Sickness absence culture: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT Background: Several studies have reported significant variations in sickness absence rates between comparable cohorts of employees, which by some authors have been attributed to sickness absence cultures. A sickness absence culture represents the shared absence-related norms and behaviors within a workgroup. Even when controlling for factors associated with sickness absence, there are still unexplained variations. To our knowledge, there are no systematic reviews on the concept of sickness absence culture. We conducted a scoping review to identify and map existing knowledge on sickness absence culture. We also investigated what methods and designs were used. Methods: We searched the following electronic databases for studies on sickness absence culture and related phenomena: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Clarivate Web of Science, and Bielefeld Academic Search Engine. Both abstract and full-text screening was conducted by two independent reviewers. Data extraction was conducted jointly by the two reviewers. The final stage of the review included a narrative synthesis. The review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. Results: The final review consisted of 29 studies. In terms of design, the majority of included studies were categorized as observational quantitative. Ten of the included studies attempted to measure sickness absence culture directly with survey questions. None of these studies utilized the same scales for assessing sickness absence culture, which indicates a lack of standardized measurement for sickness absence culture. Eight of the included studies suggested sickness absence culture as an explanation for observed variations in sickness absence rates, without having measured sickness absence culture directly. Conclusions: The concept of sickness absence culture could be a useful explanation for the observed unexplained variations in sickness absence rates. However, further research is warranted to determine the effect of sickness absence culture on sickness absence rates, and to develop standardized measures of sickness absence and sickness absence culture

Deltid - en kostbar affære : hvordan vil vi kunne bruke økonomisk analyse som bidrag til beslutninger om å øke gjennomsnittlig stillingsstørrelser i pleie- og omsorgssektoren?

In this thesis we have examined the part-time issue. Under the title: Part Time – an expensive affair. Is it possible to use economic analysis as a contribution to decisions regarding increase in employment sizes in the care sector? We have calculated the benefits of getting closer to fulltime positions and we have used economic analysis as a tool to calculate the potential saving opportunities. The basis for this calculation has been the accounting from a department of care for the elderly. We have seen that the savings are more or less linear and that it is possible to save about 30.000 NOK with each employee who quits, if other employees in the department can take over the position-percentage and the tasks from that employee. We also examined the opposing forces that are present, and which slow down the process to get more employees in larger positions, in spite of the fact that all the main stakeholders want to speed this up. The main challenge here is the desire to protect the employees’ own leisure time, especially the weekends. At the same time there are many employees who feel they have not been offered larger positions. The idea behind the study was to see if it is possible to use economic calculations to clarify a financial gain by moving more employees into larger positions - a gain which then could be used to make it more appealing to work in higher percentage positions, preferably in fulltime positions. In practice this means working extra weekends. Our survey shows that some employees in can be tempted to voluntarily work several extra weekend shifts, if they get paid extra. Our thesis shows that it is possible to use this financial gain to make it more attractive for individuals to work more weekends and thereby contribute to level the number of employees at work. But this does not solve the whole problem, and will only be one of several measures necessary to implement the employees’ increase in positions. An economic analysis will nevertheless clarify the gains that can be used to reward employees in different ways, and thus make an important contribution to achieving a broader and larger sum of measures towards a clearer full-time culture

The interaction of wood nanocellulose dressings and the wound pathogen P. aeruginosa

Chronic wounds pose an increasingly significant worldwide economic burden (over £1 billion per annum in the UK alone). With the escalation in global obesity and diabetes, chronic wounds will increasingly be a significant cause of morbidity and mortality. Cellulose nanofibrils (CNF) are highly versatile and can be tailored with specific physical properties to produce an assortment of three-dimensional structures (hydrogels, aerogels or films), for subsequent utilization as wound dressing materials. Growth curves using CNF (diameter 0.05) over 24 h. These data demonstrate the potential of nanocellulose materials in the development of novel dressings that may afford significant clinical potential

Cellulose nanofibril formulations incorporating a low molecular weight alginate oligosaccharide modify bacterial biofilm development

Cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) from wood pulp are a renewable material possessing advantages for biomedical applications, due to their customizable porosity, mechanical strength, translucency and environmental biodegradability. Here we investigated the growth of multi-species wound biofilms on CNF formulated as aerogels and films incorporating the low molecular weight alginate oligosaccharide OligoG CF-5/20 to evaluate their structural and antimicrobial properties. Overnight microbial cultures were adjusted to 2.8 x 109 colony forming units (cfu) mL-1 in Mueller Hinton broth and growth rates of P. aeruginosa PAO1 and S. aureus 1061A monitored for 24 h in CNF dispersions sterilized by γ-irradiation. Two CNF formulations were prepared (20 g m-2) with CNF as air-dried films or freeze-dried aerogels, with or without incorporation of an antimicrobial alginate oligosaccharide (OligoG CF-5/20) as a surface coating or bio-nanocomposite respectively. The materials were structurally characterized by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) and laser profilometry (LP). The antimicrobial properties of the formulations were assessed using single- and mixed-species biofilms grown on the materials and analysed using LIVE/DEAD® staining with confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and COMSTAT software. OligoG-CNF suspensions significantly decreased the growth of both bacterial strains at OligoG concentrations >2.58% (P<0.05). SEM showed that aerogel-OligoG bio-nanocomposite formulations had a more open 3-dimensional structure, while LP showed film formulations coated with OligoG were significantly smoother than untreated films or films incorporating PEG400 as a plasticizer (P<0.05). CLSM of biofilms grown on films incorporating OligoG demonstrated altered biofilm architecture, with reduced biomass and decreased cell-viability. The OligoG-CNF formulations as aerogels or films both inhibited pyocyanin production (P<0.05). These novel CNF formulations or bio-nanocomposites were able to modify bacterial growth, biofilm development and virulence factor production in vitro. These data support the potential of OligoG and CNF bio-nanocomposites for use in biomedical applications where prevention of infection or biofilm growth is required

Sykepleie- og teknologikompetanse; Hva kan de lære av hverandre?

Bakgrunn: Samfunnsendringer fører til økende eldre befolkning og mangel på helsepersonell i fremtiden. Disse utfordringene innen helsetjenesten kan teknologi bidra til å løse. Med den teknologiske utviklingen forventes det at sykepleiere har kompetanse på stadig mer avansert teknisk utstyr, og stadig flere ingeniører vil bli ansatt i helsetjenesten. Det er viktig at sykepleiekompetanse påvirker bruk av medisinsk teknisk utstyr, men det er omdiskutert i hvor stor grad sykepleiere skal bruke teknologi i sin arbeidshverdag. I denne studien spør vi følgende: Hvorfor må de som jobber med medisinsk teknologi ha sykepleiekompetanse og skal sykepleiere ha kompetanse på bruk av teknologi? Metode: I dette prosjektet ble det brukt kvalitativ metode for å finne svar på problemstillingen. Det ble gjennomført fire semistrukturerte individuelle intervju. Alle informantene var anestesi- eller operasjonssykepleiere, og jobbet dermed med medisinsk teknologi. Dataene fra intervjuene ble strukturert og analysert ved tematisering. Resultat: Informantene fortalte hvordan de brukte sin sykepleiekompetanse i sitt arbeid med medisinsk teknologi, og at denne kompetansen var av stor betydning. De la vekt på at de brukte sin kliniske kunnskap, naturvitenskapelig kunnskap, sin evne til empati og evne til å ta vare på en pasient. Det var en positiv holdning til den teknologiske utviklingen. Informantene var tydelige på at sykepleiere bør ha kompetanse på å bruke teknisk utstyr fordi det er en del av behandlingen til pasientene. De hadde også sterke meninger om å kunne det tekniske utstyret godt nok, slik at man kan fokusere på å ta vare på pasientene, som forventer at man kan det. Det ble fortalt at man har noe egenansvar for å tilegne seg den nødvendige kunnskapen. Informantene prioriterte høyt å gi nok omsorg til pasientene tross mye mulig distraherende teknologi, spesielt når man er uerfaren. De kunne nevne flere tiltak de gjorde for å sikre dette i sin arbeidshverdag. Likevel ble det nevnt at det kan være vanskelig å ta vare på pasienten i en akutt situasjon. Konklusjon: Sykepleiekompetanse må ha en innvirkning på bruk av teknologi innen helse, ifølge både informantene i denne studien og ifølge tidligere forskning. Da spesielt evnen til å se de kliniske observasjonene i sammenheng med data fra teknologi. Informantene fortalte at sykepleiere må ha kompetanse på bruk av medisinsk teknisk utstyr, hovedsakelig på bakgrunn av at det er til det beste for pasienten. Videre sa de at sykepleiere må kunne det tekniske utstyret så godt at de klarer å samtidig vise omsorg for pasienten. Informantene hadde et inntrykk av at sykepleiere klarer å ivareta pasientene på tross av store mengder teknisk utstyr

Studenters erfaring med Team basert læring

Undervisningsformen Team basert læring (TBL) er en undervisningsmetode der gruppesamarbeid og problemløsning tas med inn i forelesningssalen og skaper nye former for innlæring. Metoden brukes både i Norge og internasjonalt, og er for det meste brukt på universiteter. Studentene blir her bedt om å lese seg opp på egenhånd på forhånd, før de så når de kommer i timen blir testet, først individuelt, så i grupper, på om de har forstått det de har lest. Til slutt utvikles så kunnskapen videre ved at de sammen i grupper skal svare på case-oppgaver, og forsvare og vurdere eget svar opp mot det de andre gruppene i klassen har svart. Metoden kan ses i sammenheng med Vygotskys proksimale utviklingssone, Blooms taksonomi, dybdelæring og aktiv læring. Fokuset for denne forskningen har vært på hvordan studentene opplever å ha denne type undervisning. Hva de ser på som positivt, hva som er utfordrende og om deres oppfatninger samsvarer med de som foreleser har. For å se på dette ble det gjennomført tre gruppeintervjuer av studenter, og ett intervju av foreleser, der alle disse har testet ut TBL. Studentene ser ut til å ha en generell positiv opplevelse av TBL. De opplever det som positivt at metoden er studentaktiviserende, at de får løse eksamens- og yrkesnære oppgaver, og at de får konkurrere mot andre medstudenter om å løse oppgaver. De opplever også disse faktorene som motiverende for å forberede seg til timen, og at de dermed opprettholder lesingen også underveis i semesteret og ikke bare mot slutten i eksamenstiden. Det de opplever som negativt er i hovedsak tre ting; begrensningen av det som skal leses på forhånd, at det er mye forberedelse før økta og det at de kan oppleve det som ubehagelig å måtte svare på spørsmål de ikke er helt sikre på. Foreleser ønsker at TBL skal kunne gi studentene et økt læringsutbytte, en økt motivasjon for studiet samt at det skal være relevant for videre yrkesliv, og alle disse punktene blir bekreftet under studentintervjuene. Et annet viktig funn var at foreleser ønsker å kunne tilby en variert undervisning der studentene selv kan få velge den metoden de syns er best, dette kom tydelig frem som noe som hadde vært positivt under gruppeintervjuene da det her var mange ulike meninger på hva en god undervisningsmetode er. TBL passer bra på medisinstudiet ettersom metoden gir studentene mulighet til å vurdere ulike løsninger av problemer opp mot hverandre, og at de får se at det ikke alltid bare er en rett løsning. Avslutningsvis i oppgaven blir det vist til veien videre. Håpet er at denne studien kan vise de som vurderer å ta i bruk TBL for sine studenter, at metoden har veldig mange positive sider, spesielt for de studentene som opplever et lite læringsutbytte av de tradisjonelle forelesningene. For min egen del har arbeidet med denne studien vist mest av alt viktigheten av å tilby varierte undervisningsmetoder for egne elever, og som lærer å hele tiden være åpen for nye metoder som kan berike skolehverdagen for de i klasserommet

Deltid - en kostbar affære : hvordan vil vi kunne bruke økonomisk analyse som bidrag til beslutninger om å øke gjennomsnittlig stillingsstørrelser i pleie- og omsorgssektoren?

In this thesis we have examined the part-time issue. Under the title: Part Time – an expensive affair. Is it possible to use economic analysis as a contribution to decisions regarding increase in employment sizes in the care sector? We have calculated the benefits of getting closer to fulltime positions and we have used economic analysis as a tool to calculate the potential saving opportunities. The basis for this calculation has been the accounting from a department of care for the elderly. We have seen that the savings are more or less linear and that it is possible to save about 30.000 NOK with each employee who quits, if other employees in the department can take over the position-percentage and the tasks from that employee. We also examined the opposing forces that are present, and which slow down the process to get more employees in larger positions, in spite of the fact that all the main stakeholders want to speed this up. The main challenge here is the desire to protect the employees’ own leisure time, especially the weekends. At the same time there are many employees who feel they have not been offered larger positions. The idea behind the study was to see if it is possible to use economic calculations to clarify a financial gain by moving more employees into larger positions - a gain which then could be used to make it more appealing to work in higher percentage positions, preferably in fulltime positions. In practice this means working extra weekends. Our survey shows that some employees in can be tempted to voluntarily work several extra weekend shifts, if they get paid extra. Our thesis shows that it is possible to use this financial gain to make it more attractive for individuals to work more weekends and thereby contribute to level the number of employees at work. But this does not solve the whole problem, and will only be one of several measures necessary to implement the employees’ increase in positions. An economic analysis will nevertheless clarify the gains that can be used to reward employees in different ways, and thus make an important contribution to achieving a broader and larger sum of measures towards a clearer full-time culture

Sickness absence culture: A Scoping Review

ABSTRACT Background: Several studies have reported significant variations in sickness absence rates between comparable cohorts of employees, which by some authors have been attributed to sickness absence cultures. A sickness absence culture represents the shared absence-related norms and behaviors within a workgroup. Even when controlling for factors associated with sickness absence, there are still unexplained variations. To our knowledge, there are no systematic reviews on the concept of sickness absence culture. We conducted a scoping review to identify and map existing knowledge on sickness absence culture. We also investigated what methods and designs were used. Methods: We searched the following electronic databases for studies on sickness absence culture and related phenomena: MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Clarivate Web of Science, and Bielefeld Academic Search Engine. Both abstract and full-text screening was conducted by two independent reviewers. Data extraction was conducted jointly by the two reviewers. The final stage of the review included a narrative synthesis. The review was conducted in accordance with the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology for scoping reviews. Results: The final review consisted of 29 studies. In terms of design, the majority of included studies were categorized as observational quantitative. Ten of the included studies attempted to measure sickness absence culture directly with survey questions. None of these studies utilized the same scales for assessing sickness absence culture, which indicates a lack of standardized measurement for sickness absence culture. Eight of the included studies suggested sickness absence culture as an explanation for observed variations in sickness absence rates, without having measured sickness absence culture directly. Conclusions: The concept of sickness absence culture could be a useful explanation for the observed unexplained variations in sickness absence rates. However, further research is warranted to determine the effect of sickness absence culture on sickness absence rates, and to develop standardized measures of sickness absence and sickness absence culture