A comparison of social attitudes, professional and institutional identities and acculturative stress between podiatry and other health professional students

In multicultural societies, such as Australia, it is important for health professional students to possess skills to interact positively with people from a range of cultures. This study describes first-year podiatry students’ social attitudes, professional and institutional identities and acculturative stress; and compares these with other health professional students in the school

Culturally and linguistically diverse general practitioners\u27 utilisation of practice nurses

Background Practice nurses are primarily employed by general practitioners, however little is known about the barriers to practice nurse employment from the perspective of general practitioners (GPs). Aim This paper seeks to explore solo, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) general practitioners\u27 perceptions of the practice nurse role, and to identify the barriers and facilitators of these doctors employing nurses within their practice. Methods A descriptive study, using semi-structured interviews, was conducted from July to August 2010. Participants were CALD GPs working as solo practitioners who were members of a Division of General Practice in South Western Sydney. Quantitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis. Results The response rate was 51%, however no demographic differences were identified between responders and non-responders. The majority of participants (73%) agreed that practice nurses could perform vital sign measurements or spirometry. Fewer participants (52-63%) believed practice nurses could perform breast checks, pap smears, or assessment of medication regimes. Perceived barriers to employing a practice nurse included lack of space or equipment, legal implications, lack of a specific job description and language communication issues. Participants identified the need for greater financial rebates, assistance with training practice nurses and assistance with business modelling as facilitators to practice nurse employment. Conclusion The feasibility of practice nurse employment in practices with solo, culturally and linguistically diverse general practitioners remains a challenge that needs further exploration. Employment of practice nurses may be a viable option for younger practitioners who have a desire to work in collaborative multidisciplinary models

Special Libraries, March 1941

Volume 32, Issue 3https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_sl_1941/1002/thumbnail.jp

"I'm not an investigator and I'm not a police officer" : a faculty's view on academic integrity in an undergraduate nursing degree

In nursing, expectations of honesty and integrity are clearly stipulated throughout professional standards and codes of conduct, thus the concept of academic integrity has even more impetus in preparing students for graduate practice. However, a disparity between policy and practice misses the opportunity to instil the principles of academic integrity, and at its core honesty, a pivotal trait in the nursing profession. This study draws upon the experience of the nursing faculty to explore how academic integrity policy of deterrence operate in nursing education. While participants deplored cheating behaviours, they expressed frustration in having to ‘police’ large numbers of students who had little awareness of the academic standards to meet policy requirements. In addition, they were cynical because of a perceived lack of severity in sanctions for students who repeatedly breached integrity. Participants expressed a moral obligation as educators to meet student learning needs and preferred to engage with students in a more meaningful way to uphold academic integrity. The ambivalence to detect and report breaches in integrity undermines the effectiveness of policy. Therefore, faculty must recognise the importance of their role in detecting and escalating cases of dishonesty and execute deterrence in a more consistent way. To do this, greater support at an institutional level, such as smaller class sizes, inclusion in decision making around sanctions and recognition of additional workload, will enable faculty to uphold policy. Although policing was not their preferred approach, the role of faculty in detecting and reporting cases of misconduct is crucial to increase the certainty of students getting caught, which is essential if policy is to be effective in deterring dishonest behaviour

Prevalence of depression and its influence on the quality of life of Jordanians living in residential care facilities

BACKGROUND: As a third-world country experiencing a rise in the elderly population and changes to traditional family structures, improving psychological health is critical to improving quality of life (QoL) in the older adults living in residential care facilities in Jordan. PURPOSE: This study aimed to (a) estimate the prevalence of depression among nursing home (NH) residents in Jordan; (b) measure perceived QoL in these NH residents in the dimensions of mobility, self-care, usual activity, pain and discomfort, and anxiety/depression; and (c) assess the influence of depression on each of these QoL dimensions. METHODS: This cross-sectional study recruited a convenience sample of 155 participants living in a residential care facility in Jordan. The instruments used included a sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire, the Mini-Mental State Examination, a Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS), and the EuroQol, which is a five-dimension, five-level questionnaire. The data were presented as means, standard deviations, and percentages as well as adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). RESULTS: A high prevalence of depression was found in the study population, with 72.3% having a score between 6 and 9 on the GDS, which is suggestive of depression. Moreover, 18.1% scored ≥ 10 on the GDS, which is indicative of a nearly continual state of depression. With regard to the QoL dimensions, 84.5% of the participants reported experiencing pain, 81.9% reported anxiety/depression, 80.6% reported problems performing usual activities, 75.5% reported problems with self-care, and 63.2% reported mobility difficulties. Pain, anxiety, and depression were found to be significantly associated with level of depression (AOR = 2.78 and 95% CI [1.18, 6.57], AOR = 5.81 and 95% CI [2.14, 15.78], and AOR = 4.75 and 95% CI [1.87, 12.07], respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Depression is common among NH residents in Jordan and is associated significantly with poor QoL. This study yielded empirical data that may be used to develop strategies to enhance or promote the mental health status and QoL of NH residents in Jordan

Standardised orientation program for first year undergraduate students in the College of Health and Science at the University of Western Sydney: a practice report

First year students often feel ill-equipped academically and emotionally, hindering their integration and adjustment into university life. This report describes a standardised orientation program for first year undergraduate students focusing on peer and academic support based on “just-in-time” and “just-for-me” principles, assisting commencing students to achieve a smooth transition into university. This initiative has been employed since 2009, in one of the three large colleges at the University of Western Sydney, to foster a sense of community and reduce stress among commencing students. Building on existing orientation activities, we introduced three new activities which focused on “just-in-time” information for the first year: first semester experience, incorporation of student presentations and the inclusion of ice-breaker activities. Evaluative feedback revealed strong academic support for the initiatives, with College of Health and Science students reporting their orientation experience significantly more positively than students from the other two colleges

Unravelling the complexities of nursing students\u27 feedback on the clinical learning environment: a mixed methods approach

Background Clinical placement is an essential part of nursing education, and students\u27 experiences on clinical placement can affect the quality of their learning. Understanding nursing students\u27 positive and negative perceptions of clinical placement experience is therefore important. Objectives To describe nursing students\u27 satisfaction with their clinical placement experiences and identify any variations in satisfaction based on demographic characteristics. Design Mixed methods - online survey with qualitative items. Setting Four universities in Australia. Participants Students (n = 213) enrolled in an undergraduate nursing degree. Methods Between 2010 and 2012, students completed online surveys following their clinical placement experiences. The surveys included demographic questions and the Clinical Learning Environment Inventory (CLEI-19), a 19-item tool measuring students\u27 satisfaction with clinical placement. The surveys included two open-ended questions asking students to share their most satisfying and challenging experiences whilst on placement. Descriptive statistics and thematic analyses were undertaken. Results Of the 213 participants, those in health-related employment and those with English as an additional language (EAL) were less satisfied with the clinical facility and with clinical facilitator support respectively, as indicated by the CLEI-19 subscale scores. Qualitative findings showed students were positive about the opportunity to make a difference and be involved in nursing, and negative about clinical facilitator support. Nevertheless, those who were most critical in their written comments about their placement were those who only spoke English at home. Conclusions Although the study found overall satisfaction with clinical placement, the lower satisfaction reported by students in health-related employment, and the mixed findings regarding language spoken and satisfaction, warrant further attention

Protocol for developing a healthcare transition intervention for young people with spinal cord injuries using a participatory action research approach

Introduction: While healthcare transition (HCT) interventions are recognised as an important area in paediatric rehabilitation, there has been limited research focusing on young people with spinal cord injuries (SCI). In this study, researchers will collaborate with young people with SCI and their parents/caregivers to develop, implement and evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of a HCT intervention aimed at supporting young people with SCI during their transition from paediatric to adult healthcare services. Methods and analysis: A participatory action research (PAR) approach will be used to co-develop the HCT intervention with young people with SCI aged 14–25 years and their parents/caregivers. Three phases will be conducted to address the five objectives of this study. Phase 1 will use semi-structured interviews to explore young people and parent/caregivers’ experiences of HCT. In Phase 2a, both young people and parent/caregivers will be co-researchers. They will be included in the analysis of the interviews and will be asked to participate in co-design workshops to inform the development of a prototype HCT intervention. In Phase 2b, using focus groups, feedback on the prototype HCT intervention will be collected. In Phase 3, the refined prototype HCT intervention will be implemented, and young people with SCI and parent/ caregivers will evaluate the feasibility and acceptability of the HCT intervention in semi-structured interviews. A reference group, including stakeholders and end users, will be consulted at different time points. Ethics and dissemination The study has received ethics approval from Western Sydney University Human Research and Ethics Committee (H14029). The researcher will use the results of this study as chapters in a thesis to obtain a Doctor of Philosophy degree. The findings will be disseminated via publication in peer-reviewed journals and will be presented at local, national or international conferences. Trial registration number ACTRN1262100050085

Longitudinal evaluation of a programme for safety culture change in a mental health service

Abstract: Aim: To evaluate whether a two‐part culture improvement programme aimed at nurses in clinical and managerial positions in an inpatient mental health service was associated with culture change, and safety‐related behaviour and knowledge improvements. Background: Due to serious failings in the delivery of physiological care to mentally disordered inpatients, it was deemed important that interventions be applied to improve service culture. Methods: A pre‐test and post‐test study was conducted to evaluate change associated with a mandated intervention aimed at culture change. Nurses in clinical and managerial positions at all levels attended relevant sessions. All were invited to participate in evaluation measures. Results: N = 241 nurses participated in the evaluation (n = 137 and n = 104, pre‐test and post‐test, respectively). There was a small but significant change in organisational culture indicating greater adhocracy and less clan culture in the second survey period and a small decline in reported safety behaviour. Measures of safety culture, knowledge and emergency‐related educational satisfaction were unchanged. Conclusion: Only a small change in measured culture was associated with the programme. Implications for Nursing Management: Attempts to evaluate culture change need to align anticipated outcomes with appropriate outcome measures. A mandated programme of culture change had little tangible effect on the outcomes measured