Professional Core Research Articles

An Initiative Towards Analog And Mixed Signal Design - Prakalp

Abstract This paper presents a case study at School of Electronics and Communication, KLE-Tech which facilitated in preparing students ready for VLSI industry by bridging the gap between industry and institute. Collaboration between School of Electronics and Communication and Sankalp Semiconductors Pvt. Ltd., ventured as Prakalp program. In this program, the selection process of the interested students in the field of VLSI is through screening test. They are trained intensively by experts from industry and academia on fundamentals and advance courses of Analog and Mixed Signal VLSI to do the industry defined projects and experience research at the graduate level. Fundamental courses required for carrying out analog VLSI projects and research are covered as a part of professional core courses in the curriculum and to enhance this activity elective courses such as Analog Circuit Design followed by Physical Design-Analog are being conducted. Design, delivery and project based evaluation is by experts from Academia and Industry. Students are encouraged to submit their work to national conferences and contests. Sankalp and other VLSI companies recruit the best performing students

Towards a competency-based undergraduate qualification in risk management

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is first to determine the competencies required of risk managers and second to consider the implications of such competencies in determining modules for inclusion in the curriculum framework of an undergraduate qualification in risk management.Design/methodology/approachA qualitative research approach was followed, involving risk management professionals in a focus group and making use of interactive qualitative analysis (IQA).FindingsThe competencies identified are managerial and risk management knowledge, attributes such as assertiveness and steadfastness and ethical values, as well as people and technical skills. These are explained in greater detail in this paper.Research limitations/implicationsThe unique contribution of the current research was the innovative use of IQA for data collection, the removal of subjectivity and the rigour in analysing and presenting the results. The results provide a starting point for designing a curriculum that will both meet the requirements of the professional body and will equip graduates with the best possible combination of knowledge, attributes, values and skills needed by the risk management profession. The implications for further research include that a comparative IQA study of the competencies of risk managers using academics from the field could be undertaken, as well as a study of the design, benchmarking and validation of a proposed curriculum for an undergraduate degree in risk management. The purpose of this study was not to compile a curriculum for a new BCom (risk management). However, this was beyond the scope of the current study. IQA uses rigour and eliminates the bias of the researcher, and the one limitation of this research lies in the use of a focus group, which resulted in the findings not being generalizable as the case would have been with a representative sample used in the positivist paradigm and using appropriate statistical analysis. However, this study was exploratory and could serve as a valuable starting point for further research in this area to perform a comprehensive curriculum development.Practical implicationsThis study found that constituents of the focus group perceived that the following competencies are required of risk managers, namely, knowledge, skills, attributes and values. These competencies correspond closely with the competencies indicated in the Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS) Professional Core Competency Model, except that RIMS subdivides knowledge into three categories, namely, business, organisational and risk management knowledge. Similarly, RIMS distinguishes between management skills and technical skills. The attributes identified by the focus group of this study were similar to those identified by RIMS. However, the focus group emphasised values such as integrity, ethical conduct, respect and accountability. However, unlike RIMS, these were not perceived as one of the five core competencies, but rather as a stand-alone competency in its own right, which risk managers need to be successful. RIMS could consider reviewing its core competencies by allocating three closely related aspects, namely communication, collaboration and consultation to technical skills. Core competencies may be replaced by core values, which are literally at the centre of all the competencies required. Such core values are enhanced by the RIMS Code of Ethics (2019) and significantly contribute to the professionalization of risk management. RIMS could also consider providing guidelines to universities for those competencies that could be taught or learnt, to be included in their curricula and to accredit universities who meet such requirements.Social implicationsThe findings of this study also serve as a starting point for the reintroduction of a BCom (risk management) degree by Unisa. Despite the requirements of the South African Qualifications Authority (SAQA) and the Council for Higher Education (CHE), this study demonstrated that a specialised degree in risk management needs to be offered to meet the need expressed by IRMSA for professional risk managers in Southern Africa, and such a degree should ideally be curriculated based on the competencies identified in this article. The implication for public policy is that SAQA and the CHE need to reconsider their rigid stance about the composition of specialised qualifications, and rather set a range of 33-50% for subjects from the field of specialisation that must be included in the curricula of specialised degrees. As indicated by this research, a combination of subjects from different disciplines is required to enhance the competencies and employability of risk management graduates.Originality/valueThe use of IQA is a novel way of ensuring rigour and objectivity in arriving at the required knowledge, attributes, values and skills of risk managers, and aids in the compilation of a new curriculum for an undergraduate qualification in risk management, thus ensuring the qualification will provide a competency-based qualification that will meet the needs of the profession.

Plural policing as professional strife. Municipal officers and police officers in the Netherlands

In the past 30 years, the introduction of new providers of policing services has meant that the policing landscape in many countries has changed considerably. In the Netherlands, an important aspect of this ‘pluralization of policing’ is the introduction of municipal officers: new, public officials who are employed by Dutch municipalities. This article discusses how front-line professionals themselves view these changes and the division of labour between the regular police and municipal officers. By interpreting their views as strife and contestation over professional domains and by borrowing concepts from the sociology of professions, it adds a novel perspective to the current debate on plural policing. The article discerns four views, two of which highlight differences and two of which highlight similarities between these professions. In interpreting these views, the article states that officers define their professions mostly by referring to fundamental argumentations about professional core aspects and higher values. This implies the ‘professional projects’ of front-line workers might be as important as their orientation on outside (societal) needs and desires.

Bibliometrics and social network analysis of compassion fatigue in China from 2008 to 2018

Objective To understand the research status, research hotspots and development trend of compassion fatigue with the bibliometric analysis on compassion fatigue related literatures in China so as to provide a reference for future research and development. Methods We retrieved compassion fatigue related literatures of our country published in China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) , WanFang data, Chinese Biomedical Database (CBM) , VIP, Web of Science and PubMed from January 2008 to July 2018. The included literatures were multidimensionally analyzed with the bibliometric analysis and social network analysis. SPSS 22.0 was used to data statistical treatment. Results Finally a total of 143 literatures were included with 138 Chinese literatures. The volume of literatures showed a tendency to increase year by year. There were 120 journal articles and 9 (6.3%) of them were published in Chinese Journal of Modern Nursing with the most publications. Ranked by the areas of the first author, a total of 96 (67.1%) literatures were published in the top 10 areas and 16 (11.2%) literatures were published in Hubei Province with the most publications. The rate of coauthor was 85.3% with 3 for the cooperation degree and core authors were 20. There were 31 literatures funded by research fund with 21.7% for the ratio of fund-sponsored articles. The number of quotations were 2106 with 17.6% for the rate of quotation each article. Research type focused on investigations and interviews with 106 articles accounting for 74.1%. A total of 4 key words were with word frequency equal to or greater than 14 including compassion fatigue, nurses, empathy fatigue and influencing factors. Conclusions Researches on compassion fatigue of our country are in a development stage. We should expand the breadth and depth of the researches, increase the investment of research fund, strengthen cooperation among institutions and promote the establishment of professional core team so as to promote the development of researches on compassion fatigue of our country. Key words: Bibliometrics; Compassion fatigue; Key words; Social network analysis

Development of the Operating Room Professional Nurses Core Competency Evaluation Scale

Objective To develop the Operating Room Professional Nurses Core Competency Evaluation Scale so as to provide an evaluation criterion for career planning and promotion evaluation of operating room nurses. Methods From January 2017 to March 2017, we built item pool of the scale by literature study and consulted 5 experts to form the questionnaire. From April 2017 to October 2017, we selected 443 operating room nurses attending 2017 National Operating Room Nursing Annual Meeting by convenient cluster sampling. The reliability and validity test were carried out for the original questionnaire. Items of the questionnaire were adjusted based on results to the final edition of operating room professional nurses core competency evaluation scale. Results The final edition of the scale included 5 dimensions and 45 items involving professional development ability (12 items) , professional cooperation ability (12 items) , professional management ability (10 items) , perioperative assessment ability (6 items) and basic professional ability (5 items) . The KMO of the questionnaire was 0.975. The Cronbach's α of the scale was 0.983 and Cronbach's α of the dimensions was 0.848-0.973. Conclusions The scale has good reliability and validity. Its content can provide a reference object for career planning of operating room nurses and an evaluation criterion for promotion evaluation of operating room nurses. The quantization of evaluation results can be a basis for operating room personnel training. Key words: Operating rooms; Professional nurses; Core competency evaluation; Scale

Application of Flipped Classroom Teaching Strategy in Nursing Education

The ultimate purpose of education is to provide students with the skills and motivation necessary for lifelong learning. Students with lifelong learning abilities are better able to continue improving their professional core competencies, especially in terms of problem solving and clinical reasoning. Prior to enhancing lifelong learning abilities, students must learn self-directed learning. Studies have shown that flipped classroom learning has the potential to improve self-directed learning. Flipped classroom teaching requires prerecorded lectures, strengthened teacher-student interaction, and assisting students to learn in-depth. The authors developed a four-phase dynamic case-based learning (4D CBL) innovative teaching strategy and then assimilated this strategy into flipped classroom teaching. This innovative teaching strategy may be used in various academic nursing programs to reinforce self-directed learning and clinical reasoning abilities. After introducing the concepts of flipped classroom teaching and 4-D CBL, how to merge 4D CBL with the flipped classroom model and the effectiveness of this innovative teaching strategy are demonstrated. Nurse educators may use the flipped classroom teaching strategy with 4D CBL in their future practice.

Moral dilemmas reflect professional core values of pharmacists in community pharmacy

ObjectivesThe aim was to recognise the professional core values in the moral dilemmas of pharmacists in community pharmacy and to customise the descriptions of these values for community pharmacy practice.MethodsThe narratives of 128 moral dilemmas, collected from Dutch PharmD students and early career pharmacists who experienced these dilemmas in practice, were qualitatively analysed. An expert panel deductively coded relevant portions of these narratives with the core values as formulated by the Royal Dutch Pharmacists Association. Other values that emerged were inductively coded and if possible used to further customise the respective core values.Key findingsThe expert panel identified all four professional core values, that is, commitment to the patient's well‐being (117, 91.4%), reliable and caring (116, 90.6%), pharmaceutical expertise (72, 56.2%) and responsibility to society (30, 23.4%) in the 128 moral dilemma narratives. Thirteen other values that emerged in the analysis could all be used for the customisation of the professional core values in descriptions that better reflect community pharmacy practice.ConclusionsProfessional core values were identified in moral dilemma narratives of pharmacists in community pharmacy and customised for their practice. These customised core values can enable pharmacists to better recognise moral dilemmas in practice. This can add to the advancement of the profession as a pharmaceutical care practice.

The Joint Effect of Organizational and Professional Identification for Job Performance

Individuals hold multiple identities, but little research has been conducted on how these multiple identities may simultaneously shape employee outcomes in the workplace. In particular, prior literature provides mixed views regarding the nature of the joint effect of organizational and professional identification, such that professional identification may augment or attenuate the relationship between organizational identification and job performance. Noting the importance of professional core values governing these employees’ attitudes and behaviors, we propose that their evaluation of how well their organization supports their professional core values becomes a critical condition in determining the nature of the joint effect of the two types of identification. We tested our proposition across two questionnaire survey studies between two professional groups (journalists, teachers), utilizing self-rated and supervisor-rated performance, respectively. Our findings contribute to the literature on multiple identities and provide practical insights for managing professional employees.

ПЕРІОДИЗАЦІЯ РОЗВИТКУ ПРОФЕСІЙНОЇ ОСВІТИ ФАХІВЦІВ З МЕДИЧНОЇ ІНФОРМАТИКИ У КАНАДІ

The article provides a retrospective review of the development of health informatics professional education in Canada. The authors propose to divide its history into six periods using chronological and problem-based approach. The first period is characterized as a preparatory one as it laid the foundations of the emergence and further development of health informatics professional education in Canada. The second period started in 1981 and may be defined as the time of the birth of health informatics as an academic specialty. It is related to the establishment of the first Canadian health informatics department and the introduction of a Bachelor’s degree programme in health informatics at the University of Victoria. The characteristic feature of the third period is developing model curricula as well as educational conceptions, which gave a distinct differentiation of trajectories of health informatics education evolution. They are acquiring health informatics competency by medical students and practitioners; training health informatics professionals, and introducing Masters’ and Doctor’s degree programmes to train health informatics scientists. Regarding the fourth period, health informatics professional education in Canada experienced flourishing that started in the 2000s under the influence of Canada’s centralized policy on informatization of its health care system. The start of the fifth period is connected with unification of the scientific and methodological framework for training health informatics professionals in Canada. Since the beginning of the 21st century, health informatics professional organizations, academia, and employees have been engaged in defining health informatics professional core competencies and career matrix. Finally, in the modern period, the key task is to develop effective mechanisms for ensuring quality of the Canadian health informatics professional education.

Beyond Preservice Special Educators: Embedding Assistive Technology Content Throughout a Teacher Education Program of Study

Knowledge and understanding of assistive technology is important for all education majors as they prepare to serve increasingly diverse classrooms. This article provides a program description of how one rural university embedded assistive technology content and skills in both a special education plan of study, as well as in professional core courses for all education majors. The process and model are described for both on-campus and distance education populations. In addition, strengths and challenges of the model are discussed.

Некоторые вопросы формирования профессионального состава полиции на современном этапе развития органов внутренних дел

In the article the authors consider the main directions of the formation of a professional core in the bodies of internal affairs, the concept of cadres, the profession, and specialization. An emphasis is placed on the personnel policy of the bodies of internal affairs of the Russian Federation. Important role in the provision of high-quality personnel is allocated to education and upbringing. The authors note that in order to successfully create the necessary professional skills for employees, it is also necessary to create conditions that allow staff to meet pressing needs.

Reflections on Occupational Health Nursing in Taiwan: Challenges and Perspectives

The development of the occupational health nursing profession has promoted stable and healthy human resources in Taiwan. In order to improve the occupational safety, health, and healthcare of workers, the professional core competencies and role functions of occupational health nursing is of utmost importance. This article investigated the current status of occupational health nursing education, role functions, practice scope, and the development and responsibilities of professional associations and proposed the challenges to and the future prospects of the development of occupational health nursing in Taiwan. The key findings include: (1) the role functions and practice scope of occupational health nursing; (2) occupational health nursing courses should be included in the required credits of Department of Nursing and master and doctor programs in occupational health nursing should be established; (3) a certification system of occupational health nursing should be established as soon as possible; (4) the professional associations for occupational health nursing should take responsibility for continuing education and training; and (5) interdisciplinary collaborations among relevant occupational health professionals should be strengthened.

Promoting the Construction of Computer Science and Technology Specialty at Local Universities through Professional Assessments

In order to explore how to carry out professional construction through professional assessment in local colleges and universities, this paper puts forward a method of promoting professional construction with professional certification. The method elaborates from the aspects of the formulation and implementation of talent cultivation plan, the cultivation of professional core competence, the construction of modular curriculum, the establishment of multi-level practice teaching system according to the Beijing municipal colleges and universities undergraduate professional evaluation index system and computer science and technology professional positioning. Results show that the method provides a reference for the construction of computer science and technology in local colleges and universities.

Athletic Training Student Core Competency Implementation During Patient Encounters.

Health care research evidence suggests that early patient encounters (PEs), as well as the purposeful implementation of professional core competencies (CCs), for athletic training students (ATSs) may be beneficial to their ability to provide care. However, no investigators have related facets of the clinical education experience with CC implementation as a form of summative assessment of the clinical experience. To determine the relationship between the frequency and length of PEs, as well as the student's role and clinical site during PEs, and the students' perceived CC implementation during these encounters. Cross-sectional study. Professional athletic training program, National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I institution. We purposefully recruited 1 athletic training program that used E*Value software; 40 participants (31 females, 9 males) enrolled in the professional phase (12 first year, 14 second year, 14 third year) participated. Participants viewed a 20-minute recorded CC educational module followed by educational handouts, which were also posted online for reference throughout the semester. The E*Value software was used to track PEs, including the type of encounter (ie, actual patient, practice encounter, didactic practice scenario), the type of site where the encounter occurred (university, high school), and the participant's role (observed, assisted, performed), as well as responses to an added block of questions indicating which, if any, of the CCs were implemented during the PE. Variables per patient were PE length (minutes), participant role, site at which the encounter occurred, and whether any of the 6 CCs were implemented ( yes/ no). Variables per participant were average encounter length (minutes), encounter frequency, modal role, clinical site assignment, and the number of times each CC was implemented. Separate 1-way analyses of variance were used to examine the relationships between role or clinical site and implementation of total number of CCs. Multiple linear regressions were used to determine how the average length and frequency of PEs were related to the average and total number of implemented CCs. Binary logistic regression models indicated how the length of each encounter, role of the participant, and type of clinical site related to the implementation of each CC. The roles of participants during PEs were related to their ability to implement the total number of CCs ( F = 103.48, P < .001). Those who observed were likely to implement fewer total CCs than those who assisted (M diff = -0.29, P < .001); those who assisted were likely to implement more total CCs than those who performed (M diff = 0.32, P < .001). Frequency of encounters was the only significant variable in the model examining all independent variables with CC implementation ( b4,32 = 3.34, t = 9.46, P < .001). The role of the student, namely assisting during PEs, and the volume of PEs should be considered priorities for students to promote greater CC implementation.

Research on the integration of teaching content of core courses in Agro-ecological environmental specialties of higher vocational colleges

Curriculum is the means to cultivate higher vocational talents. On the basis of analyzing the core curriculum problems of curriculum reform and Agro-ecological environmental specialties in higher vocational colleges, this paper puts forward the optimization and integration measures of 6 core courses, including “Eco-environment Repair Technology”, “Agro-environmental Management Plan”, “Environmental Engineering Design”, “Environmental Pest Management Technology”, “Agro-chemical Pollution Control Technology”, “Agro-environmental Testing and Analysis”. It integrates the vocational qualification certificate education and professional induction certificate training items, and enhances the adaptability, skills and professionalism of professional core curriculum.

Construction of core competencies for family therapists in Taiwan

AbstractTo promote service efficacy and quality, necessary competencies for family therapists have been specified by professional organizations and researchers in some countries; however, these competencies may not be a good ‘fit’ for family therapists in Taiwan. This research reviewed the core competencies proposed by the American Association of Marriage and Family Therapy (US) and the Association for Family Therapy and Systemic Practice in the UK (UK) and proposed the modified Taiwan Family Therapist Core Competencies (TFTCC) for family therapists in Taiwan. The draft then went through two rounds of the Delphi method to further develop it, based on the comments of local family therapy experts and practitioners. As a result, TFTCC were proposed with four domains and forty‐two specific competencies. The distinct characteristics and possible application of TFTCC are discussed, with recommendations for future research and implications.Practitioner points Family therapists in Taiwan can evaluate their current levels of competency based on the TFTCC Trainers can develop programmes based on the TFTCC Supervisors can evaluate their supervisees’ development based on the TFTCC Policymakers can develop professional licensure criteria based on the TFTCC Family therapists, trainers and researchers in other countries can refer to the TFTCC for indigenization of professional core competencies that best suit their local contexts

Теоретические и эмпирические предпосылки изучения социально-педагогической компетентности специалистов социальной сферы

The paper presents results of a research on personality characteristics that shape the core of professionalism in social services specialists. The research was carried out within the paradigm of the systems approach. We discuss the structure and relationship between the components of social and pedagogical competence within the framework of Russian psychological concept of integral individuality. We emphasize that competency as a potential ability implies the specialist’s readiness for professional activity, and that the integration of several competencies in a multi-level system of his/her personality characteristics appears as the individual’s competence in professional activity. System interrelations between the components are regarded as outcomes of the specialist’s professional development. We describe the conceptual model of social and pedagogical competence and argue that one of the important factors in its development is the individual’s image of the future and the notion of time perspective as a feature of tolerance for uncertainty.

Professional and educational standards in jurisprudence

The issue of standards of legal activity is relevant for Russia, however, there is no general understanding of what should be standardized and how. In this case, the central element of the condition for admission to legal activities (as a general rule) is the presence of a vocational (legal) education. The authors in the system vein consider the issues of conjugation (correlation) of educational standards and professional standards in jurisprudence as components of the national system for the development of professional qualifications in Russia. The article presents the arguments in favor of the non-direct (non-linear) nature of the relationship between professional and educational standards for: the purpose of their creation; characteristic of constituent elements; the obligation of their implementation by the participants of public relations; time gap in assessing the structure and qualification indicators of graduates and employees. It is concluded that, in fact, the conjugation of standards is not a determining mechanism for managing the development of qualifications, but only an integral part of a wider mechanism — the inclusion of employers (other customers for the training of professional personnel) in the process of implementation by educational organizations of basic educational programs. In this regard, in relation to the field of jurisprudence is proposed a foresight sphere of employment. Outcome of foresight (through the common efforts of the professional community of lawyers and experts in the field of higher professional education) should be the construction of a common “professional core of legal qualifications” or “core of the legal profession”. Thus, it will be possible, firstly, to identify the core of competencies as the basis of the profession called “lawyer”, secondly, to identify the species differences that may provoke the professional community to design relevant professional standards, professional practices framework, quality standards of individual types legal services. Since there can be no linear transition of qualifying requirements and ways to identify them between educational and professional standards, then a different concept and logic of standardization of education is needed. The authors of the article propose legal and social mechanisms for constructing such a concept.

Construction of “Five-stage” Large Curriculum System for the Integration of Innovation and Learning Based on Cultivation of Professional Core Competence

It is of great significance for the teaching reform of constructional engineering major to construct a large curriculum system based on ability. Taking the house building as an example, this study programs the building process into “four work fields” through the task decomposition, carefully selects the contents of teaching,optimizes the setting of teaching methods, updates and improves the evaluation mode, and innovates and drives teaching. By optimizing and reorganizing the traditional for integration of innovation and learning based on the cultivation of professional core competence has been constructed, realizing the seamless connection between school and enterprise with “graduation-employment-entrepreneurship” through train.

Vocational Students’ Professional Ability: Quantitative Reconstruction and Evaluation

'Multiple intelligence theory' and 'constructivist theory' are two important theoretical foundations for students in their career. With the current big data and cloud computing technology, the quantum analysis was introduced into the students' career ability development level evaluation system to construct, analyse, evaluate and mine the vocational ability multi-dimensional index. On one hand, the students can enhance their own enthusiasm of self-awareness, self-learning, self-growth, and on the other hand, it is possible to integrate all aspects of social resources to participate teaching reform and construction in institutes and cultivate more social applicable personnel. The implementation of the evaluation system can further promote collaboration and development between institute and society, foster professional core competitiveness in institutes and colleges and achieve sustainable and healthy development of student vocational education.