A toolkit to support postgraduate research supervisors in supervisory processes: an integrative literature review

Aims. The aim of this integrative literature review was first to review current studies on the supervision process and the roles and responsibilities of the supervisor. The second aim was to use the findings to describe a ‘supervisory toolkit’ to enhance effective postgraduate research supervision.Background. Although research supervision forms an integral part of academic work, academic staff is often not formally equipped to provide quality supervision. Academic outputs are dependent on quality supervision.Design. Integrative review Data Sources. CINAHL search using the databases Academic Search Premier, Africa-Wide Information, Business Source Premier, eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), E-Journals, ERIC, Family & Society Studies Worldwide, Health Source: Nursing/Academic Edition, Humanities Source, MasterFILE Premier, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, Social Work Abstracts and TOC Premier. Keywords were searched. Thirty studies published between 2005 and 2015 were reviewed.Review Methods. Studies were appraised using recognized evaluation tools. Thematic analysis was undertaken and emergent themes were extractedResults. The supervision process is depicted as an interconnected learning and developmental process that takes place within a relationship. The three main roles of the supervisor with their associated responsibilities reflect the research supervisor as a project manager, quality assurer and counsellor.Conclusion. The toolkit is based on a thematic analysis of an integrative literature review, and can be utilised by supervisors to direct the activities required for effective postgraduate supervisory practice.Keywords: research supervision process, responsibilities of the research supervisor, roles of the research supervisor, toolkit research supervisio

Healthcare violence and occupational safety support of nurses in a psychiatric hospital in South Africa

Nurses working in psychiatric hospitals are at risk of exposure to violent incidents, resulting in burnout and job dissatisfaction. The study was based on three appreciative inquiry objectives: to explore and describe the best support experiences of nurses after exposure to violent incidents (discovery); their wishes for the ideal support (dream); and their suggestions to improve the support structures (design). Data were collected through a nominal group technique and analysed using thematic analysis. Participants experienced the best support from their colleagues. Nurses tended to underreport incidents of violence, and were not satisfied with the institutional support, security services and occupational health service. They wished for ongoing training, staff support, a userfriendly reporting system, compensation for working in an unsafe environment, and protection of their rights. Exposure to violent incidents should be reported to management who should ensure appropriate support to improve nurse’ work satisfaction and quality patient care

Tools to analyse and display variations in anatomical delineation

Variations in anatomical delineation, principally due to a combination of inter-observer contributions and image-specificity, remain one of the most significant impediments to geometrically-Accurate radiotherapy.Quantification of spatial variability of the delineated contours comprising a structure can be made with a variety of metrics, and the availability of software tools to apply such metrics to data collected during inter-observer or repeat-imaging studies would allow their validation. A suite of such tools have been developed which use an ExtensibleMarkup Language format for the exchange of delineated3Dstructures with radiotherapy planning or review systems. These tools provide basic operations formanipulating and operating on individual structures and related structure sets, and for deriving statistics on spatial variations of contours that can bemapped onto the surface of a reference structure. Use of these tools on a sample dataset is demonstrated together with import and display of results in the SWAN treatment plan review system

Building consensus in defining and conceptualizing acceptability of healthcare: A Delphi study

Background The concept of healthcare acceptability is important for nursing staff spending most of their time with patients. Nevertheless, acceptability remains confusing without a collective definition in existing literature. Objective This study aimed to create a consensus among experts on definition and conceptual framework of healthcare acceptability. Methods We conducted two rounds of Delphi surveys to collect opinions from experts on definition and conceptual framework of healthcare acceptability proposed following thematic content analysis. We calculated the consensus among experts using the modified Appraisal of Guidelines for Research & Evaluation II (AGREE II) instrument and followed the guidance on conducting and reporting Delphi studies (CREDES) best practices. Results A total of 34 experts completed two rounds of Delphi survey. The definition was validated through consensus as: “a multi-construct concept describing the nonlinear cumulative combination in parts or in whole of experienced or anticipated specific healthcare from the relevant patients/participants, communities, providers/researchers or healthcare systems' managers and policy makers' perspectives in a given context.” The overall quality rating was 92.6% and 95.1% for the proposed definition and conceptual framework respectively. Conclusion Opinions collected from experts provided significant insights to build a consensus on healthcare acceptability advancing public health nursing