19683 research outputs found
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Work Productivity among Australian Palliative Care Nurses during the COVID-19 Pandemic: The Role of Compassion Fatigue and Compassion Satisfaction
No full textSubmitted in total fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Nursing and Midwifery, La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia.</p
The Victorian and Australian Capital Territory human rights charters and the absence of a right to health
No full textQueensland has recently introduced a right to health services, but Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory—the two other Australian jurisdictions with a charter of rights—do not include such a right in their charters. This paper explores whether these jurisdictions should consider introducing a right to health and examines concerns around the potential scope and application of such a right, based on an analysis of reviews of the charters in these jurisdictions that have considered and rejected incorporating this right.</p
“Why do you find similar reviews helpful?”: Psychological mechanisms of the effect of linguistic style matching on review helpfulness
No full textAlthough previous studies have examined the relationship between Language Style Matching (LSM) and review helpfulness, little research has been devoted to exploring the underlying psychological mechanism of the effect. The current research was conducted to investigate the effect of LSM on review helpfulness, and to introduce perceived credibility as the psychological mechanism that explains the effect. The findings from three experimental studies have shown that perceived credibility explains the positive effect of LSM on review helpfulness. Moreover, consumers find that reviews with high LSM are more helpful and credible when experts rather than peers provide the reviews. This research contributes to the literature on LSM and the helpfulness of reviews by showing how congruency in the language of the review provided by experts increases the reviews' appeal and offers practical suggestions for managers and marketers to better manage their product and service reviews.</p
My Career LinkedIn Use and Perceptions Questionnaire
No full textThe internet and social media have permeated all aspects of our lives in the past two decades, changing how we live, interact, work and study. It has been argued that for career builders, the internet is a career resource library, an opportunity marketplace, a space for the exchange of social capital, and a democratic media channel (Hooley, 2017). Of concern is that undergraduate students are generally lacking in skills associated with online technology proficiency and professionalism (Bridgstock, 2019), and they therefore need support to develop these skills. This questionnaire was used to evaluate the impact of an assessed module in which students created a LinkedIn profile. The paper-based questionnaire comprises 4- and 5-point Likert-scale questions and an open-ended question. The questionnaire was administered at the end of class; students were assured that this was a voluntary activity (no incentives were offered), and staff members left the room to ensure anonymity of responses.</p
Increasing the uptake of advance care directives through staff education and one-on-one support for people facing end-of-life
No full textBACKGROUND: An advance care plan outlines a patient's wishes regarding medical treatment or goals of care in the case that they become unable to communicate or to make decisions. An advance care directive (ACD) is an advance care plan that has been formally recorded and has legal status. Despite ACDs playing an important role in person-centred end-of-life care, an earlier retrospective medical records audit demonstrated that only 11% (58/531) of people who died due to a terminal illness had an ACD.The aim of this project was to increase the proportion of patients with a terminal illness completing an ACD. A secondary outcome was to measure the impact of ACDs on hospital and intensive care unit (ICU) admissions in the last 6 months of life.This multifaceted project comprised (1) education for health professionals and the public; (2) individual support for patients on request; (3) development of online resources for health professionals and the general public; and (4) monthly team meetings.
METHOD: The proportion of ACDs completed and hospital and ICU admissions during the last 6 months of life, were extracted via medical record audits.Written consent was required for patients to participate, including being contacted by the project team and accessing their medical records.
RESULTS: 112 patients consented to participate in the project and 109 (97%) completed an ACD. There was no reduction in the average number of hospital admissions, while ICU admissions reduced from 14% (n=74) to 0%.
CONCLUSION: The targeted, multifaceted approach to education and support for completion of ACDs, resulted in a significant increase in ACD completion and a major reduction in ICU admissions.</p
The “Spirit” of New Atheism and Religious Activism in the Post-9/11 God Debate
No full textIn this article I examine the contemporary discourses and debates that surround the sociology of spirituality, with especial attention to the term “spirituality”. To counter the widespread belief that this term lacks clarity and utility, I suggest reconsidering Max Weber’s use of the term “spirit,” as it refers to a recognisable ethic that results in specific behaviour, while still retaining its religious and spiritual connotations. Through focusing on two influential English figures in the post 9/11 God debate in the West, Richard Dawkins and Karen Armstrong, I provide a brief case study of how Weber’s understanding of “spirit” serves great utility in illuminating what drives the ideas, identity-making and behaviour of contemporary atheists and those defending religion. By utilising Weber’s “spirit,” rather than the term spirituality, I demonstrate that this enables us to dig deep into the social context and backgrounds of these two individuals, and to avoid taking their statements at face value – a common criticism of sociology of spirituality studies. I argue that the use of “spirit,” in terms of a recognisable ethic that results in specific behaviour, would benefit the sociology of spirituality. This is because it grounds the God debaters’ ideas and beliefs in a recognisable human experience that eludes reductive distinctions and disembodied abstractions.</p
Biofilm Production in Intensive Care Units: Challenges and Implications
No full textThe prevalence of infections amongst intensive care unit (ICU) patients is inevitably high, and the ICU is considered the epicenter for the spread of multidrug-resistant bacteria. Multiple studies have focused on the microbial diversity largely inhabiting ICUs that continues to flourish despite treatment with various antibiotics, investigating the factors that influence the spread of these pathogens, with the aim of implementing sufficient monitoring and infection control methods. Despite joint efforts from healthcare providers and policymakers, ICUs remain a hub for healthcare-associated infections. While persistence is a unique strategy used by these pathogens, multiple other factors can lead to persistent infections and antimicrobial tolerance in the ICU. Despite the recognition of the detrimental effects biofilm-producing pathogens have on ICU patients, overcoming biofilm formation in ICUs continues to be a challenge. This review focuses on various facets of ICUs that may contribute to and/or enhance biofilm production. A comprehensive survey of the literature reveals the apparent need for additional molecular studies to assist in understanding the relationship between biofilm regulation and the adaptive behavior of pathogens in the ICU environment. A better understanding of the interplay between biofilm production and antibiotic resistance within the environmental cues exhibited particularly by the ICU may also reveal ways to limit biofilm production and indivertibly control the spread of antibiotic-resistant pathogens in ICUs.</p
BackTrAC: A Digital Care Pathway for People Presenting to Emergency with Lower Back Pain. A Development and Feasibility Study Protocol
No full textObjectives: Back pain is a prevalent condition that affects 1 in 6 Australians at any time, with high associated health care costs. To date, there is limited information relating to symptom severity and recovery trajectory in people with back pain who present to the emergency department for care. A digital care pathway (DCP) can track patient outcomes following presentation with back pain. The primary aim of this protocol is to outline the co-development, implementation, and evaluation of a DCP for back pain patients who present to the emergency department. Methods: The primary aim will be addressed in 3 overlapping phases: Phase 1 (co-design) will include interviews with back pain patients and health care professionals from the Northern Hospital Emergency Department. Interview findings will inform education resources featured on the DCP and establish questionnaire content and frequency acceptability. Phase 2 (implementation) will include the rollout of the DCP and tracking of patient-reported outcome measures, which will be collected over 12 weeks. Phase 3 (evaluation) will include interviews with a subset of back pain patients who have participated in Phase 2 to evaluate the acceptability of the DCP and the barriers and facilitators of using the DCP. </p
Remote Witnesses: Improving Their Experience of Technology, Orientation and Environment When Participating via Audio-Visual Links
No full textCourts are making increasing use of audio-visual links (AVL) for many purposes, including taking evidence from witnesses. However, there has been little in the way of research to provide guidance for courts and judges on conditions or standards that should apply to their use. Participant expert and lay witnesses in a mock trial were randomly assigned to AVL experiences that varied (a) the quality of the technology and supporting physical environment, and (b) the way witnesses were informed, supported and orientated. After providing their testimony, mock witnesses answered questions about their experience. We found that high quality technology and appropriately designed supporting physical environments increased perceived respect. Similarly, enhanced information and support improved perceived voice and rapport. Further, the combination of advanced environment and process had a compounding effect on perceived voice and respect, suggesting that courts seeking the best outcomes will implement both aspects. These results have significant implications for judicial officers and court administrators making decisions about AVL use, and implementing the AVL design and operation.</p
Harnessing the Science of Learning: Success Stories to Help Kickstart Your School Improvement
No full textNo description supplied.</p