Adjuncts in the Academy: Ethical Issues

An article discussing ethical issues relating to employing adjunct instructors

Employee Engagement in a Cardiac Catherization Lab

Employee Engagement in a Cardiac Catheterization Lab by Rhonda J. Smith Project Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Nursing Practice Walden University February 2016 This study adds to the existing body of knowledge on employee engagement and workplace climate in the catheter laboratory setting. The study goals were to discover the current state of workplace satisfaction and then to share the results with the staff to determine what to improve and how to guide them through the Lean process. This study was guided by Kanter\u27s structural empowerment theory, which holds that structural factors inside the workplace have a greater impact on employee work feelings and behaviors than do the employees\u27 own personal tendencies. It was also guided by the Lean model, which aims to transform an organization\u27s culture via a customer-focused method to constantly produce improvement opportunities, remove waste, and create value. This project utilized a descriptive research design. The catheter laboratory staff were e-mailed a link to complete a staff engagement and workplace climate survey. The survey was based off of a prior staff satisfaction survey used by the organization for consistency, but was not validated in the process. This survey provided a means to establish employee attitudes on several aspects analyzed by a 7 point-Likert scale. Of the 19 staff members who received the survey, 11 completed it, yielding a 60% response rate. Overall, the staff indicated that they were satisfied with their job and enjoyed working in their department. The findings from this survey were shared with the catheter laboratory staff and they chose to work on improving teamwork with departments outside of cardiology. The results of this study reinforce existing literature that demonstrates that employees who are engaged in the workplace are happier and more productive. The concept of staff engagement has been linked to higher quality patient outcomes, greater financial viability, increased productivity, and higher employee satisfaction

Child Welfare Workers’ Perceptions of the Influence of the Organizational Environment on Permanency Decisions for Families

The findings of this study suggest that while child welfare workers are consistently distracted by competing priorities from unexpected events, most are committed, and to understand perspectives is more inclusive and may improve retention rates. Notably, while it is recognized that permanency decisions are not made in an intellectual, legal or clinical vacuum and certain traditional aspects of the bureaucratic structure do not impact decision making, this study advances the body of knowledge on child welfare decision making. Examined in this study are child welfare case workers’ perceptions of the extent to which the organizational environment influences the permanency decisions they make to reunify or terminate parental rights of children placed out-of-home. This study includes a sample of 95 child welfare social workers employed in three public child welfare agencies in the Baltimore and Washington, DC metropolitan area. It used a cross-sectional research design, employing a survey instrument to examine bureaucratic distraction, role conflict, and supervisory adequacy as contextual factors in the organizational environment\u27s influence on permanency outcome decisions. Implications are made for child welfare policy, practice, and research

Why Can\u27t a Woman Be More Like a Man? American and Australian Approaches to Exclusionary Conduct

Much of antitrust law (in the U.S.) or trade practices law (in Australia) is about “exclusionary conduct,” things that large firms do to acquire an even larger share of the market or to preserve their large market share from being eroded by smaller rivals or new entrants. In the U.S., the main vehicle for policing inappropriate exclusionary conduct by large firms against smaller competitors is Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which prohibits monopolization or attempted monopolization. In Australia, the main vehicle is Section 46 which, generally speaking, prohibits the misuse of market power. The main purpose of this paper is to discuss, in broad terms, how Section 2 deals with exclusionary conduct and to compare that with the Section 46 approach. Those who are dissatisfied with the outcome of certain individual cases in Australia, or those interested in reform generally, are occasionally heard to muse about whether Section 46 should be “fixed” in some way, and one possible way that is sometimes discussed is to make it resemble Section 2 more closely. One of the issues that this paper will explore is whether there are deficiencies in the Section 46 approach that can (and should) be “cured” by making it more closely resemble Section 2

Why Can\u27t a Woman Be More Like a Man? American and Australian Approaches to Exclusionary Conduct

Much of antitrust law (in the U.S.) or trade practices law (in Australia) is about “exclusionary conduct,” things that large firms do to acquire an even larger share of the market or to preserve their large market share from being eroded by smaller rivals or new entrants. In the U.S., the main vehicle for policing inappropriate exclusionary conduct by large firms against smaller competitors is Section 2 of the Sherman Act, which prohibits monopolization or attempted monopolization. In Australia, the main vehicle is Section 46 which, generally speaking, prohibits the misuse of market power. The main purpose of this paper is to discuss, in broad terms, how Section 2 deals with exclusionary conduct and to compare that with the Section 46 approach. Those who are dissatisfied with the outcome of certain individual cases in Australia, or those interested in reform generally, are occasionally heard to muse about whether Section 46 should be “fixed” in some way, and one possible way that is sometimes discussed is to make it resemble Section 2 more closely. One of the issues that this paper will explore is whether there are deficiencies in the Section 46 approach that can (and should) be “cured” by making it more closely resemble Section 2

Investigating Raptor Migration Behavior Using Orientation Cages and Wing Measurements: A Comparison of the Flammulated Owl and Northern Saw-whet Owl in Southwestern Idaho

Flammulated Owls (Otus flammeolus) are long-distance migrants, while Northern Saw-whet Owls (Aegolius acadicus) exhibit more variable migration tendencies. I investigated the migratory behavior of these species using orientation cages and tested hypotheses concerning (1) the presence of migratory restlessness and orientation, (2) inter-specific differences in migratory restlessness and orientation, and (3) correlates of migratory restlessness and orientation. Only four of 16 Flammulated Owls displayed activity consistent with migratory restlessness although all four owls exhibited significant directionality in their movements. Alternatively, 59 of 97 Northern Saw-whet Owls exhibited activity consistent with migratory restlessness with most of these 59 owls showing preferred directions of orientation. Neither species oriented consistently as a group and, contrary to expectation, Northern Saw-whet Owls exhibited more restlessness in orientation cages. The relative lack of migratory restlessness in Flammulated Owls might be a function of small sample sizes or simply this particular species’ reaction to an unfamiliar situation. In Flammulated Owls, migratory restlessness increased with decreasing natural cloud cover, and was more pronounced in birds with larger flight muscles. Contrary to predictions, Flammulated Owls also showed a marginal increase in restlessness in response to decreasing furcular fat stores which could be a function of small samples sizes. Restlessness in Flammulated Owls did not vary with wind speed, moon disk illumination, nor did restlessness change throughout the migration season. Northern Saw-whet Owls tested under a bright moon (\u3e66% moon disk illuminated) oriented consistently to the northeast, but exhibited variable orientation when the moon was \u3c66% illuminated. These results suggest that, in the presence of a bright moon, owls may chose to seek cover in forested habitat rather than migrate over open areas. Restlessness and orientation in Northern Saw-whet Owls did not relate to age or body condition, wind speed or direction, or simulated or natural cloud cover, nor did orientation vary throughout the migration season. However, under the influence of 100% simulated cloud cover, Northern Saw-whet Owls demonstrated significantly lower migratory restlessness compared with simulated partial cloud cover and clear skies. Furthermore, Northern Saw-whet Owls tested late in the night (2 h before sunrise) showed more restlessness than birds tested earlier in the night and immature saw-whets were more active than adults