Developing recruitment and retention processes for nursing programmes in higher education

The ability in Higher Education to attract competent student nurses and midwives and ensure they complete and pass their degree programme are constrained by the decrease in contracted numbers and the value for money pressures of the health commissioners. The nursing and midwifery contract is currently worth around £14 million annually to Middlesex University. As the current Head of Recruitment, my professional role is focused on ensuring I meet agreed institutional targets and recruit high calibre students who will successfully stay and graduate. My Research Project Report explores and identifies both the levels of attrition from the nursing programme as well as the reasons for interruption and non-continuation. My findings are considered along with the identification of structures, relations and good practices of support that enables students to remain and progress. The recommendations from this project will impact on the delivery of a package of bespoke bridging activities to assist the transfer of students to their chosen nursing programme at this university. The findings will also inform and shape the support provided during the crucial first year. Deploying a mixed methods approach, this Research Project Report shows how students from FE college and schools may be better prepared for both application processes and their study on nursing programmes by the use of a package of interactive and informative activities. This earlier and more targeted preparation as well as increased support during year one, will assist the students with their socialisation to both the university and the nursing profession

Gas turbine engine with convertible accessories

Drive means for connecting a gas turbine engine to its accessories are so constructed as to allow the accessories to be selectively positioned to any one of several predetermined circumferential positions about the perimeter of the engine. This feature permits convenient mounting of the same engine upon vehicles demanding radically different engine mounting arrangements

Environmental determinants of landmine detection by dogs: Findings from a large-scale study in Afghanistan

This article’s purpose is to examine the strengths and weaknesses of mine-detection dogs in different environments. The experiments employed a total of 39 dogs in Afghanistan between October 2002 and July 2003. The results are discussed here

Optimising the Use of REST for Mine Detection

Remote Explosive Scent Tracing (REST) is a detection technology involving the transfer of odours to an animal detector using filters. Like Remote Scent Tracing (RST), the technology could potentially be used to detect anything that has an odour. REST technology was used originally by Mechem in Mozambique and Angola in the early 1990s. Despite the potential it demonstrated at that time, it received little attention or investment through the late 1990s until a revival of interest occurred in recent years. Currently, it is being used operationally for mine detection in Afghanistan and is likely to be implemented for road clearance in Sudan and Angola by the end of 2004. It is also used operationally for explosives detection at several airports in Europe

Integrated gas turbine engine-nacelle

A nacelle for use with a gas turbine engine is presented. An integral webbed structure resembling a spoked wheel for rigidly interconnecting the nacelle and engine, provides lightweight support. The inner surface of the nacelle defines the outer limits of the engine motive fluid flow annulus while the outer surface of the nacelle defines a streamlined envelope for the engine

Integrated gas turbine engine-nacelle

A nacelle for use with a gas turbine engine is provided with an integral webbed structure resembling a spoked wheel for rigidly interconnecting the nacelle and engine. The nacelle is entirely supported in its spacial relationship with the engine by means of the webbed structure. The inner surface of the nacelle defines the outer limits of the engine motive fluid flow annulus, while the outer surface of the nacelle defines a streamlined envelope for the engine

The Effect of Reinforcement Rate Variations on Hits and False Alarms in Remote Explosive Scent Tracing with Dogs

Detection animals offer untapped potential in terms of locating landmines and explosive ordnance in the field and in the laboratory. In this study, the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining investigated the effect of low, medium, and high levels of reward on the performance of six dogs searching filters for explosive odor

The Role of Research in Mine Action: A Response to Gasser

Some years ago, a businessman came to me and said that he would like to start commercially farming lobsters, something that had not been attempted at the time. His key question was, “How long will the development research take?” “I would think two to four years before a scaling-up exercise to make it commercially viable,” I answered. Looking genuinely surprised he replied, “Really! I was thinking it should take about two weeks.” This anecdote portrays a problem that emerges in almost every area of human enterprise. Those-who-do want and need to do right now. Those-who-create need time to design, build, and prove their creation

Conceptual design study of advanced acoustic-composite nacelles

Conceptual studies were conducted to assess the impact of incorporating advanced technologies in the nacelles of a current wide-bodied transport and an advanced technology transport. The improvement possible in the areas of fuel consumption, flyover noise levels, airplane weight, manufacturing costs, and airplane operating cost were evaluated for short and long-duct nacelles. Use of composite structures for acoustic duct linings in the fan inlet and exhaust ducts was considered as well as for other nacelle components. For the wide-bodied transport, the use of a long-duct nacelle with an internal mixer nozzle in the primary exhaust showed significant improvement in installed specific fuel consumption and airplane direct operating costs compared to the current short-duct nacelle. The long-duct mixed-flow nacelle is expected to achieve significant reductions in jet noise during takeoff and in turbo-machinery noise during landing approach. Recommendations were made of the technology development needed to achieve the potential fuel conservation and noise reduction benefits

Global Environmental Demining Issues

The environmental impact of any human action cannot be underestimated—even humanitarian demining—given the global repercussions in this era of explosive growth. The authors discuss the consequences of thoughtless action and provide valuable context concerning the vast extent to which human beings impact the environment