A hermeneutic phenomenological study of community nurses' CPD

Continuing professional development (CPD) is a mandatory aspect of nurse registration. In the NHS, more demanding professional roles compel nurses to develop and update their knowledge and skills through CPD. Even though CPD is an essential component of nurse education, research investigating community practitioners’ views, experiences and perceptions of the link between reflection and CPD is limited. This phenomenological study explored community health practitioners’ experiences of CPD and perceptions of the link between CPD and reflection. Ten community practitioners who specialized in district or school nursing and health visiting were interviewed using an in-depth approach. Data was analysed using thematic networks as a tool (Attride-Stirling, 2001). Findings revealed that community practitioners viewed CPD positively, perceived the benefits as both professional and personal development. Development needs were identified through reflective practice and appraisal. Even though significant barriers were apparent, the organization provided opportunities to access formal and self-directed learning events. There is a need for organizations to invest in CPD of the workforce, consider cheaper alternatives for meeting CPD needs and for further research to assess the impact of CPD on clinical practice

Strong mayors' leadership capital: New York, London and Amsterdam (2000-2026)

This thesis examines mayors and their interaction with their institutional limits. In particular, it considers, from the perspective of political leadership studies, how far mayors fitting the strong-mayor typology are able to assert their will in the face of these institutional limits. David Sweeting’s expositions on the strong-mayor model, supplemented by those of other theorists, form the thesis’ theoretical framework. This framework is applied to three original case studies (Michael Bloomberg in New York and Ken Livingstone & Boris Johnson in London). A fourth case study, of Job Cohen in Amsterdam, follows these and offers alternative perspectives (based upon the application a model of an appointed mayoralty). The analytical tool chosen – the Leadership Capital Index (LCI) – is a recent innovation in political leadership studies. The thesis’ findings demonstrate that there was clear potential for all of the mayors within the systems examined to asser their political will. What varies is how far mayors in different forms of strong-mayor systems can do this and how they achieve it. With regard to the LCI, the study concludes that it needs further development if it is to achieve longevity in terms of its place in the field. The thesis ends by outlining the future research agenda emerging as a result of this stud

Neighbourhoods and self rated health: a comparison of public sector employees in London and Helsinki

Study objective: Mortality and morbidity vary across neighbourhoods and larger residential areas. Effects of area deprivation on health may vary across countries, because of greater spatial separation of people occupying high and low socioeconomic positions and differences in the provision of local services and facilities. Neighbourhood variations in health and the contribution of residents' characteristics and neighbourhood indicators were compared in London and Helsinki, two settings where inequality and welfare policies differ.Design: Data from two cohorts were used to investigate associations between self rated health and neighbourhood indicators using a multilevel approach.Setting: London and Helsinki.Participants: From the Whitehall II study (London, aged 39-63) and the Helsinki health study (aged 40-60).Main results: Socioeconomic segregation was higher in London than in Helsinki. Age and sex adjusted differences in self rated health between neighbourhoods were also greater in London. Independent of individual socioeconomic position, neighbourhood unemployment, proportion of residents in manual occupations, and proportion of single households were associated with health. In pooled data, residence in a neighbourhood with highest unemployment was associated with an odds ratio of less than good self rated health of 1.51 (95% CI 1.30 to 1.75). High rates of single parenthood were associated with health in London but not in Helsinki.Conclusions: Neighbourhood socioeconomic context was associated with health in both countries, with some evidence of greater neighbourhood effects in London. Greater socioeconomic segregation in London may have emergent effects at the neighbourhood level. Local and national social policies may reduce, or restrict, inequality and segregation between areas

Radio-frequency plasma and heat treatment of human fecal matter

Low temperature ashing of human feces for solid waste management onboard spacecraf

Noncommutative curves and noncommutative surfaces

In this survey article we describe some geometric results in the theory of noncommutative rings and, more generally, in the theory of abelian categories. Roughly speaking and by analogy with the commutative situation, the category of graded modules modulo torsion over a noncommutative graded ring of quadratic, respectively cubic growth should be thought of as the noncommutative analogue of a projective curve, respectively surface. This intuition has lead to a remarkable number of nontrivial insights and results in noncommutative algebra. Indeed, the problem of classifying noncommutative curves (and noncommutative graded rings of quadratic growth) can be regarded as settled. Despite the fact that no classification of noncommutative surfaces is in sight, a rich body of nontrivial examples and techniques, including blowing up and down, has been developed.Comment: Suggestions by many people (in particular Haynes Miller and Dennis Keeler) have been incorporated. The formulation of some results has been improve

Acceptance checkout equipment - Spacecraft Monthly progress report, 15 Jan. - 15 Feb. 1966

Acceptance checkout equipment and spacecraft testin