Protected therapy services for critical care: A subanalysis of the UK-wide workforce survey

Background The existing United Kingdom (UK) allied health professional (AHP) workforce in critical care does not meet national standards, with widespread variation in the source of funding, service availability, and regularity of input. Objectives The aim of this subanalysis was to determine the impact of protected services on the involvement of AHPs on direct and nondirect aspects of patient care. Methods This is a subanalysis of the previously published AHPs in critical care UK-wide workforce survey, an observational study using online surveys distributed to 245 critical care units across the UK. Results/Findings Services with protected funding provided more daily input within critical care. This was most apparent for occupational therapy where daily input varied from 82.1% of units with protected services compared to just 10.3% in those without (p < 0.001). For all professions, most notably occupational therapy and speech and language therapy, protected services increased the regularity in which specific interventions were completed and had impact on involvement in nonclinical aspects of care including involved in multidisciplinary team meetings, clinical governance, and research. Conclusions The absence of protected AHP services reduces compliance with national standards for therapy workforce. Based on these findings, UK and international critical care guidelines should promote protected AHP services for critical car

Philosophy of education in a new key: Cultivating a living philosophy of education to overcome coloniality and violence in African Universities

In this conversational article, we consider cultivating decoloniality in university education by drawing upon Jacques Ranci ere’s (2010) notion of a living philosophy. Ranci ere’s (2010) living philosophy holds the possibility of both a medium and a space for a re-thinking and a re-contemplation of what life is in relation to what it might be. Through engaging and sharing real human experiences from and within African societies and universities, we (re)imagine decoloniality as a fiction brought to life through a living philosophy of education. In this regard, we proffer eight points of departure and reflection

An information technology governance framework for the public sector

Thesis (MComm)--Stellenbosch University, 2011.ENGLISH ABSTRACT: Information technology (IT) has an impact on the accomplishments of the entity (Kaselowski, 2008:83). Traditionally, public sector entities struggle to gain any value from the IT environment and regularly overspend on IT projects. In South Africa the Third King Report on Corporate Governance (King III) introduced ‘The governance of IT’ (IODSA, 2009) applicable to both private and public sector entities. Although generic IT frameworks such as ITIL and COBIT exist and are used by private and public entities to govern the IT environment, public sector entities require a specific IT governance framework suited to the unique characteristics and business processes of the public sector entity. Taking into account the unique nature of the public sector entity, the purpose of this study was to assist public sector entities in their IT governance efforts through the development of a framework to be used to govern IT effectively, since sufficient guidance for the public sector does not exist. Leopoldi (2005) specifically pointed out that a top-bottom framework could be limiting for entities operating in a diverse field and having complicated organisational structures, both characteristics integral to the public sector environment. Since a topbottom and a bottom-top approach fulfil different purposes, both are needed for IT governance in the public sector entity. By combining the two approaches and focusing on the unique environment of the public sector entity, a governance framework can be established. This will ensure that insight has been gained into the IT environment and the business processes and that true alignment between the business and the IT environment for the public sector entity has been achieved. This framework developed will assist the public sector entity in governing the IT environment unique to this industry and will equip public sector management with a framework to govern IT more effectively, while under pressure of public scrutiny.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Informasietegnologie (IT) het 'n impak op die prestasies van 'n entiteit (Kaselowski, 2008:83). Openbare sektor entiteite sukkel tradisioneel om enige voordeel uit die IT-omgewing te behaal en oorspandeer gereeld op IT-projekte. Die Derde King Verslag oor Korporatiewe Beheer (King III) het beheerbeginsels vir IT omskryf wat vir beide die private en openbare sektor entiteite in die Suid-Afrikaanse konteks toepaslik is (IODSA, 2009). Alhoewel generiese IT raamwerke, soos ITIL en COBIT, deur beide private en openbare sektor entiteite gebruik word om die IT-omgewing te beheer, benodig openbare sektor entiteite 'n toepaslike IT-beheerraamwerk wat die unieke eienskappe en besigheidsprosesse van die openbare sektor entiteit ondersteun. Die fokus van hierdie navorsing was gerig op die identifisering van ’n IT-beheerraamwerk vir die openbare sektor, om openbare sektor entiteite te ondersteun in die beheer van IT. Aangesien die aard van ’n openbare sektor entiteit verskil van dié van ’n private sektor entiteit, moet die beheer wat toegepas word ook verskillend van aard wees en geen toepaslike riglyne vir die openbare sektor is tans beskikbaar nie. Entiteite wat in 'n diverse omgewing bedryf word en aan 'n komplekse organisatoriese struktuur blootgestel is, mag moontlik deur gebruik te maak van 'n top-bodem beheerraamwerk beperk word (Leopoldi, 2005). Beide hierdie eienskappe is integraal tot openbare sektor entiteite. 'n Top-bodem en bodem-top beheerraamwerk vervul verskillende funksies en in die openbare sektor is beide aanslae noodsaaklik vir die beheer van IT. Deur gebruik te maak van ’n gekombineerde aanslag en op die unieke eienskappe verwant aan die openbare sektor entiteite te fokus, kan effektiewe beheerraamwerk ontwikkel word. Dit sal verseker dat insig in die IT-omgewing en die besigheidsprosesse verkry is en dat belyning tussen die besigheid en die IT-omgewing vir die openbare sektor bereik is. Die beheerraamwerk wat ontwikkel is sal die openbare sektor entiteit ondersteun om die IT omgewing, uniek aan die sektor, doeltreffend te beheer. Die openbare sektor is blootgestel aan skrutinering en bestuur sal nou toegerus wees met 'n beheerraamwerk om die IT omgewing meer effektief te bestuur

Cultivating socially just responsible citizens in relation to university accounting education in South Africa

Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.ENGLISH SUMMARY : The aim of this study – situated within the particular South African context that has been marred by systemic inequality and social injustice – was to determine whether higher education institutions could cultivate and nurture socially responsible democratic citizens. Secondary research questions focused on the required teaching and learning practices that support democratic citizenship education, and on the identity of the university educator responsible for implementing these teaching and learning practices. In particular, the focus was on the advantages of utilising deliberative encounters as a pedagogical strategy in higher education. In the development of the study, the emphasis particularly shifted to the consideration of whether deliberative encounters could assist in cultivating socially responsible chartered accountants. The research approach used was pragmatism, which was appropriate to focus on the possible responses to existing societal problems. Within this framework, deconstruction was applied as method in order to determine whether any marginalised voices were absent from this particular discourse. Through applying Foucault’s genealogical analysis to the chartered accountancy educational landscape in South Africa, three mechanisms of disciplinary power were identified, namely the accreditation process, the issue of a competency framework and the writing of an examination. As a result of these mechanisms in operation, it was found that critical thinking pertaining to knowledge construction, the decoloniality of the curriculum, deliberative encounters as teaching and learning practice, and principles in support of the ubuntu practice were largely absent from the chartered accountancy educational landscape. In response to the above-mentioned findings, the study proposes that the re-education of the chartered accountancy profession should include a re-negotiation of the relations and roles of each stakeholder involved in the education process. The study further argues for a transformation in terms of the identity construction of a chartered accountant. Chartered accountants should primarily identify as responsible future business leaders with a unique professional skill set as secondary requisite. Furthermore, various teaching and learning practices that support democratic citizenship education and which could result in the cultivation of socially responsible chartered accountants should be adopted by chartered accountancy university educators at higher education institutions.AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die doel van hierdie studie was om te bepaal of hoëronderwysinstellings kan bydra tot die kweek en koester van maatskaplik verantwoordbare demokratiese burgers teen die Suid-Afrikaanse agtergrond wat gekenmerk word deur maatskaplike ongelykheid en ongeregtigheid. Die sekondêre navorsingsvrae het gefokus op die bepaalde onderrig- en leerpraktyke wat demokratiese burgerskapopvoeding bevorder en op die identiteit van die universiteitsopvoeder verantwoordelik vir die implementering van hierdie bepaalde onderrig- en leerpraktyke. Die spesifieke fokus was gerig op die voordele verbonde aan die gebruik van deliberatiewe ontmoetings as ’n pedagogiese strategie in hoër onderwys. Tydens die verloop van die studie het die klem verskuif om te bepaal of deliberatiewe ontmoetings kan bydra tot die kweek van maatskaplik verantwoordbare geoktrooieerde rekenmeesters. Pragmatisme is gebruik as navorsingsbenadering met die doel om te fokus op moontlike oplossings vir bestaande maatskaplike probleme. Binne hierdie raamwerk is dekonstruksie as metode gebruik om vas te stel of daardie enige randstandige stemme is wat in hierdie bepaalde diskoers ontbreek. Foucault se genealogiese analise is toegepas op die opvoedkundige landskap wat betref geoktrooieerde rekenmeesters in Suid-Afrika, en drie meganismes van dissiplinêre mag is geïdentifiseer, naamlik die akkreditasie proses, die uitreik van ‘n vaardigheids raamwerk en die skryf van ‘n eksamen. Gebaseer op die werking van hierdie drie meganismes is daar bevind dat kritiese denke rakende die skep van kennis, die dekolonialiteit van die kurrikulum, deliberatiewe ontmoetings as leer- en onderrigpraktyk en beginsels ter ondersteuning van die ubuntu-praktyk grootliks afwesig is in die opvoedkundige landskap wat betref geoktrooieerde rekenmeesters. Na aanleiding van die vermelde bevindinge is die aanbeveling van die studie dat die her-opvoeding van die geoktrooieerde rekenmeestersprofessie die her-onderhandeling van die verskillende verhoudings en funksies van die onderskeie rolspelers betrokke by die opvoedkundige proses, sal insluit. Die studie voer verder redes aan ten gunste van die transformasie van die identiteit van die geoktrooieerde rekenmeester. Geoktrooieerde rekenmeesters moet primêr gesien word as toekomstig verantwoordbare leiers wat oor bepaalde professionele vaardighede as sekondêre vereiste beskik. Verder moet verskeie onderrig- en leerpraktyke wat demokratiese burgerskapopvoeding bevorder en kan bydra tot die kweek van maatskaplik verantwoordbare geoktrooieerde rekenmeesters toegepas word deur universiteitsopvoeders betrokke by die opleiding van geoktrooieerde rekenmeesters aan hoëronderwysinstellings.Doctora

Reimagining a solitary landscape : tracing communities of care in Exodus 1-2 and the film Shirley Adams

CITATION: Van der Walt, C. & Terblanche, J. 2016. Reimagining a solitary landscape : tracing communities of care in Exodus 1-2 and the film Shirley Adams. Old Testament Essays, 29(1):176-194, doi:10.17159/2312-3621/2016/v29n1a11.The original publication is available at http://www.scielo.org.zaThe 2009 film, Shirley Adams, directed by the South African director, Oliver Hermanus, depicts Shirley as the lone caregiver to her son, a victim of gang violence on the Cape Flats (South Africa) which rendered him physically disabled and emotionally scared. The film is used as a lens to explore the inter sectionality of poverty, violence, gender, class, race, and disability within the South African society. The film's intimate portrayal of Shirley in her efforts to care for her son leaves the viewer without any illusion of the problems facing caregivers. Shirley's solitary effort to embody hope in a stark situation of despair is contrasted with the life giving possibilities contained within so called "communities of care. " The community in Exod 1-3 that forms around Moses as identified by Feminist Biblical Scholars is used as an illuminating example. This paper explores the intertextual dialogue between two seemingly distant texts as Shirley Adams enters into creative conversation with a imaginative group of women creating a community of care around one who is helpless and vulnerable. The essay facilitates this interaction between film and Bible text by dynamically shifting in focus between the two distant story landscapes and in the process ultimately imagines an alternative reality for the seemingly isolated Shirley Adams.http://www.scielo.org.za/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1010-99192016000100010Publisher's versio

Therapy professionals in critical care:A UK wide workforce survey

Abstract Introduction National guidelines suggest recommended staffing levels for therapies. The aim of this study was to capture information on existing staffing levels, roles and responsibilities and service structures. Methods An observational study using online surveys distributed to 245 critical care units across the United Kingdom (UK). Surveys consisted of a generic and five profession specific surveys. Results Eight hundred sixty-two responses were received from 197 critical care units across the UK. Of those that responded, over 96% of units had input from dietetics, physiotherapy and SLT. Whereas only 59.1% and 48.1% had an OT or psychology service respectively. Units with ring fenced services had improved therapist to patient ratios. Discussion There is significant variation in access to therapists for patients admitted to critical care in the UK, with many services not having services for core therapies such as psychology and OT. Where services do exist, they fall below the recommended guidance

Exploration of therapists’ views of practice within critical care

Introduction Therapists are increasing recognised as core members of the critical care multiprofessional team. Each therapy profession provides specialist assessments and interventions, but also work collaboratively across the rehabilitation pathway. Despite inclusion in several national guidance documents, there remains a lack of evidence regarding the perceived role of therapists working within critical care, the unique contributions of each profession and opinion on the day-to-day tasks and responsibilities of each therapy profession. Method A descriptive qualitative methodology was used involving seven focus groups. Purposeful sampling was used to recruit therapists via professional specialist interest groups. All focus groups were uniprofessional and discussions based on a predesigned framework. Data were analysed thematically. Results Participants (n=65) from across the UK were recruited to seven focus groups with an average of 18.3 years postgraduate clinical experience of which 11.6 years was within critical care. Three core themes were generated from 875 codes and 237 potential subthemes. The final themes were (1) professional characteristics; (2) multidisciplinary team and (3) staffing. An additional theme of ‘COVID-19 pandemic’ was also identified. Findings were similar across all profession groups particularly regarding the need for holistic, patient-centred care. Expected variation was observed for professional characteristics especially regarding specific assessments and interventions. Discussion Therapy services are an essential component to the delivery of critical care especially regarding recovery and rehabilitation. Through three core themes, this qualitative study has provided new evidence of the perceptions and opinions of the role that therapists undertake within critical care