Supervision among mental health workers in the ACT

There is a common perception among mental health professionals of the purpose of clinical supervision. However, only two-thirds of professionals in the ACT currently receive regular supervision with comparisons between nurses and allied health workers showing few differences in experience, training, access and barriers to supervision, both supervisees and supervisors.

Mixed methods evaluation research for a mental health screening and referral clinical pathway

Rationale: This study is an exemplar of mixed method evaluation research for development of a clinical pathway.

Aim: To develop and evaluate an evidence-based, feasible mental health screening and referral clinical pathway for Department of Veterans’ Affairs-funded community nursing care of war veterans and war widows in the Australian context.

Methods: Mixed methods were applied to formulate and clinically evaluate an appropriate pathway. The pathway was applied at urban and rural sites for the nursing care of 97 war veteran and war widow clients. Evaluative data were collected from clients, their informal carers, community nurses, and general practitioners. Chart auditing and pre-post measures were undertaken. Collaboration occurred with an interdisciplinary design team.

Results: The final modified six-page pathway includes use of validated screening tools (Kessler Psychological Distress Scale [K10]) and Alcohol Use Disorder Identification Test, appropriate referral information, directions for support and health-promoting education, and evidence-based guidelines. Implications for Practice: The clinical pathway is a useful, tested, evidence-based guide for generalist community nurses to identify and suitably respond to common mental healthcare needs of war veterans and war widows. The pathway provides outcomes acceptable to clients and their carers, nurses and doctors.

Conclusions: This study provides an evaluated clinical pathway for generalist community nurses to screen for mental health difficulties, make appropriate referrals as required and to support war veteran and war widow clients. However, the study also shows how research can be used to develop and evaluate
practical, evidence-based clinical pathways.

Building capacity in sexuality education : The Northern Bay College experience : Report of the first phase of the sexuality education and community support (SECS) project

The Sexuality Education and Community Support (SECS) project aims to introduce a P-12 approach to sexuality education at Northern Bay P-12 College (NBC) through a collaborative partnership process between the schools within the College and local, regional, and state health and education agencies and has set out to change current sexual health education practice in the College and assist other schools in the region to do the same. The Project’s goal is a ‘sustainable, responsive, whole school, regionally consistent, best practice sexuality education’. During this first or establishment phase of the SECS project strategies have been implemented to begin the process of building capacity in sexuality education at NBC. These strategies are aimed at developing a sustainable approach during the next three and a half years.

The business of sexuality education : changing practice : the need for professional development

This paper reports on data collected from practicing sexuality education teachers following their participation in professional learning intervention in sexuality education. It explores whether the provision of effective professional development and classroom resources enables teachers to effectively address the sensitive issues of sexual diversity, gender and power.

Sexuality education matters : preparing pre-service teachers to teach sexuality education

Given the challenges to successful teacher-led, whole-school sexuality education there is an overall awareness that teacher education is crucial to the success of any sexuality education program undertaken within the school context. There is evidence that such teacher education, when provided, can address two of the most commonly identified barriers to successful teacher-led implementation of these programs; familiarity with the subject and curriculum content and increased levels of personal comfort and confidence regarding the topic of students’ sexual health. Sexuality Education Matters is designed to support pre-service teacher education programs to prepare students to teach sexuality education in primary and secondary schools. It builds on the research and teaching experience of Debbie Ollis and Lyn Harrison at Deakin University. It assumes that sexuality education in Australian schools is part of a comprehensive health and physical education curriculum. Even so, many of the readings and teaching and learning experiences could be adapted or used in other contexts that focus on school-based sexuality education. Sexuality Education Matters aims to equip teachers with the knowledge, skills and confidence to teach sexuality education. In light of the lack of resources for primary school based programs there is a deliberate focus on preparing both primary and secondary school pre-service teachers to teach sexuality education.
The resource is designed to:
– provide a theoretical understanding of the area
– explore the current debates
– increase knowledge
– give pre-service teachers access to a range of pedagogical approaches relevant to sexuality education
– increase students’ confidence and comfort level
– explore personal values, attitudes and ethical considerations.

Informing brain health behaviour choices: the efficacy of a high-school brain awareness pilot study

Aims:
Lifestyle choices such as diet and exercise significantly impact mental wellbeing and this is particularly so during the period of adolescence. The aim of the current study was to determine whether neuroscience concepts could be introduced to the classroom in a manner that improved high school student awareness of how health behaviour choices impact brain health. 

Study Design:
This study was a quantitative study that measured 47 assertions relating to brain health and neuroscience pre and post an interactive seminar.

Place and Duration of Study:
A Victorian high school in Geelong, Australia. Participation in the seminar took approximately 100 minutes, including time to complete the questionnaires.

Methodology:
The current study trialed a ‘Brain Basics’ educational program in a Victorian high-school. The neuro-educative interactive seminar was presented to 48female year 11 students. The level of student understanding, interest and enjoyment was assessed prior to and following an interactive seminar.

Results:
Student understanding of brain health significantly improved in 31 out of 47 questionnaire items and interest and enjoyment were highly rated.

Conclusion:
This supports the notion that basic neuroscience concepts can be introduced into Victorian schools to increase brain health awareness of our youth during this criticaltime of brain development. - See more at: http://www.sciencedomain.org/abstract.php?iid=431&id=21&aid=3887#.UykK5oXAwZm

Game Sense as a model for delivering quality teaching in physical education

As a well-developed indicator of high-quality teaching in any subject area we use the New South Wales (NSW) Quality Teaching Framework (QTF) in this article to identify what might constitute quality teaching in physical education and to suggest the extent to which Game Sense pedagogy can be seen to meet the expectations of the NSW QTF. We identify and discuss the pedagogical features of Game Sense that our examination suggests can provide quality teaching and learning to make suggestions about how this could inform the provision of high-quality teaching across the practical curriculum.

Improving transfer of mental health care for rural and remote consumers in South Australia

In Australia, it is commonplace for tertiary mental health care to be provided in large regional centres or metropolitan cities. Rural and remote consumers must be transferred long distances, and this inevitably results in difficulties with the integration of their care between primary and tertiary settings. Because of the need to address these issues, and improve the transfer process, a research project was commissioned by a national government department to be conducted in South Australia. The aim of the project was to document the experiences of mental health consumers travelling from the country to the city for acute care and to make policy recommendations to improve transitions of care. Six purposively sampled case studies were conducted collecting data through semistructured interviews with consumers, country professional and occupational groups and tertiary providers. Data were analysed to produce themes for consumers, and country and tertiary mental healthcare providers. The study found that consumers saw transfer to the city for mental health care as beneficial in spite of the challenges of being transferred over long distances, while being very unwell, and of being separated from family and friends. Country care providers noted that the disjointed nature of the mental health system caused problems with key aspects of transfer of care including transport and information flow, and achieving integration between the primary and tertiary settings. Improving transfer of care involves overcoming the systemic barriers to integration and moving to a primary care-led model of care. The distance consultation and liaison model provided by the Rural and Remote Mental Health Services, the major tertiary provider of services for country consumers, uses a primary care-led approach and was highly regarded by research participants. Extending the use of this model to other primary mental healthcare providers and tertiary facilities will improve transfer of care.

e-Mental health for mood and anxiety disorders in general practice

Background Australia is a world leader in the development of internetdelivered programs for the prevention and management of mood and anxiety disorders. Despite a strong evidence base of time- and cost-effectiveness, as well as clinical efficacy, the uptake of these programs in general practice remains low. Objective To familiarise general practitioners (GPs) with the range of online programs in Australia that have demonstrated efficacy and are currently available for use by patients with mental health problems. Discussion E-mental health programs provide an efficacious and accessible form of mental healthcare and have the potential to fill the gap for those for whom such care is inaccessible, unaffordable or unacceptable. Clinicians can also use it in a stepped-care manner to augment existing healthcare services. There are a number of online resources currently available to Australians who have mood or anxiety disorders. These resources have strong evidence to support their effectiveness. Online portals facilitate access to these programs. Recently the Australian Federal Government has funded an education program (eMHPrac) for GPs and mental health professionals, to outline what is available, indicate situations where recommending such resources is appropriate, and suggest ways in which they can be incorporated into general practice.

What counts as effective communication in nursing? Evidence from nurse educators' and clinicians' feedback on nurse interactions with simulated patients.

To examine the feedback given by nurse educators and clinicians on the quality of communication skills of nurses in interactions with simulated patients.

Primary health care nurse perception and men’s expectation of the role of the primary health care nurse in providing men’s health services in the primary care setting in Victoria

 This study adds significantly to the current paucity of knowledge around men's health in Australian primary care and in particular stresses the need for men's health care education to be more reliable and systematic foundation for men's sexual health, mental health and health promotion.

Optimising the impact of education for community pharmacy in Australia

Aims & rationale/Objectives : This paper examines the extent to which different models of community pharmacist continuing education (CE) are evidence-based. It also describes the impact of varying education models on attendance and attitudes within the profession.

Methods : A literature review was conducted to establish principles that should be applied to health professional education, and pharmacy in particular. Interviews were conducted with representatives from four organisations involved in the education of pharmacists to understand their current models. Four focus groups were held with community pharmacists to understand their educational experiences and attitudes.

Principal findings : The purpose of CE is to improve the clinical performance of health practitioners. Literature examining outcomes from CE underlines the importance of adult learning principles. Focus groups supported the view that consideration of these principles is beneficial. These principles, including problem-based learning, clinical applicability, relevance, and active involvement in the learning process, are currently incorporated into educational models to varying extents. Access problems such as cost, distance, insufficient flexibility in delivery, and poor promotion of educational opportunities prevent many pharmacists from taking responsibility for their own learning. A lack of appropriate assessment by some registering authorities is counterproductive to achieving CE outcomes in clinical practice. Participants already engaged in continuing professional development (CPD) agreed with the principles of its introduction.

Discussion : Optimising outcomes from CE requires considerable input from numerous stakeholders. The recent introduction of mandatory pharmacist CPD across Australia should encourage an individual focus on learning outcomes. Focus group participants are likely to be education enthusiasts and may not represent the views of the entire profession.

Implications : This study identifies the need for a system-wide approach for achieving outcomes from CE. It is therefore advisable that a coordinated strategy be developed by all stakeholders for education delivery so as to optimise the impact of CE.