The consultative process used in outreach : a narrative account

Aim The aim of this paper was to provide a narrative account of the communication skills used in an effective outreach consultation utilizing Neighbour’s consultative model. Other consultation models were considered; however, because of their overly comprehensive approach or emphasis on behaviour modification, these were deemed inappropriate. Background The nursing profession has endured significant changes of late and as a result is developing more autonomous roles in both the community and the acute health care settings. In the past, the term consultancy was used within the medical context; nowadays, there are advance nurse practitioners for whom consultancy is an integral part of their role. Although every nursing interaction is in essence a consultation, the fact that nurses are taking up on new advanced roles highlights the necessity for nurses to develop their consultation skills even further. Therefore, it makes sense to explore what aspects of that consultancy role needs special consideration in order to ensure that positive outcomes are achieved. Conclusions This paper has used a narrative account to uncover those salient skills needed to enhance the therapeutic relationship with a patient requiring the services of outreach. Furthermore, the application of a recognized consultation model was used to elucidate the underpinning knowledge of systematic history taking and assessment as well as demonstrating the communication skills and strategies needed to increase the patient’s participation and empowerment throughout the consultation. Relevance to clinical practice Effective communication skills encompassed in a consultative model are integral to the success in safeguarding the well-being of patients requiring advanced levels of care. Prejudging or pre-empting information being conveyed can be detrimental to patient safety and may prolong or complicate treatment plans.

Knowledge transfer through dual degree programs : perspectives from Indonesian universities

The thesis provides an Indonesian perspective into the rationales and outcomes of cooperation between Indonesian and Australian universities. It demonstrates that Indonesian universities participating in this study have actively pursued their institutional agenda to bring benefits from the cooperation with the international partners and engaged in knowledge transfer with these partners to develop their capacity. It particularly investigates the knowledge transfer processes between Indonesian and Australian universities through dual degree program partnerships.

Security metrics for Java bytecode programs

Although there are many approaches for developing secure programs, they are not necessarily helpful for evaluating the security of a pre-existing program. Software metrics promise an easy way of comparing the relative security of two programs or assessing the security impact of modifications to an existing one. Most studies in this area focus on high level source code but this approach fails to take compiler-specific code generation into account. In this work we describe a set of object-oriented Java bytecode security metrics which are capable of assessing the security of a compiled program from the point of view of potential information flow. These metrics can be used to compare the security of programs or assess the effect of program modifications on security using a tool which we have developed to automatically measure the security of a given Java bytecode program in terms of the accessibility of distinguished ‘classified’ attributes.

The importance of understanding student learning styles in accounting degree programs

Accounting education is critical and any improvements in tertiary education of accounting students should result in better prepared graduates entering the profession. This study evaluates accounting students’ learning styles and the interaction of learning styles and teaching methodologies during degree programmes. Nine classes of accounting students (648 students) spread across four years and two degree programmes were evaluated. Students self-evaluated their learning style, pre-instruction. They were then subject to two separate teaching techniques (one active and one passive) in each course. Learning styles were then re-assessed and teaching techniques evaluated. Accounting students displayed a preference for passive learning, even those far advanced in their degrees. Furthermore, when learning styles matched teaching methods used, usefulness was assessed as high but when learning styles and teaching methods differed, usefulness deteriorated. Overall, the teaching methods were deemed more effective by active rather than passive learners. The implications are significant. To maximise educational benefit for the accounting profession, student learning styles should be assessed before designing appropriate teaching methodologies. This has resource implications which would have to be considered.

Teacher understandings of orientation and transition programs from action research in five schools

Discontinuity between prior-to-school and school sectors in Australia reflects an historical, philosophical and pedagogical schism. This is most evident as children transition from one sector to the other. However, contemporary international research, alongside an intensive focus on policy and practice in early years education has challenged many of the taken-for-granted assumptions that perpetuate this rift. Drawing on data collected in a recent action research project, we present evidence of how a group of primary school kindergarten teachers define differences between orientation and transition programs, understand the importance of transition and how they position themselves in this process. The absence of Australian policy mandating and guiding the work of teachers across sectors is a significant factor perpetuating discontinuity in transition practices between prior–to-school and school sectors.

Pushing cultural competence boundaries in nutrition and dietetics training

A health workforce ready for safe practice is a government priority, and particularly critical to support indigenous communities closing ‘the gap’. Increased pressure exists on dietetic training programs for quality placements, with fewer opportunities for immersion in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities to demonstrate cultural competence. In 2012, Queensland University of Technology established a partnership with Apunipima Cape York Health Council with 56 weeks of dietetic placement for 8 students provided to achieve these aims. Clinical practice in Community Public Health Nutrition (CPHN) was structured in a standard 6 week placement, with Individual Case Management (ICM) and Foodservice Management (FSM) integrated across 8 weeks (4 each), with an additional 2 weeks ICM prior in a metropolitan indigenous health service. Students transitioned from urban to rural then remote sites, with new web-based technologies used for support. Strong learning opportunities were provided, with CPHN projects in antenatal and child health, FSM on standardisation of procedures in a 22 bed health facility, and ICM exposing students to a variety of cases via hospital in/outpatients, general clinics and remote community outreach. Supervisor focus group evaluation was positive, with CPHN and FSM enhancing capacity of service. Student focus group evaluation revealed placements exceeded expectations, with rating high, and strong confidence in cultural competence described. Students debriefed final and third year cohorts on their experiences, with increased awareness and enthusiasm for work with indigenous communities indicated by groups. With the success of this partnership, placements are continuing 2013, and new boundaries in dietetic training established.

Research Data Management Update on National Programs: New infrastructure and opportunities

Presentation by Dr Joe Young, ITS-HPC and Research Support, Managing your research data seminar, 2012

The association between adolescent self-reported physical activity and wellness : the missing piece for youth wellness programs

Purpose Potential positive associations between youth physical activity and wellness scores could emphasize the value of youth physical activity engagement and promotion interventions, beyond the many established physiological and psychological benefits of increased physical activity. The purpose of this study was to explore the associations between adolescents' self-reported physical activity and wellness. Methods This investigation included 493 adolescents (165 males and 328 females) aged between 12 and 15 years. The participants were recruited from six secondary schools of varying socioeconomic status within a metropolitan area. Students were administered the Five-Factor Wellness Inventory and the International Physical Activity Questionnaire for Adolescents to assess both wellness and physical activity, respectively. Results Data indicated that significant associations between physical activity and wellness existed. Self-reported physical activity was shown to be positively associated with four dimensions including friendship, gender identity, spirituality, and exercise—the higher order factor physical self and total wellness, and negatively associated with self-care, self-worth, love, and cultural identity. Conclusion This study suggests that relationships exist between self-reported physical activity and various elements of wellness. Future research should use controlled trials of physical activity and wellness to establish causal links among youth populations. Understanding the nature of these relationships, including causality, has implications for the justification of youth physical activity promotion interventions and the development of youth physical activity engagement programs.

Sex differences in the perceived value of outreach and museums/science centres in students' decisions to enrol in university science, technology and engineering courses

This paper reports a number of findings from the Interests and Recruitment in Science (IRIS) study carried out in Australia in 2011. The findings concern the perceptions of first year university students in science, technology and engineering courses about the influence of museums/science centres and outreach activities on their choice of course. The study found that STE students in general tended to rate museums/science centres as more important in their decisions than outreach activities. However, a closer examination showed that females in engineering courses were significantly more inclined to rate outreach activities as important than were males in engineering courses or females in other courses. The implications of this finding for strategies to encourage more young women into engineering are discussed.

School-based physical activity programs for adolescent wellness improvement : an investigation of the association between wellness and physical activity

This thesis by publication included seven manuscripts that advanced contemporary understanding of the association between physical activity and wellness among adolescents. The findings suggested that due to potential interrelatedness between various aspects of wellness, changes in physical activity may also influence co-existing wellness domains; highlighting the potential for physical activity interventions to have a broad range of benefits among youth. These findings also added to the body of literature supporting the potential inclusion of physical activity as a component within multifaceted youth wellness programs. Findings reported in this thesis have implications for those seeking to initiate youth wellness interventions.

Free for all : a case study examining implementation factors of one-to-one device programs

Despite significant investment in school one-to-one device programs, little is known about which aspects of program implementation work and why. Through a comparison of two implementation models, adopter-diffusion and saturation, and using existing data from the One Laptop per Child Australia laptop program, we explored how factors of implementation may affect device diffusion, learning and educational outcomes, and program sustainability in schools. In this article we argue that more focused research into implementation of one-to-one device programs, moving beyond comparisons of “devices versus without devices,” is needed to provide reliable data to inform future program funding and advance this area of research.

Physical activity levels among children attending after-school programs

Purpose To describe the physical activity (PA) levels of children attending after-school programs, 2) examine PA levels in specific after-school sessions and activity contexts, and 3) evaluate after-school PA differences in groups defined by sex and weight status. Methods One hundred forty-seven students in grades 3-6 (mean age: 10.1 +/- 0.7, 54.4% male, 16.5% overweight (OW), 22.8% at-risk for OW) from seven after-school programs in the midwestern United States wore Actigraph GT1M accelerometers for the duration of their attendance to the program. PA was objectively assessed on six occasions during an academic year (three fall and three spring). Stored activity counts were uploaded to a customized data-reduction program to determine minutes of sedentary (SED), light (LPA), moderate (MPA), vigorous (VPA), and moderate-to-vigorous (MVPA) physical activity. Time spent in each intensity category was calculated for the duration of program attendance, as well as specific after-school sessions (e.g., free play, snack time). Results On average, participants exhibited 42.6 min of SED, 40.8 min of LPA, 13.4 min of MPA, and 5.3 min of VPA. The average accumulation of MVPA was 20.3 min. Boys exhibited higher levels of MPA, VPA, and MVPA, and lower levels of SED and LPA, than girls. OW and at-risk-for-OW students exhibited significantly less VPA than nonoverweight students, but similar levels of LPA, MPA, and MVPA. MVPA levels were significantly higher during free-play activity sessions than during organized or structured activity sessions. Conclusion After-school programs seem to be an important contributor to the PA of attending children. Nevertheless, ample room for improvement exists by making better use of existing time devoted to physical activity.

Contemporary cultures of service delivery to families : implications for music therapy

Family-centred and early intervention and prevention programs are a strong focus of current policy objectives within Australia, and a significant area of practice within the music therapy community. Recent shifts in the culture of policy and practice increasingly reflect ecological understandings by focussing on integrated and place-based approaches to service delivery. Further, current funding opportunities are strongly concerned with the extent to which interventions are able to reach out to highly vulnerable families that typically do not engage with services easily. Music therapy holds unique promise within these cultural shifts and thus advocates must develop a solid understanding of the concepts and related language in order to confidently engage with both funding and service systems. This paper uses an integrative review to first define and summarise current knowledge in three key areas relevant to contemporary Australian policy and practice: hard-to-reach families, home visiting as assertive outreach, and integrated or place-based service delivery. Evidence for the effectiveness of music therapy in relation to these key themes is then presented. Finally, the paper discusses the implications for the future of music therapy within the current Australian early intervention and prevention policy context and makes recommendations for moving forward on both practice and research fronts. While there is growing evidence and theory to suggest that music therapy may be uniquely efficacious in this area, greater Australian Journal of Music Therapy Vol 25, 2014 149 advocacy, documentation, research and adjustment of practices and language will further cement the position of the industry.

Resilience and opportunity : regions and the roll-out of Australia's greenhouse gas abatement programs. A manual for Queensland's NRM regions

Voluntary and compliance markets for forest carbon and other (emission avoidance and biosequestration) activities are growing internationally and across Australia. Queensland and its Natural Resource Management (NRM) regions have an opportunity to take a variety of actions to help guide these markets to secure multiple landscape benefits and to build landscape resilience in the face of climate change. As the national arrangements for offsets within Australia’s Clean Energy Package (CEP) and emissions trading environment emerge, Queensland’s regions can prepare themselves and their landholding communities to take advantage of these opportunities to deliver improved climate resilience in their regional landscapes.

Unlocking the "reminder" potential when viewers pause programs : results from a laboratory test of a new online medium

The branded pause advertisement is a recently developed online television-advertising format that displays a full-screen still-image banner ad whenever a viewer pauses a streaming-video program. This study used a controlled lab experiment to compare the effectiveness of branded pause advertisements with normal online television advertisements. The results demonstrate that branded pause advertisements are effective but only when combined with a long-exposure advertisement for the same brand. Despite their short exposure time, pause advertisements function as effective reminders, building awareness through repeat exposure. The findings of the current study were similar regardless of whether pause advertisements were activated as a result of viewers’ pausing at a time of their own choosing or whether viewers were interrupted.