Exploring the role and skill set of physiotherapy clinical educators in work integrated learning

Clinical educators are under increasing pressures in the workplace to provide quality education of healthcare students within varying supervision frameworks. Along with facilitating the teaching of clinical skills, clinical educators play a support role for students and so require more than expert clinical abilities in their vital position linking institutions and the healthcare environment. Twelve physiotherapy clinical educators attended one of two focus groups exploring their opinions on the role and skill set of clinical educators in work-integrated learning (WIL).Clinical educators described their role, their skills, challenges they faced supporting the needs of students, as well as future training requirements. The focus group results highlighted the important role of soft skills in the clinical educator role. The development of this skill set is essential to ensure quality supervision through optimal interactions between clinical educators and students in WIL

Undergraduate reflective journaling in work integrated learning: Is it relevant to professional practice?

This paper presents the research findings from a study reviewing graduates’ opinions on completing online reflective journaling tasks during work integrated learning as an undergraduate. The study was divided into two parts with an initial focus group conducted with six physiotherapy graduates seven months following graduation. Findings from the focus group guided the development of a questionnaire sent to graduates nine months after course completion. Results from both the focus group and questionnaire (n = 25) highlighted the benefits of online, structured, assessed reflective writing tasks. Graduates provided specific examples of their personal and professional development and perceived benefits from undertaking reflective journaling during work integrated learning. These findings may have application across a wide variety of tertiary courses of study with work integrated learning incorporated into curriculum

Student motivation to learn: Is self-belief the key to transition and first year performance in an undergraduate health professions program?

Background: Student motivation to learn has been undervalued to date though has been identified as an area influencing student success and retention at university. The transition into university has been highlighted as a key period affecting student outcomes as well as well-being. Early identification of those students at risk may assist the transition for many students moving into higher education. Previous research has identified the Motivation and Engagement Scale – University/College (MES-UC) as a valid instrument for measuring motivation to learn in physiotherapy students. The aim of this study was to determine the relationship between a student’s motivation to learn on entry into an undergraduate physiotherapy program and their performance through first year. The relationship of admissions scores, to motivation to learn on entry, were also considered, to determine any link between these measures. Methods: An observational longitudinal study was conducted on one cohort of undergraduate physiotherapy students commencing their studies in 2015 with a response rate of 67%. Correlations were performed between admission variables and Year 1 MES-UC scoring; and between Year 1 MES-UC scoring and subsequent academic performance across first year, taking into consideration gender and age. Results: Self-belief was identified as the key dimension of motivation influencing student success in the transition into university. Results identified the link between self-belief scores on entry and academic performance in first year, including grade point average and performance in six of nine courses. Courses where there was no significant relationship were identified as curriculum areas where students may be less motivated. There was a relationship between the admissions interview and MES-UC scoring, demonstrating a link between non-cognitive selection measures and student motivation to learn on entry into the program. Conclusion: Motivation to learn and specifically self-belief with learning, may be influential in the transition into higher education. Undertaking measures of academic motivation may be useful to determine student engagement with curriculum, through identifying any link between student self-belief and performance in specific courses. Changes to curriculum based on student motivation as well as targeting early those students with reduced self-belief may improve student success, psychosocial wellbeing and retention

Solitary dynamo waves

Abstract Long dynamo waves are a characteristic feature of interface dynamo models with spatially localized α and Ω effects. The evolution of such waves is described by the modified Korteweg-de Vries equation. Solutions to this equation take the form of solitary waves, breathers, and snoidal and cnoidal waves, and represent nonlinear waves of magnetic activity that migrate towards the equator, as observed on the Sun. Averaging techniques extend the theory to longer times and relate the amplitude of these waves to the dynamo number

Nanoscale oxygen defect gradients in UO2+x surfaces.

Oxygen defects govern the behavior of a range of materials spanning catalysis, quantum computing, and nuclear energy. Understanding and controlling these defects is particularly important for the safe use, storage, and disposal of actinide oxides in the nuclear fuel cycle, since their oxidation state influences fuel lifetimes, stability, and the contamination of groundwater. However, poorly understood nanoscale fluctuations in these systems can lead to significant deviations from bulk oxidation behavior. Here we describe the use of aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy to resolve changes in the local oxygen defect environment in [Formula: see text] surfaces. We observe large image contrast and spectral changes that reflect the presence of sizable gradients in interstitial oxygen content at the nanoscale, which we quantify through first-principles calculations and image simulations. These findings reveal an unprecedented level of excess oxygen incorporated in a complex near-surface spatial distribution, offering additional insight into defect formation pathways and kinetics during [Formula: see text] surface oxidation

Nanoscale oxygen defect gradients in UO_2+x surfaces

Oxygen defects govern the behavior of a range of materials spanning catalysis, quantum computing, and nuclear energy. Understanding and controlling these defects is particularly important for the safe use, storage, and disposal of actinide oxides in the nuclear fuel cycle, since their oxidation state influences fuel lifetimes, stability, and the contamination of groundwater. However, poorly understood nanoscale fluctuations in these systems can lead to significant deviations from bulk oxidation behavior. Here we describe the use of aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy and electron energy loss spectroscopy to resolve changes in the local oxygen defect environment in&nbsp;</p

Nurses\u27 Alumnae Association Bulletin - Volume 16 Number 1

Alumnae Notes ANA Biennial Convention Cancer of the Cervix, Uterus and Ovaries Committee Reports Digest of Alumnae Association Meetings Greetings from Miss Childs Greetings from the President Graduation Awards - 1950 Isotopes and the Nurse - Dr. T.P. Eberhard Marriages Necrology New Arrivals Nursing Care in Heart Disease with Pulmonary Infarction Nursing Care of a Mitral Commissurotomy Physical Advances at Jefferson - 1950 Policies of the Private Duty Nurses\u27 Registry Staff Activities, 1950-1951 Students\u27 Corner The Department of Surgical Research - Drs. Templeton and Gibbon White Haven and Barton Memorial Division

Expression of p16 Within Myenteric Neurons of the Aged Colon: A Potential Marker of Declining Function.

Human colonic neuromuscular functions decline among the elderly. The aim was to explore the involvement of senescence. A preliminary PCR study looked for age-dependent differences in expression of CDKN1A (encoding the senescence-related p21 protein) and CDKN2A (encoding p16 and p14) in human ascending and descending colon (without mucosa) from 39 (approximately 50: 50 male: female) adult (aged 27-60 years) and elderly donors (70-89 years). Other genes from different aging pathways (e.g., inflammation, oxidative stress, autophagy) and cell-types (e.g., neurons, neuron axonal transport) were also examined. Unlike CDKN1A, CDKN2A (using primers for p16 and p14 but not when using p14-specific primers) was upregulated in both regions of colon. Compared with the number of genes appearing to upregulate in association with temporal age, more genes positively associated with increased CDKN2A expression (respectively, 16 and five of 44 genes studied for ascending and descending colon). Confirmation of increased expression of CDKN2A was sought by immunostaining for p16 in the myenteric plexus of colon from 52 patients, using a semi-automated software protocol. The results showed increased staining not within the glial cells (S100 stained), but in the cytoplasm of myenteric nerve cell bodies (MAP2 stained, with identified nucleus) of ascending, but not descending colon of the elderly, and not in the cell nucleus of either region or age group (5,710 neurons analyzed: n = 12-14 for each group). It was concluded that increased p16 staining within the cytoplasm of myenteric nerve cell bodies of elderly ascending (but not descending) colon, suggests a region-dependent, post-mitotic cellular senescence-like activity, perhaps involved with aging of enteric neurons within the colon

Chapter 5 Impacts and Environmental Risks of Oil Spills on Marine Invertebrates, Algae and Seagrass

Marine invertebrates and macrophytes are sensitive to the toxic effects of oil. Depending on the intensity, duration and circumstances of the exposure, they can suffer high levels of initial mortality together with prolonged sublethal effects that can act at individual, population and community levels. Under some circumstances, recovery from these impacts can take years to decades. However, effects are variable because some taxa are less sensitive than others, and many factors can mitigate the degree of exposure, meaning that impacts are moderate in many cases, and recovery occurs within a few years. Exposure is affected by a myriad of factors including: type and amount of oil, extent of weathering, persistence of exposure, application of dispersants or other clean-up measures, habitat type, temperature and depth, species present and their stage of development or maturity, and processes of recolonisation, particularly recruitment. Almost every oil spill is unique in terms of its impact because of differing levels of exposure and the type of habitats, communities and species assemblages in the receiving environment. Between 1970 and February 2017, there were 51 significant oil spills in Australia. Five occurred offshore with negligible likely or expected impacts. Of the others, only 24 of the spills were studied in detail, while 19 had only cursory or no assessment despite the potential for oil spills to impact the marine environment. The majority were limited to temperate waters, although 10 of the 14 spills since 2000 were in tropical coastal or offshore areas, seven were in north Queensland in areas close to the Great Barrier Reef. All four spills that have occurred from offshore petroleum industry infrastructure have occurred since 2009. In Australia, as elsewhere, a prespill need exists to assess the risk of a spill, establish environmental baselines, determine the likely exposure of the receiving environment, and test the toxicity of the oil against key animal and plant species in the area of potential impact. Subsequent to any spill, the baseline provides a reference for targeted impact monitoring