Current Job Role Research Articles

Asthma control in severe asthma and occupational exposures to inhalable asthmagens

IntroductionWork-related asthma accounts for ≥25% of asthma in working-age populations, though the relationship between work exposures and symptoms is frequently missed, leading to poor health and employment outcomes. We hypothesised...

Burnout and Workplace Incivility Among Emergency Medical Services Practitioners: A Preliminary Report

Objective Burnout has detrimental consequences for health care organizations, clinicians, and the quality of care that patients receive. Prior work suggests that workplace incivility (negative interpersonal acts) contributes to burnout. While workplace incivility is linked to EMS practitioner job dissatisfaction, absenteeism, and planned attrition, the relationship between workplace incivility and burnout has not been evaluated among EMS practitioners. This study aimed to characterize the prevalence and association of burnout and workplace incivility among EMS practitioners. Methods A cross-sectional survey of EMS personnel in King County, Washington was performed in January to March of 2021 with burnout as the primary outcome and workplace incivility as a secondary outcome. Multivariable logistic regression was used to evaluate associations between outcomes and EMS practitioner factors that included age, sex, race/ethnicity, years of EMS experience, and current job role. Results 835 completed surveys were received (response rate 25%). The prevalence of burnout was 39.2%. Women were more likely to have burnout than men (59.3% vs. 33.7%, aOR 2.2, 95% CI 1.3–3.7). Workplace incivility was experienced weekly by 32.1% of respondents, with women more likely to experience incivility compared to men (41.9% vs. 27.2%, aOR 2.0, 95% CI 1.2–3.3). Respondents who experienced frequent workplace incivility were more likely to have burnout than those who did not experience frequent incivility (61.9% vs. 38.1%, OR 4.0, 95% CI 3.0–5.5). Conclusions The prevalence of burnout and workplace incivility were concerning among EMS practitioners, with women more likely to experience both compared to men. EMS practitioners who experienced frequent workplace incivility were also more likely to have burnout than those who did not experience frequent incivility.

Sharing real-world data for public benefit: a qualitative exploration of stakeholder views and perceptions

BackgroundThere has been an increasing interest in the use of “real-world” data to inform care decision making that could lead to public health benefit. Routinely collected service and activity data associated with the administration of care services and service-users (such as electronic health records or electronic social care records), hold potential to better inform effective and responsive decision-making about health and care services provided to national and local populations. This study sought to gain an in-depth understanding regarding the potential to unlock real world data that was held in individual organisations, to better inform public health decision-making. This included sharing data between and within health service providers and local governing authorities, but also with university researchers to inform the evidence base.MethodsWe used qualitative methods and carried out a series of online workshops and interviews with stakeholders (senior-level decision-makers and service leads, researchers, data analysts, those with a legal and governance role, and members of the public). We identified recurring themes in initial workshops, and explored these with participants in subsequent workshops. By this iterative process we further refined the themes identified, compared views and perceptions amongst different stakeholder groups, and developed recommendations for action.ResultsOur study identified key elements of context and timing, the need for a different approach, and obstacles including governmental and legal, organisational features, and process factors which adversely affect the sharing of real world data. The findings also highlighted a need for improved communication about data for secondary uses to members of the public.ConclusionThe Covid-19 pandemic context and changes to organisational structures in the health service in England have provided opportunities to address data sharing challenges. Change at national and local level is required, within current job roles and generating new jobs roles focused on the use and sharing of real-world data. The study suggests that actions can be taken to unlock the potential of real-world data for public health benefit, and provides a series of recommendations at a national level, for organisational leaders, those in data roles and those in public engagement roles.

A Comparison of Distance and On-Campus Learning Models to Prepare Teachers of Students With Visual Impairments

Introduction Since the 1970s, many universities and agencies have prepared professionals in visual impairment through distance educational approaches, including concentrated off-campus courses, video and telephone connections, and synchronous or asynchronous online methods. Although online professional preparation in visual impairment has become common, there is little data that compares outcomes of on-campus instruction with distance education methods. This article reports follow-up data from a federally funded graduate university program that prepares teachers of students with visual impairments: It compares results from a survey that describes how on-campus and distance education students perceived the quality of their preparation. Methods An online survey was sent to 37 bachelor’s degree students who had earned certification as teachers of students with visual impairments. 27 students returned usable surveys, in which they reported relevant demographic information and current job roles. The survey included 13 demographic questions about employment and setting. Eight questions related to general evaluation of their preparation program, and 22 questions related to perceived competence in skills needed to prepare teachers of students with visual impairments. Results There were few differences between perceptions of students who were prepared in the full-time on-campus model and those who were prepared through distance education. Most respondents were graduates working as itinerant teachers in public schools or specialized school settings. With regard to perceptions of their own skills related to visual impairment, only the item on assistive technology showed a significant difference between the two models. Students in distance education perceived themselves as less well prepared in that area. Discussion Given the increased shift toward distance learning caused by the COVID-19 virus, the authors suggest that a broad-based national study of outcomes related to distance learning in visual impairment might offer more detailed insights into the quality of teaching produced through distance learning.

Pharmacists in primary care in Scotland: a mixed-methods exploration of pharmacists’ perceptions of a national educational resource package

Abstract Introduction There is growing pressure on primary care, which has resulted in an increased number of clinical pharmacists working within the setting. To help support this growing workforce in their role and with their development, several countries have created educational resources. Within Scotland, an educational resource package was created for pharmacists working in General Practice, containing a Competency and Capability Framework, an online platform and educational and clinical supervision. The implementation of these resources in Scotland has not been evaluated thus far, therefore it is unclear to what extent they may support and facilitate pharmacists in their professional role. Aim The aim of this project was to assess pharmacists’ perceptions of the educational resource package available to General Practice pharmacists in Scotland. Methods A mixed-methods study comprising an online questionnaire and semi-structured telephone interviews was undertaken between July and October 2019. The questionnaire sought to provide a more representative overview, with the interviews designed to gain an in-depth understanding, to support the development of recommendations to improve the educational resource package. A previously validated, online questionnaire (1) was used to explore pharmacists’ view on the adoption, acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility of the educational resources based on Proctor’s model of implementation outcomes (2); similarly, the semi-structured telephone interviews explored pharmacists’ experiences with the resources, in addition to inquiring about its adoption, acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility. The questionnaire included a Likert scale and free-text questions; quantitative responses were summarised, whereas the qualitative answers underwent a content analysis directed by Proctor’s implementation outcomes. The interview results were structured using the framework approach, with the data undergoing a thematic or summative content analysis. Results Overall, 52 pharmacists completed the questionnaire and 12 participated in the interviews. The results indicated widespread adoption and acceptance of the educational resource package. The level of acceptance was influenced by the perceived purpose of completing the resources, such as if they believed it provided development opportunities. Its appropriateness depended on the pharmacist’s individual situation since previous experiences and current job role differed. Additionally, several barriers complicated the feasibility of the resources, such as insufficient support and guidance. Conclusion The adoption and acceptance of the educational resource package for General Practice pharmacists in Scotland indicated its suitability for supporting their role; however, further facilitation would enhance their engagement with the resources, and potentially improve their perception of its appropriateness and feasibility. Despite the limited sample size, the study provided an in-depth understanding of general practice pharmacists perceptions of the educational recourse package, based on an established model. References (1) Proctor E, Silmere H, Raghavan R, et al. Outcomes for implementation research: conceptual distinctions, measurement challenges, and research agenda. Adm Policy Ment Health. 2011;38(2):65-76. (2) Weiner BJ, Lewis CC, Stanick C, et al. Psychometric assessment of three newly developed implementation outcome measures. Implement Sci. 2017; 12(1): 108.

Role of Research-based Learning on Graduates’ Career Prospects

Education is still a leeway towards achieving individual’s personal growth as well as professional development. Further and Higher Education (FHE) are even more crucial in accelerating the achievement of these goals. Consequently, graduate students explore endless opportunities to enroll for postgraduate programs, hoping to gain financial independence, economic freedom, and improved standard of living after completion. Since graduate programs offer such tremendous career and life-changing opportunities, it is imperative to investigate if programs like the master’s in business administration are still relevant in today’s fast-moving business environment. This phenomenology study systematically utilizes underlying assumptions of research-based learning to assess a core aspect of universities’ MBA curriculum, that is writing a dissertation. It examines the value added by dissertation to graduates’ long-term career goals. Data for the study was obtained from fourteen MBA graduates through unstructured in-depth interviews. All the graduates currently work as full-time employees in their respective organisations, who were drawn from four main departments namely marketing, education, accounting and the IT industry. Our findings are thought provoking, yet compelling, in the sense that participants expressed mixed opinions concerning whether the dissertation prepared them for their current job roles. Most of them attributed their career successes to luck and hard work. Good communication and leadership skills also played major roles. Only few of them did acknowledge honing such skills while writing their dissertation during the research process. The implication of this research to stakeholders of higher education institutions, and policy makers, are also discussed.

Veterinary technology graduates’ perceptions of their education and subsequent employment experiences

ABSTRACT Aims To describe the current employment status of Bachelor of Veterinary Technology (BVetTech) graduates in New Zealand, to assess how well they felt that their degree programme had prepared them for practice, and to explore their experiences in their current job roles. Methods All 195 individuals who completed the BVetTech degree at Massey University between 2011 and 2018 were invited to participate in a cross-sectional survey regarding their education and employment experiences. Descriptive statistics were provided for all quantitative study variables and thematic analysis was performed on the free-text survey comments. Results The survey was completed by 125/195 (64.1%) BVetTech graduates. Of these, 96/125 (76.8%) were engaged in full-time or part-time veterinary work. The most common work environments were small animal practice (55/125; 44.0%) and mixed animal practice (19/125; 15.2%). The median reported annual salary was NZ$42,640 (mean $45,817; min $34,515; max $80,000) while the median reported hourly wage was NZ$20.00 (mean $21.01; min $17.70; max $27.00). Most respondents generally agreed with statements that their degree had prepared them well for different aspects of their subsequent work as veterinary technologists with “understanding the scientific rationale behind clinical decisions in practice” and “gaining hands-on practical experience that directly linked with their classroom learning” highlighted as being the best aspects of their education. However, respondents expressed the need for more training in client interactions and veterinary business management. Common themes that emerged when respondents were asked to describe the best things about their work were “forming relationships with animals, clients, and co-workers,” “making a meaningful difference through their work,” and “having opportunities to use and develop their skills” while the worst things about their job were “underutilisation of their skills,” “poor pay in relation to their education and skill,” and “compassion fatigue arising from dealing with euthanasia and difficult clients.” Another common theme across free-text questions was the lack of employer awareness about the capabilities of a veterinary technologist. Conclusions and clinical relevance Recent BVetTech graduates were generally satisfied with their educational experience, but perceived that employers underestimated the value of their training and consequently underutilised their skills. This highlights the need for additional research to better estimate the value of veterinary technologists to the New Zealand animal health industries as well as additional extension efforts to increase awareness amongst employers about the scope of responsibilities that veterinary technologists are legally able to perform in practice.

UNDERSTANDING WORK MOTIVATION FOR EMPLOYEES WORKING IN INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INDUSTRY FROM HERZBERG’S PERSPECTIVE

In the changing times, the source of employee motivation has become more and more dynamic. The HRs around the world are trying to tap the right causes for motivation to sustain employee engagement and enhance job satisfaction. This paper examines the various factors of job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction among IT sector employees using Herzberg’s theory of motivation as underlying factors of motivation. This research is empirical in nature as it involves the administration of a questionnaire to the responses on the basis of their current job role in IT sector. The results indicated that the factors causing job satisfaction and job dissatisfaction differ in nature as explained by Herzberg. However, some factors like advancement, company policies and interpersonal relations showed mixed results towards their contribution to either job satisfaction or dissatisfaction.

Beyond HOSPEX: what is the additional training value of military hospital exercises (HOSPEX)?

BackgroundThe use of simulation in clinical environments is a frequently used adjunct to training individuals and teams. The military uses clinical simulation to train large numbers of personnel, standardise patient...

Roles and Responsibilities of Developmental Educators: Disability Professionals Supporting Australians with Disability

ABSTRACT Australia’s National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is associated with disability sector growth. A skilled and competent disability professional workforce is needed. Developmental Educators (DEs) are university qualified disability specialists; however, the profession (est.1983) has been under recognised. Due to the multi-skilled nature and broad scope of this profession, there is little evidence associated with the exact roles of DEs once they complete their degree and enter the disability workforce. This paper presents a mixed methods self-assessment investigation of DEs’ current job roles and responsibilities, and DEs’ perceptions of the understanding of their profession. Data were gathered from DEs (N = 121) using an online survey. Data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis. DEs reported working with people with disabilities across the lifespan in various settings including: employment, accommodation, recreation, education, positive behaviour support, and skill development. Though there were widespread perceptions from DEs that their profession was under recognised, many DEs reported being employed prior to or immediately after graduation from their degree. The next step for this research is to investigate the views and perceptions of people with disabilities and their family members who receive service and support from DEs.

A Longitudinal Study of the Transition from Doctoral Student to Faculty Member in Physical Education

ABSTRACTPurpose: A paucity of literature examines how doctoral students are prepared for the transition into physical education teacher education faculty roles. Given the need to understand how doctoral programs impact such preparation, we sought to investigate this process using a longitudinal approach grounded in occupational socialization theory. Method: Fourteen participants (8 males, 6 female) were interviewed during final stages of doctoral programs and their first years in faculty positions; questions focused on key socializing agents and experiences that shaped their preparation for their academic careers. Data were analyzed using a constant comparison approach entailing open and axial coding. Results: Strong advisor-advisee relationships and finding a supportive department culture during one’s first faculty position were key socializing mechanisms. Participants who independently sought research experiences transitioned more smoothly into faculty roles; however, many had heavy teaching loads which conflicted with ambitions to regularly conduct research. Further, some faculty members experienced tense sociopolitical environments which hindered their productivity and confidence in current job roles. Conclusions: Our results speak to the challenges and successes that faculty members experience as they transition into the academy. Findings have implications for further research and practice to enhance the quality of doctoral education and faculty induction programs.

Diversification of roles for career sustainability in industry

Oil and Gas industry downturn in year 2015 posed impacts not only to the economy, but also to the career sustainability of women workforce, especially in Oil and Gas. Most of the organizations started to downsize, and some of the departments are restructured. Thus, workers have no options except to sustain in the organization. The question is, how? This paper discusses the problem statement; the career sustainability of women employees in Oil and Gas industry in Malaysia, gives the overview of the current scenario of women employees in Malaysia in general, and brought up the topic of diversification of roles in career, which is defined as ‘performing job not related to the qualification, or skills. It shares the methodology to assess the diversification of roles scenario via women employee survey experiment, covering the sampling of 100 women employees from various Engineering backgrounds and departments in Oil and Gas companies in Malaysia, with working experience between 5 to slightly more than 10 years. The scope of the survey is the assessment of current job roles of women employees, and diversification of roles scenarios. Overall, it summarizes the major findings from the survey, which showed 78% of 100 women employees who took part in the survey are currently having, or have had diversification of roles in their career. Then, through good platform available in Malaysia, the study recommends the ways to apply and adapt the roles diversification, in order to sustain in the career, for women employees in Oil and Gas industry, which may also be applied by other women workforce.

The Value of an HR Professional Group for Organizational Learning

This paper reports on the value of the HR Professional Group at NHS Digital. A partnership between an academic researcher and an HR practitioner was adopted to bring together organizational knowledge with extant research. The study examined the lived experiences of members of the HR Professional Group in relation to social learning activities. Thirteen interviews were conducted with members of the HR Professional Group. A thematic analysis was undertaken on the resultant narratives. Three key themes emerged from the analysis. These were: strategic direction and ownership; professional identity and knowledge sharing; reflection and transfer of learning. The findings suggest professional groups offer a means of developing an expert learning community through the integration of research, practice, reflection, and knowledge sharing. By offering development beyond current job roles it contributes to talent development within the organization. Drawing on the findings, a model is proposed for professional groups which offers both development for the existing groups at NHS Digital and a template for HRD practitioners wishing to develop professional learning communities in their organizations. The proposed outcomes relate both to action for the organization and a contribution to knowledge in this field.

Exploring Entrepreneurial Orientation (EO) of Public and Third Sector Organisations at Employee/ Volunteer Level

Public and third sector employees are facing increasing pressure to behave more entrepreneurially in their day-to-day work (Wakkee, Elfring and Monaghan, 2010). Literature on entrepreneurial orientation (EO) highlighted that EO enhances organisational performance, firms’ competiveness and product innovation (Rauch et al., 2009; Lumpkin and Dess, 2001). While previous studies on EO have applied the concept in relation to the overall performance of an organisation (Wiklund and Shepherd, 2005), this research explores EO at the individual level (Jelenc, Pisapia and Ivanusic, 2015; Bolton and Lane, 2012; Okhomina, 2010). The aim of the research is to identify entrepreneurial potential of employees in public and third sector organisations through an Entrepreneurial Orientation perspective. This provides a means to explore potential entrepreneurial behaviour by determining past experience of employees and the extent to which they behave proactively in their current job roles, as opposed to identifying entrepreneurial traits of volunteers and employees. This research is based on a large European study which explored the EO of 450 employees/volunteers, representing 216 public and third sector organisations spanning across six European countries, including Ireland (South East Region), Iceland, Bulgaria, Greece, Italy (Sicily) and Portugal. This study is a preliminary investigation and the research indicates the value in pursuing this area further. The preliminary findings illustrate that potentially employees in public and third sector organisations in Iceland and Ireland are more “entrepreneurial” in comparison to the other countries surveyed. Furthermore, the research indicates that there is a relationship between employees/volunteers that display entrepreneurial experience, their educational attainment, and the degree to which they feel empowered in the decision-making processes or are encouraged to seek new opportunities within their work environments.

Being an Educator in Private vs. Public School System: A Comparative Study on Job Contentment

<div><p><em>Job satisfaction can be defined as an extent of positive feelings or attitude that individuals have towards their jobs. When a person says that he has high job satisfaction, it means that he really likes his job, feels good about it and values his job dignity. Job satisfaction is important technique used to motivate the employees to work harder. It is often said that “a happy employee is a productive employee”. </em><em>Satisfied employees work in integrity with organizational goals and their work performance falls in sync with what is being expected of them. Satisfied employees stay happy, hardworking, enthusiastic, committed and always open for new challenges. </em><em>The present study makes an effort to study the job satisfaction level among educators of selected private and government school educator in Bangalore City.The paper also investigates various factors influencing job satisfaction of educators. Based on the survey, the paper attempts to gain insights into the satisfaction level from educators of both types of schools. Some of the factors considered under this study are; current job role, job satisfaction, salary earned, recognition at work, freedom at work, accessibility to knowledge, facilities provided at work, and behavior of colleagues/coworkers. </em></p></div>

Linking Developmental Experiences to Leader Effectiveness and Promotability: The Mediating Role of Leadership Self‐Efficacy and Mentor Network

We developed and tested a model linking developmental experiences to leadership effectiveness and promotability through 2 mediating processes based on social cognitive and social capital theories. We hypothesized that a manager's exposure to 3 types of developmental experiences (formal development programs, developmental job challenges, and developmental supervision) would positively relate to supervisor's assessment of the manager's leadership effectiveness in the current job role and promotability within the organization through the manager's leadership self‐efficacy and size and quality of the manager's mentor network. Results based on a sample of 235 retail managers showed that leadership self‐efficacy and mentor network fully mediated the relationship between job challenges and promotability, whereas leadership self‐efficacy also fully mediated the relationship between job challenges and leadership effectiveness. Developmental supervision was indirectly related to promotability through mentor network. In addition, a 3‐way interaction analysis revealed that participation in formal development activities had a positive indirect relationship with leadership effectiveness and promotability mediated by leadership self‐efficacy when a manager experienced either lower levels of job challenge and developmental supervision, or higher levels of both. Our findings contribute to leadership knowledge by examining how both formal and informal developmental experiences relate to leadership effectiveness and promotability through social processes.

The Impacts of Electronic Health Record Implementation on the Health Care Workforce.

Health care organizations at various levels are transitioning into the new electronic era by implementing and adopting electronic health record systems. New job roles will be needed for this transition, and some current job roles will inevitably become obsolete due to the change. In addition to training new personnel to fill these new roles, the focus should also be on equipping the current health care workforce with knowledge and skills in health information technology and health informatics that will support their work and improve quality of care.

Evaluative survey-questionnaire exploring the perceptions and experiences of endoscopy and sterile service staff

There is considerable research surrounding professionalization and the barriers that emerging allied health professions may face. In order to develop any emerging profession, the move to voluntary registration and academic qualification will substantially pave the way towards raising the profile and professional recognition with a regulatory governing body. The aim of this evaluative survey-questionnaire was to explore the attitudes and experiences of endoscopy and sterile service staff in their current job roles and to identify any perceived barriers during the proposed transition to professionalization. This article concludes by highlighting the positive and negative aspects of current job roles in relation to job satisfaction, staff retention and career progression opportunities.

What impact does anatomy education have on clinical practice?

There is continuing debate regarding doctors' knowledge of anatomy as an appropriate preparation for professional practice. This exploratory case study examined alumni's experiences of learning anatomy. The aim was to inform curriculum development and to gain a better understanding of how anatomy knowledge is applied in practice. A total of 140 medical student alumni from the University of Southampton participated in this study (49% males, 51% females). Participants completed a Likert scale questionnaire with free comment sections. Descriptive results found that: using cadaveric material was an effective way of learning anatomy; assessment was a major motivator; and around half of students forgot a lot of anatomy but that knowledge came back easily. Statistical analysis revealed associations between certain positive and negative factors in learning. Links were also seen with current job role, revealing that those who responded to positive factors were involved in careers which involved a great deal of anatomy and vice versa. To facilitate learning, anatomy should be taught throughout the curriculum and use human cadavers. Relating knowledge to practice requires transformation of knowledge and is best facilitated by the learning being situated in clinical contexts.

A model for generating personalised learning experiences

The paper put its focus on personalised learning experience showing a specific model that take into account both the Context Profile and the Learner Profile. The learner model also facilitate the identification of learning gaps in current job role and the delivery of appropriate, individualised learning plans. Moreover, even as we speak, the adoption of Web 2.0 approach emphasised the central role of the user and more in general the user generated contents. In order to benefit from this digital era vision from the learning point of view, we need tools and solutions that support us in dominating the technologies in order to serves our purposes and need to codify to improve interactions which influence intangibles. We have to go further than the state represented below (moving towards dynamic personalised learning experience).