Search

Laboratory chemical synthesis research typically lacks the preplanned hazard responses found in production-scale industrial laboratories. Chemical safety management is a known challenge in education-based facilities, which is concerning for academic and national laboratory environments working with inexperienced student researchers. At the Molecular Foundry, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) user facility, a chemical safety management form has been developed that follows DOE’s Integrated Safety Management (ISM) process, which evaluates the risks and hazards associated with all forms of work. An ISM form for chemical synthesis is described here in detail. It is regularly used to guide chemical safety discussions between researchers and supervisors, to plan accident responses, and to establish triggers, at which point a reevaluation of the work is needed. The form makes it straightforward to know what limits researchers may work within and makes it clear which procedure changes will require a new safety assessment and discussion before work continues. The ISM form for synthesis is being successfully used in three fields of chemistry: Inorganic, Organic, and Biological. The form has also been adapted for liquid sample preparation in electron microscopy. Upper management, supervisors, students, and general users are engaged in this process. It is hoped that sharing this knowledge will enable educational institutions and other laboratories to develop similar methods to help researchers and supervisors understand the hazards as well as the working limits of any protocol, helping researchers to work more independently and safely within the laboratory.

Why you should read this article: • To learn how participating in a journal club can enhance healthcare staff's understanding of evidence-based practice • To understand the practical steps required to establish and sustain a journal club in a healthcare setting • To recognise how discussing research articles can actively contribute to staff members' professional development With the rise in the number of older people in the population and new developments in older people's services such as integrated care hubs, there is a need for healthcare professionals working with older people to keep up to date with the latest research. This article describes the process of establishing a multidisciplinary journal club in a residential care setting and recognising the potential of such clubs to develop staff members' critical thinking, presentation and communication skills. The authors emphasise the importance of fostering a culture of learning in older people's services and describe how a journal club can support healthcare professionals to maintain their knowledge and improve care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper investigates the palliative care competencies (knowledge, behaviours, attitudes) and education needs of nurses and healthcare assistants (HCAs) who provide supportive (Level 2) palliative care. Methods: A mixed-methods study using a sequential exploratory design was used, with findings integrated across sources. Qualitative focus groups were conducted in 2018 with a sample of staff (n=11, all female; nurses=4; HCAs=7) providing supportive palliative care in a single service setting. A quantitative survey, also conducted in 2018, explored the issue with a wider sample within the same setting (n=36; nurses=18; HCAs=18; female=32). Results: Qualitatively, communication was highlighted as an important domain of the competence framework, with many participants acknowledging that the ability to communicate effectively is essential. Quantitatively, participants scored in the lower range for competency variables. A significant difference was observed between HCAs and nurses on measures of knowledge (t= -2.718; df=30; p<.05) and behaviour (t=-3.576; df=30; p<.05), with HCAs scoring significantly higher than nurses. In relation to education, while some participants report being indecisive regarding engaging in education/training, others highlighted the benefit of education, especially its ability to impact on their practice. Conclusion: This research contributes to understanding palliative care competencies among nurses and HCAs working in palliative care, and has important implications for the education and training of nurses and HCAs working in Level 2 palliative care in Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Educators confront many challenges in working with children who are deaf and hard-of-hearing, but no challenge causes more anxiety than being called upon to be a witness in a special [...]

Aim: To explore the mobilization of nurses/midwives in a designated hospital group in Ireland during a global pandemic. Background: The recent global pandemic has resulted in the large‐scale worldwide mobilization of registered nurses and midwives working in the acute care sector. There is a dearth of literature reporting the mobilization of this professional workforce. Method: Mixed‐methods design using an electronic survey and facilitated discussion across one Irish hospital group. Results: Eight of 11 hospitals responded to the survey. There was a 2% vacancy rate prior to the pandemic. Mobilization included reconfiguration of clinical areas and redeployment of 9% of the nursing/midwifery workforce within 2 weeks of the pandemic. A total of 11% (n = 343) of nurses/midwives were redeployed in 3 months. Nurses/midwives required re‐skilling in infection prevention control, enhancement of critical care skills and documentation. Conclusions: Three key areas were identified to enable the nursing workforce readiness. These are referred to as the three 'R's': Reconfiguration of specific resources, Redeployment of nurses to dedicated specialist areas and Re‐skilling of nurses to safely care for the patients during the pandemic. Implications for Nursing Management: A centralized approach to reconfiguration of clinical areas.Redeployment is enabled by closing non‐essential departments.Hands‐on re‐skilling and reorientating staff are essential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The provision of palliative care (PC) for individuals with a life-threatening condition is fundamental to the role of the physician, in order to improve quality of life; however, little research has assessed the competence of the physicians in PC in Saudi Arabia. Aim: To conduct a baseline assessment of self-assessed palliative care competences among medical physicians in Saudi Arabia. Design: A survey-based cross-sectional study was employed using a specifically designed questionnaire. Setting: The participants in the study were selected from 6 specialist medical departments (Family medicine, cardiology, internal medicine, pulmonary medicine, neurology and oncology) in 4 Saudi Arabian Hospitals, based on inclusion criteria. Results: The study was conducted using a validated questionnaire used in Ireland to evaluate the competence skills of physicians for the provision of palliative care. All categories showed internal reliability and normal distribution of the data. However, the score of the knowledge, attitude and practice among the physicians was higher than the expected. The clinical specialty of the physicians demonstrated greater influence on knowledge, attitude and practice related to the palliative care compared to medical education. This highlighted the importance of training in palliative care to the medical doctors working in a range of specialist area. Conclusion: The study provides baseline data on the level of competence of palliative care of physicians in Saudi Arabia. This study can be used as an assessment tool to further evaluate the effectiveness of palliative care in other areas as primary and secondary care settings [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper investigates the palliative care competencies (knowledge, behaviours, attitudes) and education needs of nurses and healthcare assistants (HCAs) who provide supportive (Level 2) palliative care. Methods: A mixed-methods study using a sequential exploratory design was used, with findings integrated across sources. Qualitative focus groups were conducted in 2018 with a sample of staff (n=11, all female; nurses=4; HCAs=7) providing supportive palliative care in a single service setting. A quantitative survey, also conducted in 2018, explored the issue with a wider sample within the same setting (n=36; nurses=18; HCAs=18; female=32). Results: Qualitatively, communication was highlighted as an important domain of the competence framework, with many participants acknowledging that the ability to communicate effectively is essential. Quantitatively, participants scored in the lower range for competency variables. A significant difference was observed between HCAs and nurses on measures of knowledge (t= -2.718; df=30; p<.05) and behaviour (t=-3.576; df=30; p<.05), with HCAs scoring significantly higher than nurses. In relation to education, while some participants report being indecisive regarding engaging in education/training, others highlighted the benefit of education, especially its ability to impact on their current practice. Conclusion: This research contributes to understanding palliative care competencies among nurses and HCAs working in palliative care, and has important implications for the education and training of nurses and HCAs working in Level 2 palliative care in Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the provision of palliative care (PC) is fundamental to the role of the physician, little research has assessed the competence of trainee and experienced physicians in PC. Aim: To describe the development of a competence questionnaire and assess the level of competence of medical doctors in Ireland to provide PC to individuals with life-limiting conditions and their families. Design: A survey-based cohort study was employed using a questionnaire based on the Palliative Care Competence Framework, developed specifically for this study. Setting: The sample was accessed via the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland. All specialties in adult medical care and direct patient contact were included. Results: A pilot study demonstrated comprehensiveness and ensured face validity. In the main study, all subscales showed internal reliability and evidence of a normal distribution. Strong correlation was noted between knowledge and behavior while moderate correlations were noted between attitudes and behavior and attitudes and knowledge, respectively. As expected, palliative-trained participants scored significantly higher in attitudes, behavior, and knowledge. Conclusions: The study provides baseline data on the level of competence of PC of doctors working in Ireland. The study also offers a novel assessment tool that has the potential to be used for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In England, governing bodies continue to be responsible for the conduct of publicly funded schools. This article compares the governing of publicly funded primary schools (for 5–11 year olds) and secondary schools (for 11–18 year olds). The research analysed policy documents and the governing of 16 primary and 14 secondary schools. The main governance mode for both primary schools and secondary schools is hierarchical and similar in nature, and the governing bodies of primary and secondary schools use broadly similar governing instruments. However, they differ in significant ways. In primary schools, governing is smaller in scale and less complex. Primary school governing is closer to the school and children, and the images held by governors of the system to be governed are better developed in primary schools. Functional knowledge was more useful in primary school governing, and the use of informal meetings as instruments of governance was more widespread in primary school governing. The findings and their implications need to be taken into account in the analysis of and policy making for school governing. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Since it came into office in 2010, the British Coalition Government has shown concern over the nation’s declining social mobility, highlighted in Opening Doors,Breaking Barriers: A Strategy for Social Mobility, which identifies the private/state education divide at the root of the problem. However, despite this educational inequality and segregation, successive governments have not seen equality law as a tool of redress. This may because by tradition, distributive inequalities are dealt with only by political initiatives. The purpose of this article is to question this ‘tradition’ and evaluate whether using equality law in Britain as part of a social mobility agenda is justifiable, especially in education. The article concludes that discrimination law, based on school background, could play a significant part in employment, but technical issues make this less likely in education. However, a public sector equality duty extended to education could have a significant impact. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The governing bodies of publicly funded schools in England are currently facing a number of substantive challenges of various kinds. Many of the challenges are long-standing, while others relate to the current context for governing wrought by recent education policy developments initiated by central government. A number of the challenges are immediate and intense, and may well develop over time. The challenges result from both policy imperatives and the challenge of governing effectively – procedural imperatives. The intention of this article is to analyse the challenges facing governing bodies in England. We argue that the challenges interact and synergize and could develop into ‘a perfect storm’, which could have significant implications for the security and stability of the education system and for society generally. Our thinking is shaped by the notion of interactive governance (Kooiman, 2003), which posits that the workings of the school governance network, of which school governing is a part, is best understood in terms of interactions. Following this introduction, we provide some background information for those not familiar with the school governing system in England. We then very briefly describe the three research projects in which we have been involved that form the empirical base for the article (Balarin et al., 2008; James et al., 2010, 2012, 2013). The challenges facing governing bodies are considered under the headings: school governing’s low profile; the institution and the environment; accountability; and the role and the responsibility of school governing bodies. The way these different challenges interconnect and add together is discussed in the penultimate section. In the final section, we make some concluding comments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To develop a model for addressing the emotional concerns of patients or their caregivers; to teach the model in a three-hour workshop and to assess the impact of that training on a wide range of health and social care staff. Methods: A multi-specialty team, including a cancer patient, developed a model based on the evidence relating to emotional support and communication skills. The model (SAGE & THYME™) consists of nine steps (see Box 1). The purpose of the model is to enable staff of all grades and roles to fulfil the most important objectives of support: enabling patients to describe their concerns and emotions if they wish to do so, holding and respecting those concerns; identifying the patients’ support structures; exploring the patients’ own ideas and solutions before offering advice or information. Over 800 health and social care staff of all grades and students have participated in the three-hour SAGE & THYME™ training workshops. Results: Analysis from 412 participants suggests that the workshops had a significant positive effect on self-confidence (p <.0005), self-perception of competence (p <.0005) and willingness to explore the emotional concerns of patients (p <.0005). 95% felt that the workshop would be very likely to have an impact on their practice. Conclusions: The workshops have been successful in increasing the self-perceptions of confidence, competence and willingness to explore the emotional concerns of patients. The model ‘SAGE & THYME™’ has been welcomed by participants. Practice implications: Staff groups will require training for patients or their caregivers to have their concerns heard without interruption and to be allowed to explore their own resolutions. The three-hour SAGE & THYME™ training may go some way towards helping patients and staff form sound partnerships which assist patients to participate constructively in their own care. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The paper is an exploration of how a group of tutors involved in a major e-learning project reacted to developing and teaching in this environment for this first time. All were experienced face-to-face teachers but had different levels of experience in using technology. Our aim was to capture their individual views on working in an online environment. The import of this cannot be under-estimated, as different views on learning influence the role and potential of technology in an e-learning environment. As the research is an exploration in understanding the impact that e-learning can have on the role of the teacher, it seemed appropriate to frame the work in a grounded theory approach and to deal with themes as they emerged. The data for the paper are the product of focus groups, questionnaires and observation. The sample for data collection was the total population of tutors in seven institutions involved in the delivery of the course. The questionnaire captured tutors’ profiles (experience of information technology, e-moderating, e-learning, gender, college, module taught), their personal online tutoring style, their opinions on pedagogy and the student learning experience, training and development issues and general reflections on being an online tutor. The initial findings reveal varied reasons for becoming involved with online learning and a wide variety of styles for interacting online with students. All respondents were keen to keep an element of face-to-face teaching in their modules and felt it was difficult to gauge depth of learning without ‘normal face-to-face interactions at some point’. A number of staff felt that e-delivery is much more difficult than they envisaged and challenged them in ways that face-to-face teaching did not. Materials and approaches that work well in a classroom environment are not always effective online. Tutors faced challenges in both design and delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article provides information on the education of socially disadvantaged children and focuses on the schools for them in Wales, which are running successfully. The characteristics of these schools, which contribute to the high level of academic achievement, are presented. The schools showed a high level of efficiency because they constantly and consistently worked towards the improvement of the overall output of their educational standard.

Those with an interest in public sector institutions increasingly recognize the necessity for those institutions to work collaboratively with each other and with other organizations. In part, this trend is based on the acceptance that many public policy problems are interconnected and can only be meaningfully tackled inter-organizationally. One such policy area is school improvement, which constitutes the central concern of the article and is currently a dominant feature of education policy in Britain. The article conceptualizes the notion of educational collaboration by developing a framework through a review of the relevant literature. The analytical framework makes a paradigmatic distinction between resource dependency and institutional perspectives on collaboration. It recognizes that, although the perspectives interrelate in practice, the interests they serve are distinct and different. The framework acknowledges that individual actors, such as teachers, those in leadership positions in schools, and managers in local authorities may have different purposes for collaboration and disaggregates the antecedents, the process and the successful and unsuccessful outcomes of collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within management generally, and education management more specifically, there has been an almost continuous search for the key to effective management development. Generic occupational standards, generated by the Management Charter Initiative (MCI), are claimed to be applicable and transferable to any manager in any organization. Thus, a manager in a school would be expected to meet the same requirements as a manager in any other organization at the same management level. In the education world, both practitioners and theoreticians are sceptical about the competency approach. This article analyses the relevance of the management standards to primary headship by reporting on the experiences of six headteachers seeking NVQ management qualifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]