25 research outputs found
Managersâ perspectives on promotion and professional development for black African nurses in the UK
YesAn exploratory qualitative study design was adopted
for this study and underpinned by Rexâs migrant
workers framework (Rex, 1999). Semi-structured
interviews were conducted with ten ward managers
from four NHS trusts in the north-east of England
to gain an insight into their experiences of working
with black African nurses with regard to equal
opportunities in accessing professional development
and promotion. Managers reported that black
African nurses experienced racism from patients,
racism from colleagues, discrimination and lack of
equal opportunities. A unique finding of the study
was that managers stereotyped black African nurses
as lacking motivation for professional development
and promotion. The authors recommend that NHS
ward managers receive training in implementing
antidiscrimination policies and valuing equality
and diversity
Perceptions of the Impact of Positive Action in EU and non-EU Countries
yesAbstract: Around the world, inequalities exist around boundaries of race, social class, gender, disability,
religious beliefs and sexual orientation, often resulting from past and current discriminatory
practices. Governments have taken certain measures, including enacting policies such as positive action,
to remedy such discrimination. This paper provides a comparative analysis of perceptions of the impact
of positive action in seven EU and three non-EU countries. The study adopted participatory methods
including consensus workshops, interviews and policy analysis to obtain data from designers of positive
action. Findings are discussed, conclusions drawn and wide-ranging recommendations are made at
the EC, individual countries and organisational levels
Methodological Challenges of Researching Positive Action Measures
This paper highlights some ofthe methodological challenges which have arisen in collecting
data for an international study on positive action measures. It will describe strategies employed to
encourage participation in the study from as wide a range of organisations and individuals using a
mixed method approach. The paper will also discuss the methodological and sensitive issues related
to this type of research in organisations and strategies adopted by the research team to ameliorate
any problems that have arisen whilst maintaining trustworthiness and rigour in the study
Positive Action Measures Across Different Equality Grounds, Organisations and Sectors in European and Non-european Countries
yesAbstract: This article is based on a large-scale European Commission project on international perspectives
on positive action measures. The paper presents an analysis of the perceptions of positive
action held by respondents from all the countries participating in an international survey, focussing
specifically upon differences across equality grounds, sector and organisation type. This paper will
also provide examples of positive action being applied in European and non-European countries that
participated in the study. The study adopted extensive literate and online survey to obtain data from
designers of positive action. Findings are discussed, conclusions drawn and wide-ranging recommendations
are made at the European Commission, individual countries and organisational levels
Multitasking, but for what benefit? The dilemma facing Nigerian university students regarding part-time working.
Students working part-time while studying for a full-time university degree are commonplace in many Western countries. This paper however, examines the historically uncommon part-time working activities and career aspirations among Nigerian university students. In particular, how working is perceived to contribute to developing employability skills, and whether it is influenced by their self-efficacy. Survey data from 324 questionnaires was collected from a federal university, although the data analysis used a mixed-method. The findings indicate that despite low levels of part-time working generally among students, older, more experienced, higher level and female students, place a premium on the skills that part-time work can develop. Moreover, self-efficacy and being female, is a significant predictor in understanding part-time work and career aspirations. This study offers originality by focusing on studentsâ part-time work, the value working provides, and its link with career aspirations, within a relatively unexplored context of Nigeria
Infection prevention and care bundles addressing health care-associated infections in neonatal care in low-middle income countries: a scoping review.
BACKGROUND: Health care-associated infections (HCAI) in neonatal units in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are a major cause of mortality. This scoping review aimed to synthesise published literature on infection prevention and care bundles addressing neonatal HCAI in LMICs and to construct a Classification Framework for their components (elements). METHODS: Five electronic databases were searched between January 2001 and July 2020. A mixed-methods approach was applied: qualitative content analysis was used to build a classification framework to categorise bundle elements and the contents of the classification groups were then described quantitatively. FINDINGS: 3619 records were screened, with 44 eligible studies identified. The bundle element Classification Framework created involved: (1) Primary prevention, (2) Detection, (3) Case management, and Implementation (3Â +Â I). The 44 studies included 56 care bundles with 295 elements that were then classified. Primary prevention elements (128, 43%) predominated of which 71 (55%) focused on central line catheters and mechanical ventilators. Only 12 elements (4%) were related to detection. A further 75 (25%) elements addressed case management and 66 (88%) of these aimed at outbreak control. INTERPRETATION: The 3Â +Â I Classification Framework was a feasible approach to reporting and synthesising research for infection-relevant bundled interventions in neonatal units. A shift towards the use in infection prevention and care bundles of primary prevention elements focused on the neonate and on commonly used hospital devices in LMIC (e.g., self-inflating bags, suctioning equipment) would be valuable to reduce HCAI transmission. Detection elements were a major gap. FUNDING: This work was made possible in part by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, ELMA Philanthropies, The Children's Investment Fund Foundation UK, The Lemelson Foundation, and the Ting Tsung and Wei Fong Chao Foundation under agreements to William Marsh Rice University. The project leading to these results has also received the support of a fellowship from the "la Caixa" Foundation (ID 100010434). The fellowship code is LCF/BQ/EU19/11710040. EJAF is an Academic Clinical Fellow whose salary is funded by the UK National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). NES receives a Research Training Program Scholarship (Australian Commonwealth Government)
APOE E4 is associated with impaired self-declared cognition but not disease risk or age of onset in Nigerians with Parkinson's disease
The relationship between APOE polymorphisms and Parkinson's disease (PD) in black Africans has not been previously investigated. We evaluated the association between APOE polymorphic variability and self-declared cognition in 1100 Nigerians with PD and 1097 age-matched healthy controls. Cognition in PD was assessed using the single item cognition question (item 1.1) of the MDS-UPDRS. APOE genotype and allele frequencies did not differ between PD and controls (pâ>â0.05). No allelic or genotypic association was observed between APOE and age at onset of PD. In PD, APOE Δ4/Δ4 conferred a two-fold risk of cognitive impairment compared to one or no Δ4 (HR: 2.09 (95% CI: 1.13-3.89; pâ=â0.02)), while APOE Δ2 was associated with modest protection against cognitive impairment (HR: 0.41 (95% CI 0.19-0.99, pâ=â0.02)). Of 773 PD with motor phenotype and APOE characterized, tremor-dominant (TD) phenotype predominated significantly in Δ2 carriers (87/135, 64.4%) compared to 22.2% in persons with postural instability/gait difficulty (PIGD) (30/135) and 13.3% in indeterminate (ID) (18/135, 13.3%) (pâ=â0.037). Although the frequency of the TD phenotype was highest in homozygous Δ2 carriers (85.7%), the distribution of motor phenotypes across the six genotypes did not differ significantly (pâ=â0.18). Altogether, our findings support previous studies in other ethnicities, implying a role for APOE Δ4 and Δ2 as risk and protective factors, respectively, for cognitive impairment in PD
AMPA receptor GluA2 subunit defects are a cause of neurodevelopmental disorders.
AMPA receptors (AMPARs) are tetrameric ligand-gated channels made up of combinations of GluA1-4 subunits encoded by GRIA1-4 genes. GluA2 has an especially important role because, following post-transcriptional editing at the Q607 site, it renders heteromultimeric AMPARs Ca2+-impermeable, with a linear relationship between current and trans-membrane voltage. Here, we report heterozygous de novo GRIA2 mutations in 28 unrelated patients with intellectual disability (ID) and neurodevelopmental abnormalities including autism spectrum disorder (ASD), Rett syndrome-like features, and seizures or developmental epileptic encephalopathy (DEE). In functional expression studies, mutations lead to a decrease in agonist-evoked current mediated by mutant subunits compared to wild-type channels. When GluA2 subunits are co-expressed with GluA1, most GRIA2 mutations cause a decreased current amplitude and some also affect voltage rectification. Our results show that de-novo variants in GRIA2 can cause neurodevelopmental disorders, complementing evidence that other genetic causes of ID, ASD and DEE also disrupt glutamatergic synaptic transmission