーストラリアのケアンズで2 週間過ごす前と後で､どのように言語学習方略を変化させたのかを調査した｡結果として､参加した学習者は､研修前よりも後の方がより多くの言語学習方略を使用していることが分かった｡具体的には､記憶・認知・情意・社会の４つの言語学習方略が研修前より､研修後により多く使われた｡研修前後で変化の見られなかった補償とメタ認知の２つの学習方略に関しては､研修前から多く用いられていることも分かった｡これらの結果から､2 週間という短い期間の海外研修であっても､日本人英語学習者による言語学習方略の使用を推進することが分かった