3789 research outputs found
Sort by
Challenged by compassion: an exploration of the lived experience of compassion fatigue among Canadian nurses who worked during COVID-19
Get PDFThe experience of compassion fatigue is a serious challenge within caregiving
professions. Scholars agree that although the symptoms of compassion fatigue are similar to
burnout and secondary stress disorder, there is no agreement on what distinguishes compassion
fatigue from similar experiences. The terms compassion fatigue, secondary traumatic stress
disorder, and burnout have been used interchangeably in the literature. The aim of this research
was to develop a theoretical understanding of compassion fatigue, its process, and its relationship
with compassion, which can inform nursing research and education.
This research is a grounded theory investigation into the relationship between lived
experience of compassion fatigue, patient engagement styles, and their knowledge of and attitude
towards compassion among direct care nurses who worked during the COVID-19 pandemic in
Canada. As part of this study, an anonymous survey among direct care nursing professionals
from different parts of Canada functioned as the participant recruitment platform for the
subsequent grounded theory interviews. The main inclusion criteria were specified as the nurses’
who experienced of compassion fatigue any time during their career and who worked or are
working during COVID-19. The principal methodology of this is the grounded theory approach
of Gioia et al. (2013), located within the constructivist paradigm of Charmaz (2006). As the main
part of the data collection process, in-depth interviews were done with 27 direct care nurses from
different parts of the country; the majority came from the provinces of Ontario, Alberta, and
British Columbia. The preliminary literature review and anonymous survey data indirectly
informed the formulation of the research problem and questions and contributed towards cross
checking of the emergent grounded theory model and other findings. [...
Understanding how an app-based group chat impacts physical activity behaviour and mental health indices in an individualized 6-week aerobic physical activity program for university students
Get PDFWith the escalating mental health crisis among post-secondary students, accessible
support becomes crucial. In this context, individualized physical activity (PA) programming can
present a viable aid by alleviating stress, anxiety, and depression symptoms. While an
unsupervised PA program can lead to engagement challenges, a program that incorporates an
asynchronous app-based group chat may offer a suitable solution by fostering social support,
potentially improving PA behaviour and mental health. Currently, there is limited research on the
effectiveness of such individualized PA programs for post-secondary students.
Research questions: How does the addition of an app-based group chat to an individualized 6-
week PA program impact PA behaviour, aerobic fitness, and mental health indices for university
students, and to what degree are these changes, if any, maintained 4 weeks post-program
completion? How do participants view engaging in these types of interventions? [...
Building an EMPOWERed Classroom: examining the impact of a two-session virtual workshop on mental health literacy and self-efficacy to recommend mental health resources among postsecondary course instructors
Get PDFPostsecondary students are a population at elevated risk for mental health
concerns due to the unique stressors they face regularly compounded by pandemic induced
barriers to support. With an increase in both the prevalence of mental health difficulties and the
demand for related services, postsecondary wellness centres are overwhelmed, suggesting that
mental health on campus can no longer be the responsibility of one entity. By engaging other
sectors of the institution, more students can be reached and supported. Given the likelihood that
they are addressing health-related concerns indirectly and more frequently than ever, educators
are in a unique position that may allow for early detection of mental health difficulties and
support for their students. To date, research has demonstrated the importance of mental health
literacy training for educators, but few studies have evaluated a program designed to improve it.
By evaluating training designed to increase mental health literacy and self-efficacy to
recommend resources among educators, it may be possible to assist more students with receiving
mental health support and information. An education-focused approach has been identified as a
successful avenue for supporting the wellbeing of primary and secondary students as well as
those outside the field of education; however postsecondary instructors have yet to be the focus
of such work. [...
Racialized Bachelor of Education students' perspectives of performative allyship in the Black Lives Matter movement
Get PDFPerformative allyship, also referred to as performative activism, is a non-genuine form of
allyship or activism rooted in growing one’s social capital rather than raising awareness for the
stated human rights issue. Individuals are performing activism to increase social capital and
appease their sense of morality. This trend has been prevalent online throughout the height of the
Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests, where social media influencers use BLM-centred
demonstrations as an accessory to promote an image of social conscience and activism. The
purpose of this research seeks to understand racialized students’ distinct perspectives of allyship
(both performative and genuine) during the BLM movement using an epistemology of intersubjective knowledge construction. Structured interviews were conducted with four participants,
all of whom were current Lakehead University pre-service teachers. Participants showed a
distinct understanding of and definitions of genuine allyship and performative activism, offering
characteristics and examples of an ideal ally. The pre-service teachers interviewed depicted a
complex and nuanced understanding of the relationship between genuine and performative
action, unpacking how even authentically intended and informed allyship can still elicit
performative actions. From an understanding of privilege, willingness to accept potential
opportunities and the emotional labour of being continuously confronted with inequities and
resistance, all pre-service teachers (PSTs) believe race has a significant role in allyship
A review of silvics, stand dynamics, density management, and vegetation management in the Ontario boreal forest
Get PDFAdaptive forest management requires constant re-evaluation of the efficacy and
impact of current practices. Continuous development of information is key to any
adaptive management regime, especially in the face of large-scale changes to the
environment, economy, society, and the forest itself. This is why it is important to
always look to the future for alternatives to what may be working now. Two common
management objectives in the establishment and tending of boreal forest stands are stand
density management and vegetation management. These management areas rely heavily
on tree silvics and stand dynamics to be properly applied. This review outlines the
species silvics and stands dynamics of merchantable boreal tree species in Ontario. It
then explores the concepts of both density and vegetation management as they have been
established through previous literature. The current methods of density and vegetation
management in the Ontario boreal are outlined and to what degree they are used in what
situations. Finally, several alternative vegetation management options which reduce the
reliance on herbicides are explored
Skeletal muscle adaptation in response to chronic oral corticosterone treatment in C57BL/6N mice
Get PDFChronic exposure to elevated glucocorticoid levels represents a significant
concern for researchers, healthcare professionals, and the general public. In various
disorders and diseases (such as Cushing Syndrome and major depressive disorder),
levels of these endogenous stress hormones are chronically elevated. Treatment with
glucocorticoids over prolonged periods, as seen in treatment of autoimmune disorders
such as rheumatoid arthritis, also results in chronically elevated glucocorticoid levels
and poses a significant health concern. While it is generally accepted that chronic
glucocorticoid treatment results in skeletal muscle myopathy, less is known about the
specific effects of this treatment on functionally different muscle groups and key
skeletal muscle structures. The objective of the current study was to determine whether
skeletal muscle atrophy is induced in the gastrocnemius/plantaris and soleus by chronic
corticosterone (CORT) treatment at doses mimicking physiological stress conditions and
to examine the effects of chronic glucocorticoid treatment on key skeletal muscle
structures. C57BL/6N mice were dosed with 100μg/mL CORT in drinking water over a
period of 4 weeks then compared to naïve (untreated) and vehicle control (<1% ethanol
in drinking water) groups. [...
Cartographies of resistance: counter-data mapping as the new frontier of digital media activism
Get PDFIn the first datafied pandemic, the production of interactive Covid-19 data maps was intensified by state institutions and corporate media. Maps have been used by states and citizens to understand the advance and retreat of the contagion and monitor vaccine rates. However, the visualisations being used are often based on non-comparable data types across countries, leading to visual misrepresentations. Many pandemic data visualisations have consequently had a negative impact on public debate, contributing to an infodemic of disinformation that has stigmatised marginalised groups and detracted from social justice objectives. Counter to such hegemonic mapping, counter-data maps, produced by marginalised groups, have revealed hidden inequalities, supporting calls for intersectional health justice. This article investigates the ways in which various intersectional global communities have appropriated data, produced counter-data maps, unveiled hidden social realities, and generated more authentic social meanings through emergent counter-data mapping imaginaries. We use a comparative multi-case study, based on a multi case-study of three Covid-19 data mapping projects, namely Data for Black Lives (US), Indigenous Emergency (Brazil), and CityLab maps (global). Our findings indicate that counter-data mapping imaginaries are deeply embedded in community-oriented notions of spatiality and relationality. Moreover, the cartographic process tends to reflect alternative imaginaries through four key dimensions of data mapping practice—objectives, uses, production, and ownership. We argue that counter-data mapping is the new frontier of digital media activism and community communication, as it extends the projects of data justice and community media activism, generating new practices in the activist repertoire of communicative action
Brook Trout abundance and distribution at multiple spatial scales in Lake Superior tributaries
Get PDFBrook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) populations and habitat conditions are adversely
affected by anthropogenic impacts that could impact abundance and distribution of Brook
Trout at different spatial scales. My goal was to examine environmental DNA (eDNA) and
underwater video cameras (UWVC) as alternative sampling methods to conventional
(electrofishing) methods for measuring abundance and distribution of Brook Trout in
stream environments across two sampling years (2019, 2020). My second goal was to use
the same alternative sampling methods to examine Brook Trout-habitat associations at
three spatial scales and to determine whether the habitat associations are unique to one
spatial scale or common among spatial scales. The three spatial scales examined were the
segment (>200m), reach (50m) and microhabitat (1m2
) scale. Environmental DNA
concentrations and UWVC surveys showed a strong agreement with Brook Trout
presence/absence (89% and 78%, respectively) and estimated abundance but significant
interannual variation existed for both methods between sampling years. Habitat
associations determined that Brook Trout are associated with both scale-specific habitat
characteristics (i.e., canopy cover at the reach scale, baseflow index at the segment scale)
but were also strongly associated with common habitat characteristics (i.e., surface
temperature, stream width, watershed size (km2
) and discharge). The results of this study
support the use of eDNA and UWVC as alternative methods to electrofishing for
determining the presence/absence of Brook Trout and abundance. These results also
suggest that both scale-specific habitat variables and habitat variables measured across
scales are important factors for Brook Trout abundance and highlights what key habitat
characteristics fisheries managers should prioritize for management
Forest stand type and forest diversity affect on above ground carbon biomass in Ontario's boreal forest
Get PDFBiomass is a renewable organic material that is the living and recently dead
organic material synthesized by plants and other organisms (Battles 2015). Quantifying
forests and determining their value is an increasingly important concept in modern
forestry. Forests are often quantified by estimating their total above ground biomass in
forest ecosystems (Drake et al. 2003). This is significant as in the urban United states
alone, trees store approximately 700 million tonnes of carbon with an estimated value of
14.3 billion dollars. Understanding factors that increase a forest's biomass will have
direct and indirect environmental and economic impacts (Nowak and Crane 2002).
Climate change is currently one of the largest threats to human health (Martens
1999). Greenhouse gases, a major cause of climate change, continue to rise. As a
result, there are increasing levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, methane,
chlorofluorocarbons, nitrous oxide, and tropospheric ozone which contributes to rising
global temperatures (Novak and Crane 2002). Forests absorb atmospheric carbon and
store it in plant tissues, which are approximately 50% carbon, helping to mitigate
greenhouse gasses emitted by atmospheric carbon (Drake et al. 2003, Novak and
Crane 2002). [...
Effect of tree species diversity on species growth rate in the Saskatchewan boreal forest
Get PDFDiverse ecosystems are crucial to combating climate change. This study aims to examine
the impacts of tree species diversity on growth rate of seven boreal tree species. Data from
permanent sample plots located in the boreal plains ecozone of Saskatchewan will be used.
Species in these plots include white spruce (Picea glauca), black spruce (Picea mariana), balsam
fir (Abies balsamea), trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides), white birch (Betula papyrifera),
balsam poplar (Populus balsamifera) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana). Jack pine was the only
species to have growth rates respond positively to species diversity, with black spruce and
balsam fir being negatively impacted by diversity. Trembling aspen, white birch, balsam poplar
and white spruce showed no significant growth response to diversity. These findings highlight
the importance of considering species specific growth responses to diversity when managing
boreal forest stands