Educating Clients with speech and language impairments

Speech and language impairments can result in communication disabilities that can affect clients' capacity to read, write and participate in conversations and social situations.

Justice strategy options for increased customer satisfaction in a services recovery setting

This study investigates the influence of justice (procedural, interactional and distributive) on measures of customer satisfaction within a hotel setting. Specifically, the study investigates the levels of satisfaction associated with various combinations of procedural, interactional, and distributive justice related service recovery strategies. Using especially designed video vignettes of a hotel service breakdown, respondents rated their levels of satisfaction for the video vignettes that depicted varying levels of. (a) level of concern shown by the service provider, (b) whether policy was adhered to, (c) degree of 'voice' given to the customer, and (d) type of compensation. Between subject MANOVA analyses revealed a number of main effects and interactions. Results clearly show that satisfaction varied significantly depending on the various combinations of recovery measures. In particular, a two-way interaction between adherence to policy and type of compensation was found. Furthermore, it was found that respondents expressed higher satisfaction with the service when a 50% refund was given, and the provider was seen to be adhering to policy, rather than doing a special favor for the customer. In contrast, when a token measure of compensation is given (i.e. giving away a couple of drink vouchers), respondents expressed higher levels of satisfaction if the service provider was doing a special favor rather than merely adhering to company policy. Implications for managers and scholars are discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.

The leisure participation of clients with a dual diagnosis

People with a dual diagnosis experience disruption in carrying out their daily occupations. This article describes a study in which an occupational therapist explored the leisure participation of clients with a dual diagnosis. In-depth, semi-structured interviews were conducted with four outpatients from an alcohol and drug rehabilitation programme. Inductive analysis of the informants’ interviews identified two main themes: leisure as part of the recovery process and the barriers to leisure participation. This study provides support for the need to understand the leisure occupations of the clients with whom occupational therapists work. Further research is required to examine the interventions that assist clients with a dual diagnosis to develop meaningful leisure activities.

The leisure satisfaction of people with psychiatric disabilities

Leisure plays a dynamic role in peoples' lives and it would be useful to know how the satisfaction gained from leisure choices relates to personal and social adjustment, mental health and life satisfaction for people with psychiatric ability. Lloyd et al identify the extent of satisfaction derived from leisure activities for people with a mental illness and determine whether or not a standardized measure of leisure satisfaction can be applied to a population of people with mental illness.

The potential of telemedicine for home nursing in Queensland

The potential for telemedicine in home nursing was examined by retrospectively reviewing the case-notes relating to home visits made by nurses in Queensland. The case-notes of 166 clients were randomly selected from 10 domiciliary nursing centres run by the Blue Care nursing organization in south-east Queensland. Two experienced community registered nurses independently undertook a retrospective review of the case-notes. Each reviewer made an independent judgement as to whether any of the home nursing visits in the episode of care could have been conducted by telemedicine. Visits requiring hands-on care were deemed to be unsuitable for telemedicine. A total of 12,630 home visits were reviewed. The median number of visits per client was 27 (range 1-722). The mean age of the clients was 72 years (range 2-93 years). A total of 1521 home visits (12%) were judged suitable for telemedicine. There was no significant difference in suitability between males (13%) and females (12%). Care interventions suitable for telemedicine were more likely to be those of a supportive, educational or review nature. Forty per cent of clients lived up to 5 km from the home nursing centre, 33% lived 5-10 km from the centre and 27% lived over 10 km from the centre. The results of the present study confirm the potential for telemedicine in home nursing in Australia.

Autonomy: an important component for nurses' job satisfaction

This quantitative pilot study (n = 178), conducted in a large Brisbane teaching hospital in Australia, found autonomy to be the most important job component for registered nurses' job satisfaction. The actual level of satisfaction with autonomy was 4.6, on a scale of 1 for very dissatisfied to 7 for very satisfied. The mean for job satisfaction was 4.3, with the job components professional status and interaction adding most substantially to the result. There was discontentment with the other two job components, which were Cask requirements and organisational policies. Demographic comparisons showed that nurses who were preceptors had significantly less job satisfaction than the other nurses at the hospital. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of breeding strategies for beef cattle bull breeders selling bulls into two competing markets on a non-linear price grid

Computer simulation was used to suggest potential selection strategies for beef cattle breeders with different mixes of clients between two potential markets. The traditional market paid on the basis of carcass weight (CWT), while a new market considered marbling grade in addition to CWT as a basis for payment. Both markets instituted discounts for CWT in excess of 340 kg and light carcasses below 300 kg. Herds were simulated for each price category on the carcass weight grid for the new market. This enabled the establishment of phenotypic relationships among the traits examined [CWT, percent intramuscular fat (IMF), carcass value in the traditional market, carcass value in the new market, and the expected proportion of progeny in elite price cells in the new market pricing grid]. The appropriateness of breeding goals was assessed on the basis of client satisfaction. Satisfaction was determined by the equitable distribution of available stock between markets combined with the assessment of the utility of the animal within the market to which it was assigned. The best goal for breeders with predominantly traditional clients was a CWT in excess of 330 kg, while that for breeders with predominantly new market clients was a CWT of between 310 and 329 kg and with a marbling grade of AAA in the Ontario carcass pricing system. For breeders who wished to satisfy both new and traditional clients, the optimal CWT was 310-329 kg and the optimal marbling grade was AA-AAA. This combination resulted in satisfaction levels of greater than 75% among clients, regardless of the distribution of the clients between the traditional and new marketplaces.