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Exploring social workers’ spiritual meaning of their reconstruction processes after the unanticipated death of a client(s)
No full textBackground: This interpretive qualitative inquiry explores the spiritual meaning of their reconstruction processes of social workers after the unanticipated death of a client. Identifying existing social networks and using snowball sampling, ten social workers in British Columbia were recruited for this research. From a socially constructed and spiritual perspective, the researcher examines this process in collaboration with the ten participants. Through semistructured interviews the social work participants gave deep and rich personal stories reflecting on the experience of having a client unexpectedly die. Through a process of thematic analysis, four main themes, and nine sub-themes emerged from the data.
Objective: To explore and gain a better understanding of social workers’ experiences of unanticipated client death and the spiritual meaning of their reconstruction processes after this experience.
Methods: An interpretive qualitative inquiry was used for this study. A literature review was conducted to identity existing research and any gaps in research on the thesis question. Subsequently, semi-structured interviews were conducted with ten social worker participants who shared their experiences of unanticipated client death and spiritual meaning of their reconstruction processes. Thematic analysis of the data, guided by Braun and Clark (2018) was undertaken.
Results: Three main themes and eight subthemes about how social workers experience and process the death of a client were found. Results revealed social workers often experience multiple client deaths that can be traumatic and have long lasting impacts/memories and that making sense of this experience is generally complex, unique to the individual, and meaning was found to be tied to systemic issues in the context of client death. A comparative analysis of Indigenous and non-Indigenous agencies in relation to spiritual supports are also presented.
Conclusion: The experience of having a client death(s) is impactful and was found to be generally traumatic for social workers. Spirituality may play a part in how this experience is processed and understood. Systemic issues and current neoliberal systems were reported to be main factors in how death was understood in the context of worker-client relationship. Informal support in the workplace was perceived as essential and formal workplace supports were seen as ingenuine and challenging to access. Spiritual and culturally based supports naturally found within Indigenous culture were perceived as a welcome support, especially in the context of client bereavement. Finally, through this inquiry it was apparent there needs to be more research about the understudied impacts of experiencing the unanticipated death of a client, how social workers perceive, and access formal workplace supports, and how individual social workers and organizations draw from and utilize spirituality in social work practice
Biological Causes of Female Sex Drive
No full textWe sought to understand the biological causes of female sex drive so that we could learn about varying levels of sexual appetite, in genetically female individuals, in order to make educated choices involving sexuality and intimate partner relationships. Previous research has found that biological causes of sex drive in women include ovulation, nitric oxide levels, and red wine. In our correlational study, we tested the strength of these relationships by examining naturalistic daily changes in their variables longitudinally over a period of fourteen days. We measured ovulation by tracking the menstrual cycle, nitric oxide levels by using salivary nitric oxide test strips, red wine by tracking daily red wine consumption, and sex drive by completing a daily Female Sexual Function Index questionnaire. Data pooled across participants in our correlational study showed that red wine intake showed no correlation to increased sex drive, days further from ovulation showed slight increase in sex drive, and that lower nitric oxide levels correlated with higher sex drive. These results can help inform future research on biological causes of the female sex drive for diverse groups.Supervising Instructor & Course Number: Michael Pollock, Psyc 215 (“Biological Psychology”
“I know the world by how I speak the world”: TikTok ABCs, Disaster Language and Andre Salkey’s Hurricane
No full textThis paper considers how Caribbean ways of speaking map onto social media by analyzing two popular TikTok series as well as the testimony of a survivor of the 2021 eruption of La Soufrière that was widely circulated on Facebook. Understanding what Caribbean cultural production on social media entails means appreciating social media platforms like TikTok as commercial entities. As such, they define what can be produced and influence what audiences are likely to register as funny. Though Caribbean people's representations of themselves may seem more accessible than ever, the ways in which we hear each other on social media remains unevenly defined. Juxtaposing this consideration of the Caribbean digital landscape with Andrew Salkey's Hurricane, I argue that the connotations that social media usages of vernacular have accumulated risk compromising the opportunities for ideological inspection that fictional and non-fictional representations of disaster make possible.
Mitigating violence against nurses through trauma-informed security
No full textThe concerning surge in workplace violence against nurses indicates a significant threat to the
safety of nurses. This study used a mixed-methods design and a pragmatic worldview to
critically appraise secondary data on how trauma-informed security can reduce violence against
nurses. The scope of this research study was limited to the healthcare security discipline and
focused on the current threats of violence against nurses, its implications on healthcare safety
and security, and the principles of trauma-informed security. The primary research question of
this study aimed to determine “How might trauma-informed security reduce violence against
nurses?” A correlation between trauma, hospitalization, and acts of violence and aggression was
reported in this study. The themes explored in the literature suggested several factors related to
workplace violence that impact the safety of nurses, the need for improved interprofessional
relationships between nurses and security officers, and, importantly, the need for traumainformed
hospital security practices and policies. This study advocates for hospital security
practices and policies to be grounded on the principles of trauma-informed security and for
further research on the benefits of transitioning towards a trauma-informed healthcare security
model that improves the safety and security of security officers and nurses.trauma-informed security; trauma; healthcare security officers; nurses; workplace violence; de-escalation; hospital security practices and policie
Snow dynamics and soil moisture in commercially thinned lodgepole pine silvopastures on the Okanagan Plateau of Southern British Columbia
No full textForest harvesting systems may be strategically designed to manipulate snow accumulation and soil moisture, not only to improve forage and timber productivity, but also to improve flood, wildfire and climate change mitigation. The objectives of this study were to investigate differences in snow accumulation, snow ablation, and soil moisture across various widths of commercial strip-thinning in silvopasture systems. Silvopastures were established near Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada. Stands of 45-year-old Pinus contorta (lodgepole pine) were commercially thinned in the summer of 2018. Strip-harvest treatments were linear and of various widths: 10 m, 15 m, and 20 m. Treatments were allocated in a two-factor randomized block design; strip width and orientation. Adjacent forested areas and a clearcut were also examined as controls. Strips were harvested with either east-west, or north-south orientations. Snow water equivalent was manually sampled during winters of 2019-2020. From May 2019 to October 2020, volumetric water content was continuously sampled at two depths (0-10 cm and 25 cm below the soil surface) and soil temperature was continuously measured at 5 cm depth. Snow accumulation increased with strip-width, and 20 m strips retained a mean peak accumulation of SWE which was 11.4 % greater than the clearcut (P=0.001). Snow accumulation and ablation-rates were directly associated with canopy cover and estimated solar radiation. The widest 20 m strips maintained greater soil moisture and soil temperatures throughout the growing season, compared to the narrower 10 m strips (P<0.001). However, 10 m strips did retain more soil moisture during drier months with limited precipitation (P<0.001), and strips orientated east-west retained the most soil moisture. Soil temperature was greater in both 10 m and 20 m strips compared to forested areas. This resulted in greater cumulative growing degree days (GDD) above the critical threshold of 5 °C in strips relative to non-harvested areas. Overall, strip-thinning and orientation of strips directly influenced snow accumulation, ablation dynamics, soil moisture, and temperature.agroforestrysilvopasturestripthinsnowsoil moistur
SoTL literature reviews: strategies and mechanics
No full textThis presentation was delivered to the SoTL Faculty Learning Community (FLC) at Georgia Southern University (virtually) on February 23, 2023. The presentation discussed strategies for conducting literature reviews for the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL), including language (i.e. keyword creation), search strategy planning, database and journal search mechanics, and strategies for knowledge synthesis.presentatio
Impact of public health restrictions in the workplace
No full textThe implementation of public health restrictions to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus affected residents living in Canada. Restrictions included social distancing, quarantining, and wearing masks. As a Therapeutic Recreation Specialist (TRS), it is important to explore the positive and negative impacts of these restrictions to explore perceptions of these restrictions. This research study was guided by the research question: From a TRS perspective, what is the impact of public health restrictions at the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic? A qualitative research approach was used to gather four one-on-one semi-structured interviews. Participants were recruited through snowball sampling. Inclusion criteria include completion of a Diploma or Degree program in TR; having a minimum of five years of professional experience; and, holding a full-time position. The four interviews were audio recorded and transcribed. One theme included the “impact of mask mandates, social distancing protocols, and technology use on TRS- client relationships.” The second theme was the “impact of the public health restrictions on TRS’ quality of life,” specifically, “higher workloads.” Results showed significant impacts on TRS relationships with their clients. It was reported that wearing masks decreased understanding, especially for elderly clients with hearing impairment, and that social distancing protocols limited clients’ access to programs. Positive and negative implications were reported for the impact of technology use. Interestingly, the impact of higher workloads allowed the TR professionals to be more recognized for their efforts in the healthcare system.
Poster submission was sponsored by Dr. Colleen Reid, (Applied Community Studies Department) for course THRT 3710 and was presented at the Coquitlam campus on April 5, 2023, for Student Research Days 2023.Not peer reviewe
"I Could Have": The Lived Experience of Bereavement-Related Regret
No full textBereavement-related regret addresses the experience of the “I could have” in the context of grief surrounding a deceased loved one. This “I could have” notion of regret emerges from interaction of the “I can” of the past and the “I cannot” of the present. This study aimed to understand six participants’ lived experiences of bereavement-related regret through a qualitative, semi- structured interview and two-chair exercise. Hermeneutic phenomenological analysis revealed key features of bereavement-related regret as: a) tangible and sensed embodiment, b) an active entity that requests engagement, c) a permanent yet dynamic presence, d) a complex network connecting to other people, memories, and feelings, and e) a dialogical phenomenon revealed between interaction of one’s present and past selves. This study contributes to novel methodology for exploring dialogical phenomena and an existential understanding of regret as an inherently relational, dynamic invitation to attend to and express our values in the world.bereavementregretchair workphenomenologygrie
Responding to Climate Change Through Art and Design: ECU Library Exhibition, April 2023
No full textResponding to Climate Change Through Art and Design includes work that envisions an eco-utopia, expresses concern about the environment or documents climate change through creative practice. Drawings, prints, paintings, sculptures, multimedia works and installations by members of the ECU community including students, alumni, staff and faculty, explore the impact of climate change and highlight the urgent need for action.
The effects of climate change are already being felt locally and around the world, with wildfire smoke, flooding, loss of biodiversity and the displacement of human and non-human populations.
Through this exhibition, we showcase a variety of ways artists and designers are responding to the climate crisis. We hope to amplify direct action and movements that address climate change, from hosting community events, engaging with non-human life, protesting, mapping, using sustainable materials, and more.
The exhibition was curated by Ana Diab, Michael Pollard, Kristy Waller and Hillary Webb, and includes work by Amory Abbott, Maru Aponte, Emilia Belliveu-Thompson, Andrea Bollen, Giulia Borba, Gwenyth Chao, Ella Emsheimer, Lori Goldberg, Danya Gorodetsky, Erick Jantzen, Vjeko Sager, Jade Sawotin, Emma Somers and Bobbi Kozinuk, Ayako Takagi, and Rita Wong.
Ultimately, we hope that this exhibition will inspire visitors to take action to address climate change, and to join the growing movement for a more sustainable and equitable future.This catalogue is published in conjunction with the exhibition "Responding to Climate Change Through Art and Design," held at the ECU Library, Vancouver, BC,
from April 1-30, 2023. All photographs were supplied by the owners of the works of art, who hold the copyright thereto, and are reproduced with permission