Search

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of psychological capital on the relationship between physical violence and mental health issues of nurses and personal care assistants (PCAs) working in aged care using the job demands-resources theory., Methodology: Data were collected from 254 nurses and PCAs of the Australian Nursing Midwifery Federation located in Victoria, Australia. The study takes a quantitative approach and tests the hypotheses through regression analyses., Findings: The results indicate that experiencing physical violence increases levels of stress, depression, and anxiety. This, in turn, increases nurses' and PCAs' intention to leave. However, increased psychological capital can assist nurses and PCAs in dealing with physical violence., Research Implications: The study acknowledges that physical violence is a factor in nurses' intention to leave. The significant finding is that psychological capital plays a protective role in ameliorating the negative impact of physical violence on individual well-being and intentions to leave. We note, however, that this is a cross-section study, and more longitudinal research needs to be undertaken., Practical Implications: There are clear implications for managers to create a supportive organization that cultivates hope, self-efficacy, and resilience, thereby increasing psychological capital. Leadership development programs could build a supportive foundation for nurses to seek support and build resilience. Job construction should be focused on protecting nurses from risk by utilizing manageable workloads to limit stress, depression, and anxiety., Originality: Our study extends research on retention of these skilled and important health care workers in a demanding environment that has largely been absent from the literature. Specifically, physical violence is often considered part of nursing work, but its impact on mental health, well-being, and intention to leave are underexplored in this sector, as well as the effectiveness of specific measures that bolster the negative impact of physical violence on nurses., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflicts of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Workplace health promotion (WHP) and the general wellbeing of workers in the Australian workforce should be a priority for all management. Our study argues that management support for workers with an intellectual disability (WWID) can make a difference to their health promotion and ultimately their participation in the workforce. We adopt a qualitative approach, through semi-structured interviews with 22 managers, across various organizations, to examine their perspectives around the WHP of WWID. We integrate the key values of WHP; rights for health, empowerment for health and participation for health (Spencer, Corbin and Miedema, Sustainable development goals for health promotion: a critical frame analysis, Health Promot Int 2019;34:847-58) into the four phases of WHP interventions; needs assessment, planning, implementation and evaluation (Bortz and Döring, Research Methods and Evaluation for Human and Social Scientists, Heidelberg: Springer, 2006) and examine management perspectives (setting-based approach) on WHP of WWID. Where this integration had taken place, we found some evidence of managers adopting more flexible, innovative and creative approaches to supporting the health promotion of WWID. This integration seemed to drive continuous improvement for WWID health promotion at the workplace. We also found evidence that some organizations, such an exemplar film company, even over deliver in terms of supporting WWID needs by encouraging their capabilities in film making interventions, whilst others are more direct in their support by matching skills to routine jobs. Our approach demonstrates that incorporating key WHP values into the four-phase WHP framework is critical for the effective health promotion of WWID., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Healthcare workers are at the frontline managing COVID-19 patients with transmission of the COVID-19 virus to healthcare workers evident in many Australian states. Minimisation of this spread is vital to protecting the healthcare workforce with individual organisations detailing best practice for infection and control. However, interpretation and implementation of infection control guidelines is varied across Australian Radiation Therapy Departments, highlighting inconsistencies. Strong leadership, quality communication and clear direction is required during this crisis to ensure that radiation therapists receive all necessary support and resources required to maintain safety and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Objective This study examined strategic human resource management (SHRM) activities in two case hospitals relative to their approach to greenfield site success. Methods A comparative case study analysis approach was used, with documents sourced from public, open-access sites. The theoretical framework of crisis management theory's (CMT) proactive management and open communication channels was used to examine the documents, which were annual reports addressing both hospitals' first year of performance, union publications and transcripts of relevant parliamentary inquiries. Results The hospital that effectively used CMT in its first 12 months was demonstratively more 'successful' than the hospital that reported to not have effectively used CMT. 'Success' in this project was articulated as the hospital's ability to consolidate operations, without ongoing negative media attention, after 12 months. Conclusion This study provided an identification of how the use of CMT in a hospital's greenfield stage can increase the hospital's chances of 'success'. What is known about the topic? Journal and media articles illustrated a gap in greenfield human resource management (HRM) regarding successful consolidation, especially the healthcare context. Although manufacturing firms are addressed in academic literature in a greenfield context, there is a lack of knowledge concerning successful greenfield HRM in a healthcare context. What does this paper add? This study is among the first to identify the role of CMT in successful greenfield site establishment by identifying its presence in management activities. What are the implications for practitioners? The findings of this study suggest a potential link between the implementation of CMT and greenfield site success. This could allow future greenfield healthcare sites to operate with less cost and risk. The lack of stakeholder participation in the present study limits the applicability of its findings. However, archival document analysis provides a strong foundation for future studies.

This article presents an investigation into capacity building, at the community level, in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Men's Groups and Sheds. As safe men's spaces, Men's Groups and Sheds represent an ever-growing social, and health and well-being community service across Australia. The study is qualitative and employs 'yarning circles' (focus groups), semi-structured interviews and observations to gather data from 15 Groups/Sheds involving 45 men from urban, regional and remote communities. We found that capacity building is primarily about securing relationships between Group Leaders/Shed Co-ordinators and Government services. Capacity building establishes links to services such as Centrelink, Medicare, Department of Housing, Probation and Control, and positive outcomes such as Indigenous men securing housing and Centrelink payments. Capacity building results in better health outcomes and, educates and empowers men to improve their social, cultural, emotional and economic well-being. It helps men to better connect with family and community. The current research paves the way for countries worldwide to explore the conceptual and empirical approach of capacity building applicable to other Indigenous [and non-Indigenous] Men's Groups/Sheds. We recommend feasibilities studies, on approaches to capacity building in Indigenous Groups/Sheds, be carried out within urban, regional and remote regions across the country., (© The Author (2014). Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Past breeding strategies for dairy cattle have been very effective in producing rapid genetic gain to achieve industry targets and raise profitability. Such gains have been largely facilitated by intense selection of sires combined with the use of artificial insemination. However, this practice can potentially limit the level of genetic diversity through inbreeding and selection plateaus. The rate of inbreeding in Australia is increasing, primarily as a result of semen importation from a small number of prominent bulls from the USA. The effect of this genetic influx in the Australian dairy cattle population is poorly understood both in terms of diversity and local adaptation/divergence. This study uses 845 genome-wide SNP genetic markers and 431 bulls to characterize the level of genetic diversity and genetic divergence within the Australian and international Holstein Friesian dairy population. No significant differences in genetic diversity (as measured by heterozygosity [H(o)] and allelic richness [A]) were observed over the 25-year time period (1975-1999) for bulls used in Australia. The importation of foreign semen into Australia has increased the effective population size until it was in effect a sub-sample of the global population. Our data indicate that most individuals are equally closely related to one another, regardless of country of origin and year of birth. In effect, the global population can be considered as one single population unit. These results indicate that inbreeding, genetic drift and selection has had little effect at reducing genetic diversity and differentiating the Australian Holstein Friesian population at a genome-wide level.