IMPACT OF PRODUCTIVITY MEASUREMENT SYSTEMS ON MUNICIPAL PERFORMANCE

Recently, a challenge to the use of traditional productivity and performance measurement tools has emerged. The focus of this debate i s whether such tools are instrumental for making critical trade-off decisions or program changes. In a nationwide survey of municipalities on this subject, the authors found that performance measurement systems are used across a number of service-related functions. While their perceived contribution to overall municipal performance tended to diminish for Individual worker productivity and morale concerns, the respondents-on balance-viewed the returns from performance measurement systems as worth the costs. The work concludes with several implications for possible adoption. Copyright 1985 by The Policy Studies Organization.

Musculoskeletal disorders among rural Australian nursing students

Aim: To investigate the prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among rural Australian nursing students and compare the results with other international studies.\ud \ud Method and analysis: A self-reporting questionnaire adapted from previous research, was administered to 260 students from all three grades of a major nursing school in regional north Queensland, Australia.\ud \ud Results: A high proportion of students reported an MSD at some body site (80.0%), with low back pain being the most common condition (59.2%). This was followed by MSD of the neck (34.6%), knee (25.0%), shoulder (23.8%), feet (16.5%), wrist (12.7%) and legs (11.9%). MSD of the shoulder was slightly more common among males when compared to females (39.3% vs 22.0%, P = 0.0424). Previous paid employment as a nurse or nursing assistant was found to increase the risk of upper arm MSD by a factor of 10.8 (odds ratio 10.8, 95% confidence interval 1.9–205.8, P = 0.0276).\ud \ud Conclusion: Overall, this investigation suggests that MSD is more frequent among rural Australian nursing students, when compared to their counterparts around the world. Their high rate of MSD is also comparable to that reported by hospital nurses in other countries.\ud \ud What is already known and why the study was done: Although musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) are known to affect nursing students at reasonably high rates, few studies have been undertaken in rural Australia. Therefore, it was considered necessary to investigate MSD among a complete cross-section of rural Australian nursing students, using a questionnaire adapted from previous research. Findings were then compared with similar international studies.\ud \ud What this study adds to the published literature: A high proportion of students reported an MSD at some body site, with low back pain being the most common condition. Overall, this investigation suggests that MSD is more frequent among rural Australian nursing students, when compared to their counterparts around the world. Their high rate of MSD is also comparable to that reported by hospital nurses in other countries

Hand dermatitis among female nursing students in tropical Australia

Although hand dermatitis is known to affect nursing students worldwide, the prevalence among their Australian counterparts has not been elucidated and the relative contribution of tropical environments is unclear. Therefore, we conducted the first investigation of hand dermatitis among 232 female, undergraduate nurses in tropical Australia using a previously validated methodology. Hand dermatitis prevalence rose from 10.8% in the first year to 27.4% by the third year and averaged 18.5% across all three grades. Pre-existing atopic dermatitis caused a 7.8-fold risk increase during logistic regression analysis (odds ratio [OR] 7.8, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.0–21.1, P < 0.0001). Overall, this study suggests that hand dermatitis is less common among tropical Australian nursing students than their counterparts around the world. The identification of atopic dermatitis as a hand dermatitis risk factor was, however, consistent with previous research conducted in non-tropical areas