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Introduction: Competency-based education has been commonly used to enhance the healthcare workforce for some time. A translational discipline that is integral to drug development and impactful on healthcare and public health is clinical pharmacology. With such contribution, it is essential that the clinical pharmacology workforce is adequately equipped to address the demands of emerging trends of drug development. Objectives: The primary objective of this study was to determine the most significant competencies needed for a clinical pharmacologist in the regulatory environment. Methods: A two round modified Delphi technique was administered to 29 clinical pharmacologists within the Office of Clinical Pharmacology (OCP) between November 2021–January 2022. A questionnaire consisting of core and technical competencies was administered electronically using SurveyMonkey ® to gain consensus about essential clinical pharmacology competencies. Participants used a Likert scale to rank importance of competencies from strongly agree (1), agree (2), neutral (3), disagree (4), strongly disagree (5). Participants also suggested topics to be included in the next round. Consensus was set at 60%. The competencies receiving the most consensus at 60% in round one and the new topics proceeded to the second round. In the second and final round, participants ranked the suggested competencies. Descriptive statistics and a McNemar change test were utilized to analyze data. Only data from the participants who completed both rounds was used in the study. Results: In round one participants ranked all fifty-six core and technical competencies as essential with consensus of at least 60%. In round two, participants ranked sixty-two competencies as essential with consensus of at least 60%. A McNemar change test demonstrated stability of ranking between rounds. Conclusion: Essential core and technical competencies can build education programs to sustain the emerging clinical pharmacology workforce in the Office of Clinical Pharmacology. The Delphi technique is a suitable approach to determine essential competencies because it cultivates consensus and gains insight from experts in the forefront of drug development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a profound impact on Aotearoa (New Zealand), with whānau Māori (Māori families) particularly hard hit. In order to meet the challenges posed by COVID-19, the Whānau Ora Commissioning Agency (https://whanauora.nz) used a kaupapa Māori (Māori way of doing) approach to workforce development. This involved applying core Māori values like whanaungatanga (relationship building) and manaakitanga (care and respect) to mobilise, develop and sustain the workforce. Using a kaupapa Māori approach also ensured that the workforce had the necessary skills and knowledge to be effective in their roles, and that they were able to work in a way to successfully meet the challenges posed by COVID-19. Two case studies are provided as examples of how this was achieved in practice. The challenges, opportunities and lessons learned from implementing a kaupapa Māori approach to workforce development during the COVID-19 pandemic are then discussed, along with the implications of using such an approach for workforce development more broadly. To conclude, suggestions are made for how this kaupapa Māori approach could be supported in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educational strategies that allow students to experience patient care in both rural and urban settings are imperative to the recruitment and retention of nurses for medically underserved populations or health professional shortage areas. Two state schools of nursing (one urban-oriented and one rural-oriented) in the Mid-Atlantic region were awarded Health Resources and Service Administration (HRSA) project funding to educate nursing students and registered nurses in community-based primary care settings. This article will discuss an innovative rural-urban baccalaureate nursing student exchange model intended to increase understanding of enhanced RN roles in community-based primary care settings. Two project teams collaborated to create a new learning model, a rural-urban exchange, by implementing a Primary Care Camp. The camp included shared didactic content, reflection exercises, historical and cultural considerations, and clinical immersion to allow students in both programs to have on-site rural and urban learning experiences. Faculty collected informal voluntary student feedback through a debrief after their Primary Care Camp experience to assess their understanding of the enhanced RN Role in primary care and how it may affect their future nursing practice. Student feedback suggests that the students met project goals and appreciated the rural and urban exchange experience. This project is an innovative approach that offers guidance for implementing primary care education in a way that supports the current primary care RN role, builds the future workforce, and provides suggestions for replicability. • It is imperative to develop alternative clinical education opportunities besides those with an acute care focus. • A rural-urban student exchange in primary care is an innovation to promote the primary care RN role and build the workforce. • Students acknowledged that in nursing school they learned the how and the what , but in primary care they learned the why. • Appreciating the context of community-based primary care settings will inform and enhance clinical practice post-licensure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2017, a practice–integrated hospital pharmacist foundation residency program, modelling well-established international programs, was made available to all eligible hosting hospital pharmacy service providers in Australia. The South Australian public hospital pharmacy service implemented the nation's first accredited statewide residency model that also incorporates enrolment and completion of a tailored post-graduate qualification. This study aimed to explore stakeholder perspectives pertaining to implementation and adoption of the South Australian public hospital pharmacy statewide residency program. Eligible participants were recruited via purposeful sampling. Stakeholders overseeing preceptors and residents as well as those with authority to influence decision-making for future program planning were invited to participate in semi-structured interviews. Each interview was audio-recorded, transcribed, and organized using qualitative data analysis software. Reflexive thematic analysis was applied to data synthesis, and findings were discussed through the lens of the PRECEDE logic framework. Thirty-three participants were consented and de-identified. Three themes were identified: resource capacity for program sustainability; current and expected future impact on workforce development and career progression; and conflicts around uniformity, selectivity, and individual motivations. Research findings affirmed program benefits to overall workforce development whilst highlighting persisting program sustainability dilemmas. Findings have highlighted the need for a cost benefit analysis of each aspect of the residency program and the importance of tailoring to individual and site differences. Several strategies were recommended to optimize resources for increased capacity, to better support residents and preceptors, and to reduce program intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A culturally competent health workforce is critical to achieving equitable health outcomes for Māori people in Aotearoa New Zealand. Fundamental to this goal is the urgent need to not only increase numbers of Māori nurses but to enable them to deliver innovative models of care that are responsive to the unmet need of whānau (family) and hapori (community). This article describes a national initiative to increase the capacity and capability of the Indigenous workforce by supporting kaimahi (unregulated health workers) to become enrolled nurses delivering holistic care within their own communities. A process of co-design was actively led by, with, and for Māori, and included health providers, kaimahi, nurse leaders and programme coordinators. By using Kaupapa Māori principles, historically negative experiences and discourse for Māori nursing were shifted into a strengths-based framework, focusing on self-determination and validating mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge). The key components of the Earn As You Learn model are outlined and align with the narrative of haerenga (journey) in implementing this workforce strategy. This article provides timely knowledge of a promising approach to grow the local Māori nursing workforce by investing in kaimahi to work as enrolled nurses in the communities in which they live, work and play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Workforce development is essential for the dissemination of team-based integrated behavioral healthcare. There is limited literature on training family medicine residents to function within an integrated behavioral health (IBH) system. The purpose of this pilot study was to assess the feasibility and value of an IBH competency-based curriculum for family medicine residents across multiple programs. Methods: Residency programs were recruited using professional listservs and networks to test a competency-based, multi-modal curriculum for preparing residents to practice IBH in primary care. Faculty instructors who led the workshop were invited to complete semi-structured interviews to examine the feasibility and appropriateness of the curriculum. Interview data were analyzed using thematic analysis to identify, analyze, and report patterns. Residents completed a survey of perceived IBH skill and knowledge before and after training. A paired-sample t-test was used to determine significant differences pre- and post-training. Results: All five instructors completed interviews. Results suggest IBH training is valuable. Instructors gave specific feedback on online modules, implementation flexibility, and adjusting faculty development to differing levels of experience. Nineteen of forty residents (48%) completed anonymous pre-, post-, and retrospective-training surveys. Residents reported an increase in competence after training. Conclusion: The results of this pilot suggest that IBH training implementation is feasible, desirable, timely, and may improve resident ability to work on an IBH team. Training should accommodate variations in program structure and faculty expertise. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hospice and Palliative Nursing Association established the triannual research agenda to (a) provide focus for researchers to conduct meaningful scientific and quality improvement initiatives and inform evidence-based practice, (b) guide organizational funding, and (c) illustrate to other stakeholders the importance of nursing research foci. HPNA Research Agendas are developed to give direction for future research to continue advancing expert care in serious illness and ensure equitable delivery of hospice and palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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This study extends the literature on organizational socialization by examining newly-hired engineers' proactive actions to integrate into the workplace. relating them to the four primary socialization task domains - task mastery, role clarification. acculturation. and social integration. The study conducts semi-structured interviews with 26 newly-hired engineers in aerospace companies. The results identify 16 proactive actions of newly-hired engineers during their socialization period. The most crucial actions during the onboarding period are interacting with coworkers, using available resources and tutorials, participating in training opportunities, learning through hands-on experience, seeking opportunities to learn and solve problems independently, and possessing self-belief to meet commitments. The study's findings provide valuable practical implications for engineering students. newly-hired engineers. engineering managers and organizations, and engineering educators concerning the use of specific actions to improve newly-hired engineers' socialization period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A culturally competent health workforce is critical to achieving equitable health outcomes for Māori people in Aotearoa New Zealand. Fundamental to this goal is the urgent need to not only increase numbers of Māori nurses but to enable them to deliver innovative models of care that are responsive to the unmet need of whānau (family) and hapori (community). This article describes a national initiative to increase the capacity and capability of the Indigenous workforce by supporting kaimahi (unregulated health workers) to become enrolled nurses delivering holistic care within their own communities. A process of co-design was actively led by, with, and for Māori, and included health providers, kaimahi, nurse leaders and programme coordinators. By using Kaupapa Māori principles, historically negative experiences and discourse for Māori nursing were shifted into a strengths-based framework, focusing on self-determination and validating mātauranga Māori (Māori knowledge). The key components of the Earn As You Learn model are outlined and align with the narrative of haerenga (journey) in implementing this workforce strategy. This article provides timely knowledge of a promising approach to grow the local Māori nursing workforce by investing in kaimahi to work as enrolled nurses in the communities in which they live, work and play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cyberbiosecurity is an emerging field at the convergence of life sciences and the digital world. As technological advances improve operational processes and expose them to vulnerabilities in agriculture and life sciences, cyberbiosecurity has become increasingly important for addressing contemporary concerns. Unfortunately, at this time, educational opportunities for cyberbiosecurity workforce preparation are limited. Stakeholders' perceptions may help guide cyberbiosecurity workforce preparation efforts and bridge the gap from the classroom to the field. Toward this end, we identified stakeholders in education, private industry, and state agencies in Virginia and sought their input through both an online survey and focus groups. Findings suggest limited awareness and understanding of cyberbiosecurity. Results indicate that both formal and non-formal learning components--including short modules and comprehensive standalone courses--are important for cyberbiosecurity education programming. Stakeholders tied potential success of education programming to systems thinking and collaborative designs. Moreover, results reveal insights into concerns at the convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT), which is central to effective workforce preparation for today's agriculture and life sciences professionals. Continuous interdisciplinary collaboration and academiaindustry partnerships will be critical for developing robust cyberbiosecurity education and securing the future of agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strengthening infection prevention and control programs in nonacute care settings is a national priority. Efforts require thorough and ongoing appraisal of organizational structures, human resources including personnel training and competencies, system challenges and adaptive strategies implemented. Assessment of those in infection preventionist (IP) roles outside of the acute care setting is necessary to capture ongoing changes and challenges in the IP profession. This cross-sectional study utilized data derived from the 2020 APIC MegaSurvey and applied descriptive and bivariate analyses to describe the state of infection prevention and control programs and personnel across nonacute clinical settings in the United States. Of 1,991 respondents, 57% of frontline IPs or administration/director IPs (1,051) indicated working in 1 or more nonacute care clinical settings. Of these, 33% (343) worked exclusively in only 1 type of nonacute care setting. Consistent with findings from the 2015 APIC MegaSurvey, IPs employed in nonacute care settings are a homogenous group with 88% of respondents indicating they are white, non-Hispanic (88%), female (94%), with nursing as their primary discipline (95%). A notable change in the proportion of time spent on health care-associated infection (HAI) activities in general was found, with a 31% decrease in reported time spent compared to respondents from the 2015 survey. Nearly half (47%) of respondents reported an annual salary of $50,000-$80,000; only 35% of respondents reported they were satisfied with their overall compensation. More than half (57%) of respondents reported having 5 or less years' experience in IPC and the majority, 82% reported they expected to be working in the IP profession in the next 5 years. The majority of IPs in nonacute care settings also worked in acute care. Of those who exclusively worked in nonacute care settings, they were predominately female, white, and had an educational background in nursing. A decrease in time spent on HAI activities was noted compared to respondents in 2015. Although the 2020 APIC MegaSurvey captured information previously not assessed in 2015, further studies are necessary to more robustly characterize the IP profession in nonacute care settings. Enhancements to current resources and services provided by APIC may serve to fill gaps in nonacute care settings related to gaining experience in research, general expertise, advocacy, and diversity. • The majority (57%) of respondents working in non-acute care settings reported working in more than one setting type. • Reported time spent on HAI activities by infection preventionists in non-acute care settings decreased by 31% compared to the 2015 APIC MegaSurvey. • Only one in three respondents working in a non-acute care setting reported being satified with their overall compensation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Workforce development for the respiratory therapy (RT) profession is a growing concern. Upcoming staffing difficulties are expected due to retirement, attrition from the profession, and decreased enrollment in accredited RT programs nationwide. This study assessed respiratory therapists' perceptions of staffing needs and future trajectory of the RT profession. METHODS: This cross-sectional study utilized a modified 39-question survey tool delivered via e-mail to 618 Louisiana members of the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) between November 2019-February 2020. RESULTS: The response rate was 19% (118/618). Although 50% of respondents perceived understaffing, 77.6% indicated the importance to remain in the RT profession. A majority (93.1%) agreed on the importance of maintaining an active membership in the AARC. Respondents working in a hospital setting perceived understaffed work environments more often than other groups. Salary was most important to the employee (33.6%, 39/116), followed equally by room for growth (14.7%, 17/116) and scope of practice (14.7%, 17/116). For the future of the profession, the ability to assess patients and develop care plans and the ability to receive reimbursement for services were indicated as most important factors. Most (69.8%) agreed that the entry-level minimum should be increased to the bachelor's degree, and 21.6% agreed the master's degree in RT should be supported to increase scope of practice. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicated a consistent perception of understaffed work environments in respiratory care, and respondents expressed a perceived importance of remaining in the RT profession. This study also indicated support for raising the entry-level standard in RT and a desire for higher education to achieve professional growth and advancement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Joint Task Force for Clinical Trial Competency (JTF) conducted a global survey of clinical research professionals requesting respondents to self-assess their competencies in each of the eight domains of its Core Competency Framework version 3.1. The results were analyzed based upon role, years of experience, educational level, professional certification, institutional affiliation, and continuing education participation. Respondents with professional certification self-assessed their competencies in all domains at higher levels than those without professional certification. The survey demonstrated that irrespective of role, experience, or educational level, training curricula in both pre-professional and continuing professional education should include additional content relating to research methods, protocol design, medical product development and regulation, and data management and informatics. These results validate and extend the recommendations of a similar 2016 JTF and other surveys. We further recommend that clinical and translational research organizations and clinical sites assess training needs locally, using both subjective and objective measures of skill and knowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective care coordination relies on organizations working collaboratively to meet medically and socially complex participants' needs. This study examines community health workers' (CHWs') roles in developing the organizational relationships on which care coordination efforts depend. Semistructured interviews (n = 13) were conducted with CHWs, CHWs' supervisors, and executive staff at organizations participating in a Washington State care coordination program. Interviewees described how CHWs developed and furthered multidimensional relationships in service of participants between and within participating organizations, as well as external organizations. Relationship-building challenges included COVID-19, geographic context, and staffing. The study concludes with considerations for care coordination efforts to support CHWs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Internationally, pharmacy assistants and technicians have expanded their roles to allow pharmacists to concentrate on more clinical duties. The Australian model of care is currently exploring avenues for strategic role expansion for these support staff. Aim: To qualitatively explore pharmacist and support staff views on the training needs of Australian pharmacy support staff. Methods: Ethics approval was obtained from both Metro South Human Research Ethics Committee and UnitingCare HREC prior to the commencement of the study. Semi‐structured interviews were conducted with personnel from the private and public settings to explore key issues identified in the literature. Interviews were conducted either face‐to‐face or via telephone between October 2017 and August 2018, with a mean duration of 39.85 min. NVivo® 11 qualitative software was used to consolidate the data. The general inductive approach was used for thematic data analysis, which allowed for the emergence of new themes and sub‐themes within the research topic. Results: A total of 25 participants consisting of 10 pharmacists and 15 pharmacy support staff were recruited from a private (n = 13) and a public (n = 12) hospital in South‐East Queensland. Participants across both pharmacist and pharmacy support staff expressed inadequacy in current certification level, resulting in a need for further on‐the‐job training. The main reported facilitators to pursue further training were organisational support, career progression and remuneration. The main reported barriers were training cost and lack of time. Conclusions: This exploratory study provides critical insights into the evolving needs of support staff that can inform innovative strategic role expansion for efficient and sustainable training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is increasing recognition of the merits of coaching in social work, yet gaps in knowledge persist about the use and effectiveness of coaching in social work settings. This article bridges concepts and findings from the literature on coaching to provide readers with the information needed for decision-making about whether and how to integrate coaching into practice. Coaching is currently being used in a number of social work fields of practice to support the transfer of learning, practice implementation efforts, leadership development, and organizational processes. The evolution of coaching from the corporate world into service delivery settings is reviewed, with special attention to the commonalities and distinctions between coaching and social work practice. Knowing more about the background, purpose and value of coaching can equip the profession with further insights about the appropriate application of coaching in the world of social work. Moreover, the reader is invited to assess the potential of coaching as a method for enhancing workforce and leadership competencies and practice behaviors in service of improving client outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the nursing crisis, it is imperative to comprehend the factors that influence nursing competencies, which are crucial for the delivery of quality patient care. Facing demographic shifts and increasingly complex healthcare demands, China's nursing sector struggles with workforce shortages and the need to enhance core competencies. This research explores the interplay of social support, psychological resilience, mindfulness and nursing competencies in various hospital environments in China. Through a cross-sectional survey, 941 nurses across tertiary, secondary and private healthcare settings completed self-assessment questionnaires. The analysis included multiple linear regression and comparative methods to assess how psychological resilience, mindfulness and social support have an impact on nursing competencies. Findings revealed a strong relationship between psychological resilience and nursing competencies, with resilience being a key predictor. Mindfulness and social support also significantly contributed to competency levels. Nurses in tertiary hospitals showed greater competencies than those in secondary or private facilities. Enhancing nursing competencies requires targeted interventions focusing on professional development and supportive workplace cultures. Incorporating psychological resilience, social support and mindfulness into nurse training is crucial for improving practice and policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The urban conservation field is central to urban low-carbon futures. • The field has historically reproduced racialized inequality through its workforce. • Urban conservation workers are key sources of environmental justice insights and can offer imaginative interventions for a just transition. • Through photovoice, workers identified problems with, and possibilities for, workplace structure and relationality. • These insights reveal an incomplete just transition effort, requiring park governance structures that are more responsive to workers and communities. Movements and scholars have called for proactive just transition efforts that involve the protection of historically marginalized communities and workers. Urban conservation is increasingly central to shifts away from a carbon-based economy, but its racialized hierarchies have reproduced inequality. This article builds on just transition, political ecology, and environmental justice scholarship in its understanding of workers as key sources of needed and imaginative interventions. We used photovoice methods with participants of a green workforce development program in Austin, Texas to identify the equity implications of their urban conservation work. Participants called attention to an incomplete just transition effort and strategic possibilities in two domains: workplace structure and relationality. Acting upon these insights to create and maintain an environmentally just urban forest system requires urban governance structures that are more responsive to workers and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This perspective article discusses the importance of pedagogy in operationalizing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The tourism industry is ever-growing with sustainability concerns. It also consumes a large-scale workforce to sustain this industry. "Can a pedagogy influence the process of workforce development and conditioning their mindset to be sustainability-focused to implement interconnected SDGs?" is a meaningful question to pose at this juncture. The SDGs are very relatable concepts throughout various hospitality and tourism curriculums. Thus, enforcing the idea of SDGs through structured or unstructured fashion in the curriculum can help generate knowledge, which eventually translates to operationalizing the ideas, leading to positive outcomes. As sustainability themes become more relevant and an absolute necessity in the tourism industry, changing the mindset during the process of workforce development could accelerate the operationalization of SDGs. • Pedagogy plays a critical role in operationalizing SDGs. • There is a lack of literature focusing on the role of pedagogy in operationalizing SDGs. • SDGs should be incorporated into pedagogy during the workforce development process. • The changed mindset regarding sustainability and SDGs can result in positive outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic and the significant disparities experienced by Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) in infections, hospitalizations, and deaths associated with the Coronavirus have underscored the imperative to increase the size and diversity of the healthcare workforce, including nursing. Academically focused pipeline development programs have led to some advances in minority recruitment and retention; however, emerging research highlights the importance of extra-academic factors that reduce the sense of belonging and persistence among underrepresented and minority students. The purpose of this manuscript is to describe the diversity, equity, and inclusion goals and activities of a college of nursing located in a minority-serving institution. Here, we emphasize the description of a range of activities aimed at meeting our diversity goals. Further, we highlight the actions initiated in response to emergent "extra-academic" student needs over the past year related to the COVID-19 pandemic and police brutality. The strategies described have implications for improving diversity, equity, and inclusion among higher education institutions in nursing. • The nursing workforce shortage remains a significant challenge to meeting the nation's health care needs. • Diversity is a crucial goal in educating the next generation of nursing students. • Students underrepresented in nursing may face challenges entering and completing nursing education programs. • Social issues such as discrimination, microaggressions, and social isolation are barriers to underrepresented students. • Nursing educational settings require innovative approaches to increase the success of all students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship Program (NHHSP) strives to build a culturally aware Native Hawaiian health professional workforce through coaching, mentoring, and networking, who are committed to serving the unique health needs of Native Hawaiians throughout the State of Hawai'i. As of October 2020, 302 scholarships have been awarded to 277 recipients across 12 health disciplines with 90% remaining in Hawai'i. In 2019, NHHSP began re-imagining how to build a vibrant, culturally aware workforce, committed to service, leadership, and improvement of Native Hawaiian health through program expansion. This article describes the transformation of NHHSP to Mauli Ola Mālamalama (MOM), a success-oriented strategy-based Native Hawaiian Health Workforce Development Center of Papa Ola Lōkahi. Researchers conducted a qualitative assessment using surveys and interviews among alumni of the program to understand their experience of being a recipient and its meaning to them. Questions included work experience, challenges, solutions, impact of working in rural communities, mentorship, and legacy. The 5 themes identified by alumni were awareness, passion, inherent culture, reciprocity, and legacy. The overarching theme of the assessment, aloha, is embedded in the passion and desire to serve Native Hawaiian communities. Re-imagining the program from NHHSP to MOM began with examining the core values of suitability, commitment, and leadership. These values were then embedded in all aspects of the program and supports provided to recipients. MOM strives to ensure that recipients are culturally aware as they enter the workforce. This broader vision will help increase the number of Native Hawaiians in health care roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Professionals in the academic practice fields of education and social work indicate students lack positive soft skills upon entry into the workforce. Although the call for attention to soft skills is not new, the changing generational context prompts a reexamination of these needed skills in today’s society and the workplace. Preparing first-time-in-college students beyond content knowledge can appear difficult, particularly teaching in a traditional classroom environment. In this reflection, we share the strategy of using the DEAL Model for Critical Reflection in servicelearning to highlight areas for growth and positively develop these essential workplace skills, so that students are more holistically equipped for a career, to be active citizens of their communities, and to contribute to their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The organization and operation of clinical trials have become increasingly complex requiring the coordination of a well-trained workforce to ensure that complicated protocols yield valid results that will advance human health. We hypothesized that formal education in clinical research is equivalent to a number of years of work experience as a clinical research professional in terms of self-perceived clinical research competence. Methods: Using REDCap, we conducted a survey of students and recent graduates from academic programs in clinical research in the USA using the CICRP index that consists of 20 clinical research core competencies. We compared the responses of recent graduates to CRCs wording in the USA and Canada in various research settings who responded to a similar survey conducted by the Joint Task Force and to experienced CRCs working at research-intensive CTSA hubs and their affiliated hospitals who were surveyed as part of the NIH funded DIAMOND project. Results: We found that the degree of self-perceived competence to perform advanced core competencies such as those related to regulatory affairs among new graduates of formal academic programs without research experience to be equivalent to as many as five years of on-the-job-training in a research-intensive CTSA setting and more than ten years of experience in less research-intensive community settings. Conclusions: These findings suggest that scores on both forms of the CICRP differentiate CRCs according to formal education in clinical research, years of experience as a CRC and type of research setting in which they work. Further, the self-perceived competency assessed by CICRP acquired by completing an academic program in clinical research is equivalent to years of work experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Research and Clinical Trials Therapeutic Radiographers network is a College of Radiographers Specialist Interest Group. It was established to develop and facilitate a support network for therapeutic radiographers working in roles which involve the delivery of radiotherapy clinical trials. Its establishment highlighted the challenges faced by therapeutic radiographers employed in these roles. Consequently, the authors sought to formally capture the working landscape of this subsection of the radiographic workforce, aiming to ascertain any potential barriers to professional development and the increase of clinical trials activity by 15% mandated by NHS England. A Qualtrics survey was designed, pilot tested and distributed to the sixty-two radiotherapy departments across England and the devolved nations. Departments were questioned on the size, structure and the scope of practice of their radiotherapy research and clinical trials team members. Thirty-nine complete responses were received, providing a response rate of 62%, with each region of the UK represented in the survey. The findings demonstrated issues related to the number of posts affecting capacity, contract status jeopardising the security and effectiveness of their role and the activities specific to research and clinical trials being 'bolted on' to existing roles. Although advanced practice was being undertaken by around a third of this workforce the findings established several barriers including individual/teams' capacity and a perceived lack of support for therapeutic radiographers to progress in clinical trials roles. The findings illustrate several important implications which if not addressed may not only hinder UK radiotherapy departments to achieve the national increase of 15% of clinical trial activity over the next three years but also restrict the growth in size and scope of professional practice of the workforce. The research and clinical trials workforce need to adopt a collaborative approach to profile raising and establish a standardised professional scope of practice to support growth and recognition of their role. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explain what a clinical academic career can be, what it can lead to for the individual, profession and most importantly the patient, and why these roles are so important to radiography. Multiple challenges to the adoption of clinical academic careers exist, including achievable measurable outcomes, visibility & senior support, and balancing different time demands. Equally the rewards are wide ranging and can advance both the individual and profession through role extension opportunities, increased career progression, patient benefits, and academic and research skills. Clinical academic careers can provide advantages for the individual, department, profession and most importantly the patient with advanced clinical practice through evidenced based research. Improving clinical academic careers within Radiography will promote research participation and increase radiographic roles in patient-centred research delivery and development. Combining evidenced based research with academic skills will lead to improved patient care and better clinical outcomes. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strong partnerships are essential to lead the innovative change needed to prepare future nurses who demonstrate quality and safety competence. Successful models involve senior leadership, a shared vision, mutual goals, mutual respect, and an access to shared knowledge. The academic-practice partnership between a private university-based school of nursing and its affiliated health care system facilitated the implementation of a new Accelerated Bachelor of Science in Nursing (ABSN) program track to provide a seamless education to practice pathway for graduate nurses educated with quality and safety competencies and to meet the workforce demands of the health care system. The academic-practice model is based on the Guiding Principles outlined by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing-American Organization of Nurse Leaders (AACN- AONL) Task Force on Academic Practice Partnerships. As a result of this partnership, 84% of the program's graduates accepted a position with the health care partner as an advanced medical-surgical nurse, and student outcomes in quality and safety competencies were encouraging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic General Pediatrics (AGP) is a pediatric subspecialty with substantial faculty contributions in clinical care, research, education, and advocacy. However, AGP fellowship recruitment challenges exist. We aimed to describe AGP hiring practices from 2014 to 2019 and the role of fellowship training in hiring decisions. We conducted a cross-sectional survey study of AGP Division Directors (DDs) and Fellowship Program Directors (PDs) from US-based academic institutions. Survey questions were developed iteratively and pilot-tested for content validity. Participants were identified from the Association of American Medical Colleges' directory of pediatric departments, Academic Pediatric Association's AGP Accreditation Committee's list of fellowship programs, and institutional websites. Descriptive analysis was used for close ended survey questions. Narrative responses were reviewed for trends. Forty-nine DDs (57%) and 22 PDs (73%) responded. All DDs reported at least one available faculty position and 73% reported filling a position with protected time. PDs reported 89 graduating fellows, 88% of whom secured an academic position with protected time. Seventy-percent of DDs and 100% of PDs reported that AGP fellows could secure an academic position with protected time, while only 22% and 1%, respectively, reported a graduating pediatric resident could secure a similar position. DDs indicated AGP fellowship trained candidates are preferable for enhancing research and education programs. AGP remains an active subspecialty and the majority of graduating fellows secured faculty positions with protected time. Further studies are needed to understand ways to improve visibility of AGP fellowships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid detection and response to infectious disease outbreaks requires a robust surveillance system with a sufficient number of trained public health workforce personnel. The Frontline Field Epidemiology Training Program (Frontline) is a focused 3-month program targeting local ministries of health to strengthen local disease surveillance and reporting capacities. Limited literature exists on the impact of Frontline graduates on disease surveillance completeness and timeliness reporting. Using routinely collected Ministry of Health data, we mapped the distribution of graduates between 2014 and 2017 across 47 Kenyan counties. Completeness was defined as the proportion of complete reports received from health facilities in a county compared with the total number of health facilities in that county. Timeliness was defined as the proportion of health facilities submitting surveillance reports on time to the county. Using a panel analysis and controlling for county-fixed effects, we evaluated the relationship between the number of Frontline graduates and priority disease reporting of measles. We found that Frontline training was correlated with improved completeness and timeliness of weekly reporting for priority diseases. The number of Frontline graduates increased by 700%, from 57 graduates in 2014 to 456 graduates in 2017. The annual average rates of reporting completeness increased from 0.8% in 2014 to 55.1% in 2017. The annual average timeliness reporting rates increased from 0.1% in 2014 to 40.5% in 2017. These findings demonstrate how global health security implementation progress in workforce development may influence surveillance and disease reporting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ability to prevent, promptly detect, and appropriately respond to a public health threat is essential for health security. Field epidemiology training has helped increase the quality and quantity of the public health workforce to strengthen disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness and response, and general public health capacity. We conducted a desk review on the status of the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program model in 16 countries in West Africa. We also developed a questionnaire and shared it with West African Health Organization (WAHO) member states to document their experiences and the status of training in their countries. WAHO organized a regional 3-day consultative meeting with major stakeholders in the region to examine progress, gaps, and challenges, and outline a roadmap to strengthen the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program. Stakeholders shared their experiences, engaged in discussions to identify strengths and gaps, and made plans on a way forward. Member states are at different levels of implementing field epidemiology and laboratory training programs in their countries, and, therefore, major gaps remain in the number and distribution of trained epidemiologists throughout West Africa. Member states implement different variants of the program and in some instances the same cadre of health workers are trained in different but comparable programs with different funding streams. Two member states had not begun implementing the training program. Developing regional centers of excellence was recommended in the long term while collaboration among member states to train the required number of epidemiologists to fill the acute needs could be helpful in the short and medium term. Curriculum harmonization and expansion, deployment and use of trained epidemiologists, accreditation of training institutions, and generation of indigenous funding streams are recommended to improve the Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program in West Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Competent leadership and management are imperative for delivering quality laboratory services; however, few laboratory managers receive job-specific training in organisational management and leadership. Objective: To develop and evaluate participants' competencies in organisational leadership and management as measured through learner and laboratory quality improvement assessments. Methods: This professional development programme employed a mentored, blended learning approach, utilising in-person didactic and online training, with the practical application of a capstone project in the laboratories. Programme impact was evaluated through a series of pre- and post-laboartory assessments using the Stepwise Laboratory Improvement Process Towards Accreditation checklist, as well as learner-competency assessments through online quizzes and discussions. Results: From 2016 to 2018, 31 managers and quality officers from 16 individual laboratories graduated from the programme having completed capstone projects addressing areas in the entire laboratory testing process. Laboratories increased their compliance with the International Organization for Standardization 15189 standard and all but two laboratories significantly increased their accreditation scores. Two laboratories gained three stars, two laboratories gained two stars, and five laboratories gained one star. Five laboratories subsequently achieved International Organization for Standardization 15189 accreditation in 2019. Conclusion: This programme taught leadership theory to laboratory managers and allowed them to implement leadership and management practices in the laboratory setting. Programmes such as this complement existing laboratory quality management training programmes such as Strengthening Laboratory Management Toward Accreditation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Community health workers (CHWs) leverage their trusting relationships with under-resourced populations to promote health equity and social justice in their communities. Little is known about CHWs roles in addressing COVID-19 or how the pandemic may have affected CHWs' ability to interact with and support communities experiencing disparities. A focus group with CHW leaders from 7 states revealed 8 major themes: CHW identity, CHW resiliency, self-care, unintended positives outcomes of COVID-19, technology, resources, stressors, and consequences of COVID-19. Understanding the pandemic's impact on CHWs has implications for workforce development, training, and health policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To critically appraise the literature to determine the cost and time savings for institutions when pharmacy technicians practice in advanced scope roles.Methods: A systematic review was registered with Prospero and conducted in January 2019. Searches were conducted in Business Source Pro, CINAHL, EconLit, EMBASE, InformGlobal, Medline, ProQuest, PubMed, Scopus and Web of Science. Search terms included pharmacy technician/pharmacy assistant and cost or time or economic evaluation. After article selection in the web-based platform Covidence©, data was extracted, and a narrative review was performed.Results: A total of 16 publications were eligible for inclusion in the review. Pharmacy technicians practicing at advanced scope led to both cost savings and time savings. Six studies reported a cost saving, six reported a time saving and four reported both time and cost savings. Annual savings ranged from AUD $4526 - $88,719.89, linked primarily to the difference in wages between pharmacists and pharmacy technicians. Studies that focused on time savings evaluated checking dispensed items, taking medication histories and entering chemotherapy orders; demonstrating savings of up to 5 min per task completed.Conclusion(s): Appropriately trained pharmacy technicians practicing at advanced scope have the potential to save time and reduce hospital costs. Identifying the cost saving opportunities from technicians acting in advance scope roles will provide incentives for hospitals to expand their technician workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laboratory scientists of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health laboratories play a fundamental and increasingly complex role in implementing public health programs while ensuring laboratory safety and quality. In 2014, a series of laboratory safety incidents highlighted the need for improvement in federal and other government laboratories. One component of the CDC's response to these incidents was a new career-entry fellowship program, the Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS). Offering laboratory safety and quality training and leadership development for laboratory scientists, LLS is intended to create a pipeline of future laboratory leaders who prioritize quality and safety as a core part of their laboratory science and practice throughout their careers. LLS incorporates evidence-based practices such as the service-learning model, a competency-based curriculum, ongoing stakeholder engagement, and program evaluation to maximize the program's success. This article describes how the CDC created LLS as a workforce development measure to respond to an urgent public health need—to improve laboratory safety and quality—and presents key factors for success in quickly establishing the program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An important factor in growing the US bioeconomy is recruiting and training its future workforce. Other science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) fields have relied on diverse educational opportunities for recruitment, including prestigious high school and collegiate competitions. For genetic engineering and synthetic biology, there are very few competitions; they include the Biodesign Competition and the much larger and scientifically focused International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. iGEM, run by an independent nonprofit organization, is often cited as a measure of progress in developing the synthetic biology workforce. Starting in 2021, iGEM will move its main competitive event, the "Giant Jamboree," from its long-standing home in Boston to Paris, which is likely to negatively affect participation by the US team. In this article, we describe the value of iGEM to the bioeconomy and its upcoming challenges through a review of available literature, observation of the iGEM Jamboree, and interviews with 10 US-based iGEM team coaches. The coaches expressed positive views about the iGEM process for their students in providing a hands-on biotechnology experience, but they were concerned about the funding US students received to participate in iGEM compared with teams from other countries. They were also concerned that the relocation to Paris would negatively affect or preclude their participation. Possible options to continue the benefits of experiential learning in synthetic biology are discussed, including alternative funding for iGEM teams through a grant process and the need for additional biology competitions. An important factor in growing the US bioeconomy is recruiting and training its future workforce. Recruitment for genetic engineering and synthetic biology relies on a limited number of educational opportunities and competitions, which includes the large, scientifically focused International Genetically Engineered Machine (iGEM) competition. This article describes the value of iGEM to the bioeconomy and its upcoming challenges through a review of available literature, observation of the iGEM Jamboree, and interviews with 10 US-based iGEM team coaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act supports the integration of community health workers (CHWs) into the health care workforce, but little is known about integration and current roles of CHWs among employers in community settings. This analysis of 97 employers described the roles of CHWs in Nebraska and found significant differences between CHWs practicing in rural and urban areas in organization types employing CHWs, funding sources, and minority populations served. The findings suggest that the utility of CHWs is widely recognized among employers, but deliberate support will be needed to better define the roles of CHWs to meet the needs of the increasingly diverse demographic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The World Health Organization monitoring and evaluation framework for the International Health Regulations (IHR, 2005) describes the targets for the Joint External Evaluation (JEE) indicators. For workforce development, the JEE defines the optimal target for attaining and complying with the IHR (2005) as 1 trained field epidemiologist (or equivalent) per 200,000 population. We explain the derivation and use of the current field epidemiology workforce development target and identify the limitations and lessons learned in applying it to various countries' public health systems. This article also proposes a way forward for improvements and implementation of this workforce development target. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In response to the 2014-2016 West Africa Ebola virus disease (EVD) outbreak, a US congressional appropriation provided funds to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support global health security capacity building in 17 partner countries, including Guinea. The 2014 funding enabled CDC to provide more than 300 deployments of personnel to Guinea during the Ebola response, establish a country office, and fund 11 implementing partners through cooperative agreements to support global health security engagement efforts in 4 core technical areas: workforce development, surveillance systems, laboratory systems, and emergency management. This article reflects on almost 4 years of collaboration between CDC and its implementing partners in Guinea during the Ebola outbreak response and the recovery period. We highlight examples of collaborative synergies between cooperative agreement partners and local Guinean partners and discuss the impact of these collaborations in strengthening the above 4 core capacities. Finally, we identify the key elements of the successful collaborations, including communication and information sharing as a core cooperative agreement activity, a flexible funding mechanism, and willingness to adapt to local needs. We hope these observations can serve as guidance for future endeavors seeking to establish strong and effective partnerships between government and nongovernment organizations providing technical and operational assistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research on vocational interests has played an important role in understanding workforce gender disparities. However, current understanding about gender differences in interests is primarily limited to broad RIASEC interest categories that average together differences in narrower interest scales. This study took a refined approach to examine gender differences in 30 basic vocational interests (e.g., medical science, management, social science) using a very large and diverse U.S. sample (N = 1,283,110). Results revealed that gender differences in basic interests are more complex than what can be captured using broad interests alone. There was meaningful variability in the pattern of mean gender differences across basic interests, even those related to the same RIASEC category. Turning to the labor market, we found that gender differences in basic interests showed high convergence with men and women's employment rates in corresponding occupations (r = 0.66). Despite this convergence, there were also discrepancies such that women's actual employment fell short of interest-based predictions in many high-status occupations and in jobs that involve working with tools and machinery. In contrast, fewer men were employed in prosocial occupations than predicted based on their interests. Finally, we examined how gender differences in basic interests varied across intersecting age, ethnicity, and education subgroups. The most striking finding was that gender differences in interests were considerably larger at lower education levels, pointing to specific educational tracks where applied initiatives might have the greatest impact in improving gender representation in the workforce. • This study examined gender differences in basic interests , which are refined vocational interest scales. • Results revealed meaningful variability in gender differences across 30 basic interests, even within broader RIASEC themes. • Gender differences in interests showed strong, positive convergence with gender gaps in U.S. employment rates. • However, there were several career fields with gender gaps in employment that were larger than predicted based on interests. • Education was an especially important factor that explained variability in the size of gender differences in interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The field of Test and Evaluation (T&E) falls behind in efforts to recruit personnel into the profession. Little has been done to draw recent graduates and students towards careers in T&E. If the trend of narrow recruitment is allowed to continue, the T&E community's effectiveness at advancing testing and evaluation methods will be jeopardized. Potential ramifications are technical performance risks not being adequately assessed. Several courses of action about T&E workforce development have been proposed, such as creating a T&E specific degree program along with academic resources for universities, furthering scholarship opportunities for students pursuing T&E, and making room for internship positions at T&E organizations, but these initiatives often lack funding and other resources to be effective. Resources must be intentionally devoted to raising awareness of the T&E field and the vast opportunities within it, so the community can grow to be better able to innovate and share ideas about the advancement of T&E. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]