Fostering teamwork for health care professionals in the online learning environment

The inclusion of group assignments as part of teaching and learning in the education of health professionals is an expectation of registration bodies and health care stakeholders. Effective teamwork skills are seen as essential for productive working relationships in multidisciplinary teams and contributing to better health outcomes for staff and health care consumers. The translation of traditional approaches to teaching health care professionals to the online learning environment requires course coordinators to re-examine the relevance, design and assessment of group work. This presentation showcases the development of online group assessments that applies these education principles to the development of an assessment initiative in a multidiscipline health curriculum. It is anticipated that this translation of group work in higher education to the online learning experience will enhance the learning outcomes and experience for health care professionals and better meet the needs and expectations of students and key stakeholders

A Teaching Model for Health Professionals Learning Reflective Practice

The aim of this work was to use the theory and concepts of critical reflection in the development of a teaching model to enhance the learning approach to reflective practice for health professionals. The results of this initial stage of a larger project have identified the key challenges for health professionals learning about reflective practice. From the literature a model for teaching critical reflection was conceptualized. It begins with an exploration of self and values, moves students through a dialogue with peers, and explores the social and historical contexts of practice. Conclusions drawn from this work show that despite the agenda in healthcare to bridge the theory-practice gap, when focusing on critical reflection students struggle with professional, legal and ethical issues much more than they do with empirical ones. Our work has aimed to design a course of study that facilitates students\u27 development in critical reflection in order to promote their empowerment and capacity for change. We believe that reflective practice that is aimed at empowering individuals within their own practice has the potential to engage the learner, as well as provide improved health outcomes

Preparing Australian nurse educators to teach international students

Australia is the third largest provider of international education ,however, the preparedness of academics, teaching international students, may not have kept abreast with the growth in universities’ student enrolments in transnational teaching programs. The differences in Western and Asian cultures present challenges that can have a significant impact on the education of international students particularly in transnational teaching programs. As such, there is a need for educators to develop specific strategies to ensure positive student experience, learning and outcomes for international students. A design-based research methodology was adopted to construct, evaluate and endorse a professional development workshop that integrated reflective practice as the method of delivery. The professional development workshop sought primarily to assist nurse educators gain a deeper awareness of the cultural considerations associated with teaching international students and thereby develop strategies to effectively teach this cohort of students. Overall, the participants rated the workshop as highly effective, recognizing the relevance and appropriateness of the workshop content to their professional development needs and for clarifying appropriate and relevant strategies that could be employed when teaching international students. The professional development workshop participants affirmed that the workshop assisted them in developing understanding about cultural factors specific to a cohort of students they taught in Hong Kong. Further, these teachers believed that the integration of identified culturally sensitive teaching strategies in their practice was a direct result of their engagement in the workshops

Enabling the transferability of the magnet hospital concept to an Australian context

Background: It is increasingly apparent that the existing health professional workforce is insufficient to meet the growing demands of health care. Within Australia and globally, an increasing demand for quality health care workers will impact substantially upon the future of the industry (International Council of Nurses (ICN) 2010). Driven by this trend, some healthcare stakeholders are giving consideration to the magnet hospital structure as a framework for the development of effective professional practice environments. The identified features of a magnet hospital include a decentralised administration, participation in decision making, supportive managers and autonomy and career development opportunities (McClure Poulin, Sovie & Wandelt 1983). There has been extensive research evidence illustrating the success of magnet hospitals in retaining nursing staff, which has been found to contribute to positive patient outcomes (Aiken, Smith & Lake 1994; Aiken, Sloane & Lake 1997; Aiken et al 2001; Upenieks 2003). However, the transferability of the concept to Australia has yet to be comprehensively examined. Aim: The aims of this research were to: (1) adapt a tool for measuring magnet features that relates to the Australian context; (2) test the reliability and validity of this adapted tool; and (3) use the tool to measure magnet features and investigate their relationship to measures of job satisfaction and staff intention to leave, among a sample of nurses in Australian health facilities. Research Design: The research included qualitative and quantitative research approaches and mixed methods approach in the adaption and testing of an Australian tool for measuring magnet features. Three inter connected studies were undertaken to address the research aims and questions. The first study involved focus groups with registered nurses who reviewed an established North American tool to assess its applicability for use in the Australian context. The second study was a pilot survey that tested the Australian tool ‘The Nursing Work Index–Revised: Australian (NWI-R:A)’ establishing it as a credible measure of magnet features. The third study, a larger scale survey, examined the NWI-R:A as a descriptive measure of magnet features in four Australian facilities in conjunction with measures of staff job satisfaction and intention to leave for the purpose of exploring relationships between these variables. Results: Overall the findings suggest that the NWI-R:A is a valid and reliable measure of magnet features with statistically acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha 0.76) for the tool. Study One established that the Australian version of the tool needed to address issues with the language, presentation and meaning to improve the transferability to the Australian context. In studies two and three the perceptions of the registered nurse sample (n=326) consistently showed that these cohorts viewed the quality of care, nursing management and leadership, and collegial relationships of their respective workplaces favourably, but perceived that nurse participation in decision making; staffing; and resources were lacking. Finally, Study Three results identified statistically significant relationships between registered nurses’ perceptions of magnetism, job satisfaction and their reported intention to leave. Discussion: The establishment of a tool for the reliable measurement of magnetism in Australian facilities enables the magnet concept to be effectively transferred to the Australian healthcare environment. A more comprehensive understanding of the ways in which nursing staff perceive existing magnet features in their workplace potentially informs targeted development of nursing practice environments in Australian health facilities. If the magnet framework was to become central to the development of organisational structure and governance, healthcare facilities in Australia would be well positioned to improve nursing staff retention

Developing a tool to measure \u27magnetism\u27 in Australian nursing environments

The magnet hospital concept, developed in the United States of America (USA) in the early eighties, identified characteristics successful in attracting and retaining nursing staff. The nursing profession in Australia is currently focused on issues of recruitment and retention; therefore it is relevant and timely to consider the significance of the magnet concept to Australian health facilities. The project was undertaken in two stages: one using focus groups to revise the tool for use in Australia; and a second, using a questionnaire to test the reliability, validity and usability, of this revised tool, in a sample of Australian hospitals. The focus groups identified three main issues requiring modification to the existing tool namely: language; contextual meaning; and, presentation. The data from the questionnaire shows that the analysis of the Australian version of the magnet measurement tool retained acceptable levels of internal consistency. The results of the pilot indicate that respondents were clearly positive in their responses related to the three subscales of: ‘quality of care’; ‘management, leader and support’; and ‘nurse‑physician relationships’; while ‘nurse participation’ and ‘staff and resources’ subscales were rated less positively by the respondents. This means the tool is appropriate to use in an Australian context and is able to produce specific and reliable data on magnet features in Australian health facilities. The significance of this research is that it informs the promotion of organisational change that has been shown to facilitate nursing staff retention and positive health outcomes in Australia

Effectiveness of interventions for the development of leadership skills among nurses: a systematic review protocol

Review question/objective: What interventions are the most effective for the development of leadership skills for nurses? The review objective is to systematically review the evidence to identify the effectiveness of interventions for the development of leadership skills among nurses. Center conducting the review: Centre for Evidence-based Initiatives in Health Care - University of Wollongong: an Affiliate Center of the Joanna Briggs Institute

Surviving the health care environment with assertiveness skills

Conflict is a constant feature of the health care environment, and the effective management of conflict is a skill that many people do not possess on a professional or personal level. Conflicted environments within health care impact on a variety of factors, but one issue of particular importance currently is the level of satisfaction and retention of staff. By providing beginning practitioners with the skills to improve their ability to effectively manage conflict, these issues may be addressed. Effective communication skills are an integral aspect of competence for all health professionals, and the development of the skill to a more advanced level is required for beginning practitioners to succeed. Clinical experiences for student nurses were evaluated, and conflict situations were seen to significantly impact on their ability to succeed on clinical placement. Their inability to express themselves assertively, particularly in the context of hierarchy, was identified by students as an issue of major concern. As a result of this recognition of the students\u27 needs, an innovative approach to teaching communication in the undergraduate curriculum for health care professionals has been developed. A number of strategies were implemented to develop understanding and skills in assertiveness, but one particular innovation is the use of reflective writing in conjunction with an assertiveness diary. Assertiveness is defined, they are provided with resources of situations to practice being assertive, and implement this practice within their daily life. They then examine a chosen situation, reflect on the positive and negative aspects of their response, the impact of their response on others, and goals for improvement in the future. The transition from theoretical concepts, to application of skills, and appreciation of the usability and value of these skills has translated to significant practice development for the students. Additionally, the reflective component highlighted the importance of self awareness, and its link to the impact on others of their reflection, encouraging empathic awareness. This has been structured within a theoretical framework of Bar-On\u27s emotional intelligence, that encompasses a number of these aspects

Enabling the transferability of the magnet concept to an Australian context

It has been identified that the current health professional workforce is insufficient to meet the demands of health care. It is frequently stated that Australia will continue to experience an increasing demand for health care workers over the coming years. The discussion on the issues of recruitment and retention in the health workforce are therefore currently at the forefront of debate. This presentation reports on a research project that examined the workplace of Australian nurses in an attempt to better understand their job satisfaction, intentions about leaving and their views of the practice environment. It builds on the evidence of improved staff and patient outcomes in magnet hospitals by working toward the expansion of the magnet concept in Australia. The study used a mixed methodology in the development, testing and use of the Nursing Work Index-Revised:Australian (NWI-R:A). Findings demonstrate the NWI-R:A as a valid and reliable measure of magnet features with a statistically acceptable internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha 0.76) for the tool. The perceptions of the registered nurse sample (N= 262) consistently showed that they viewed the quality of care, nursing management and leadership and collegial relationships of their workplace as favourable but that nurse participation in decision making and adequacy of resources were lacking. The results also indicate statistically significant relationships between registered nurses perceptions of magnetism, job satisfaction and intention to leave. In summary, this project has established a reliable tool for the measurement of magnetism in Australian facilities and identified significant links between magnet features and factors impacting on nursing staff retention. A more comprehensive understanding of the ways in which nursing staff perceive existing magnet features in their workplace potentially informs targeted development of the nursing practice environments in Australian health facilities

Magnetism in aged care

Aim: To measure the impact of magnetism on the attraction and retention of staff in the aged care setting