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The Fury (Baez, 2020) - Art and Transmedial Space
No full textIn The Fury, Phil Fitzsimmons looks at the changing practices of artists and their evolving relationship to exhibition space. In particualr, Fitzsimmons looks at the work of Marcel Baez, who is reimagining the presentation of graphic novels through multi-platforms, and what also might be called impossible space on the boundaries of the real, virtual and the imagined
Sharing the Construction of Assessment Rubrics with Students: A Model for Collaborative Rubric Construction
Get PDFTraditionally, rubrics were used simply as grading tools to provide marking frameworks that were transparent to students. More recently, rubrics have been promoted as educational tools to inform students of good practice with the assumption that they engage with these rubrics to guide their learning. However, some tensions arise from this approach, including the assumption that students actually engage with assessment rubrics and, most notably, whether students understand the purpose of rubrics and the language used within. In response, this paper promotes the practice of teachers involving their students in the co-construction of rubrics by presenting a Model of Collaborative Rubric Construction. This Model was informed by an extensive literature review, advice from international assessment experts, and both qualitative and quantitative data from students and teachers who worked in partnership to co-construct and use assessment rubrics across three higher education institutions. The Model, structured as three-tiers, offers background information about rubrics and their co-construction, strategies to guide collaboration in the rubric co-construction process, and shared scholarship associated with the project (i.e., research methods, recommendations for practice, and relevant references and publications) in which the Model was developed
Integration of Faith and Learning: An Incidental or Intentional Approach?
Get PDFIn recent decades the ‘Integration of Faith and Learning’ (IFL) concept and its application have prompted research, dialogue and deliberation amongst SDA academics, researchers and educators (Akers & Moon, 1980a; Korniejczuk, 1994; Nwosu, 1999; Rasi, 2013; Roy, 2001; Taylor, 2012). It is the IFL concept that makes Christian education unique. Yet, despite all the research and information available about IFL, the author has discovered that an ‘Intentional’ or an ‘Incidental’ approach to integrating faith and learning in the Christian classroom is still a topic of discussion and debate among teachers. Therefore, in this article, the author proposes that both ‘Incidental’ and ‘Intentional’ IFL approaches are complementary and indispensable if a balanced and realistic engagement with Christian education is to be experienced by the students. The application of this thesis in the elementary school setting is then discussed and practical suggestions for its implementation outlined and explored
Heutagogy in Action: An Action Research Project in Art Education
No full textThis chapter describes the journey of a teacher (learning leader) and his students (learners) in applying some innovative approaches to enhance learning in a higher education setting. Based on the principles of heutagogy or self-determined learning, the learning leader used action research to implement and investigate some innovative learning experiences in a History of Art class in an Australian university. For both the learning leader and two groups of learners, this experiment in learner-centred learning was very successful because the delivery and receiving of required essential course material became less predictable, less prescribed. This created a sense of spontaneity and discovery of knowledge. Such engagement in the process makes for more meaningful learning and interaction between parties. The impact of implementing a heutagogical approach encouraged other lecturers to re-examine their teaching methods to re-structure some of their units of teaching
The Effectiveness of an Online Interdisciplinary Intervention for Mental Health Promotion: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Get PDFBackground
There is an urgent need for efficacious interventions to combat the global mental health crisis, and mental health promotion and primary prevention approaches are paramount. The aim of this study is to examine whether an online interdisciplinary intervention that incorporates evidence-based strategies from the disciplines of Lifestyle Medicine and Positive Psychology improves measures of mental health and emotional wellness. Methods
A randomized controlled trial with a wait-list control (N = 425, aged 46.97 ± 14.5, 69.9% females) was conducted in Australia and New Zealand. The intervention group participated in a 10-week online interdisciplinary intervention. Primary outcome measures of mental health and emotional wellness were taken at baseline (Week 1), post-intervention (Week 12), and 12 weeks post-intervention (Week 24). The wait-list control completed the same assessments. Results
General Linear Modelling analyses indicated that the intervention group experienced significantly greater improvements than the wait-list control group over time in all outcome measures: mental health (F(319) = 7.326, p = 0.007) and vitality (F(319) = 9.445, p = 0.002) subscales of the Short Form Survey (SF-36); depression (F(319) = 7.841, p = 0.005), anxiety (F(319) = 4.440, p = 0.36) and stress (F(319) = 12.494, p \u3c 0.001) scales of the Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale (DASS-21); and life satisfaction (F(319) = 8.731, p = 0.003) as measured by the Satisfaction With Life Scale. Within the intervention group, significant improvements were observed from Week 1 to 12 in all outcome measures: mental health (10%, t(167) = − 6.423), p \u3c 0.001, dz = 0.50), vitality (22%, t(167) = − 7.043, p \u3c 0.001, dz = 0.54), depression (− 41%, t(167) = 6.189, p \u3c 0.001, dz = 0.48), anxiety (− 38%, t(167) = 5.030, p \u3c 0.001, dz = 0.39), stress (− 31%, t(167) = 6.702, p \u3c 0.001, dz = 0.52) and life satisfaction (8%, t(167) = − 6.199, p \u3c 0.001, dz = 0.48). Improvements in the outcome measures remained significant in the intervention group at 12 weeks post-intervention. Conclusion
The online interdisciplinary intervention improved measures of mental health and emotional wellness suggesting that such interventions may be useful for mental health promotion and prevention
Bundles of Bundles
No full textPossibly the first time many of us became familiar with the concept of a healthcare associated infection (HAI) prevention bundle was when Pronovost published his Michigan study that demonstrated an evidence based intervention (a bundle) significantly reduced catheter related bloodstream infections in an ICU setting[1]. HAI prevention interventions are often multimodal, which intuitively makes sense, given as it is often difficult to identify the one causative factor. So instead of focussing on just one intervention, we identify several and combine them together into a bundle (as we picture the arrow passing through the holes in the cheese). The success of a bundle depends on several key factors. They must be composed of only 2–5 simple evidence based components, they must be accompanied by an implementation strategy, and crucially, their success depends on high compliance with all the bundle components[2]. Since Pronovosts study, a variety of infection prevention bundles have been described. For example intervention bundles to prevent catheter associated urinary tract infections[3], a bundle to prevent surgical site infections in colorectal surgery[4], and most recently an environmental cleaning bundle to reduce HAI[5]. Whilst some HAI prevention bundles would appear to be widely implemented and clearly effective, others require further exploration
A Mixed Methods Evaluation of an Electronic Reminder System for Reducing Urinary Catheter Use in Australian Hospital
No full textIntroduction: An important risk-factor for catheter-associated urinary tract infections (CAUTIs) is prolonged catheterisation. This study examined the efficacy of an electronic reminder system to reduce catheterisation duration and its effect on nurses’ ability to deliver patient care.
Methods: A stepped-wedge randomised controlled design, in addition to a survey and focus groups were undertaken. The intervention was the use of the CATH TAG, an electronic tag placed on the catheter bag, which prompted a review of ongoing catheterisation. The study was conducted in an Australian hospital, over 24 weeks. Primary outcomes were mean catheter duration and perceptions of nurses about ease of use. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used, duration was the outcome variable. Patients who were transferred between wards with catheters were censored. The intervention was treated as a time varying covariate.
Results: 1167 patients participated in the study. The duration of catheterisation was slightly lower in patients where the CATH TAG was used (mean 5.1 vs 5.5 days, HR 1.02 95% CI: 0.91, 1.14, p=0.75). Excluding the patients transferred between wards, mean catheterisation duration was 5.5 vs 4.2 days, IRR 0.78 (22% reduction), p=0.15. Data gathered from the focus group and the online survey for nurses, indicated positive response.
Conclusion: A clinically important reduction in catheter duration for a sub-group of patients was identified. The short duration of this study may have impeded the ability to change catheter practice and hence duration in the short term
Environmental Hygiene, Knowledge and Cleaning Practice: A Phenomenological Study of Nurses and Midwives During COVID-19
No full textBackground: Environmental cleanliness is a fundamental tenet in nursing and midwifery but often over-shadowed in practice. This study explored nurses’and midwives’knowledge and experiences of infection prevention and control (IPC) processes and cleaning, and perceptions about workplace risk-managementduring COVID-19.Methods: Six registered and enrolled nurses (one with dual midwife qualifications) were recruited. In-depth telephone interviews were analyzed using Colaizzi\u27s phenomenological method.Results: Four major themes were identified: Striving towards environmental cleanliness; Knowledge and learning feeds good practice; There\u27s always doubt in the back of your mind; and COVID has cracked it wide open. These articulate the nurses’and midwives’experiences and knowledge of IPC, particularly duringCOVID-19.Discussion: The findings emphasize the dynamic, interdependent nature of clinical (time, staff knowledge and compliance, work processes, hospital design) and organizational contexts and environmental cleanliness, which must be constantly maintained. COVID-19 opened up critical insights regarding poor past practices and lack of IPC compliance.Conclusions: COVID-19 has highlighted the criticality of environmental cleanliness within clinical and community settings. Evidence-based, experiential learning is important for nurses and midwives at all career stages, but provides only one solution. Clinician-led hospital design may also reduce the spread of infection; thus, promoting better patient car
An Ethnographic Study of Nursing on a Surgery Ship Providing Humanitarian Care
No full textLess than half the world’s population has access to essential health services (United Nations, 2020), the majority of whom live in low to middle-income countries (LMICs; Meara et al., 2015). The inability to access health services denies people a life of dignity. To bridge this current gap in the provision of health care, nongovernmental organisations are responding by deploying specialist, short term healthcare teams (Ng-Kamstra et al., 2016). Nurses, as the largest group of health professionals, provide care within those teams. Substantial literature is linked to nurses deployed in a disaster response situation, However, there is limited research into nurses’ roles within teams meeting a humanitarian response outside that urgent disaster context, and what their contribution brings. The purpose of this ethnographic study was to explore nursing involvement within humanitarian healthcare provision to generate insight into the area of humanitarian nursing in an acute, short term, nondisaster context and to extend the research literature surrounding this topic. The study was framed within the context of a faith-based nongovernmental organisation delivering specialist surgery on a civilian hospital ship. The aim was to advance the mission and purpose of humanitarian (nondisaster) nursing, providing a detailed description of the culture of nursing care in that setting. An interpretivist standpoint, influenced by a social constructivist theoretical position, was taken. Data were collected over 6 months, using participant observation, a reflection of artefacts, and the collective voice of volunteer nurses. Thematic analysis was conducted considering Consolidated Criteria for Reporting Qualitative Research (COREQ) guidelines. Findings elucidated nursing within the context of a community of nursing practice (CoNP), revealing four major themes: (1) “What drew us here?” (expressions of motivation), (2) “Who we are and how we do what we do” (expressions of engagement), (3) challenges (embracing change), and (4) development (expressions of transformation). This study contributes new knowledge by describing the culture of nursing and how nurses enact their care in a previously undescribed humanitarian context. Based on the analysis of findings, a professional practice model (PPM) named HHEALED was proposed. An in-depth application of the model was made to the specific organisational context framing the study. Recommendations arising from this study address nurses’ social and professional roles within humanitarian care that could further validate and strengthen policies and programs for the delivery of humanitarian health care for a mobile platform providing specialist surgical care
Sustainability in Healthcare Towards 2030 Poster for Australian Nursing and Midwifery Conference 2021.pdf
No full textIn 1992 the United Nations (UN), governments and major parties set an agenda for sustainable development at the ‘Earth Summit’ in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil known as Agenda 21 to guide sustainable development globally into the 21st century. Subsequently this led to the development of the UN Commission for Sustainable Development and in 2015 the adoption of 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals for achievement in 2030 by all member states. Almost 30 years have passed since the Earth Summit and the world is tracking negatively in many of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. The impact of coronavirus has reversed the progress made and has exacerbated inequalities within and between countries (UN, 2020). The World Health Organisation (WHO) has estimated that there will be an estimated 250,000 additional deaths per year from malnutrition, malaria, diarrhoea and heat stress due to climate change from 2030 (WHO, 2018). This poster aims to inform individuals, leaders and policymakers in the health sector of the Unsustainable Development Goals. Innovative and proactive strategies on how to adapt to this challenge based on research and evidence through environmental stewardship and healthy hospital initiatives can promote awareness and sustainable practices in the health sector. Ensuring there is the capacity to respond to extreme weather events through disaster planning and improved partnerships will be emphasised. References: United Nations. (2020). Sustainable development goals report. https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/report/2020/The-Sustainable-Development-Goals-Report-2020.pdf World Health Organisation. (2018). Climate change and health factsheet. https://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/climate-change-and-healt