Kindergarten Teachers’ Perspectives About the Role of Play in the Kindergarten Classroom

Researchers have established the developmental and educational benefits of play for young students but increasing academic demands in kindergarten make it more difficult to incorporate play into the classroom. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to explore kindergarten teachers’ perspectives about the role and implementation of play in the kindergarten classroom, considering the increased academic requirements after the implementation of the Common Core Curriculum/Georgia Standard of Excellence (CCC/GSE). The conceptual framework used to guide this study was based on Vygotsky’s zone of proximal development. Two research questions addressed kindergarten teachers’ perspectives about the role of play and its implementation in the CCC/GSE-governed classroom. Participants were 10 Georgia-certified teachers in a small urban school district who had taught kindergarten for a minimum of 3 years. Semistructured interviews were conducted, and data analysis occurred through open coding and thematic analysis. Four themes were identified: (a) the role of play in the classroom was to influence a child’s development of social skills and learning; (b) CCC/GSE standards removed play from the classroom and were not developmentally appropriate; (c) increased expectations, absence of centers, and time constraints were factors that inhibited play in the classroom; and (d) teachers’ perspectives on how to bring play back into their classrooms. The findings may contribute to positive social change through an understanding of kindergarten teachers’ perspectives about the role of play in the classroom by providing information on what can be done to increase the amount of playful learning included in the kindergarten curriculum

Managing well-being in paediatric critical care: a multiperspective qualitative study of nurses’ and allied health professionals’ experiences

Objectives: It is well evidenced that healthcare professionals working in paediatric critical care experience high levels of burn-out, compassion fatigue and moral distress. This worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. This work examines the nature of challenges to workplace well-being and explores what well-being means to staff. This evidence will inform the development of staff interventions to improve and maintain staff well-being. Design: Qualitative study. Setting: Paediatric critical care units in the UK. Participants: 30 nurses and allied health professionals took part in online interviews and were asked about well-being and challenges to well-being. Lived experiences of well-being were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results: Themes generated were as follows: perception of self and identity; relationships and team morale; importance of control and balance and consequences of COVID-19. They focused on the impact of poor well-being on participants’ sense of self; the significance of how or whether they feel able to relate well with their team and senior colleagues; the challenges associated with switching off, feeling unable to separate work from home life and the idealised goal of being able to do just that; and lessons learnt from working through the pandemic, in particular associated with redeployment to adult intensive care. Conclusions: Our findings align closely with the self-determination theory which stipulates autonomy, belonging and competence are required for well-being. Participants’ accounts supported existing literature demonstrating the importance of empowering individuals to become self-aware, to be skilled in self-reflection and to be proactive in managing one’s own well-being. Change at the individual and staff group level may be possible with relatively low-intensity intervention, but significant change requires systemic shifts towards the genuine prioritisation of staff well-being as a prerequisite for high-quality patient care

The effects of large-group instruction, modeling, or see the sound/visual phonics on undergraduate students learning to read Italian

Reading in the second language (L2) allows learners access to new vocabulary and opportunities to translate from the L2 to the first language (L1) and vice versa. In this paper, we describe three studies that explored strategies for developing L2 Italian decoding repertoires. Participants were undergraduate students preparing for a short-term study abroad trip to Italy. The results indicate that most participants acquired the target Italian letter(s)-sound relations with group instruction and that modeling and/or modeling with See the Sound/Visual Phonics were effective interventions for participants who struggled to acquire the L2 repertoires. Results are discussed in terms of selecting the effective teaching strategies to develop L2 decoding repertoires

Development of an outcome indicator framework for a universal health visiting programme using routinely collected data

BackgroundUniversal health visiting has been a cornerstone of preventative healthcare for children in the United Kingdom (UK) for over 100 years. In 2016, Scotland introduced a new Universal Health Visiting Pathway (UHVP), involving a greater number of contacts with a particular emphasis on the first year, visits within the home setting, and rigorous developmental assessment conducted by a qualified Health Visitor. To evaluate the UHVP, an outcome indicator framework was developed using routine administrative data. This paper sets out the development of these indicators.MethodsA logic model was produced with stakeholders to define the group of outcomes, before further refining and aligning of the measures through discussions with stakeholders and inspection of data. Power calculations were carried out and initial data described for the chosen indicators.ResultsEighteen indicators were selected across eight outcome areas: parental smoking, breastfeeding, immunisations, dental health, developmental concerns, obesity, accidents and injuries, and child protection interventions. Data quality was mixed. Coverage of reviews was high; over 90% of children received key reviews. Individual item completion was more variable: 92.2% had breastfeeding data at 6–8 weeks, whilst 63.2% had BMI recorded at 27–30 months. Prevalence also varied greatly, from 1.3% of children’s names being on the Child Protection register for over six months by age three, to 93.6% having received all immunisations by age two.ConclusionsHome visiting services play a key role in ensuring children and families have the right support to enable the best start in life. As these programmes evolve, it is crucial to understand whether changes lead to improvements in child outcomes. This paper describes a set of indicators using routinely-collected data, lessening additional burden on participants, and reducing response bias which may be apparent in other forms of evaluation. Further research is needed to explore the transferability of this indicator framework to other settings

Qualitative study exploring the well-being experiences of paediatric critical care consultants working in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic

Objectives: The aim of this study was to examine the well-being experiences of consultants working in paediatric critical care (PCC) settings in the UK during the COVID-19 pandemic. Design: Qualitative design using individual interviews and thematic analysis. Setting: PCC. Participants: Eleven medical consultants working in PCC in a range of PCC settings/transport teams in the UK from nine units participated. Participants ranged in years of experience as a consultant from four to 23 years. Methods: A set of open semistructured questions were used to elicit information about participants’ experiences of workplace well-being. Interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed. Findings: Thematic analysis identified six themes and data saturation was reached. These were as follows: (1) positive and negative impact of working during COVID-19, (2) job satisfaction and public scrutiny in the unique environment of PCC, (3) supporting the workforce through modified shift work, (4) perceptions of support and recognition offered from the hospital management, (5) successful coping strategies are personal and adaptive, and (6) importance of civility and good teamwork Conclusion: Findings show that consultants’ well-being is challenged in a number of ways and that the solutions to the problem of burn-out are multifaceted. Action is required from individual consultants, clinical teams, hospital management and national regulatory bodies. Our work corroborates the recent General Medical Council report highlighting doctors’ core needs for well-being: autonomy, belonging, competence. Burn-out is a long-term problem, requiring sustainable solutions. Future research needs to develop and evaluate the effectiveness of evidence-based interventions to improve consultants’ well-being. Trials of effectiveness need to present evidence that will persuade hospital management to invest in their consultants’ well-being within the economic context of reduced budgets and limited PCC workforce

How the COVID ‐19 crisis affected the well‐being of nurses working in paediatric critical care::A qualitative study

Objectives Evidence shows paediatric critical care (PCC) nurses display high rates of burnout, moral distress, symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and poor well-being. The COVID-19 pandemic magnified these pressures producing extremely challenging working conditions. The objective was to understand PCC nurses' lived experience of working during COVID-19 to determine the impact it had on their well-being. Design A qualitative design was used with individual, semi-structured online interviews analysed using thematic analysis. Results Ten nurses from six PCC units in England participated. Five themes were generated: (i) Challenges of working in Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), (ii) Adapting to redeployment to adult intensive care, (iii) Changes to staff working relationships, (iv) Being unable to attain work-life balance and (v) Unprocessed traumatic experiences of working in COVID-19. It was clear COVID-19 presented novel challenges to PCC nurses' well-being. With those came enforced changes in practice; some were temporary, for example use of PPE and redeployment, but others provided insight into the prerequisites for good staff well-being, for example strong professional relationships, work–life balance and managing one's psychological health. Conclusions Findings show authentic connections between peers, verbal and non-verbal communication and a sense of belonging were crucial to nurses' well-being. A dent in PCC nurses' perceived competence significantly affected their well-being. Finally, staff need a psychologically safe space to process distress and trauma experienced during COVID-19. Future research needs to test evidence-based, theoretically-informed well-being interventions to improve and maintain PCC nurses' well-being

Managing well-being in paediatric critical care: a multiperspective qualitative study of nurses’ and allied health professionals’ experiences

Objectives It is well evidenced that healthcare professionals working in paediatric critical care experience high levels of burn-out, compassion fatigue and moral distress. This worsened during the COVID-19 pandemic. This work examines the nature of challenges to workplace well-being and explores what well-being means to staff. This evidence will inform the development of staff interventions to improve and maintain staff well-being. Design Qualitative study. Setting Paediatric critical care units in the UK. Participants 30 nurses and allied health professionals took part in online interviews and were asked about well-being and challenges to well-being. Lived experiences of well-being were analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis. Results Themes generated were as follows: perception of self and identity; relationships and team morale; importance of control and balance and consequences of COVID-19. They focused on the impact of poor well-being on participants' sense of self; the significance of how or whether they feel able to relate well with their team and senior colleagues; the challenges associated with switching off, feeling unable to separate work from home life and the idealised goal of being able to do just that; and lessons learnt from working through the pandemic, in particular associated with redeployment to adult intensive care. Conclusions Our findings align closely with the self-determination theory which stipulates autonomy, belonging and competence are required for well-being. Participants' accounts supported existing literature demonstrating the importance of empowering individuals to become self-aware, to be skilled in self-reflection and to be proactive in managing one's own well-being. Change at the individual and staff group level may be possible with relatively low-intensity intervention, but significant change requires systemic shifts towards the genuine prioritisation of staff well-being as a prerequisite for high-quality patient care

Understanding what wellbeing means to medical and nursing staff working in paediatric intensive care:an exploratory qualitative study using appreciative inquiry

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES: To explore what wellbeing means to medical and nursing staff working in a large paediatric intensive care (PIC). DESIGN: Exploratory qualitative design using an appreciative inquiry framework. SETTING: PIC unit; primary, secondary and tertiary. PARTICIPANTS: 46 nurses and doctors working on PIC. INTERVENTIONS: A set of images were used together with open-ended questions to prompt staff to discuss what wellbeing means to them. Interviews were audiorecorded and transcribed. Data were analysed thematically. RESULTS: Images depicting nature, children and groups of adults were selected most. Meanings of wellbeing for PIC staff can be understood through three themes: (1) Being nurtured and supported at work, (2) Importance of nature and (3) Social support independent of work. The first theme considered the importance of being listened to at work as well as staff highlighting the value of being in control at work. Within the second theme, being active in nature and outdoors as well as the importance of being in the present moment was illustrated. Within the final theme, staff expressed the value of having support independent of work and highlighted the importance of spending time with family. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a unique insight into how individuals working in PIC experience wellbeing and what wellbeing means to them. Understanding how healthcare professionals in PIC settings experience wellbeing and what wellbeing means to them will enable researchers to develop interventions designed to enhance staff wellbeing based on lived experience

Reservist families and their understanding of military welfare support as a (non)military family

Introduction: Many nations rely on volunteer reservists willing to train in their spare time and deploy on military operations. This willingness is influenced by familial support. The authors sought to better understand the expectations of, and experiences with, welfare support to UK reservist families for routine training and deployment. Methods: A bespoke survey for family members of reservists was constructed to investigate awareness, use, and experience of both routine and deployment-related welfare support; 140 family members participated. In addition, 33 semi-structured interviews were conducted and deductively coded. Most participants in the survey and interviews were spouses and parents of part-time reservists. Results: The survey and interviews reported low awareness and use of available family welfare services. Most participants did not know how to access support, even during deployment, and had inconsistent local experiences of welfare support. There was a desire for more welfare information and personal contact with unit welfare staff. The key role of the reservist as a barrier or facilitator of information was highlighted. Discussion: Most families of reservists do not identify as military families, have low awareness of family support and welfare, and do not require routine access to support. This contributes to an under-used family welfare and support system that also suffers from localized unit variation. More access to information online, more contact with better trained welfare staff, and increased reservist awareness of welfare and support should reduce inconsistencies and improve family satisfaction and reservist retention