The employability strengths American Millennials contribute to the health administration workforce: A workplace readiness study at two California public universities

This qualitative study examined employability, also referred to as workplace readiness strengths in this article, for American Millennial health administration baccalaureates. The primary researcher used data collected from focus groups and interviews conducted at two certified Association of University Programs in Health Administration (AUPHA) programs in California, USA. Participants (n = 71) belonged to one of 4 distinct groups: (a) health administration faculty, (b) internship preceptors, (c) alumni, and (d) undergraduate students (interns) enrolled in their internship program. Thematic content analysis was used to evaluate the collected qualitative data, after which descriptive statistics was applied to calculate the frequencies of emergent themes. The National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) Career Readiness Competencies, an employer and university validated list of Career Readiness Competencies for a Career-Ready Workforce, was used as a comparative framework for the workplace readiness strengths provided in the qualitative data. Six strength-based themes emerged, two of which comparatively aligned with two of the NACE Career Readiness Competencies. However, respondents indicated that the rest of the NACE Career Competencies were not overtly expressed by Millennials as workplace strengths and should be embedded into the health administration curriculum. This invaluable information can be used to update the AUPHA health administration curriculum and help their undergraduate students increase their employability index scores

"We are still tired": staff and administrators’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic within California residential care facilities for older adults

Abstract Background Extensive research has been conducted on the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care workers in specialized care facilities. However, little is known about the impacts faced by facilities that provide generalized long-term support and care, such as residential care facilities for older adults (RCFs). This study describes the challenges experienced by staff and administrators of RCFs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods An electronic questionnaire collecting data using both closed- and open-ended questions on staff experiences was sent to 5,721 unique RCF administrator emails within the state of California between June-December 2021. Email addresses were obtained from the public database of RCFs available through the California Health and Human Services Open Data Portal. Descriptive statistics were calculated on quantitative data regarding staff preparedness training, access to resources, and administrators’ confidence in meeting recommended guidelines during the pandemic. Inductive thematic analysis was conducted on qualitative data regarding the confidence levels in meeting pandemic guidelines and challenges faced related to staff stress and morale. Results A total of 150 RCF administrators across California (response rate of 2.6%) completed the survey. Over three-fourths of respondents indicated their facilities had a designated staff member to train other staff members on emergency preparedness plans and the most frequently used resources during the COVID-19 pandemic were the Department of Social Services Community Care Licensing Division (88.7%), the county health department (86.7%), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (80.7%). Administrators felt least confident in their facilities’ ability to maintain adequate staffing (52.0%), communication with nearby hospitals (62.1%) and communication with state and local public health officials (69.8%) during the pandemic. Three central themes emerged from the thematic analysis on staff stress and morale: (1) physical safety, mental and emotional impact of the COVID-19 pandemic; (2) staffing issues; and (3) challenges with guidelines in managing the ongoing pandemic. Conclusions Findings from this research study can be used to actively target training resources for facility administrators and staff that have been identified as most frequently used and relevant for emergency preparedness in these understudied facilities. Additionally, developing a better understanding of the staffing stress and morale difficulties in RCFs can provide insight on how policymakers can assist these critical facilities in better preparing for future crises

Attitudes and barriers associated with seasonal influenza vaccination uptake among public health students; a cross-sectional study

Abstract Background Although research has explored influenza vaccination uptake among medical and college students, there is a dearth of research in understanding influenza vaccination uptake and attitudes toward the vaccine among future public health practitioners. Undergraduate public health students represent future public health practitioners who may be a significant educational resource for health information, including the importance of vaccinations. Methods This cross-sectional study utilized survey data from 158 undergraduate public health students attending a large public university in Southern California. The survey assessed public health students’ attitudes and beliefs towards the seasonal influenza vaccine and seasonal vaccination rates among this population. Results Over 88% of respondents reported having been encouraged to receive the seasonal influenza vaccine, while only 43.0% reported receipt. Of the students who reported not receiving the vaccine, 49.4% believed it may give them the flu, 30.4% believed there may be dangerous side effects, and 28.9% believed they were not at risk for contracting the flu. Access to health care practitioners (OR: 3.947, 95% CI [1.308–11.906]) and social encouragement (OR: 3.139, 95% CI [1.447–6.811]) were significantly associated with receipt of the seasonal influenza vaccine. Conclusion As public health program curriculum includes information about seasonal influenza vaccination and 68% of the sample were seniors soon to be exiting the program with an undergraduate degree in public health education, this low seasonal influenza vaccination rate is disturbing. This study may add to the body of data demonstrating how knowledge of the vaccine does not always guarantee vaccine uptake. Results of the current study suggest that it may be beneficial to provide additional information targeted to public health students, aimed at mediating safety concerns and increasing social pressure to assist in improving vaccine acceptance and rates in this population. Maximizing seasonal influenza vaccination uptake by addressing attitudes, barriers and misperceptions may not only improve vaccination rates among public health students, but also in communities served by these future public health practitioners