Perceptions of Women of Color Improving Patient Outcomes Through Hospital Leadership Advancement

Women of color have been underrepresented in hospital leadership positions and face challenges in advancing their careers. The benefit to hospitals providing women of color with training and support to move into leadership positions may be improved patient outcomes. Grounded in the interactional model of cultural diversity framework, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of women of color advancing in leadership roles in hospitals and their impact on patient outcomes. The study participants included 16 women of color in leadership positions from hospitals in a western U.S. state. Data were collected through semi structured interviews. Resulting themes included (a) lack of mentorship opportunities; (b) discrimination; (c) lack psychological safety; (d) importance of representation by women of color; (e) women of color need to lead and support diversity, equity, and inclusion; (f) focus on performance and quality improvement; and (g) leading with values. Implications for positive social change include understanding the impact of racism and sexism on women of color leaders and developing programs that encourage more women of color to aspire to and work towards leadership positions. This will increase the number of women in hospital leadership roles and ultimately can help to improve health care for everyone

Perceptions of Women of Color Improving Patient Outcomes Through Hospital Leadership Advancement

Women of color have been underrepresented in hospital leadership positions and face challenges in advancing their careers. The benefit to hospitals providing women of color with training and support to move into leadership positions may be improved patient outcomes. Grounded in the interactional model of cultural diversity framework, the purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore the perceptions of women of color advancing in leadership roles in hospitals and their impact on patient outcomes. The study participants included 16 women of color in leadership positions from hospitals in a western U.S. state. Data were collected through semi structured interviews. Resulting themes included (a) lack of mentorship opportunities; (b) discrimination; (c) lack psychological safety; (d) importance of representation by women of color; (e) women of color need to lead and support diversity, equity, and inclusion; (f) focus on performance and quality improvement; and (g) leading with values. Implications for positive social change include understanding the impact of racism and sexism on women of color leaders and developing programs that encourage more women of color to aspire to and work towards leadership positions. This will increase the number of women in hospital leadership roles and ultimately can help to improve health care for everyone

Strategic forest planning and operational decisions under uncertainty

A lack of certainty about future forest growth or market conditions may lead to substantial variations in optimal strategic management and projected net value of a commercial forest. Optimal operation decisions, such as decisions to develop a road network or other infrastructure in the immediate future to support expected harvesting or other actions, would also be affected substantially by a lack of certainty about future conditions. This paper describes a practical approach to combining yield models with stochastic variation by forest type and period in a large number of scenarios to produce a distribution of optimal, long-term harvest schedules. The approach allows robust operational decisions to be identified that are appropriate under a wide range of uncertain future conditions. The approach also allows the development of logistic regression models that relate operational decisions to variation in future growth or market conditions. A case study is provided to demonstrate operational decisions on roading and infrastructure development in the immediate or operational period that are robust, and those that would depend on decisions made by a manager who is risk- adverse, risk-neutral or a risk-take

E is for ethics, evaluation & emotional intelligence

Daniel Goleman believed the superior performance of star performers at Bell Labs was, amongst other things, due to their ability to co-ordinate teamwork, build consensus, see things from the perspective of others, and be self-managed in regulating time and work commitments. This paper evaluates an active learning communication project designed to promote emotional intelligence, and explores the ethics of individual assessment based on team performance and peer evaluations. The course project and its assessment were constructed in response to recent research on the competencies and attitudes sought by employers of business faculty graduates for the year 2005

Interaction on the edge

This paper examines the richness of an applied communication group project which incorporates writing skills, interpersonal skills, team dynamics, problem solving, decision making, time and stress management, interviewing and both individual and group presentation skills. In addition students were asked to maintain learning diaries for reflective learning and also to carry out peer assessment at the end of the process. This project was developed in response to the professional competencies required by accountants identified in research undertaken for the Institute of Chartered Accountants of New Zealand. The project is also intended to develop emotional intelligence. The workplace project is undertaken by a team of four students from diverse backgrounds and requires them to negotiate with an employer to carry out the project in an organisation. The project is in its second semester, and is still a little on the edge for students in the early stages of their tertiary education

Carbon in Trees in Tasmanian State Forest

The mass of carbon (C) in standing trees on 1.5 M ha of Tasmanian State forest was 163 Tg C, with 139 Tg in eucalypt forest. The highest C densities occurred in the tallest, highest crown cover, mature, wet eucalypt forest, representing 0.2% by area containing only 1.3 Tg C. Shorter mature forests with lower crown cover contained 21–68% of this C density. Rainforests and forests containing regrowth or silvicultural regeneration components also contained lower C densities. Landscape-level C saturation of Tasmanian State forest could only be achieved when all forest was simultaneously mature eucalypt forest. This would sequester an additional 93 Tg C into trees, but would require fire to convert existing mixed forest and rainforest to eucalypt forest, and subsequent estate wildfire prevention while eucalypt forests mature and the prevention of eucalypt forests progressing to less C-dense rainforest. Theoretical C saturation at the landscape level is therefore ecologically impossible

Not Your Average Blues: Examining Perinatal Mental Health and Infertility Help-Seeking in Black American Couples

The presenters discuss their research that examines the perinatal mental health experiences of Black American couples diagnosed with infertility. 1 in 7 women and 1 in 10 men will experience a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder (PMAD), however, African American women are almost two times less likely to initiate treatment for the concern compared to their counterparts. No current literature addresses the lived experiences amongst Black American couples simultaneously coping with a PMAD and infertility