Bridging the theory practice gap

The gap between theory and practice has long been identified as a problem in nursing and midwifery. In the past this has been described as an “embarrassing failure” (Rafferty et al., 1996 p.685) and presently there is a strong consensus that the existence of this gap is not only pressing but increasing (Spouse 2001; Landers 2000). This article reports the findings of a qualitative descriptive study conducted. The purpose of this study was to explore the theory practice gap from the perspective of the midwifery student. This was considered to be a unique angle on this well researched and debated contemporary issue in nursing

SPED 415/415A Reading and Writing Disabilities: A Peer Review of Teaching Project Benchmark Portfolio

This portfolio explores four aspects of the lecture and practicum that comprise the coursework for students learning to tutor children with reading and writing disabilities. The first aspect is the alignment of the course objectives, teaching methods, assessments and scores. The second aspect is innovation in curricula for tutoring, explored through student response to surveys at the end of the tutoring session. The third aspect is student experience of participating in the course at mid-point and suggestions for improvement of course delivery, gathered by a mid-semester survey. The fourth aspect is topics and content students would like to see added to the course to help them become the kind of teachers who change the world. This was gathered through an end-of course final reflection on their evolving teacher identity. Student testimony, complaints, praise and suggestions feed into the planned changes for the course

Noongar Women\u27s Birth Experience

This qualitative study used a descriptive interpretive approach that drew heavily on the methodological underpinnings of interpretive phenomenology in order to explore the lived experience of Noongar women in childbirth. The aim of the study was to give voice to Noongar women, who despite having poorer outcomes than the wider population, remain marginalised and mute in childbirth reform. The purpose of the study was to acknowledge as authoritative, Noongar women’s wisdom and understanding of their childbirth experience. This study was conducted at the cultural interface, by a non-Indigenous researcher who implemented a collaborative and power sharing model of enquiry. Ten Noongar women were interviewed from 2011 to 2013 from the city of Perth and two regional locations in the south-west of Western Australia. The study was grounded in the work of hermeneutical philosopher, Gadamer and was guided by van Manen and Creswell for interpretive thematic analysis. Five emergent themes revealed that women experienced increased levels of vulnerability; described family as central to birth; understood their present lives were connected to a past history that would influence future generations; were culturally challenged and experienced prejudice and racism at the time of childbirth. Each theme identified elements of tension and trauma, adding considerable negative physical and psychosocial load to the health and wellbeing of the individual woman. Moreover, participants descriptive experiences alluded to a western biomedical model of maternity care that continues to under represent the needs or wants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. Despite the challenges experienced along the childbirth continuum, women described birth as a joyful experience. However, they did not experience woman centred care nor did they receive sufficient culturally appropriate options from which to make choices in the care actually received. Insights gained from this study will provide a much deeper understanding of the birth experience for Noongar women so that clinicians, educators and policy makers can plan and deliver more culturally congruent and effective maternity care. The recommendations within this study, if adopted, have the potential to echo the voice of Noongar women throughout the maternity care debate in Western Australia, so that culturally congruent and sensitive woman centred care can be developed, leading to appropriately culturally aligned childbirth choices

The Effects of Kepone on the Estuarine Copepod \u3ci\u3eAcartia tonsa\u3c/i\u3e

Due to the contamination of a 113 km reach of the James River, Kepone poses a serious environmental threat to the Chesapeake Bay. The purpose of the study is to determine the acutely toxic and sublethal levels of kepone for the copepod Acartia tonsa, and to investigate what effects those levels may have on filtration rates. Kepone was determined to be acutely toxic to A. tonsa, with a 96 hour LC50 of 4.96 ug/1. Dunaliella tertiolecta was selected as the food source for the grazing experiments. Kepone concentrations of 0.046 ug/1 significantly (0.05 level) reduced the flltering rate under conditions of chronic exposure. The lesser concentrations of 0.025 and 0.0046 ug/1 of kepone were not significantly different from the controls. It is hoped that research into the chronic stress of this pesticide may potentially provide information which would be useful in the overall understanding of the sublethal impact of chlorinated pesticides on a global scale

“Can’t be what you can’t see”: the transition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students to higher education

This report presents the findings of an investigation into the processes, the data, the key issues, the pathways, the enablers, the constraints and the opportunities regarding the transition of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students into higher education. Through an examination of qualitative and quantitative evidence, the report explores the nuances, dimensions and different perspectives of what constitutes successful transition to higher education from a range of Indigenous community contexts and diverse university settings. The accompanying literature review for this project examined relevant research, policy and programs in peer-reviewed, non-peer-reviewed and grey literature relating to the transitioning of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students into higher education, including case studies of promising practice models nationally and internationally. • The research was commissioned and supported by the Australian Government through the Office of Learning and Teaching (OLT). The project involved researchers from the Nulungu Research Institute and The University of Notre Dame Australia, from Southern Cross University and the Bachelor Institute of Indigenous Tertiary Education (BIITE). It was completed under the expert leadership and guidance of Professor Lyn Henderson-Yates, Professor Marguerite Maher and Professor Patrick Dodson

Early Tertiary Vertebrate Faunas, Trans-Pecos Texas: Ceratomorpha Less Amynodontidae

Contents: Text -- Illustriations -- Tables -- ReferencesCeratomorph remains found in Eocene and Oligocene deposits of Trans-Pecos Texas are herein described, except for the amynodonts which were described in a previous paper. Hyracodon primus, Hyracodon petersoni, and Colodon stovalli n. sp. are described from well-preserved material; Hyrachyus and Dilophodon are not so well represented. Triplopus, Caenopus, and Trigonias are questionably identified and a skull fragment is provisionally referred to Toxotherium. Changes in faunal lists of Trans-Pecos local faunas are reported. Generalized stratigraphic sections of the Vieja and Agua Fria-Green Valley areas are provided.Texas Memorial Museu

Will the NHS continue to function in an influenza pandemic? A survey of healthcare workers in the West Midlands, UK

If UK healthcare services are to respond effectively to pandemic influenza, levels of absenteeism amongst healthcare workers (HCWs) must be minimised. Current estimates of the likelihood that HCWs will continue to attend work during a pandemic are subject to scientific and predictive uncertainty, yet an informed evidence base is needed if contingency plans addressing the issues of HCW absenteeism are to be prepared

Aboriginal Community Engagement in Primary Schooling: Promoting Learning through a Cross-Cultural Lens

This article reports on action research conducted at a primary school in rural New South Wales, Australia. The research responded to an expressed school aspiration to foster greater understanding of local Aboriginal culture, historical perspectives and knowledge systems within the school. An exploratory model was developed using a mixed methods approach to investigate non-Aboriginal teacher perceptions and self-efficacy with teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander content specified in the Australian Curriculum. A Bush Tucker Garden was established as a ‘Pathway of Knowledge’ acting as a vehicle for collaboration between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal stakeholders. Through their participation in this project the teachers were brought together with local Gumbaynggirr Elders, creating a space for the sharing of social capital. Teacher cultural knowledge and understanding was strengthened, enriching the student’s learning experience. The findings are of relevance to primary school teachers, curriculum stakeholders and education providers in the broader field of Aboriginal education

Planning for climate, weather and other natural disasters: Tourism in Northland

The weather is an important ingredient for tourism, but it is also a potential source of hazard, with natural disasters resulting from extreme events not being uncommon in New Zealand. Using the tourism sector in Northland as a case study, this research sought to identify key concerns and issues relating to climate and weather, and to understand the flow of information between weather information providers and users, including tourists. The research also assessed tourism’s preparedness for natural disasters and involvement in local or regional civil defence responses. Interviews with key stakeholders were undertaken in three stages and analysed to generate insights into the relationship between climate, weather and tourism. The key issue identified by tourism stakeholders related to the image of Northland as a tourist destination and the impact of weather forecasts on domestic visitors, mainly from the Auckland market. Seasonality of visitation is also an issue. Climate variability (i.e. changes in every-day conditions such as rainy days) was not perceived to be a big problem; in fact most tourism stakeholders reported relatively little disruption from unfavourable weather conditions. Non-tourism stakeholders expressed concerns about longer term issues, such as climate change and its impacts on extreme events, such as flooding and drought, and sea level rise. The analysis of crisis and disasters resulting from extreme weather events revealed that, while there are regional and local response plans and processes in place, tourism is not explicitly integrated into those. A few gaps, such as communicating road closures or early warnings, were identified and could be rectified by better cooperation between tourism and civil defence organisations. In summary, the Northland climate and weather appears generally very favourable for tourism although there are some seasonality issues arising from the current reliance on coastal and waterbased attractions. Efforts to both attract visitors outside the summer season and to improve summer visitation numbers may be directed at addressing perceived image problems. There is also scope to increase the capability of tourism stakeholders to deal with emergency situations

Impact of a Diversity Conference on University Curriculum, Recruitment, and Accreditation Efforts

Diversity of students, faculty, administrative staff, community, and curriculum is an asset thought to strengthen and enrich students’ academic experiences. Responding to a charge from a Northern Michigan University president to place diversity at the center of a University Strategic Plan, members of a diversity advisory council proposed a plan to prepare the university and its students for a future in an increasingly diverse and globalized society. Integral to this plan was a diversity conference, UNITED (Uniting Neighbors in the Experience of Diversity), which went from an annual September event to an integral part of the university\u27s academic fabric. Our research describes an eight-year history of the diversity conference, which has hosted more than 12,000 participants and has become a vital component in the curriculum of the university. The research assists in outcomes assessment efforts to determine whether the diversity conference has lived up to its original purpose and perceived importance in the curriculum, recruitment of students, and program accreditation efforts