CARE TEAM EDUCATION ON THE USE OF SENSORY RESOURCES IN INPATIENT PSYCHIATRY

Sensory processing is the way the nervous system receives, organizes, and understands sensory information gained through our body’s senses and physical environment. The deprivation of sensory processing, or the inability of one’s nervous system to use meaningful sensations, can lead to negative outcomes such as anxiety, stress, depression, withdrawal and reduced motivation, or agitation and disturbed behavior. Dr. Ayres\u27 Sensory Integration Theory was used as the guiding framework for this project. Research literature indicates that sensory modulated approaches are an effective treatment approach for patients who are distressed, anxious, agitated, or potentially aggressive, and can be used as an alternative to more coercive actions such as seclusion and restraint. It has also demonstrated that sensory modulated approaches can be helpful for people with various psychiatric diagnoses such as anxiety, depression, mania, psychosis, and post-traumatic stress disorders. The aim of this project was to provide an educational in-service to psychiatric inpatient staff members about the use of sensory modulated approaches as an additional preventive tool for mental health patients. A post evaluation was provided to identify the effectiveness of the educational in-service. Participants of the in-service included sixteen (16) staff members and ten (10) undergraduate nursing students. All participants who completed the post evaluation reported the rating of helpfulness of sensory integration approaches to their current practice. All staff members reported it as very helpful, while eighty-six percent (86%) of students thought it was very helpful to their current practice. Sixty-nine percent (69%) of the staff reported the in-service as very helpful for increasing their knowledge of sensory resources, and eighty-six percent (86%) of the students reported it as very helpful. The favorable outcomes demonstrate success in providing staff education. Increased knowledge and understanding allow staff members to adopt the sensory modulated approach to further help reduce behavioral disturbances, empower staff and patients to build positive relationships, and provide alternative strategies to more coercive practices such as seclusion or restraints. Further research on the effect of this educational in-service on the actual implementation of sensory modulated approach is needed to support the true effectiveness of this project. Future implications for advanced nursing practice, education, research, and health policy are to promote and implement this alternative approach, provide evidence based data to improve the quality of clinical practice, and analyze the data collected to improve future practices and overall patient outcomes

The Economic Impacts of Improved Foreign Investor Confidence in Bangladesh: A CGE Analysis

This paper uses a large-scale computable general equilibrium model of Bangladesh to simulate the economic effects of attracting foreign investment by improved business confidence. The simulation results indicate that if all revenue of newly arrived capital accrues to foreign investors and the government maintains budget neutrality, in the long-run this would expand GDP slightly. In general, capital-intensive sectors experience robust expansion and labour-intensive sectors suffer a contraction in output and employment. Urban households experience increases in consumption because they are relatively heavily concentrated in manufacturing sectors that are favourably affected. In contrast, rural households experience decreases in consumption because they are relatively concentrated in the agriculture sector which is adversely affected.Business confidence; foreign direct investment; computable general equilibrium model; Bangladesh.

Does Micro-credit Program in Bangladesh Increase Household’s Ability to Deal with Economic Hardships?

It is often argued that micro-credit program intervention at the grassroots level increases the ability of the poor to deal with crises. This paper examines the relationship between households’ involvement in micro-credit programs and their capacities to deal with economic hardships by focussing on BRAC, one of the largest micro-credit providers in Bangladesh. Using RAND data collected in one region of rural Bangladesh, the paper addresses a key question: Do micro-credit programs increase the ability of the poor to deal with crises? The findings in this paper indicate that BRAC’s micro-credit program in Bangladesh may increase participating households’ abilities to cope with economic hardships but further research to much more systematic information needs to be conducted about micro-credit program before conclusive results can be reached.Micro-credit, Economic Hardships, Rural Bangladesh

Impact of Trade Liberalisation on Employment in Bangladesh: A Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) Analysis

We use a 86-industry CGE model of Bangladesh to simulate the employment effects of removing all tariffs in Bangladesh. We find that this would expand GDP and generate employment. The industries that experience the greatest positive effects on their output and employment are the export-oriented industries. There are also positive effects on the suppliers to these industries. Lightly-protected industries that rely heavily on imported intermediate inputs exhibit robust expansion as they benefit from a cost reduction. In contrast, highly-protected industries demonstrate contraction. The occupational pattern of the employment results indicates that expansion is felt most heavily in the export sector (export-related occupation experiences the largest increase).Trade Liberalisation; Employment; CGE model; Bangladesh

The impact of tariff reduction on Bangladesh economy: a computable general equilibrium assessment

This paper explores the effects of tariff reduction on macroeconomic indicators and sectoral output in Bangladesh using a computable general equilibrium approach. The simulation results indicate that a reduction in all tariffs expands gross domestic product and generates employment, which suggests that tariff cuts have a short-run stimulatory effect on economic growth. The industries that experience the greatest positive effects on their output and employment are export-oriented industries. There are also positive effects on the suppliers to these industries. Lightly-protected industries that rely heavily on imported intermediate inputs exhibit robust expansion, benefiting from a cost reduction as a result of the removal of protection. However, highly-protected, import-competing industries suffer a contraction in output and employment as they face increased competition from imports due to the liberalisation of trade.Trade liberalisation, computable general equilibrium model, Bangladesh