Sociocultural theory and the teaching of process writing: The scaffolding of learning in a university context

This paper considers how independent and interdependent learning can be fostered through a process approach to the teaching of writing. It does so by presenting the theoretical rational which underlies a university academic skills programme. Drawing on reports of this programme which have been published elsewhere (e.g., Brine & Campbell, 2002), it is a case study illustrating how scaffolding can be effected by teachers and students. The paper begins by briefly reviewing three central concepts of sociocultural theory: the zone of proximal development, scaffolding, and appropriation. Attention is then turned to a consideration of writing as a collaborative process rather than as a product of solitary endeavour. Details are provided about a university course which applies sociocultural concepts to the adoption of a process approach to EAP writing. Attention is then given to the ways by which six principles of scaffolding (Van Lier, 1996) are applied throughout the course. Firstly, various forms of tutor scaffolding are outlined, and then a short sample of transcript data illustrates how students on this course can work collaboratively to co-construct texts and scaffold each other's learning. The paper concludes with a brief discussion of the broader pedagogical implications of sociocultural theory to the teaching of writing

The Expert Ceiling in Epistemological Beliefs

Paulsen and Wells (1998) stated that, “it seems unlikely that substantial differences in epistemological beliefs across domains would persist in studies of faculty or other more advanced experts,” (p. 380). This statement implies the existence of an upper limit or ceiling effect in the epistemological beliefs among experts. Faculty members are ostensibly considered experts in their fields of study. The purpose of this study was to examine differences in the epistemological beliefs of faculty members as a matter of gender and academic discipline while controlling for years of experience in higher education so as to discern whether the hypothesis that an expert ceiling in epistemological beliefs could be supported. The determination of an expert ceiling in epistemological beliefs is relevant for educators as these beliefs have been linked to a variety of cognitive and motivational factors

A bibliometric analysis of missed nursing care research: Current themes and way forward

Background. Missed nursing care adversely affects nurse and patient outcomes in healthcare settings. Comprehensive bibliometric overview of research output in this field is limited, which restricts knowledge of this complex phenomenon in terms of research trends, author’s productivity, and thematic focus of scientific publications. This study aims to examine publications on missed nursing care by conducting a comprehensive bibliometric analysis. Methods. A search was performed in the Scopus database to identify 276 published studies on missed nursing care from inception to 20th February 2022. A bibliometric approach was used to comprehensively analyse retrieved publications based on trend, thematic focus, and scientific production. The R based software was used for data analysis. Results. The result from this bibliometric analysis indicates that the first study performed on the concept of missed nursing care was published in 2006. The United States of America (USA) ranked first in number of publications, and the study by Ball et al. published in 2014 was the most cited paper among the documents analysed. The results also identified names of prolific authors such as Kalisch B.J., Ausserhofer D., Willis E., Papastavrou E., Schubert M., Palese A., Simon M., and Aiken L. H. and relevant institutions in this field. Trending keywords identified included “missed nursing care,” “unfinished nursing care,” “patient safety,” and “care left undone.” In addition, thematic analysis showed emerging themes such as “neonatal intensive care unit,” “patient satisfaction,” “health resources,” “failure to maintain,” and “adverse events.” Conclusion. Findings from this study reveal a lack of bibliometric analysis in missed nursing care research. This study provides significant contribution by presenting a comprehensive overview on thematic focus, hotspots studies, and directions for future research in this field. Findings from this study can guide scholars in defining research focus and aspects of research on missed nursing care for future exploration

Integrated Prevention and Control of Seasonal Respiratory Infections in Aotearoa New Zealand: next steps for transformative change

Public health measures that successfully eliminated the spread of Covid-19 in Aotearoa New Zealand during 2020 also profoundly reduced the normally high seasonal burden of non-Covid infectious diseases. One outcome of this extraordinary year was that life expectancy in New Zealand actually increased during 2020, the first year of this global pandemic. We should not accept or allow a return to previous levels of illness and death during the winter months. Transformative change will require an integrated approach to infectious disease policy that builds on the knowledge and infrastructure developed during the first two years of the pandemic response. An effective strategy will include generic elements – notably, science-informed strategic leadership, a Tiriti and equity focus, and an upgraded alert level system. We will also need a specific plan for infectious respiratory diseases, including measures to improve indoor air quality, a national mask strategy, and an enhanced system to deliver vaccinations against seasonal respiratory infections. Such an approach can have immediate and long-term benefits, protecting New Zealanders from endemic, epidemic and pandemic infections. We face a potentially difficult winter in 2022, with multiple infectious disease threats. There is an urgent need for integrated policy and action to prevent and control both Covid-19 and more familiar winter season respiratory infections. In the future, 2020 should be seen as the watershed year that triggered a transformative improvement in New Zealand’s poor track record of infectious disease incidence and inequities

Nurses’ perception of missed nursing care in a Western Australian teaching hospital: A cross-sectional study

Background Missed nursing care (MNC) has gained increasing emphasis in nursing literature because of its association with nurse and patient outcomes in healthcare settings. While missed care has been widely studied, little evidence is available on the types and frequency of missed care, reasons for its occurrence, and predictors of missed care in Western Australia. Aims To determine nurses’ perceptions of the types of MNC, reasons for missed care and to identify factors predicting missed care occurrence in Western Australian acute care settings. Methods A cross-sectional study in medical and surgical wards was performed. The nurse MISSCARE survey tool was used to capture self-reported types and reasons for missed care and level of nurse job satisfaction from a sample of 204 nurses working in 16 acute care wards. Data analyses were carried out in International Business Machines Corperation located in Armonk, New York United States (IBM SPSS Statistics) (v 29). Findings The most common perceived missed activities included ambulation (87%), patient teaching (79%), interdisciplinary conference attendance (78%), mouth care (78%), intake and output (77%), and patient turning (75%). Labour resources ranked highest for reasons for missed care followed by material resources and communication. Significant relationships were observed between missed care and job satisfaction, role satisfaction, and teamwork. Discussion Working overtime, job dissatisfaction, inadequate staffing, and heavy admissions and discharges were related to increased likelihood for missed care occurrence. Conclusion Although further studies examining the link between MNC and staffing methodologies are needed, this study provides evidence on nurse-reported missed care and the impact of missed care in Western Australia

Cost benefit analysis of the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme

This report summarises the results of an analysis of the costs and benefits of the Warm Up New Zealand: Heat Smart programme. Under the programme, subsidies are provided towards the costs of retrofitting insulation and/or installing clean heating for pre-2000 houses. The benefits that are included in this report are analysed in more detail in three separate papers produced as part of this study that assess the impacts on energy use, health outcomes and producer surpluses, with additional data on employment. The costs of the programme are also assessed in this report and include the costs of the additional insulation and clean heating plus the administrative costs falling on the government. The overall results suggest that the programme as a whole has had sizeable net benefits, with our central estimate of programme benefits being almost five times resource costs attributable to the programme

Staff perceptions of the effectiveness of managerial communication during the COVID-19 pandemic: A cross-sectional study

Aims: This work aims to explore staff perceptions of (1) the effectiveness of organizational communication during the COVID-19 pandemic and (2) the impact of organizational communication on staff well-being and ability to progress their work and patient care. Background: Effective coordination and communication are essential in a pandemic management response. However, the effectiveness of communication strategies used during the COVID-19 pandemic is not well understood. Design: An exploratory cross-sectional research design was used. A 33-item survey tool was created for the study. Methods: The study was conducted at a tertiary teaching hospital in Western Australia. Convenience sampling was used to recruit participants from nursing, medical, allied health services, administrative and clerical, and personal support services (N = 325). Data were collected between December 2020 and May 2021. Results: Overall, all occupational groups found working during the COVID-19 pandemic stressful, and all groups wanted accessible and accurate communication from management and new policies, procedures, and protocols for future outbreaks. Conclusions: The use of occupational group-relevant strategies and COVID-19 protocols, as well as the on-going use of email, face-to-face meetings with debrief sessions, are needed to improve communication and support staff to fulfil their roles

Vertical Transfer Success

The authors conducted a qualitative investigation of Hispanic students’ perceptions of the experience of vertical transfer from community college to a four-year institution. The study participants were students who had completed vertical transfer from two community colleges into a four-year degree program co-located in a region of the southwestern United States. Participants were predominantly Hispanic, male, and first generation. The findings of focus group sessions and survey data are analyzed and capture participants’ perceptions of issues that are essential to transfer success at the pre-, mid-, and post-transfer phases of the transition process and post-graduation goals and expectations

Faculty Perceptions of Combat-Related PTSD and Teaching Post 9/11 Student-Veterans

The purpose of this study was to examine faculty members’ perceptions of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and student veterans. We surveyed 596 faculty members from 28 institutions of higher education regarding their views on PTSD as a disorder, whether PTSD can be effectively treated, and their preparedness to teach student veterans. Results indicate that faculty members do perceive PTSD to be a real disorder confronting student veterans; however, statistically significant results indicate that many faculty members do not consider PTSD to be treatable, nor do they feel prepared to work with these returning students. These results suggest a need for faculty education about PTSD as it relates to this population of students who are veterans of post 9/11 war conflicts