Vietnamese nursing students' perceptions of their clinical learning environment: A cross-sectional survey

This study investigated Vietnamese nursing students' perceptions of their clinical learning environment. The study was undertaken in two phases: 1) translation and adaptation of research instrument and 2) a cross-sectional survey was followed. Despite validity issues identified, data from two valid sub-scales and structured questions provided insights into the clinical learning environment that is the environment did not operate from an adult learner philosophy or provide a student-centred environment. The results are significant for development of clinical learning environment in Vietnam and that cultural differences between populations should be carefully considered in future research.

Understanding mental toughness in Australian soccer: Perceptions of players, parents, and coaches

We explored mental toughness in soccer using a triangulation of data capture involving players (n = 6), coaches (n = 4), and parents (n = 5). Semi-structured interviews, based on a personal construct psychology (Kelly, 1955/1991) framework, were conducted to elicit participants' perspectives on the key characteristics and their contrasts, situations demanding mental toughness, and the behaviours displayed and cognitions employed by mentally tough soccer players. The results from the research provided further evidence that mental toughness is conceptually distinct from other psychological constructs such as hardiness. The findings also supported Gucciardi, Gordon, and Dimmock's (2009) process model of mental toughness. A winning mentality and desire was identified as a key attribute of mentally tough soccer players in addition to other previously reported qualities such as self-belief, physical toughness, work ethic/motivation, and resilience. Key cognitions reported by mentally tough soccer players enabled them to remain focused and competitive during training and matches and highlighted the adoption of several forms of self-talk in dealing with challenging situations. Minor revisions to Gucciardi and colleagues' definition of mental toughness are proposed.

Using rowers’ perceptions of on-water stroke success to evaluate sculling catch efficiency variables via a boat instrumentation system

Aim An effective catch in sculling is a critical determinant of boat velocity. This study used rowers’ performance-based judgments to compare three measures of catch slip efficiency. Two questions were addressed: (1) would rower-judged Yes strokes be faster than No strokes? and (2) which method of quantifying catch slip best reflected these judgements? Methods Eight single scullers performed two 10-min blocks of sub maximal on-water rowing at 20 strokes per minute. Every 30 s, rowers reported either Yes or No about the quality of their stroke at the catch. Results It was found that Yes strokes identified by rowers had, on average, a moderate effect advantage over No strokes with a standardised effect size of 0.43. In addition, a quicker time to positive acceleration best reflected the change in performance; where the standardised mean difference score of 0.57 for time to positive acceleration was larger than the scores of 0.47 for time to PowerLine force, and 0.35 for time to 30% peak pin force catch slip measures. For all eight rowers, Yes strokes corresponded to time to positive acceleration occurring earlier than No strokes. Conclusion Rower judgements about successful strokes was linked to achieving a quicker time to positive acceleration, and may be of the most value in achieving a higher average boat velocity.

Malnutrition prevalence in aged care residents: A pilot study

Malnutrition is a significant clinical and public health problem. The prevalence of malnutrition was determined in a sample of older people living in 2 residential aged care facilities in Australia. The Subjective Global Assessment tool was used to determine the prevalence of malnutrition in 57 residents. The majority of residents were well nourished (67), 26 moderately malnourished, and 7 severely malnourished. Prevalence of malnutrition was higher for those receiving high-level care (42), but this was not statistically significant (P =.437). No relationship was found between malnutrition status and age (P =.529) or sex (P =.839).

Australian pharmacists' self-perceptions in relation to the 'Advanced Pharmacy Practice Framework'

Background The Australian Pharmacy Practice Framework was developed by the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Steering Committee and endorsed by the Pharmacy Board of Australia in October 2012. The Steering Committee conducted a study that found practice portfolios to be the preferred method to assess and credential Advanced Pharmacy Practitioner, which is currently being piloted by the Australian Pharmacy Council. Credentialing is predicted to open to all pharmacists practising in Australia by November 2015. Objective To explore how Australian pharmacists self-perceived being advanced in practice and how they related their level of practice to the Australian Advanced Pharmacy Practice Framework. Method This was an explorative, cross-sectional study with mixed methods analysis. Advanced Pharmacy Practice Framework, a review of the recent explorative study on Advanced Practice conducted by the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Framework Steering Committee and semi-structured interviews (n = 10) were utilized to create, refine and pilot the questionnaire. The questionnaire was advertised across pharmacy-organizational websites via a purposive sampling method. The target population were pharmacists currently registered in Australia. Results Seventy-two participants responded to the questionnaire. The participants were mostly female (56.9%) and in the 30–40 age group (26.4%). The pharmacists self-perceived their levels of practice as either entry, transition, consolidation or advanced, with the majority selecting the consolidation level (38.9%). Although nearly half (43.1%) of the participants had not seen the Framework beforehand, they defined Advanced Pharmacy Practice similarly to the definition outlined in the Framework, but also added specialization as a requirement. Pharmacists explained why they were practising at their level of practice, stating that not having more years of practice, lacking experience, or postgraduate/post-registration qualifications, and more involvement and recognition in practice were the main reasons for not considering themselves as an Advanced Pharmacy Practitioner. To be considered advanced by the Framework, pharmacists would need to fulfill at least 70% of the Advanced Practice competency standards at an advanced level. More than half of the pharmacists (64.7%) that self-perceived as being advanced managed to fulfill 70% or more of these Advanced Practice competency standards at the advanced level. However, none of the self-perceived entry level pharmacists managed to match at least 70% of the competencies at the entry level. Conclusion Participants' self-perception of the term Advanced Practice was similar to the definition in the Advanced Pharmacy Practice Framework. Pharmacists working at an advanced level were largely able to demonstrate and justify their reasons for being advanced practitioners. However, pharmacists practising at the other levels of practice (entry, transition, consolidation) require further guidance regarding their advancement in practice.

Organisational sustainability policies and employee green behaviour: The mediating role of work climate perceptions

Organisations are increasingly introducing sustainability policies to encourage environmentally friendly behaviours. Employees' green work climate perceptions (i.e., how they perceive their organisations' and co-workers' orientations towards environmental sustainability) may constitute psychological mechanisms that link such policies with behaviour. We present findings of a study on relationships among the perceived presence of organisational sustainability policies, green work climate perceptions and employee reports of their green behaviour (EGB). We hypothesised that green work climate perceptions mediate the positive relationship between employees' perceptions of the presence of a sustainability policy and EGB. Results based on data from 168 employees supported our hypotheses. Green work climate perceptions of the organisation and of co-workers differentially mediated the effects of the perceived presence of a sustainability policy on task-related and proactive EGB. These findings extend research on the efficacy of sustainability policies by shedding new light on the psychological mechanisms that link them with EGB.

Intergenerational Perceptions and Conflicts in Multi-Age and Multigenerational Work Environments

One underappreciated consequence of the aging population phenomenon is that we are now experiencing what is arguably the most age-diverse workforce in modern history (Hanks & Icenogle, 2001; Newton, 2006; Toossi, 2004). As our workforce continues to age, shifts in the age demographic composition (i.e., the age diversity) of organizations and their subunits will become more apparent (Roth, Wegge, & Schmidt, 2007). Several factors have influenced and will continue to drive this trend. For example, in Western countries, younger people entering the workforce are more educated than ever before (Hussar & Bailey, 2013; Ryan & Siebens, 2012; Stoops, 2003) and could feasibly rise to positions of power in organizations more quickly than others have in the past (e.g., promotion rates vary as a function of age) (Rosenbaum, 1979; see also Clemens, 2012 conceptualization of the "fast track effect"). Furthermore, older workers are increasingly delaying retirement beyond the normative retirement age (Baltes & Rudolph, 2012; Burtless, 2012; Flynn, 2010), and already retired individuals are seeking re-employment in bridge employment roles in higher numbers than before (e.g., Adams & Rau, 2004; Kim & Feldman, 2000; Weckerle & Shultz, 1999).

Medication incident reporting in residential aged care facilities: Limitations and risks to residents' safety

Background Medication incident reporting (MIR) is a key safety critical care process in residential aged care facilities (RACFs). Retrospective studies of medication incident reports in aged care have identified the inability of existing MIR processes to generate information that can be used to enhance residents’ safety. However, there is little existing research that investigates the limitations of the existing information exchange process that underpins MIR, despite the considerable resources that RACFs’ devote to the MIR process. The aim of this study was to undertake an in-depth exploration of the information exchange process involved in MIR and identify factors that inhibit the collection of meaningful information in RACFs. Methods The study was undertaken in three RACFs (part of a large non-profit organisation) in NSW, Australia. A total of 23 semi-structured interviews and 62 hours of observation sessions were conducted between May to July 2011. The qualitative data was iteratively analysed using a grounded theory approach. Results The findings highlight significant gaps in the design of the MIR artefacts as well as information exchange issues in MIR process execution. Study results emphasized the need to: a) design MIR artefacts that facilitate identification of the root causes of medication incidents, b) integrate the MIR process within existing information systems to overcome key gaps in information exchange execution, and c) support exchange of information that can facilitate a multi-disciplinary approach to medication incident management in RACFs. Conclusions This study highlights the advantages of viewing MIR process holistically rather than as segregated tasks, as a means to identify gaps in information exchange that need to be addressed in practice to improve safety critical processes.

Shared perceptions of supervisor conflict management style

- Purpose This study aims to investigate the extent to which employee outcomes (anxiety/depression, bullying and workers’ compensation claims thoughts) are affected by shared perceptions of supervisor conflict management style (CMS). Further, this study aims to assess cross-level moderating effects of supervisor CMS climate on the positive association between relationship conflict and these outcomes. - Design/methodology/approach Multilevel modeling was conducted using a sample of 401 employees nested in 69 workgroups. - Findings High collaborating, low yielding and low forcing climates (positive supervisor climates) were associated with lower anxiety/depression, bullying and claim thoughts. Unexpectedly, the direction of moderation showed that the positive association between relationship conflict and anxiety/depression and bullying was stronger for positive supervisor CMS climates than for negative supervisor CMS climates (low collaborating, high yielding and high forcing). Nevertheless, these interactions revealed that positive supervisor climates were the most effective at reducing anxiety/depression and bullying when relationship conflict was low. For claim thoughts, positive supervisor CMS climates had the predicted stress-buffering effects. - Research limitations/implications Employees benefit from supervisors creating positive CMS climates when dealing with conflict as a third party, and intervening when conflict is low, when their intervention is more likely to minimize anxiety/depression and bullying. - Originality/value By considering the unique perspective of employees’ shared perceptions of supervisor CMS, important implications for the span of influence of supervisor behavior on employee well-being have been indicated.

A pilot RCT of a multi-component nutrition intervention for nursing home residents with dementia

Background Malnutrition and unintentional weight loss are major clinical issues in people with dementia living in residential aged care facilities (RACFs) and are associated with serious adverse outcomes. However, evidence regarding effective interventions is limited and strategies to improve the nutritional status of this population are required. This presentation describes the implementation and results of a pilot randomised controlled trial of a multi-component intervention for improving the nutritional status of RACF residents with dementia. Method Fifteen residents with moderate-severe dementia living in a secure long-term RACF participated in a five week pilot study. Participants were randomly allocated to either an Intervention (n=8) or Control group (n=7). The intervention comprised four elements delivered in a separate dining room at lunch and dinner: the systematic reinforcement of residents’ eating behaviors using a specific communication protocol; family-style dining; high ambiance table presentation; and routine Dietary-Nutrition Champion supervision. Control group participants ate their meals according to the facility’s standard practice. Baseline and follow-up assessments of nutritional status, food consumption, and body mass index were obtained by qualified nutritionists. Additional assessments included measures of cognitive functioning, mealtime agitation, depression, wandering status and multiple measures of intervention fidelity. Results No participant was malnourished at study commencement and participants in both groups gained weight from follow-up to baseline which was not significantly different between groups (t=0.43; p=0.67). A high degree of treatment fidelity was evident throughout the intervention. Qualitative data from staff indicate the intervention was perceived to be beneficial for residents. Conclusions This multi-component nutritional intervention was well received and was feasible in the RACF setting. Participants’ sound nutritional status at baseline likely accounts for the lack of an intervention effect. Further research using this protocol in malnourished residents is recommended. For success, a collaborative approach between researchers and facility staff, particularly dietary staff, is essential.

Transitioning from university to the workplace: Stakeholder perceptions of academic and professional writing demands

This study provides a detailed insight into the changing writing demands from the last year of university study to the first year in the workforce of engineering and accounting professionals. The study relates these to the demands of the writing component of IELTS, which is increasingly used for exit testing. The number of international and local students whose first language is not English and who are studying in English-medium universities has increased significantly in the past decade. Many of these students aim to start working in the country they studied in; however, some employers have suggested that graduates seeking employment have insufficient language skills. This study provides a detailed insight into the changing writing demands from the last year of university study to the first year in the workforce of engineering and accounting professionals (our two case study professions). It relates these to the demands of the writing component of IELTS, which is increasingly used for exit or professional entry testing, although not expressly designed for this purpose. Data include interviews with final year students, lecturers, employers and new graduates in their first few years in the workforce, as well as professional board members. Employers also reviewed both final year assignments, as well as IELTS writing samples at different levels. Most stakeholders agreed that graduates entering the workforce are underprepared for the writing demands in their professions. When compared with the university writing tasks, the workplace writing expected of new graduates was perceived as different in terms of genre, the tailoring of a text for a specific audience, and processes of review and editing involved. Stakeholders expressed a range of views on the suitability of the use of academic proficiency tests (such as IELTS) as university exit tests and for entry into the professions. With regard to IELTS, while some saw the relevance of the two writing tasks, particularly in relation to academic writing, others questioned the extent to which two timed tasks representing limited genres could elicit a representative sample of the professional writing required, particularly in the context of engineering. The findings are discussed in relation to different test purposes, the intersection between academic and specific purpose testing and the role of domain experts in test validation.

Perceptions of audio feedback in higher education assessment

The aim of this paper is to present results of research investigating the effectiveness of audio feedback in a third year undergraduate unit. While there is a large and growing body of literature about providing assessment feedback, there is little focussing on the use of audio media. This study employs a mixed method approach, involving semi-structured interviews with academic staff and a survey of students. Analysis of the interview data suggests that there are a number of issues surrounding acceptance of using audio feedback by lecturers. The next stage of the study is to examine the extent to which lecturers change their perceptions as they use audio feedback and to analyse the perceptions of the students (n=120), including the perceived importance of feedback, the ways in which they used the audio feedback and the extent to which they believe they control events that affect them. Ultimately, this study seeks to provide recommendations appropriate to the implementation of audio feedback in higher education.

'Take away from the dry sixties style marking': Lecturer and student perceptions and experiences of audio feedback

Providing audio feedback to assessment is relatively uncommon in higher education. However, published research suggests that it is preferred over written feedback by students but lecturers were less convinced. The aim of this paper is to examine further these findings in the context of a third year business ethics unit. Data was collected from two sources. The first is a series of in-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with three lecturers providing audio feeback for the first time in Semester One 2011. The second source of data was drawn from the university student evaluation system. A total of 363 responses were used providing 'before' and 'after' perspectives about the effectiveness of audio feedback versus written feedback. Between 2005 and 2009 the survey data provided information about student attitudes to written assessment feedback (n=261). From 2010 onwards the data relates to audio (mp3) feedback (n=102). The analysis of he interview data indicated that introducing audio feedback should be done with care. The perception of the participating lecturers was mixed, ranging from sceptism to outright enthusiasm, but over time the overall approach became positive. It was found that particular attention needs to be paid to small (but important) technical details, and lecturers need to be convinced of its effectieness, especially that it is not necessarily more time consuming than providing written feedback. For students, the analysis revealed a clear preference for audio feedback. It is concluded that there is cause for concern and reason for optimism. It is a cause for concern because there is a possibility that scepticism on the part of academic staff seems to be based on assumptions about what students prefer and a concern about using the technology. There is reason for optimism because the evidence points towards students preferring audio feedback and as academic staff become more familiar with the technology the scepticism tends to evaporate. While this study is limited in scope, questions are raised about tackling negative staff perceptions of audio feedback that are worthy of further research.

Consumers' perceptions and attitudes towards firms' green marketing initiatives: How do they influence green consumption?

This thesis examines green marketing and green consumption behaviours addressing limited understandings about how consumers interpret their green consumption behaviour in their everyday lives; what motivates people to purchase green products, and what barriers exist to this behaviour. Findings reveal that enhancing green consumption through green marketing depends on consumers' enthusiasm to engage in green practices and green behavioural influences. The research supports the need for qualitative research to provide rich insights into relationships between consumer behaviour, green marketing and green consumption and builds a stronger knowledge foundation by introducing social practice theory into the marketing discipline.

Perceptions of destinations don’t change much over time

One of the most popular topics in tourism research is destination image. That is, measuring consumers’ perceptions of a destination. The importance of the topic is a no brainer given travellers are spoilt by choice of destinations, and that the images they hold of a place are as important as the tangible tourism features. This is underpinned by the old adage perception is reality, a theory promoted by two academics back in 1928 who proposed “what people believe to be true will be real in its consequences”. So, every place marketer knows consumer perceptions play a major role in the competitiveness of their destination.