Theory and practice in the induction of five graduate nurses : a reflexive critique : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Education at Massey University

This thesis investigates the induction of comprehensive nurses into a professional culture during their polytechnic nursing education and first year of hospital practice. It combines a critical theory approach with case study method. The ways in which social forces constrain individual and professional action are demonstrated through a critical reflexive analysis of the perceptions of five recently graduated comprehensive nurses. Each graduate was interviewed at regular intervals over a three month period. It is argued that previous studies of professional socialisation of nurses conducted within both empirico-analytic and interpretive epistemologies, have tended to objectify the day-to-day actions that students and new graduates take. While providing descriptions of the socialisation process, previous studies have not explored the reflexivity of understanding and action as well as the structural constraints of nursing education and practice. In this thesis critical social theory provides a framework in which to reveal, through empirical research, the constraining conditions of actions, and, through interpretive forms of enquiry, human perception and understanding. The reflections of the five participants in this study reveal that there are similar structural constraints in education as in hospital based nursing practice. There is, in effect, a continuity of structural constraints and this is contrasted with a disjunction between knowledge and beliefs gained through education and those apparently required in nursing practice. The graduates' perceptions are discussed and interpreted in terms of both the intended and the unintended learning states engendered by their actual experiences in the polytechnic and hospital settings. It is suggested that, at present, nursing education and practice are shaped by forms of technical control which arise from the dominant ideologies already embedded in the education and health care structures. In particular, nursing curricula are dominated by the technical linear paradigm of curri­culum design which contributes to a distorted separation of theory and practice and which obscures the process of reproduction of professional culture. It is argued that a more socially critical approach to the design of nursing curricula might begin to transform some of the structures which presently inhibit and constrain the professional choices and actions of student and graduate nurses

Developing mathematical concepts in Australian pre-school settings : the background

The SIMERR project Mathematical Thinking of Pre-school Children in Rural and Regional Australia: Research and Practice included a review of relevant research literature with the aim of making this accessible to researchers as well as early childhood teachers and educators. This paper introduces the methods used in the project and provides a brief summary of the literature pertaining to the development of mathematical concepts

The Efficiency of the Supply of Public Education

The question of whether governments spend too much or too little has been a frequent subject of debate, but has been infrequently analyzed.This paper proposes and then applies a methodology which checks to see whether the "Samuelson condition" for the efficient provision of local public education is satisfied, i.e. whether the sum over the school district of individual marginal rates of substitution between public education and a private numeraire equals the marqinal rate of technical substitution between these two qoods. The econometric methodology uses a micro-based approach to the estimation of marginal rate of substitution functions which accounts for possible biases associated with the selection of school districts by individual households.

Baton Rouge Collective Healing Initiative: Final Report

In response to recent and historic traumatic events that caused distrust and strained relationships between law enforcement and their communities, the U. S. Department of Justice, Office of Victims of Crime (OVC), selected five demonstration sites to invest in restorative and healing activities to repair community-police relationships. The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) worked closely with the sites over the three-year grant period to improve relations through evidence-based interventions, technical assistance, and peer learning. The program, Law Enforcement and the Communities They Serve: Supporting Collective Healing in the Wake of Harm began in the selected cities, which included 1) Baton Rouge, Louisiana; 2) Houston, Texas; 3) Minneapolis, Minnesota; 4) Oakland, California; and 5) Rapid City, South Dakota. The purpose of Collective Healing was to foster meaningful dialogue and reconciliation among law enforcement agencies and the communities of color they serve, to increase the capacity of victim services programs, and to address officer health and wellness. Collective Healing programs were led by police departments and supported by victim assistance programs, behavioral health agencies, grassroots organizations, and academic partners. IACP provided technical assistance and training and conducted site visits to monitor accountability and effectiveness. The Baton Rouge Collective Healing Initiative was conducted from October 1, 2017, through September 30, 2020. The Baton Rouge Police Department (BRPD) served as the lead and fiscal agent for the project. BRPD hired a program manager to coordinate the partnership and complete grant activities. The original core members of the Baton Rouge Collective Healing Initiative included community partners who were vested in improving community-police relationships. The core partners included 100 Black Men of Metro Baton Rouge, the Baton Rouge Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Capital Area Human Services, LSU Social Research and Evaluation Center, and the Southern University, Center for Social Research

Sexual Parameters in Doctor-Patient Relationship

A survey to determine the attitudes and practices of physicians regarding touching (erotically and nonerotically) their patients was conducted with 164 female physicians. The results were compared with a previous study (from the University of California, Los Angeles) of male physicians. As compared with the UCLA sample of male physicians, more female physicians believe in and engage in nonerotic touching; but fewer female physicians believe in and engage in erotic touching. None of the female physicians reported sexual intercourse with their patients as compared with 33 or 11% of the UCLA sample of male physicians

Communicating with Patients and Their Families About Palliative and End-of-Life Care: Comfort and Educational Needs of Nurses

Introduction: Effectively discussing palliative care with patients and families requires knowledge and skill. The purpose of this study was to determine perceived needs of inpatient nurses for communicating with patients and families about palliative and end-of-life (EoL) care. Method: A non-experimental design was used. In total, 60 inpatient nurses from one hospital in Idaho completed the End of Life Professional Caregiver Survey (EPCS), which examines three domains: patient and family-centered communication, cultural and ethical values, and effective care delivery. Results: The number of years’ experience nurses had (F(9,131.57)=2.22, p=0.0246; Wilk\u27s ^=0.709) and the unit they worked on (F(6,110)=2.49, p=0.0269; Wilk\u27s ^=0.775) had a significant effect on their comfort discussing EoL and palliative care with patients and their families. For all three domains, years of nursing experience was positively associated with comfort in communicating about EoL care. Oncology nurses were most comfortable with regard to patient and family-centered communication. Discussion: The success and sustainability of this service is dependent on education for health-care providers. Studies are needed to determine the most effective ways to meet this educational challenge

Evidence-Based Practice Confidence and Behavior Throughout the Curriculum of Four Physical Therapy Education Programs: A Longitudinal Study

Background Evidence-based practice (EBP) is a foundational process taught in health professional education, yet it is unclear when EBP confidence and skills are obtained. Increases in EBP confidence and behaviors from the start of physical therapy programs to post graduation have been reported in studies that evaluated a single program or used non-valid questionnaires. This study aimed to describe changes in EBP confidence and behavior using validated questionnaires of students from four physical therapy education programs throughout their curriculum and one year post graduation. Methods One hundred and eighty-one students from a potential pool of 269 (67.3%) consented to participate. Students completed the Evidence-Based Practice Confidence (EPIC) Scale and the Evidence-Based Practice Implementation Scale (EBPIS) at 6 timepoints: start of the program, prior to first clinical experience, after first clinical experience, at the end of classroom instruction, graduation, and one year post. Medians (Mdn) and 25th and 75th percentiles (P25, P75) were calculated for 42 (23.2%) students with complete data across all timepoints. Change between timepoints was assessed using Friedman’s test and Wilcoxon signed rank test with a Bonferroni correction for post hoc analysis. Results There were significant changes in EPIC scores (p \u3c 0.001) from enrollment (Mdn 50.0, P25, P75 35.5, 65.9) to prior to first clinical experience (Mdn 65.5, P25, P75 57.3, 72.5) and after the first clinical experience (Mdn 67.3, P25, P75, 58.9, 73.2) to the end of classroom instruction (Mdn 78.6, P25, P75, 72.0, 84.1). Significant increases on the EBPIS (p \u3c 0.01) were only seen from after the first year of training (Mdn 15, P25, P75, 10.0, 22.5) to end of the first clinical experience (Mdn 21.5, P25, P75 12.0, 32.0). Conclusions EBP confidence increased significantly after classroom instruction but remained the same after clinical experiences and at one year post graduation. EBP behavior significantly increased only after the first clinical experience and remained the same through graduation. Confidence and behavior scores were higher than were previously reported in practicing professionals. Ongoing assessment of EBP confidence and behavior may help instructors build appropriate curricula to achieve their outlined EBP objectives

An in vitro versus in vivo toxicogenomics investigation of prenatal exposures to tobacco smoke

Approximately 1 million women smoke during pregnancy despite evidence demonstrating serious juvenile and/or adult diseases being linked to early-life exposure to cigarette smoke. Susceptibility could be determined by factors in previous generations, i.e. pre-natal or ‘maternal’ exposures to toxins. Pre-natal exposure to airborne pollutants such as mainstream cigarette smoke has been shown to induce early-life insults (i.e. gene changes) in Offspring that serve as biomarkers for disease later in life. In this investigation, we have evaluated genome-wide changes in the lungs of mouse Dams and their juvenile Offspring exposed pre-natally to mainstream cigarette smoke. An additional lung model was tested alongside the murine model, as a means to find an alternative in vitro, human tissue-based replacement for the use of animals in medical research. Our toxicogenomic and bioinformatic results indicated that in utero exposure altered the genetic patterns of the foetus that could put them at greater risk for developing a range of chronic illnesses in later-life. The genes altered in the in vitro, cell culture model were reflected in the murine model of pre-natal exposure to MCS. The use of alternative in vitro models derived from human medical waste tissues could be viable options to achieve human end-point data and to conduct research that meets the remits for scientists to undertake the 3Rs practises

Structural and Financial Characteristics of U.S. Farms: 2001 Family Farm Report

Family farms vary widely in size and other characteristics, ranging from very small retirement and residential farms to establishments with sales in the millions of dollars. The farm typology developed by the Economic Research Service (ERS) categorizes farms into groups based primarily on occupation of the operator and sales class of the farm. The typology groups reflect operators' expectations from farming, position in the life cycle, and dependence on agriculture. The groups differ in their importance to the farm sector, product specialization, program participation, and dependence on farm income. These (and other) differences are discussed in this report.Agricultural Resource Management Study (ARMS), family farms, farm businesses, farm financial situation, farm operator household income, farm operators, farm structure, farm typology, female farm operators, government payments, spouses of farm operators, taxes, Agricultural Finance, Farm Management,