Development of clinical competencies for emergency nurse practitioners : a pilot study

Background: Nurse practitioner education and practice has been guided by generic competency standards in Australia since 2006. Development of specialist competencies has been less structured and there are no formal standards to guide education and continuing professional development for specialty fields. There is limited international research and no Australian research into development of specialist nurse practitioner competencies. This pilot study aimed to test data collection methods, tools and processes in preparation for a larger national study to investigate specialist competency standards for emergency nurse practitioners. Research into specialist emergency nurse practitioner competencies has not been conducted in Australia. Methods: Mixed methods research was conducted with a sample of experienced emergency nurse practitioners. Deductive analysis of data from a focus group workshop informed development of a draft specialty competency framework. The framework was subsequently subjected to systematic scrutiny for consensus validation through a two round Delphi Study. Results: The Delphi study first round had a 100% response rate; the second round 75% response rate. The scoring for all items in both rounds was above the 80% cut off mark with the lowest mean score being 4.1 (82%) from the first round. Conclusion: The authors collaborated with emergency nurse practitioners to produce preliminary data on the formation of specialty competencies as a first step in developing an Australian framework.

Professional development using informal learning networks : an empirical study in Australia’s digital content industry

Informal learning networks play a key role in the skill and professional development of professionals working in micro-businesses within Australia’s digital content industry as they do not necessarily have access to a learning and development or a human resources section that can assist in mapping their learning pathway. Professionals working in this environment would typically adopt an informal learning approach to their skill and professional development by utilising their social and business networks. The overall aim of this PhD research project is to study how these professionals manage their skill and professional development, and to explore what role informal learning networks play in this professional learning context. This paper will describe the theme of the research project and how it fits with previous research and other relevant studies. Secondly, it will present the study’s research focus, and the research questions. It will also present relevant theories and perspectives, and the methods for empirical data collection. Data collection will be through three distinct phases using a mixed methods research design: an online survey, interviews, and case studies. It should be noted the findings presented in this paper offer some early results of the research project.

Professional development on-site and in context at Narangba Valley SHS

The implementation of the National Professional Standards for Teachers (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL), 2011) will require all teachers to undertake 30 hours per year of professional development (PD) to maintain thei registration. However, defining what constitutes effective PD s complex. This article discusses an approach used by Narangba Valley State High School (SHS) in Queensland which involves effective on-site PD, resulting in improved student outcomes. In addition to the school-administered growth and learning (GAL) plans for each teacher, the school worked collaboratively with an external person (university lecturer) and implemented an effective, sustainable, whole-school approach to PD which was ongoing, on time, on task, on the mark, and on-the-spot (Jetnikoff & Smeed, 2012). The article unpacks an interview with Ross Mackay, the Narangba Valley SHS executive-principal and one of the authors of this paper, and provides practical advice for other school leaders wishing to implement a similar approach to PD.

Exploring empathy as a variable in the evaluation of professional development programmes for palliative care nurses

Research indicates that empathy, a quality regarded as fundamentally important to nursing practice, is a teachable skill. Because empathic nurse-patient relationships are particularly important in the care of the terminally ill, this has direct relevance to the professional development of palliative care nurses. This article discusses the place of empathy as a criterion variable in the evaluation of a professional development program for palliative care nurses introduced at the Centre for Mental Health Nursing Research at Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, Australia. A modified version of the Staff-Patient Interaction Response Scale (SPIRS) was used as a pre- and postintervention measure to assess the expressed empathy of the participating nurses. The modifications to SPIR and its coding system to make it suitable for palliative care nursing, and the mechanisms for improving and evaluating the reliability of this instrument will be discussed. The full description of this particular modification of SPIRS for palliative care research is provided as an example of how this instrument could be used in projects for which nurses undertake the difficult task of providing compassionate care to the terminally ill.

Design of a professional development programme for palliative care nurses (Part Two)

Yates et al (1996) provided a review of the literature on educational approaches to improving psychosocial care of terminally ill patients and their families and suggested that there was an urgent need for innovation in this area. A programme of professional development currently being offered to 181 palliative care nurses in Queensland, Australia, was also described. This paper presents research in progress evaluating this programme which involves use of a quasi-experimental pre-post test design. It also includes process and outcome measures to assess effectiveness in improving the participant's ability to provide psychosocial care to patients and families. Research examining the effectiveness of various educational programmes on care of the dying has offered equivocal results (Yates et al 1996). Degner and Gow (1988a) noted that the inconsistencies found in research into death education result from inadequate study designs, variations in the conceptualisation and measurement of the outcomes of the programmes and flaws in data analysis. Such studies have often lacked a theoretical basis, few have employed well-controlled experimental designs, and the programme outcomes have generally been limited to the participant's 'death anxiety', or other death attitudes which have been variously defined and measured. Whilst Degner and Gow (1988b) have reported that undergraduate nursing students who participated in a care of the dying educational programme demonstrated more 'approach caring' behaviours than a control group, the impact of education programmes on patient care has rarely been examined. Failure to link education to nursing practice and subsequent clinical outcomes has, however, been seen as a major limitation of nursing knowledge in this area (Degner et al 1991). This paper describes an approach to researching the effectiveness of professional development programmes for palliative care nurses.

Improving psychosocial care: a professional development programme

Despite the numerous reports of difficulties experienced by health care providers in providing psychosocial care to terminally ill patients and their families, few studies have yet been undertaken to examine the effectiveness of different educational approaches to addressing these issues. The aim of this paper is to describe a programme of professional development for palliative care nurses, which is currently being offered to 181 registered nurses in Queensland, Australia. The programme is based on an action learning model and is designed to facilitate processes of reflection and peer consultation. In Part One of this paper, a review of this literature is presented to provide the background and rationale for the programme design. Details of the research programme developed to evaluate the programme will be presented in Part Two of this paper, which is to be published in the next issue of this Journal. Surveys of health professionals suggest that the demands of working with terminally ill patients are associated with a great deal of stress (Beaton and Degner 1990, Seale 1992, Vachon 1995), and emotional burden, as they are confronted with their patients' physical and emotional suffering over extended periods of time (Ullrich and Fitzgerald 1990). Key areas of concern (Lyons 1988, Bramwell 1989, Seale 1992, Copp and Dunn 1993, Wilkinson 1995) include: * Handling questions and conversations with dying patients. * Dealing with ethical and moral issues. * Handling emotions. * Giving hope. * Providing spiritual care and bereavement support. * Confronting team communication problems.

Peer review : a professional development process for librarians

Peer review is a reflective process which allows us to formalise, and gain maximum benefit from, collegial feedback on our professional performance. It is also a process that encourages us to engage in cycles of planning, acting, recording and reflection which are familiar components of action learning and action research. Entering into these cycles within the peer-review framework is a powerful and cost-effective means of facilitating professional development which is readily adapted to the library context. In 1996, a project implementing peer review, in order to improve client interaction at the reference desk, was completed at the University of Southern Queensland (USQ) Library. For that project we developed a set of guidelines for library staff involved in peer review. These guidelines explained the value of peer review, and described its principles and purposes. We also devised strategies to assist staff as they prepared for the experience of peer review, engaged in the process and reflected on the outcomes. A number of benefits were identified; the peer-review process enhanced team spirit, enhanced client-orientation, and fostered collaborative efforts in improving the reference service. It was also relatively inexpensive to implement. In this paper we will discuss the nature of peer review and its importance to library and information professionals. We will also share the guidelines we developed, and discuss the implementation and outcomes of the peer review project at the University of Southern Queensland. We will conclude by discussing the benefits perceived and the issues that arose in the USQ context, and by suggesting a range of other aspects of library service in which peer-review could be implemented.

The impact of professional development on early childhood educators’ confidence, understanding and knowledge of education for sustainability

In recent times, Australia has recognised and enacted a range of initiatives at service, system and community levels that seek to embed sustainability into the early childhood sector. This paper explores the impact of a professional development (PD) session that provided opportunities for early childhood educators to learn and share ideas about the theory and practice of sustainability generally and early childhood education for sustainability (ECEfS) specifically. The PD was entitled ‘Living and Learning about Sustainability in the Early Years’ and was offered on three occasions across Tasmania. A total of 99 participants attended the three PD sessions (one 5 hour; two 2 hour). The participants had varying levels of experience and included early childhood teachers, centre based educators and preservice teachers. At the start and end of the PD, participants were invited to complete a questionnaire that contained a series of likert scale questions that explored their content knowledge, level of understanding and confidence in regards to ECEfS. Participants were also asked at the start and end of the PD to ‘list five words you think of when you consider the word sustainability.’ A model of teacher professional growth was used to conceptualise the results related to the changes in knowledge, understanding and confidence (personal domain) as a result of the PD related to ECEfS (external domain). The likert-scale questions on the questionnaire revealed significant positive changes in levels of knowledge, understanding and confidence from the start to the end of the PD. Differences as a function of length of PD, level of experience and role are presented and discussed. The ‘5 words’ question showed that participants widened their understandings of ECEfS from a narrow environmental focus to a broader understanding of the social, political and economic dimensions. The early childhood education and care (ECEC) sector has been characterised as having a pedagogical advantage for EfS suggesting that early childhood educators are well placed to engage with EfS more readily than might educators in other education sectors. This article argues that PD is necessary to develop capability in educators in order to meet the imperatives around sustainability outlined in educational policy and curriculum documents in ECEC.

Professional development and technology in second language learning : do best practices work?

This study was undertaken to examine the influence that a set of Professional Development (PD) initiatives had on faculty use of Moodle, a well known Course Management System. The context of the study was a private language university just outside Tokyo, Japan. Specifically, it aimed to identify the way in which the PD initiatives adhered to professional development best practice criteria; how faculty members perceived the PD initiatives; what impact the PD initiatives had on faculty use of Moodle; and other variables that may have influenced faculty in their use of Moodle. The study utilised a mixed methods approach. Participants in the study were 42 teachers who worked at the university in the academic year 2008/9. The online survey consisted of 115 items, factored into 10 constructs. Data was collected through an online survey, semi-structured face-to-face interviews, post-workshop surveys, and a collection of textual artefacts. The quantitative data were analysed in SPSS, using descriptive statistics, Spearman's Rank Order correlation tests and a Kruskal-Wallis means test. The qualitative data was used to develop and expand findings and ideas. The results indicated that the PD initiatives adhered closely to criteria posited in technology-related professional development best practice criteria. Further, results from the online survey, post workshop surveys, and follow up face-to-face interviews indicated that while the PD initiatives that were implemented were positively perceived by faculty, they did not have the anticipated impact on Moodle use among faculty. Further results indicated that other variables, such as perceptions of Moodle, and institutional issues, had a considerable influence on Moodle use. The findings of the study further strengthened the idea that the five variables Everett Rogers lists in his Diffusion of Innovations model, including perceived attributes of an innovation; type of innovation decision; communication channels; nature of the social system; extent of change agents' promotion efforts, most influence the adoption of an innovation. However, the results also indicated that some of the variables in Rogers' DOI seem to have more of an influence than others, particularly the perceived attributes of an innovation variable. In addition, the findings of the study could serve to inform universities that have Course Management Systems (CMS), such as Moodle, about how to utilise them most efficiently and effectively. The findings could also help to inform universities about how to help faculty members acquire the skills necessary to incorporate CMSs into curricula and teaching practice. A limitation of this study was the use of a non-randomised sample, which could appear to have limited the generalisations of the findings to this particular Japanese context.

A pilot study exploring Australian general practice nurses roles, responsibilities and professional development needs in well and sick child care

Aim Explore practice nurses' (PNs) role in child health and development, and advising parents about child health issues. Background Introduction of the four-year-old child health check into general practice in 2008 placed additional responsibilities on PNs in child health and wellness. This study explores their readiness to expand their practice into this area. Design Integrated mixed method design, self-report survey. Method A purpose-developed questionnaire explored demographics, child health roles and responsibilities, difficulties encountered, professional development needs, barriers and facilitators, and professional development activities undertaken in the past year. Surveys were posted to 218 PNs in one rural Division of General Practice (DGP) in Queensland, Australia; 29 responded. Results PNs reported a significant role in well and sick child care (93.1%) though few had a paediatric/child health background (14.3%). Roles included immunisations (92.3%), child health checks (65.4%), general child health and development (26.9%), asthma (23.1%), feeding (15.4%), fever (11.5%), settling/sleeping (11.5%). PNs were interested in learning more about (81.5%) and incorporating more child health into their practice (81.5%). Professional development in childhood growth and development (80.0%), health and illness (60.0%) and advising new mothers (20.0%) was needed. Conclusions PNs play a substantial role in child health, are unprepared for the complexities of this role and have preferred methods for undertaking professional development to address knowledge deficits. Implications for practice PNs are unprepared for an advanced role in child health and wellness. Significant gaps in their knowledge to support this role were identified. This ever-expanding role requires close monitoring to ensure knowledge precedes expectations to practice.

Starting small : a staged approach to professional development in gifted education

One of the potentially far reaching recommendations of the Senate Inquiry of 2001 was to fund professional development for teachers of gifted children under the Australian Government Quality Teacher Program (AGQTP). This funding was made available to all sectors of schooling and led to a number of initiatives to address the shortcomings in gifted education identified in the Senate Report. This paper reports on the initiatives undertaken by one sector over an eight-year period. The initiative began with a commitment from the sector to provide professional development in gifted education and later required that sector to address gifted education in their school renewal planning. A professional development program was planned and implemented in stages drawing on the AGQTP modules. However, teachers were encouraged to pursue an active role in instigating their own professional development priorities and needs. Thus, teachers within an action research framework collaboratively designed, implemented and reflected on projects which progressively expanded over a three year period. Initial projects focussed on their own teaching or context. In the second year of the three-year-cycle projects expanded to include colleagues. Finally, in the third year teachers assumed a leadership role in their schools or district and mentored other teachers beginning the program. The paper presents both qualitative and quantitative data on the experiences of the participating teachers and the long term impact on the capacity of the jurisdiction to provide enhanced opportunities for gifted children.

Professional development workshop on group work

A professional development toolkit was developed with an agenda, work sheets and resources to support a review of assessment practices pertaining to group work in a first year undergraduate course. A main contribution is the Rational for Group Work in Higher Education template that allows academic staff to determine the purpose for group work and identify the rationale behind the assessment tasks.

Professional development and social networks in digital content industry micro businesses

This study explores the professional development strategies of digital content professionals in Australian micro businesses. This thesis presents the argument that as these professionals are working in cutting edge creative fields where digital technology drives ongoing change, formal education experiences may be less important than for other professionals, and that specific types of online and face-to-face socially mediated informal learning strategies may be critical to currency. This thesis documents the findings of a broad survey of industry professionals' learning needs and development strategies, in conjunction with rich data from in-depth interviews and social network analyses.

An investigation of early career teachers’ perceptions of professional development opportunities and career advancement for teachers in rural and remote Queensland

It is generally accepted that to live and work in the remote regions of Australia requires specific skills and expertise to accommodate the shifting demands of outback life. For professionals assigned to such areas by employing bodies, this is particularly the case, and teachers are no exception. In addition to such personal attributes, professionals such as teachers must maintain currency in their professional practice both to serve their students appropriately and to ensure that they become eligible for future promotions and transfers possibilities. This study investigated whether teachers in rural and remote regions are disadvantaged in ways that could potentially affect their teaching careers in negative ways, in particular in terms of professional development and career advancement opportunities. Such opportunities are crucial if teachers are to provide an education of high relevance to rural and remote children who are already considered to be significantly disadvantaged in terms of educational provision. The data are presented in the form of a single teacher narrative, a composite tale aimed at telling the story of rural and remote teachers, professional development provision and career advancement opportunities. It was apparent that teachers in these contexts face serious challenges in terms of their professional and career development.