Speech Acts in Migrant Nurses’ Clinical Interactions: Searle’s Classification and Bourdieu’s Interpretation

Since its inception in the 1900s, hospital social work has been impacted by the ever changing hospital environment. The institution of Diagnostic Related Groups (DRGs), the era of reengineering, and the constant struggle toward health care reform make it necessary to evaluate and substantiate the value and efficacy of social workers in hospital settings. This study identifies current roles and activities carried out by social workers in acute hospital settings from across the nation in the aftermath of reengineering. Findings suggest the primary role of respondents in this study to be discharge planning with little to no involvement in practice research or income-generating activities.

This article examines the potential impact of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) of 2010 on the practice of hospital social work in the United States and its implications for social work education and training. It briefly traces the history of hospital social work, outlines some contemporary issues in the health care field, particularly those that create persistent health disparities, summarizes the major provisions of the Act that have implications for social work practice, and discusses how social workers in hospital settings might respond effectively to the changes produced by the legislation.

The scientific article focuses on factors that indicate the relevance of the study of state and public control in the field of health care as an object of legal regulation. Such factors include the unsatisfactory state of health of the population, the observance of human rights in the field of health care, the quality and efficiency of the medical reform, the quality of the provision of medical services, etc. Therefore, the study of the characteristics of the relationship and legal regulation of state and public control in the field of health care is extremely relevant. In order to thoroughly reveal the purpose of the scientific article, the concept of the category "control" in various spheres of social existence was investigated and the peculiarities of control were considered through the prism of the opinions of experts in legal scientific research. The existing legislative provisions and the established practice of state and public control in the field of health care are analyzed. The existing regulatory and legal basis for monitoring compliance with legislation in the field of health care in Ukraine by the state and public organizations is characterized. The activity of subjects of state and public control and supervision in the field of health care is characterized. The competence and powers, the order of formation and regulation of the performance of their functions by the bodies of state and public control of the supervisory boards at health care institutions and management bodies of the health care system were studied. The procedure for public control by members of observation and public councils is determined. Issues within the competence of the specified councils were considered. It was found that their main authority is to control compliance with the legislation in the activities of a certain authority or health care institution.

The article examines the peculiarities of administration in the field of health care through the definition of the concept of public administration in the field of health care, its object(s), subject(s), and goals.
 It was determined that public administration should be understood as the activity of subjects of public administration, which consists in establishing, changing or terminating the rights and obligations of private individuals for the purpose of ordering and organizing social relations to implement the decisions of the legislative body. Public administration can be expressed through the adoption of normative acts, administrative acts, as well as the execution of legally significant actions.
 It has been established that in scientific works of legal direction and public administration, health care and the medical field are often considered as an object of public management (administration). However, for the purposes of legal research, the object of public administration is defined as the sphere or branch of health care in which various subjects interact: public authorities, health care institutions, patients, legal entities, medical workers, administration of institutions, etc. And the goal of public administration is to achieve the appropriate level of organization of activities of subjects in the field of health care. At the same time, the subjects of legal relations in the field of health care can simultaneously act as objects of administration, if the legal relations are considered from the standpoint of administrative and legal regulation.
 Accordingly, a health care institution is a separate object of public administration, which is directed to the goal-setting, organizing, as well as regulatory activities and influence of administration subjects (state bodies, local self-government bodies, administrations of the institutions themselves). Therefore, in the future research, the terms “administration (management) in the field of health care”, “administration (management) of a health care institution” will be used.

Intercultural English-as-a-Foreign-Language (EFL) education requires a suitabletheoretical framework for the teaching of intercultural competence (IC). On the one hand,existing conceptualizations of IC in the intercultural communication literature are notalways helpful for language teachers; on the other, the language teaching literatureaddresses the inclusion of IC to a limited extent (Baker, 2015; Porto, 2013). By itsinterdisciplinary nature, intercultural EFL education requires a combination of compatibletheoretical approaches, and existing theories of IC should be adapted and combinedbased on their complementarity. Accordingly, a study on IC in EFL contexts might needthe integration of a developmental model (Bennett, 1993) and a component theory of IC(Byram, 1997); moreover, it should foreground language elements by referring to linguistictheories to understand the role of language in IC development.In the light of this argument, the present project adapted both Byram (1997) and Bennett(1993) as theoretical frameworks and investigated IC development in reference tofunctional linguists’ APPRAISAL (Martin & White, 2007) to gain insights into the affectivedimension encoded in informants’ language. Moreover, in response to the need of anauthentic environment for teaching intercultural communication in a university-level EFLcontext in Vietnam, the project explored the extent to which a Web 2.0 mediated learningdesign could contribute to EFL learners’ IC development.Employing a design-based research methodology, this study involved creating a Web 2.0mediated IC learning design for university-level EFL learners in Vietnam, testing andrefining it. Specifically, based on the pedagogical context of the case study and existingprinciples of intercultural education, a Facebook-mediated IC learning design was createdand integrated into the existing course, “Intercultural Communication”. It entailed threeiterative learning cycles of written chat between students and guests from other culturesabout cultural issues of interest to them, students’ written reflection on what they learnedand discussion with peers, all of which were posted on Facebook. The researcherimplemented this design over fifteen weeks and collected data from a nineteen studentclass. The data included the material posted on Facebook, follow-up interviews with focalstudents and student evaluations.With regard to theorizing intercultural communication, the study shows that the students’IC development was a process of languaging to create changes in cognition, affect andskills. Specifically, they used their linguistic and multimodal resources to articulate,formulate, exchange and create knowledge in chats with the guests and with peers, and intheir written reflections. Via these processes they developed their skills of discovery andinteraction, and of interpreting and relating cultural phenomena. Languaging was also aprocess of expressing feelings and negotiating stances. Additionally, the process ofchange involved balancing cognitions and shifting feelings associated with thosecognitions. It was influenced by situational factors and personal traits. Accordingly, thestudents’ trajectories of IC development shifted dynamically through different states ofethnocentrism to a state of relativizing values underlying cultural difference.In pedagogical terms, the students’ changes in knowledge, feelings and skills suggest thatthe proposed learning design contributed to their IC development. The constructivistpedagogy underlying the design and the mediation of Web 2.0 facilitated the students’reflective thinking. Specifically, Facebook-mediated chats with guests gave the studentsintercultural experiences, made previously invisible cultural differences more visible, andthus triggered the students’ awareness of them. The students’ changes in IC wereattributed to their critical reflection which was scaffolded by teacher preparation, guidanceand feedback, by peers cooperation, and by empowerment from the guests. However, thefindings disclose several constraints of Web 2.0 and weaknesses of the learning design.The most salient are time management, and provision of feedback. Moreover, there mightbe a mismatch between Vietnamese students’ educational expectations and values, andWestern constructivist pedagogy involved in the learning design.Theoretically, the study offers insights into less-investigated aspects of IC and proposes auseful conceptualization of IC in EFL contexts. First, it illuminates a range of affectivestates associated with different cognitive configurations that are overlooked in commonlycitedtheories (e.g., Bennett, 1993; Byram, 1997). It also sheds light on the phenomena oflanguaging and of cognitive balancing in cognitive and affective adaptation which havebeen criticized as under-investigated. Second, it addresses the major weaknesses ofexisting IC conceptualizations, namely abstractness and lack of awareness of linguisticissues, by providing linguistic and non-linguistic evidence of IC development. Drawing onfindings about the interaction of these dimensions, individual trajectories are uncovered,revealing how EFL learners construct IC via languaging. Accordingly, the study proposes amore comprehensive model of IC that can be integrated into an EFL curriculum.Moreover, the project generates pedagogical principles for Web 2.0 mediated IC learningdesigns.Practically, the study demonstrates an example of how to create a Web 2.0 mediated IClearning design which can be flexibly adapted in similar contexts.

The article reveals the conceptual principles of management in health care institutions. The purpose of the article is to determine the conceptual foundations of the management system in health care institutions in the context of the state's implementation of the sustainable development strategy. The legal framework that regulates the management process in health care institutions has been defined. Features of medical facilities are outlined. The definition of management in the field of health care has been clarified, taking into account the peculiarities of medical institutions. The subject and object of management in health care institutions are defined. The characteristics of the principles and functions of management are given. The principles on which the management system in health care institutions should be based are the principles of purposefulness; consideration of needs and interests; science; systematicity; interdependence; optimal combination of centralization and decentralization of management; unity; correct selection of personnel; economy The list of functions includes the functions of planning, organization, regulation, coordination, motivation, and control. The content of management methods of medical institutions is covered. Management methods are divided into economic, organizational-administrative and social-psychological. The types of management decisions made in a medical institution for its effective functioning are characterized. Management decisions should be classified according to their focus on the object of management into social, medical, organizational, resource, administrative and economic, management decisions on control. The stages of the management process are described. Four stages of the management process in health care institutions are distinguished: the first is obtaining information about the initial state of the health care institution, its processing and analysis, which allows to assess the current state of the system and make a forecast of the further development of the health care institution; the second is the development and adoption of management decisions; the third is the implementation of a management decision; the fourth is control over the implementation of the management decision. It was determined that management in a medical institution should be based on a systemic approach that will ensure the formation of an optimal management mechanism for the development and effective operation of a health care institution.

Background: Social workers play a vital role in hospitals by providing psychosocial support, facilitating multidisciplinary collaboration, and linking patients with community resources. However, their professional performance often remains constrained by traditional practices and limited integration with modern theoretical models. This study aims to propose a framework for activating the professional performance of social workers in hospitals through the Bridge Model, emphasizing its application at King Abdullah Specialist Children’s Hospital. Methods: The research adopted an analytical and descriptive approach, combining theoretical review of professional performance concepts and the Bridge Model with structured observation of social work practices in the hospital setting. Key elements such as professional knowledge, skills, ethics, and institutional support were examined, alongside challenges affecting social workers’ ability to meet patients’ complex needs. Results: Findings revealed a gap between theoretical knowledge and applied practice, with social workers facing barriers including administrative overload, limited training opportunities, and weak institutional-community integration. The proposed framework highlights four components: the coordinating role of social workers, the use of bridging tools (digital files and referral systems), professional training and development, and systematic monitoring and evaluation. Implementation requires multi-level interventions—organizational, professional, and community-based—supported by policies, training programs, and partnerships with civil society. Conclusion: Activating the Bridge Model in hospital settings can enhance the professional performance of social workers by ensuring holistic, continuous, and integrated care. The framework strengthens their role as mediators between healthcare institutions and community resources, thereby improving the quality of life of vulnerable patients—particularly children with cancer and chronic illnesses.

Public-private partnership is the most effective mechanism for interaction between the state and the private sector to achieve certain social and economic goals. This form of interaction between the state and the private sector is quite common in Western Europe in terms of infrastructure (public and private property) and the implementation of public services, which are the most capital and material-intensive. In the course of the research, we considered public-private partnership in the field of health care as a system of relationships, the governing system of which is the relevant body of state executive power or local self-government. This allowed us to build a model of public-private partnership as a system of public relations with the participation of the state. It is clear that public-private partnership in the field of health care has its own industry-specific properties, the involvement of various public authorities in their implementation. In particular, the main participants in the public-private partnership project in the field of health care are the following: public partner, private partner, health care institutions. The article examines the interaction between various manifestations of public administration in the implementation of public-private partnership projects in the field of health care, in terms of interaction of regulatory functions of government, public partners, regulatory authorities, organizers of the partnership project. As a result, each of the above manifestations of public administration in the implementation of public-private partnership projects was considered in the context of identifying types of public policy, defining the subjects of public administration, and defining their functions.

<p style="text-align:justify">The paper is part of the qualitative research project Educational Aspirations, Opportunities and Challenges for Immigrants in University Education in Iceland, conducted in Iceland’s three biggest universities. The main goal of the paper is to investigate immigrant students’ experiences of communication with teachers during the learning process and their perspectives on multicultural group work. Furthermore, the paper explores immigrant students’ experiences of learner-centred approach and culturally responsive teaching methods applied by some teachers. The data was collected through focus group interviews and qualitative, semi-structured individual interviews with immigrant students. The theoretical framework is mainly based on the constructivist theory, which emphasises the importance of communication and the learner-centred approach. Additionally, the theoretical framework includes multicultural education theory, which puts an emphasis on applying culturally responsive teaching methods in classrooms with diverse student populations. The analysis of the interviews revealed that the participants’ experiences of communication with teachers and peers were mostly positive. However, culturally responsive teaching is still a rare phenomenon in Icelandic universities. When it comes to the participants’ perspectives on group work, the experiences ranged from being highly positive to negative.</p>

This book presents a mixed-methods study that explores the development of intercultural competence among local Chinese students in Chinese universities, using Deardorff’s process model of intercultural competence as a theoretical framework. In the global higher education context, “internationalization at home” is significant in (re)shaping educational practices, especially under the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic. Chinese higher education is also actively engaged in domestic internationalization. Specifically, this book explores the factors that influence Chinese students’ development of intercultural competence and their understanding of it in the context of internationalization at local Chinese universities. The findings suggest that many universities in China are trying to improve domestic students’ intercultural competence through various strategies, such as foreign language learning, extracurricular intercultural communication activities, and international cooperation programs. Notably, the effects are diverse. Based on these findings, this book also discusses the potential theoretical, practical, and policy implications. This book will be an excellent resource for students and scholars in comparative and international education, student development, cultural studies, Chinese studies, and those interested in Chinese higher education.

ABSTRACTThis study reports on the findings of a PhD study investigating the implications of the division between language and content in Modern Language degrees on students’ development of intercultural competence and criticality across four universities, two in the US and two in the UK. It draws upon the theoretical frameworks of Intercultural Communicative Competence (ICC) and Criticality, which informed both the theoretical framework and data analysis of the investigation. In particular, the study seeks to define and contextualise two new competencies, namely communicative criticality and savoir se reconnaître (awareness of otherness within self), which emerged from the analysis of the interview data.

All non-profit enterprises will differ on the signs of non-profit and peculiarities of taxation. The article analyzes the features of non-profit municipal utilities – health facilities as subjects of taxation and the problem aspects of the organization and methodology of accounting of settlements with the budget for taxes and payments of transformed non-profit (non-profit) utilities – health care institutions. The purpose of the article is to establish the peculiarities of accounting for calculations with the budget for tax payments of communal non-profit enterprises in the field of health care and substantiation of its optimization directions. The method of research is based on general scientific methods of knowledge: historical, logical, systemic, induction, deduction, analysis, synthesis; Methods of statistical data processing, classification, and grouping. Non-profit (nonprofit) utilities in the field of health care as tax subjects have a significant difference: when they are created, it is necessary to ensure the profitability of activities. Such medical facilities are not taxpayers. It is expedient to consider exemption from payment of income tax as a type of targeted financing and reflection in the reporting of such communal non-profit enterprises accrual of income tax and its direction for targeted financing. Features of the activity and availability of its varieties in relation to VAT tax should be taken into account both in the formation of internal regulations on accounting policies, and when working out other organizational aspects of accounting for calculations with the budget of communal non-profit enterprises. At the normative level there is no regulation of accounting for calculations with the budget with the VAT, which on the one hand is a manifestation of democratization of regulation, and on the other hand, the problem is amplified for communal non-profit enterprises for which there are complications when accounting as business entities that were transformed from the budget. In order to meet the needs of the tax consequences and assembly of tax reporting, it is necessary for communal non-profit enterprises of VAT payers substantially deepen the analyst and to adopt organizational decisions as part of the development of the working plan of accounts and presented balances on analytical accounts for calculations with the VAT budget. For such enterprises at the level of departmental regulation of accounting and reporting by communal non-profit enterprises, it is advisable to develop targeted methodological recommendations, which is a prospect of further research. The emphasis on problematic aspects of the interpretation of the status of non-profitability and the need for accounting for activities as business entities that are transformed from budget health facilities. The organizational and methodological features of accounting for calculations with the budget for various taxes and payments are highlighted, in accordance with the features; recommendations for optimizing the organization of accounting are substantiated.

Personal Health Records (PHRs) have characteristics of continuous high speed growth and rich value, which are the prerequisite and foundation for implementing services of intelligent health care, personalized medicine, remote treatment, disease prevention and prediction, and the strong support for the hospital, health care institutions, insurance companies and other organizations to maintain personal health. PHR contents have multidimensional features such as time, region, population and role orientation, which have different semantic meaning and application value. As the fundamental element of semantic web technology architecture, ontology provides an expressive framework for reusing, sharing, representing and reasoning knowledge, and has been widely applied in modelling biological, medicine and health care fields. This paper analyzes the multidimensional features of PHRs, and investigates an approach for modelling PHRs based on current existing health record standards by using ontology modelling methods and theoretical frameworks.

A concept for an interdisciplinary summer school for “multiscale processes in oceans and the atmosphere” is presented. It aims to deepen students’ understanding of scientific issues as well as their experience in multicultural communication. The theme covers climate evolution, which is partially dominated by far-reaching anthropogenic changes and their possible consequences on the Earth’s system. An integrated approach helps to change rigid subject-specific mindsets among faculties and students and across cultures, so as to broaden their horizons in both research and life. Research has shown, however, that the development of intercultural competence in students does not happen automatically but needs to be fostered and supported. Therefore, a primary goal is also to provide young researchers from several countries (mainly China and Germany) with the opportunity to gain more indepth knowledge on research in Germany, to be exposed to scientific culture, and thus to prepare for foreign research visits either during the PhD phase or as postdoctoral fellows, supporting the internationalization of education and opportunities in marine sciences. Finally, the students have the chance to further develop their scientific profiles by attending scientific talks, lab exercises, and excursions and by combining rigorous scientific disciplines with the awareness of multidisciplinary issues related to the topic of global climate change.

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