Search

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to explore the approaches to education and training adopted by manufacturing organisations to identify and develop a set of learning principles for the successful transition to Industry 4.0. Design/methodology/approach: A case study of a manufacturing ecosystem in Queensland, Australia was undertaken, that included semi-structured interviews with a total sample of 22 manufacturing industry representatives, an analysis of secondary data including organisational documents and government reports, and embedded cases of two manufacturing organisations. Findings: Manufacturers successfully transitioning to Industry 4.0 are distinguished by a culture which values learning, management development to understand and lead innovation, experimental learning on the job and strong links to education and training providers through internships and upskilling pathways. These four principles inform approaches to creating tailored training solutions that respond to the unique needs of diverse manufacturing organisations. Research limitations/implications: The two case studies describe exemplary high performing companies only and not companies at earlier stages of adopting Industry 4.0. Therefore, future research could include a broader spectrum of companies across the adoption spectrum. Nevertheless, considered as a study of a total manufacturing ecosystem, there is strong alignment of views of government, industry, union and education stakeholders regarding the key factors of transition to Industry 4.0. Practical implications: There is a strong need for leaders of manufacturing organisations to enable a broad strategy of capability development beyond simple acquisition of new technologies. Detailed consideration and resourcing of on-the-job training and experimentation, talent attraction through innovation workplace cultures and strong relationships with education providers are important. Social implications: Given that Industry 4.0 technologies such as robotics and AI are now rapidly diffusing into other industry sectors, the research has broader implications for education and training for the future of work. These technologies could produce stark differences between efficiency versus innovation-oriented adoption strategies. Whilst the former could displace workers, the latter can open pathways for upskilling, product and process innovation and cross sector employment. Originality/value: Through the ecosystem level case approach, multiple stakeholder perspectives provide triangulated insights into advanced manufacturer's education, skills and training strategies, uncovering four learning principles that underpin the approach of manufacturers successfully transitioning to Industry 4.0. The findings have practical implications for policy makers and industry bodies supporting the transition to advanced manufacturing and provide manufacturing managers with insights into successful education and skill strategies that can be adapted to specific organisational needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population is aging, with frailty emerging as a significant risk factor for poor outcomes for older people who become acutely ill. We describe the development and implementation of the Frail Older Persons' Collaborative Program, which aims to optimise the care of frail older adults across healthcare systems in Queensland. Priority areas were identified at a co-design workshop involving key stakeholders, including consumers, multidisciplinary clinicians, senior Queensland Health staff and representatives from community providers and residential aged care facilities. Locally developed, evidence-based interventions were selected by workshop participants for each priority area: a Residential Aged Care Facility acute care Support Service (RaSS); improved early identification and management of frail older persons presenting to hospital emergency departments (GEDI); optimisation of inpatient care (Eat Walk Engage); and enhancement of advance care planning. These interventions have been implemented across metropolitan and regional areas, and their impact is currently being evaluated through process measures and system-level outcomes. In this narrative paper, we conceptualise the healthcare organisation as a complex adaptive system to explain some of the difficulties in achieving change within a diverse and dynamic healthcare environment. The Frail Older Persons' Collaborative Program demonstrates that translating research into practice and effecting change can occur rapidly and at scale if clinician commitment, high-level leadership, and adequate resources are forthcoming. What is known about the topic? Providing frailty-focused care can improve outcomes, particularly by avoiding unnecessary admissions to hospital and reducing hospital-acquired complications, such as delirium and functional decline. Several evidence-based interventions exist that apply to specific points in the trajectory of older frail patients from hospital presentation to discharge and beyond, but these are not generally well integrated across the entire patient journey. What does this paper add? This paper describes a whole-of-healthcare system approach to improving care and outcomes for frail older people in Queensland. Rather than developing new care initiatives, the approach was taken to invest in pre-existing evidence-based interventions developed and validated in Queensland clinical settings and scale them across the state over 3 years. What are the implications for practitioners? This state-wide scale-up of evidence-based interventions has profiled how the healthcare system can be redesigned to implement models that better support vulnerable older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of the present study was to determine the clinical activity profile of preregistration physiotherapy students during clinical placements and their clinical activity contribution to health service delivery. Methods: Clinical activity data for 2014 were obtained from five Queensland public sector hospitals providing preregistration physiotherapy students clinical education in three key clinical areas (cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal and neurological) over four 5-week placement blocks. Data regarding the number of student occasions of service (OOS) and the length of the OOS (LOOS) were collected to determine the average OOS and LOOS per student in each clinical area. Results: Twenty weeks of student data were collected from each hospital in each clinical area, representing 29.1% of cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal and neurorehabilitation student placements. Students completed 19 051 OOS. The average OOS per student per block for cardiorespiratory, musculoskeletal and neurorehabilitation placements was 98.3, 74.0 and 72.4 respectively. Two-way ANOVA revealed a main effect of weeks (F = 402.1, P < 0.001) and clinical area (F =1331.5, P < 0.001) for LOOS.In addition, an interaction was found between clinical placement week and clinical area for LOOS (F = 8.4, P < 0.001). Conclusions: Student clinical activity data are useful for understanding the student contribution to health services. Student contribution appears to increase throughout the clinical placement and consideration should be given to the clinical educator : student ratio to enhance overall student contribution. What is known about the topic?: Quantitative data describing physiotherapy student clinical care activity during placements are limited. What does this paper add?: This paper profiles physiotherapy student clinical care activity and the changes occurring over 5-week placements. What are the implications for practitioners?: Physiotherapy students provide clinical activity for health services that changes over their 5-week placement. Student clinical activity should be considered when responding to placement demand and planning service delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Domestic and family violence (DFV) is a serious, worldwide public health concern and the literature suggests that women who have experienced violence identify health care providers as the professionals they would most trust with disclosure of abuse. Social work is well positioned to respond to women presenting in hospitals after experiencing DFV and in advocating for systems and policy initiatives to support health staff in becoming adequately trained and supported to detect and respond appropriately. This paper reports on research that surveyed health staff in two hospitals in Queensland, Australia, to identify what DFV training they had received, whether this training increased their knowledge, skills and confidence to address DFV and what services they would access to support women presenting with DFV. The results showed that the respondents were an experienced staff group who had worked in the health sector for 10–20 years but despite having access to State-based training, the majority of them had not completed any in-house training and only 12% had received face-to-face training, and when they did undertake training, it was usually only a two-hour session. Seventy-five per cent of respondents would refer to their hospital-based social worker and 40% would make referrals to other support services, primarily social work. IMPLICATIONS Hospitals need to prioritise, commit to, and resource appropriate and regular training to better equip health staff to identify and respond to DFV. Training needs to build the knowledge and skills of staff members to address their confidence to intervene and offer support. Social work can provide an important role in advocating and developing training and procedures to sustain health staff members' capacity to respond appropriately to DFV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines collaborative researcher-practitioner knowledge work around assessment data in culturally diverse, low socio-economic school communities in Queensland, Australia. Specifically, the paper draws on interview accounts about the work of a cohort of school-based researchers who acted as mediators bridging knowledge flows between a local university and a cluster of schools. We draw on the concept of recontextualisation to explore the processes of knowledge mediation in dialogues around student assessment data to design instructional innovations. We argue that critical policy studies need to explore the complex ways in which neoliberal education policies are enacted in local sites. Moreover, we suggest that an analysis of collaborative knowledge work designed to improve student learning outcomes in low socio-economic school communities necessitates attention to the principles regulating knowledge flows across boundaries. In addition, it necessitates attention to the ways in which mediators navigate dilemmatic spaces, anxieties and affects/feelings in order to generate innovative learning designs in the current global context of high-stakes national testing and accountability regimes. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective This paper reports on a major category that emerged as a result of a Grounded Theory study that explored Registered Nurses' (RN) understanding of the nursing standard requirement to provide nursing students with professional development during their clinical placements. Design Grounded Theory study. Setting Nursing clinical education. Subjects Fifteen registered nurses participated in this study (n=15). Thirteen were female and two were male. Main outcome measures In-depth semi-structured interviews were the means of data collection. Constant comparative method was used to analyse data. Results The notion of choice emerged as a major finding. Choice is conceptualised as choosing whether or not to be involved in the professional development of nursing students. The category choice is informed by two themes; unsuited to teaching, and respecting peers. Conclusion According to the Australian nursing standards RNs are responsible for providing professional development to nursing students on clinical placements. Results from this Grounded Theory study revealed that participants perceived it is an RNs choice whether or not to provide professional development to nursing students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aboriginal Australians have worse cancer survival rates than other Australians. Reasons include fear of a cancer diagnosis, reluctance to attend mainstream health services and discrimination from health professionals. Offering health professionals education in care focusing on Aboriginal patients' needs is important. The aim of this paper was to evaluate whether participating in a workshop improved the confidence of radiation oncology health professionals in their knowledge, communication and ability to offer culturally safe healthcare to Aboriginal Australians with cancer.Methods: Mixed methods using pre and post workshop online surveys, and one delivered 2 months later, were evaluated. Statistical analysis determined the relative proportion of participants who changed from not at all/a little confident at baseline to fairly/extremely confident immediately and 2 months after the workshop. Factor analysis identified underlying dimensions in the items and nonparametric tests recorded changes in mean dimension scores over and between times. Qualitative data was analysed for emerging themes.Results: Fifty-nine participants attended the workshops, 39 (66% response rate) completed pre-workshop surveys, 32 (82% of study participants) completed post-workshop surveys and 25 (64% of study participants) completed surveys 2 months later. A significant increase in the proportion of attendees who reported fair/extreme confidence within 2 days of the workshop was found in nine of 14 items, which was sustained for all but one item 2 months later. Two additional items had a significant increase in the proportion of fair/extremely confident attendees 2 months post workshop compared to baseline. An exploratory factor analysis identified three dimensions: communication; relationships; and awareness. All dimensions' mean scores significantly improved within 2 days (p < 0.005) and persisted to 2 months. The workshop raised awareness about barriers and enablers to delivering services respectful of cultural differences, led to a willingness to reflect on pre-existing beliefs and assumptions about Aboriginal Australians that in some cases resulted in improved care.Conclusion: Single workshops co-delivered by an Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal presenter can be effective in building health professionals' confidence and translating into practice knowledge of respectful care of Aboriginal patients with cancer. Sustaining improvements may require integrating this approach into ongoing professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Nurses guide and support learning of students and new graduates in the workplace. A plethora of literature exists about learners needs in the workplace however nursing leadership teams also need to support experienced nurses who facilitate others’ learning. Aim: This study sought to develop a tool for Registered Nurses’ to report on the support they receive when they facilitate the learning of others. Scale development: An extensive literature review identified 28 papers about support RNs need to facilitate learning. Five re-occuring themes pertaining to workload, communication, acknowledgement, teamwork and preparation for role emerged from analysis of these papers. These were verified independently through focus groups. A 30-item instrument was generated based on the themes; further RN focus groups were conducted to ensure clarity of items. Testing of instrument: Data were collected from RNs working in medical and surgical areas across three acute care hospitals (ranging from 300 to 750 beds). A total of 372 registered nurses responded. Principle component analysis identified 5 distinct sub scales represented by 17 items with good reliability: workload 0.953; communication 0.847; acknowledgement 0.858; teamwork 0.852; preparation 0.942. Conclusion: This newly developed tool measures Registered Nurses perceptions of support they receive to fulfil their role in supporting the learning of others. The data generated from use of this tool can inform nursing leadership about the effectiveness of existing infrastructure and resources to support RNs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A departmental review of education curricula in Queensland, Australia has found that minimal or no learning about sexuality education takes place. Its public schools and teachers are able to avoid or not fulfil their obligations regarding the teaching of sexuality education and reproductive health to children and young people. This lacuna in schools' duty of care may significantly compromise the well-being, choices, life skills and opportunities for young people as they mature towards adult citizenship, and may even lead to potentially hazardous situations for them. To redress this deficiency, a new curriculum and supporting documents have been developed by Queensland's curriculum authority. This paper audits both the current Human Relationships Education and the new Sexual and Reproductive Health Education curricula. This paper also analyses the rationale for teaching school students about sexuality, relationships and reproduction as an essential part of Health and Physical Education, in light of significant contemporary sexuality education issues and contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper documents the relationships between pedagogy and e-assessment in two nursing courses offered at the University of Southern Queensland, Australia. The courses are designed to build the academic, numeracy and technological attributes student nurses need if they are to succeed at the university and in the nursing profession. The paper first outlines the management systems supporting the two courses and how they intersect with the e-learning and e-assessment components of the course design. These pedagogical choices are then reviewed. While there are lessons to be learnt and improvements to be made, preliminary results suggest that students and staff are extremely supportive of the courses. The e-assessment is very positively received with students reporting increased confidence and competency in numeracy, as well as IT, academic, research and communication skills. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present paper is part of a larger study carried out in North Queensland, Australia, between 1999 and 2001. The original study focused on the perceptions of 15 women who each have (or had) a child who was medically, educationally and socio-culturally constituted as having a disability. Qualitative methods were used for research design and to gather data. Poststructural and feminist perspectives were added to provide additional methods of data analysis. The primary focus in this paper is the spatiality of inclusive education with/in the discursive site of (special) education. It also considers the binary of regular/special education in relation to the spaces of educational discourse through the perspectives of the mothers, covering a temporal frame of 40 years. The mothers' perceptions provide a historical lens on the changes that occurred in special education in North Queensland over this time, while at the same time offer an insight into the spaces disability occupies in education discourse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the work of media discourses on education policy in public debates over the Queensland school curriculum. It draws on theories of discourse, theories that have recently influenced the field of policy sociology, to outline a conceptualization of policy and media texts as discourses in the public sphere. In so doing, it notes the significant contribution such public discourses on education make to the policy process. The paper employs critical discourse analysis to investigate the discursive constructions of curriculum during one particular policy initiative. The analysis focuses on newspaper debates over the inclusion of a subject called Health and Physical Education (HPE) in the Queensland secondary school curriculum. The paper shows how educational policy issues were discursively constituted and contested through the construction of public discourses on education policy. In particular, it demonstrates how such public discourses worked to construct authoritative voices on educational policy. The paper concludes with a call to teachers and policymakers to seek opportunities to construct an authoritative public voice on issues of education policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper draws upon research into the nature of teachers' learning practices in the context of current policy conditions in the state of Queensland, Australia. The research explores how teachers in one school in the north of the state responded to policy pressure to adopt a specific standardised approach to 'explicit teaching', associated with an elite private school in Victoria, Australia. The research utilises literature on the privatisation and commodification of education, in conjunction with Pierre Bourdieu's sociology of practice, to elaborate the nature and complexity of the teacher learning/take-up of this approach. The research reveals how the 'explicit teaching' approach in question had become legitimised through its take-up in this elite private school setting, and how this influenced teachers' work and learning in a very different context. This was not a straightforward process, however, with evidence of contestation occurring alongside these legitimation processes. The result was a complex and contradictory process in which teachers resisted a standardised, commodified form of teaching and its associations with a particular elite private schooling context, even as they were dominated by these practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses sociologically the current form of school-based secondary assessment, in Queensland which is criterion-referenced to Year 10 and a hybrid criterion/norm referenced form at the end of Year 12. Habermas' arguments are used to suggest that this. assessment pattern will give the state potentially greater 'steering capacity' over education by 'rationalising' it-the 'scientisation of schooling'. This form of assessment fits within the accountability discourse of the economically parsimonious 1980 while meeting selection demands. However, the approach does meet some educational demands. The paper also reflects upon the role of the state and expert knowledge in policy formulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim This study aimed to demonstrate how supervisors and students use their time during the three domains of nutrition and dietetic clinical placement and to what extent patient-care and non-patient activities change during placement compared with pre- and post-placement. Methods A cohort survey design was used with students from two Queensland universities, and their supervisors in 2010. Participants recorded their time use in either a paper-based or an electronic survey. Supervisors' and students' time use was calculated as independent daily means according to time-use categories reported over the length of the placement. Mean daily number of occasions of service, length of occasions of service, project activities and other time use in minutes was reported as productivity output indicators and the data imputed. A linear mixed modelling approach was used to describe the relationship between the stage of placement and time use in minutes. Results Combined students' (n = 21) and supervisors' (n = 29) time use as occasions of service or length of occasions of service in patient-care activities were significantly different pre, during and post placement. On project-based placements in food-service management and community public health nutrition, supervisors' project activity time significantly decreased during placements with students undertaking more time in project activities. Conclusions This study showed students do not reduce occasions of service in patient care, and they enhance project activities in food service and community public health nutrition while on placement. A larger study is required to confirm these results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Nursing directors in mental health services hold important leadership positions that include responsibility for the nursing workforce. The comprehensive or generalist approach to undergraduate nursing education consistently poses significant recruitment problems. Specialisation in mental health within Bachelor of Nursing programs has been suggested as a potential solution. This paper presents the views and opinions of mental health nursing directors regarding undergraduate specialisation. Methods. A qualitative exploratory study was undertaken. Thirteen nursing directors from Queensland Mental Health Services participated in an in-depth telephone interview. The data were analysed thematically. Results. Nursing directors were very supportive of specialisation in mental health at the undergraduate level. Thematic analysis revealed four main themes: perceived advantages of the specialist stream; knowledge and experience; increased recruitment; and commitment. Conclusions. Nursing directors are important stakeholders in educational preparation for practice in mental health settings. The research participants described many potential benefits to undergraduate specialisation. Their voice provides an important contribution to this issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the differences in school (NAPLAN) outcomes between New South Wales and Queensland. It shows that there are pronounced differences in Year 3 NAPLAN results between these states, though these dissipate when later class years are considered. The reasons for these state effects in school outcomes are explored using an empirical framework grounded in the regression discontinuity literature. There is no systematic evidence of school-specific unobservables that are linearly related to the distance of schools from the New South Wales–Queensland border that account for this state effect. In other words, the lower outcomes of schools in Queensland relative to schools in New South Wales appear to be a pure institutional phenomenon. This conclusion carries over to the various sensitivity tests undertaken based on the partition of the sample by school sector and by distance from the border. Accordingly, the border effects are expected to be eroded by the recent reforms to the school starting age in Queensland and by the national curriculum currently proposed for implementation in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Training for health services staff often focuses on improving individual practitioner's knowledge and skills, with less emphasis given to the broader organizational context, in particular those elements that support successful implementation of changes post-training. This paper compares the effectiveness of a standard training model for suicide prevention to an enhanced training model. The training involved the public mental health workforce throughout the State of Queensland, Australia and was developed in collaboration with the State health department and as such took place within a policy and practice context. The standard training involved participation in a one-day training workshop, which provided information on evidence-based suicide prevention strategies. The enhanced model took an organizational development approach and incorporated a focus on creating and strengthening networks to enhance the capacity of mental health service staff to undertake preventive strategies. Findings suggest that multi-component organizational approaches for suicide prevention produces benefits that should now be trialled through experimental approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Currently in the Australian higher education sector, the productivity benefits of occupational therapy clinical education placements are a contested issue. This article will report results of a study that developed a methodology for documenting time use during placements and investigated the productivity changes associated with occupational therapy clinical education placements in Queensland, Australia. Supervisors' and students' time use during placements and how this changed for supervisors compared to pre- and post-placement is also presented. Methods: Using a cohort survey design, participants were students from two Queensland universities, and their supervisors employed by Queensland Health. Time use was recorded in 30 minute blocks according to particular categories. Results: There was a significant increase in supervisors' time spent in patient care activities (F = 94.0112,12.37 df, P < 0.001) between pre- and during placement (P < 0.001) and decrease between during and post-placement (P < 0.001). Supervisors' time spent in all non-patient care activities was also significant (F = 4.580 2,16 df, P = 0.027) increasing between pre- and during placement (P = 0.028). There was a significant decrease in supervisors' time spent in placement activities (F = 5.133 2,19.18 df, P = 0.016) from during to post-placement. Students spent more time than supervisors in patient care activities while on placement. Discussion: A novel method for reporting productivity and time-use changes during clinical education programs for occupational therapy has been applied. Supervisors spent considerable time in assessing and managing students and their clinical education role should be seen as core business in standard occupational therapy practice. This paper will contribute to future assessments of the economic impact of student placements for allied health disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Attention to the inequitable distribution and limited access to primary health care resources is key to addressing the priority health needs of underserved populations in rural, remote and outer metropolitan areas. There is little high-quality evidence about improving access to quality primary health care services for underserved groups, particularly in relation to geographic barriers, and limited discussion about the training implications of reforms to improve access. To progress equity in access to primary health care services, health professional education institutions need to work with both the health sector and policy makers to address issues of workforce mix, recruitment and retention, and new models of primary health care delivery. This requires a fundamental shift in focus from these institutions and the health sector, to each view themselves as partners in an integrated teaching, research and service-oriented health system. This paper discusses the challenges and opportunities for primary health care professionals, educators and the health sector in providing quality teaching and clinical experiences for increasing numbers of health professionals as a result of the reform agenda. It then outlines some practical strategies based on theory and evolving experience for dealing with some of these challenges and capitalising on opportunities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cherbourg State School is approximately 300 km northwest of Brisbane. It is situated in an Aboriginal community at Cherbourg with approximately 250 students. At the Cherbourg State School, the aim was to generate good academic outcomes for all students from kindergarten to Year 7 and to nurture a strong and positive sense of what it means to be Aboriginal in today's society. In this paper, I will discuss modernism and postmodernism in indigenous studies and how this has impacted on the design and development of the Indigenous Studies Programme at the Cherbourg State School. The programme was designed to provide students with the opportunity to learn about the history of Indigenous people from Indigenous voices and provide an understanding of the impact of invasion and the consequences on the lives of Indigenous people, in the past and present. The stories from the elders and members of their own community provided knowledge that allowed students to challenge Aboriginal identity by taking on existing perceptions so that they could be better processed and understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2009, a nursing education model was locally designed and delivered to support the interest of a group of Aboriginal community members living in a rural and remote town in Queensland, specifically to prepare for entry into further nursing education. Named 'Tjirtamai' by the traditional owners of the area, the program was offered in recognition of the challenges faced by Aboriginal people when they enter nursing education courses and as a way to increase the local number of Aboriginal nurses. This program, while funded by the Government, had unprecedented support and involvement from both the local Aboriginal and wider community. The model offered multiple exit points, assistance with financial and other known challenges for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, and included contextualised literacy and numeracy. Of the 38 Aboriginal students who enrolled in the course, 26 students completed. Of those students, 18 have since enrolled in a bachelor degree in nursing while another 4 enrolled in a diploma of nursing. This paper provides an overview of the course and its outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasing number of people with dementia in aged care facilities is reported to have a high burden of care among staff. The Nurse Practitioner role can be beneficial in the provision of dementia care particularly when difficult and aggressive behaviour is being displayed. The model of service described in this paper is designed in such a way to make the outreach team contribute to staff sustainability. Such a service is different to other outreach services and focuses on a number of key deliverables. In practice, the service ensures that recommendations made by the team at the initial assessment are implemented. In addition, they work with the staff in managing the resident's behaviour, train and model suggestions for practice in interventions. Evaluation of the service is a work in progress and will highlight important aspects about the workforce for the improvement of quality of life for residents with dementia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To describe the career paths of veterinary graduates from the University of Queensland during the first 15 years after they graduated, paying particular attention to the fifteenth year. Procedure Longitudinal study. Questionnaires were completed by 154 first year veterinary students in 1985 and 1986, then while they were in fifth year, and after 1, 5, 10 and 15 years after they graduated. This paper describes findings from the most recent questionnaire but includes comparisons with previous ones. Results Completed questionnaires were received from 134 of the 137 graduates. They were spread widely, but 58% were in Queensland and 20% in New South Wales; 17% were overseas. Most (85%) were in private practice, and 56% of them were part or sole owners; 58% were working in cities with > 100,000 people, and 28% in centres with < 10,000 people. Overall 80% of the workload of the group was with dogs and cats, 8% with horses and 11% with farm animals. Most felt that their income was too low. Of those doing less than half-time or no veterinary work, 44% were at home with family, 8% in another business, 11% another profession, and the rest in a wide variety of occupations. Changed interests, need for greater challenges, poor remuneration, loss of interest in veterinary work, and caring for family were, in order, the top five (of 15) reasons for leaving veterinary work. Three-quarters (78%) of all those doing veterinary work, but 52% of those no longer doing veterinary work agreed that their career had lived up to their expectations. Conclusion After 15 years 77% were still doing veterinary work, 85% in private practice, and 80% of their work was with dogs and cats. Almost all were either very glad or generally glad that they had done the veterinary course, though most (78%) felt that their income was too low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:: Clinical educators in nursing perform a crucial role in facilitating effective learning for students of nursing. They have the potential to act as a catalysing agent for learning -- motivating students to make links between theory and practice, moving students safely from the known to the unknown, developing clinical skills and reflective practice. Whilst their role is extremely important, clinical educators in Australia are undervalued and under-supported. They are isolated and fragmented, and lack a unifying professional body and infrastructure to assist them in education, research and practice development. This paper reports on a study to explore what educational solutions could help to resolve the problem. Design: A qualitative design utilising snowball sampling and semi-structured interviews was conducted. Setting: The study took place in Queensland and thus results are limited to the needs identified in this region of Australia. Subjects: Ten participants provided their views about educational innovations. Conclusions: There is strong support for a curriculum focused on clinical education and centred on the concept of learning community in order to provide community and build capacity in the specialty group so that they become self-reliant and their achievements and contributions are sustainable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

hegney d, plank a, watson j, raith l & mc keon c (2005) Journal of Clinical Nursing 14, 855–862 Patient education and consumer medicine information: a study of provision by Queensland rural and remote area Registered Nurses The aim of the larger study was to ascertain the medication practices of registered and enrolled nurses in rural and remote areas of Queensland after the introduction of the Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation. This paper reports on the findings of the role of registered nurses and their confidence in the ability to provide information on medications in a way that the client understands; the frequency of the provision of information to clients prior to discharge; and the frequency of Indigenous Health Workers or interpreters for people without English as a first language. Queensland employs approximately 17% of the Australian registered nurse workforce. In 1996 Queensland changed the Health (Drugs and Poisons) Regulation to allow specific registered nurses, who had undertaken approved postgraduate education and training programmes, to become endorsed for an expanded medication practice role. In particular, it allowed endorsed nurses to administer and supply (but not prescribe) drugs listed in a drug formulary to certain clients using protocols. It was not clear, however, whether the changes to the Regulation reflected the scope of practice, thereby providing adequate legal protection for the nurse. During 2001–02 an exploration of the medication practices of rural and remote area nurses was conducted by the use of a cross-sectional postal survey. Phase 1 of the study used a facility audit to ascertain facility medication practices and phase 2 of the study used a postal survey to ascertain nurses’ medication practices. All nurses employed in rural and remote health facilities in Queensland were eligible to participate in the study. The nurse registering authority's (the Queensland Nursing Council) register was used to generate a non-proportional stratified random sample. Of the 1999 questionnaires sent, there were 668 respondents. Of these, 520 were registered nurses. The data indicated that there was a difference between endorsed and unendorsed registered nurses’ medication practice. In particular, it was apparent that endorsed registered nurses were more likely to believe they could explain the side-effects of medication to clients in a way the patient understood; provided medication education to clients on discharge; and used Indigenous Health Workers or interpreters to explain medications to those clients for whom English was not a first language. However, it was apparent that <50% of all Registered Nurses were providing client medication education or using Indigenous Health Workers or interpreters. It is apparent that the changes to the Regulation have ensured that Registered Nurses who have undergone postgraduate education to enhance their medication practice are more likely to provide client education and consumer medication information. However, the results suggest that the majority of registered nurses in Queensland, whilst believing they have sufficient knowledge of pharmacology to provide client education, often do not provide appropriate medication advice to clients, particularly on discharge from the acute setting. It is well recognized that the provision of medication education to clients has several benefits to both the client and the health care system. The lack of client medication education indicated in this study compromises patient's safety as well as their compliance with their medication regime. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aboriginal and Tortes Strait Islander students have traditionally encountered less academic success than non-Aborigines. While there has been considerable research into school based factors for indigenous academic success, few studies have examined the impact of peers and leisure activities of these youths which are primarily found outside the school. This paper uses the poststructuralist concept of the body to examine how the members of one North Queensland Aboriginal and Tortes Strait Islander subculture derive pleasure through the production of aerosol art similar to African-American and Rastafarian street subcultures. It is argued that schools could incorporate some of the elements of subcultures in the formal curriculum as one way of preventing indigenous students from dropping out of school, thereby increasing their chances of attaining greater academic success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]