Strengthening group decision making within shared governance: a case study

Shared governance is an approach to empowering nurses and other health care workers to have authority for decisions concerning their practice. Commonly, visible definers of shared governance are groups of workers known as ‘councils’ whose membership works collectively to realise a shared goal. The literature is replete with rhetoric as to the benefits of shared governance yet the evidence base concerning shared governance and especially decision-making within shared governance is scant. This paper presents a case study of group decision-making within a UK shared governance council model. The evidence which informs the case study is drawn from a doctoral action-research study to strengthen decision-making within the model. Eight key factors affecting decision-making and four supportive conditions are presented and incorporated into a conceptual model. Within the case study, presence of these factors was found to be necessary but not sufficient to enhance decision-making. Factors included having a clear issue, clear aim, fitting issue, manageable issue, size, lead person allocated, level of authority, background information, key informant/s, a mechanism for evaluation, adequately skilled members, support/guidance and sufficient/appropriate membership. Aspects of group decision-making processes are highlighted and compared with established management, shared governance and group dynamics theory

Evaluation of Salford Carers' Development Service (SCDS)

“A carer spends a significant proportion of their life providing unpaid support to family or potentially friends. This could be caring for a relative, partner or friend who is ill, frail, disabled or has mental health or substance misuse problems.” (Department of Health 2008) Between July 2007 and July 2009, a Carers’ Support Service operated within one area of Salford City (Charlestown and Lower Kersal). This original service was the pre-cursor to a different service known as the Salford Carers’ Development Service (SCDS). The SCDS was set up to meet carers’ support needs in other areas of the City from August 2009 using the learning from this original service. The SCDS comprised staff who had provided the Charlestown and Lower Kersal service and its senior management remained the same. The plan for the SCDS was that it would focus on three other areas of the City consecutively, with each one receiving dedicated SCDS input for a year-long period.In spring 2010, the SCDS manager (Chief Executive of Unlimited Potential – a social enterprise in the form of a community benefit society) negotiated an evaluation study to be undertaken by researchers from the University of Salford’s School of Nursing and Midwifery. Groundwork for the evaluation took place over the summer of 2010, with data collection commencing in October 2010 and completing in February 2011. This report shares the findings from this project which is an example of public engagement activity

SERVING CURRENT AND EMERGING BUSINESS STRATEGIES: PORT OF HOUSTON

Agribusiness,

Fossil trees, tree moulds and tree casts in the Palaeocene Mull Lava Field, NW Scotland: context, formation and implications for lava emplacement

Megafossils and macrofossils of terrestrial plants (trees, leaves, fruiting bodies, etc.) are found in sedimentary and pyroclastic units interbedded with lavas in many ancient lava fields worldwide, attesting to subaerial environments of eruption and the establishment of viable plant communities during periods of volcanic quiescence. Preservation within lava is relatively rare and generally confined to the more robust woody tissues of trees, which are then revealed in the form of charcoal, mineralised tissue or as trace fossil moulds (tree moulds) and casts of igneous rock (tree casts, s.s.). In this contribution, we document several such fossil trees (s.l.), and the lavas with which they are associated, from the Palaeocene Mull Lava Field (MLF) on the Isle of Mull, NW Scotland. We present the first detailed geological account of a unique site within the Mull Plateau Lava Formation (MPLF) at Quinish in the north of the island and provide an appraisal of the famous upright fossil tree – MacCulloch's Tree – remotely located on the Ardmeanach Peninsula on the west coast of the island, and another large upright tree (the Carsaig Tree) near Malcolm's Point in the district of Brolass, SW Mull; both occurring within the earlier Staffa Lava Formation (SLF). The taphonomy of these megafossils, along with palynological and lithofacies assessments of associated strata, allows speculation of likely taxonomic affinity and the duration of hiatuses supporting the establishment of forest/woodland communities. The Ardmeanach and Carsaig specimens, because of their size and preservation as upright (? in situ) casts enveloped by spectacularly columnar-jointed basaltic lava, appear to be unique. The aspect of these trees, the thickness of the enveloping lavas and the arrangement of cooling joints adjacent to the trees, implies rapid emplacement, ponding and slow, static cooling of voluminous and highly fluid basaltic magma. The specimens from Quinish include two prostrate casts and several prostrate moulds that collectively have a preferred orientation, aligning approximately perpendicular to that of the regional Mull Dyke Swarm, the putative fissure source of the lavas, suggesting local palaeo-flow was directed towards the WSW. The Quinish Lava is an excellent example of a classic pāhoehoe (compound-braided) type, preserving some of the best examples of surface and internal features so far noted from the Hebridean Igneous Province (HIP) lava fields. These Mull megafossils are some of the oldest recorded examples, remarkably well preserved, and form a significant feature of the island's geotourism industry

Multi-excitons in self-assembled InAs/GaAs quantum dots: A pseudopotential, many-body approach

We use a many-body, atomistic empirical pseudopotential approach to predict the multi-exciton emission spectrum of a lens shaped InAs/GaAs self-assembled quantum dot. We discuss the effects of (i) The direct Coulomb energies, including the differences of electron and hole wavefunctions, (ii) the exchange Coulomb energies and (iii) correlation energies given by a configuration interaction calculation. Emission from the groundstate of the $N$ exciton system to the $N-1$ exciton system involving $e_0\to h_0$ and $e_1\to h_1$ recombinations are discussed. A comparison with a simpler single-band, effective mass approach is presented

Older people's experiences of changed medication appearance : a survey

This report details a survey of older people's experiences of changed medication appearance. The aims of the study were: • To develop a questionnaire in partnership with older people to survey older people’s views on fluctuating medication appearance • To elicit older people’s experiences of medication that changed appearance due to ‘generic prescribing’ and ‘parallel import’ practices and its impact on their medication taking practices. These common pharmacy practices mean that the same tablet medication can be issued to older people in different colours, sizes and shapes to their previous prescriptions. Older people from a local User/Carer Forum highlighted these problems to the research team and asked that we investigate to explore the extent of the problem. An eight-item questionnaire was developed and distributed to 2000 older people (50 years+) across participating PCTs in Greater Manchester in 2008. A 29% response rate was achieved. The data was analysed using the SPSS statistical package. Findings include: •63.3% experienced a change in the appearance of their tablet medications. •74.1% did not seek advice regarding the change in the appearance of their tablet medications. •Older people noted changes to the actual tablets, tablet packaging and written information that accompanies tablets. Changes are occurring to the colour, size and shape of tablets more than changes to packaging and written information. The majority of respondents had experienced changes in the appearance of their prescribed tablet medication in the previous two years which were not due to change in medication or dose etc. Worryingly, for some respondents, these changes prompted negative experiences such as anxiety, confusion and upset. Of particular concern was that a small number omitted the affected tablet medications and did not seek help or advice from GPs, pharmacists or relatives. Six older people have been study advisors from inception to dissemination of this study and significantly added to its quality. The study demonstrates substantive public engagement / user involvement in research. The findings suggest nurses and others have a role to play in promoting better medicines management and identifying those most at risk from changed appearance of medications

TEACHING, RESEARCH, AND EXTENSION PROGRAMS AT PREDOMINANTLY BLACK LAND-GRANT INSTITUTIONS

Teaching/Communication/Extension/Profession,

Missed opportunities: Module design to meet the learning and access needs of practitioners - A work based learning pilot in the rehabilitation setting

It is with great pleasure that this report is presented as a result of an exciting project that truly exemplified partnership working. For a Higher Education Institution to come together with an NHS organisation to negotiate and tailor an education initiative in direct response to the needs of both the organisation and its staff is a very positive direction of travel. The project has been possible through the enthusiasm and commitment of its partners, their contribution of resources including time and funding, and the support of others who have played a part in enabling it to happen. The willingness of the students taking part in the pilot module should be recognised as much of what we have learnt from the process and the evaluation of it, will more directly benefit future students rather than the participating students themselves. As with any pilot, there are risks and where challenges have not been foreseen they have been addressed along the way, flexibly and promptly. Whilst a relatively small project, it has generated much interest from others interested in work based learning approaches and potential students from across the health care professions wanting to take part in future courses. On behalf of the Project Team, I hope you find the report useful and encourage you to make contact if you require further information, wish to explore work based learning opportunities (uni-discipline or multi-professional) here at the University or would like to discuss research or evaluation