Skills Course to Increase Knowledge Retention and Optimize Practice Among Nurses

Continuing professional development is key to education in healthcare for nurses. Healthcare is ever changing and nursing education must reflect this throughout practice and time. Recognition is increasing that many psychomotor skills essential for safe nursing practice are not being retained. In-person skills lessons are implemented to ensure retention of critical skills and to offer an in-person learning session for new nurses. The study’s purpose is to educate nurses using in person, monthly, hands-on skills courses, and to aid in retention of critical skills to better further nursing practice. Conclusions synthesized from a review of literature highlight improved skills proficiencies and benefits of additional skills education, emphasizing a need for in person skills sessions. In the complex, evolving healthcare setting, professional development is a priority, and the need for ongoing education is critical. Continuing professional development is central to nurses’ lifelong learning and constitutes a vital aspect for keeping nurses’ knowledge and skills up to date (Mlambo et al., 2021). One of the advantages of on-site learning, both formal and informal, is that learners can utilize expertise which is already available on the ward. The study conducted is nonempirical research, an experimental study, and an exploratory study

An exploration of mother’s beliefs and parenting behaviours surrounding adolescent substance use and impaired driving

There is pressing need to manage adolescent substance use to prevent impaired driving. Adolescent impaired driving is more common than imagined and is damaging to the health of Canadians and the economy. Parenting is argued to be the most promising prevention strategy available. In this qualitative study, I explored four mother’s beliefs and self-reported parenting behaviours surrounding adolescent substance use and impaired driving. The data revealed that mother’s beliefs about the nature of adolescence as a developmental period contextualize their responses to their adolescent’s substance use. Specifically, mother’s beliefs regarding adolescence as a period of exploration, questionable decision-making, and the need for autonomy appeared to relate to the parenting behaviours of communication, monitoring, and the use of consequences, respectively. Case evidence, in the context of the literature, is presented to illustrate how these parent behaviours may shape their children’s experiences of substance use and the likelihood of impaired driving

Support Provided by Administrators for Mathematics Teachers: A Case Study of One North Louisiana High School

National and International assessment results as well as general student unpreparedness for college and beyond in terms of mathematical abilities indicate a need for increased student achievement in mathematics (Hart, 2005; National Center for Education Statistics, 2017; Peterson, Woessmann, Hanushek, & Lastra-Anadon, 2011). The purpose of the study was to explore effective leadership traits of secondary school administrators that foster and support teachers of mathematics. Research specifically made connections to instructional and transformational leadership practices, actions, and traits. This exploration was investigated through a case study using interviews completed by high school educators, administrators, and district leaders. A sample of five mathematics teachers, four administrators, and two district personnel were interviewed to gain insight into how administrators support mathematics teachers at one high school in North Louisiana. Qualitative data were gathered through one on one, semi-structured interviews completed by the mathematics teachers, administrators, and district personnel at the case study site. Interview responses were recorded, transcribed, coded, and analyzed based on word frequency and interview group. Mathematics teachers felt supported by school administrators due to administrators’ locating or acquiring classroom materials, approachability and accessibility, organization of professional development, support for tested courses, and access to district support. Administrators supported mathematics teachers by providing iv student discipline, greater support for tested subjects and new teachers, instructional observations and feedback, locating or acquiring classroom materials, and organization of PLCs

Structured mayhem: personal experiences of the Crown Court

Synopsis: A CJA briefing on the sometimes harrowing experiences of victims, witnesses and defendants in a wide-ranging series of Crown Court cases. Structured Mayhem is a digest of a remarkable piece of research carried by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research. Featuring extensive interviews with court users it furnishes a stark reminder that, for all the progress made in recent years, our courts all too often still cause huge frustration and distress to victims and witnesses, and also defendants

Note From the Editor

Background and AimsTo review published studies on the effectiveness of combining cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT) and motivational interviewing (MI) to treat comorbid clinical and subclinical alcohol use disorder (AUD) and major depression (MDD) and estimate the effect of this compared with usual care. MethodsWe conducted systematic literature searches in PubMed, PsycINFO and Embase up to June 2013 and identified additional studies through cross-references in included studies and systematic reviews. Twelve studies comprising 1721 patients met our inclusion criteria. The studies had sufficient statistical power to detect small effect sizes. ResultsCBT/MI proved effective for treating subclinical and clinical AUD and MDD compared with controls, with small overall effect sizes at post-treatment [g=0.17, confidence interval (CI)=0.07-0.28, Pless than0.001 for decrease of alcohol consumption and g=0.27, CI: 0.13-0.41, Pless than0.001 for decrease of symptoms of depression, respectively]. Subgroup analyses revealed no significant differences for both AUD and MDD. However, digital interventions showed a higher effect size for depression than face-to-face interventions (g=0.73 and g=0.23, respectively, P=0.030). ConclusionsCombined cognitive-behavioural therapy and motivational interviewing for clinical or subclinical depressive and alcohol use disorders has a small but clinically significant effect in treatment outcomes compared with treatment as usual

Joint enterprise: righting a wrong turn?

This report presents the findings of an exploratory study of joint enterprise, undertaken by the Institute for Criminal Policy Research, in partnership with the Prison Reform Trust, and within funding from the Nuffield Foundation. Joint enterprise is a doctrine of the criminal law which permits multiple defendants to be convicted of the same criminal offence even where they had different types or levels of involvement. It has been the source of great controversy in recent years. The study looks at the application of the doctrine of joint enterprise in the prosecution of serious cases, and considers the implications of the recent Supreme Court ruling on joint enterprise, which determined that the law had taken ‘a wrong turn’ and required ‘correction’. The report argues that there is an urgent need for greater clarity and transparency in the way in which cases involving multiple defendants are prosecuted and sentenced in the future

Out of the shadows: victims' and witnesses' experiences of attending the Crown Court

This report presents the findings of research examining the experiences of 44 victims and witnesses who attended the Crown Court. These were victims and prosecution witnesses in cases covering a range of crimes, including violent and sexual offences. All interviewees were asked to describe the experience of attending court, and for their views on the fairness or otherwise of the court process and outcomes. The study findings should help inform improvements to both policy and practice aimed at supporting victims and witnesses through the court process