Different Groups Of Professionals Research Articles

Representations of guidance counselors, psychologists, and psychoeducators regarding psychological assessment

IntroductionSocial representations related to collaborative/therapeutic and information-gathering assessment could explain some psychological assessment practices. However, no other study has attempted to examine the actual place of these models in psychological assessment practices. ObjectiveThe goal of this study was to examine the social representations of different groups of professionals with regard to their preferred approach to psychological assessment. MethodA latent profile analysis was conducted on a sample of licensed Canadian guidance counselors (n=382), psychologists (n=235), and psychoeducators (n=97). ResultsResults revealed three psychological assessment profiles, which significantly differ in terms of a few social factors. Results also showed that some psychological assessment practices differ across profiles. ConclusionThis study provides a better understanding of psychometric instruments users’ approaches to assessment and the influence of social factors.

Quality of working life from the perspective of different groups of professionals working in a maternity hospital.

The relationship between people and work has a direct impact on quality of life and health. The objective of this article is to compare perceived levels of Quality of Working Life (QWL) across three different groups of professionals. Cross-sectional study with a random sample of 172 hospital workers (37.9±10.3 years; 73.8% women). Participants filled out the Quality of Working Life Assessment Inventory (QWL-AI). The data was analyzed using Anova and Tukey's test. Statistically significant differences were found between the groups in 36.4% of the items assessing work conditions, 35.7% of the items assessing professional growth and recognition (p<0.05), 12.5% of the items assessing socioprofessional workplace relationships, 11.1% of the items assessing work organization, and 10% of the items assessing link between work and social life. Overall, 21.7% of the items showed significant differences between groups. We found significant differences in perceived QWL between the different groups, suggesting that QWL interventions should be tailored to the address the specific needs and demands of different sectors and departments to be effective.

An interventional implementation project: hand hygiene improvement.

BackgroundGood hand hygiene is the most effective basic measure for preventing hospital-acquired infections. This research project, which originated from a project report on improving hand hygiene at a general hospital in Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China, aimed to investigate the effectiveness of hand hygiene improvement among the hospital staff.MethodsSince 2017, a hand hygiene improvement project involving the staff of a 2,500-bed general teaching hospital in Zhejiang, China, has been carried out. This study summarized the implementation and effectiveness of the project, which is based on the five factors of systematic evaluation. The research summary was divided into three phases: phase I (December 2017 to August 2018), phase 2 (September 2018 to April 2019), and phase 3 (May 2019 to December 2019). The data of hand hygiene compliance rates of different groups of professionals in the different research periods were statistically analyzed.ResultsThe results showed that continuous intervention led to a gradual increasing trend (Ptrend<0.001) in the hand hygiene implementation rate with as the intervention time and phases progressed. The hand hygiene compliance rates differed significantly during different phases (76.61%, 79.95%, and 83.34% in phases 1, 2, and 3, respectively, P<0.001). At the same time, the compliance rates of hand hygiene at each phase differed significantly between different professions (P<0.001, the compliance rate of hand hygiene among nurses was the highest and lowest among workers). The compliance rate of hand hygiene for different professions during the three phases were: nurses, 84.73%; doctors, 78.35%; interns, 77.62%; and other hospital workers, 72.79%.ConclusionsThe hand hygiene compliance rate was effectively improved among the hospital staff after the implementation of the hand hygiene improvement project. In this hospital, the project yielded remarkable results. Hand hygiene must be continuously practiced and improved to develop good habits. Effective and detailed planning as well as key factors, such as hand hygiene facilities, information monitoring, the active participation and response of employees, training and education, and supervision and feedback, could help to guarantee the effectiveness of the project.

Family Reunification Decision-Making in Dutch Family Foster Care: A Dual Perspective Approach

BackgroundAn important responsibility of the child welfare system, is taking decisions on the reunification of children with their birth parents after the children have lived in foster families. We currently lack evidence-based knowledge to guide the reunification decision-making process.ObjectiveThe present study uses concept mapping as an exploratory method, to identify themes that seem to be used by two groups of professionals in their judgement and decision making on reunification.MethodFirst, we consulted 78 foster care workers and studied 172 legal cases to examine criteria important for reunification. Next, unique criteria were grouped and rated by 35 foster care workers and also by 12 family judges separately. The data was analysed with multidimensional scaling and cluster analysis which resulted in a concept map for each group of professionals.ResultsBoth foster care workers and family judges suggested the following themes in the reunification decision-making process: (a) birth parents’ functioning and parenting abilities, (b) birth parents’ acceptance of support, and (c) the child’s functioning, developmental needs and wishes. Besides parallel themes, both foster care workers and family judges also seem to consider unique themes.ConclusionsThe suggested similarities and differences between the two groups of professionals possibly reflect different professional frameworks. The foster care workers’ considerations seem to have an orientation towards permanency planning while the family judges’ considerations seem to be linked to the legal framework. Gaining insight in the perspective of different groups of professionals involved in the process of reunification, is a small but important step towards reaching consensus through discussion in order to achieve the optimal implementation of the decisions considered in the best interest of children’s future.

Polish Adaptation of the Cross-Cultural Competence Inventory: An Overview

Abstract Introduction. The growing cultural diversity of Polish society creates new challenges for people who, in their professional activities, deal with culturally divergent people. Therefore, on the one hand, there is an urgent need for education and development in cross-cultural competences; on the other hand, there is a need to measure these competences with reliable and accurate methods. Aim. The goal of the present paper is recommendation of the Polish adaptation of the Cross-Cultural Competence Inventory (CCCI). In addition, the paper discusses the possible usage of the CCCI within the Polish healthcare system. Methods. The CCCI was adapted to Polish in a multistage process [1]. Briefly, it consisted of two studies, with 455 (Study 1) and 347 (Study 2) participants, in which the psychometric properties of the CCCI were evaluated in terms of reliability, internal consistency, factorial structure, test-retest reliability, and theoretical validity, criterion and convergent validity. Results. Although the original version of the CCCI was assumed to have a 6-dimensional factor structure, confirmatory factor analysis did not provide strong evidence for this assumption. However, as demonstrated in two studies, the Polish adaptation of the CCCI has satisfactory psychometric properties, such as reliability and validity (theoretical, criterion and convergent). Conclusions. Results of Study 1 and Study 2 support the conclusion that the CCCI can be successfully used in empirical research among healthcare professionals and students of medical courses. Future work may focus on further improvements of the CCCI by, for example, developing Polish standardized norms for different groups of professionals.

Self-compassion as a Stress Moderator: A Cross-sectional Study of 1700 Doctors, Nurses, and Medical Students.

ObjectivesWork stress is common in healthcare and reliably predicts negative outcomes, including burnout and lower quality of life (QOL). However, few studies have investigated factors that might attenuate the impact of stress on these negative outcomes. We investigated whether the tendency to be kind to the self during times of difficulty—self-compassion—might buffer the effect of work stress on outcomes.MethodsRegistered nurses (n = 801), physicians (n = 516), and medical students (n = 383) were recruited using convenience sampling in New Zealand. Following consent, participants (N = 1700) completed a survey including the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory, Satisfaction with Life Scale, and Self-Compassion Scale–Short Form.ResultsAcross groups, greater work stress consistently predicted greater burnout and lower QOL, while greater self-compassion predicted lower burnout and better QOL. Self-compassion moderated the relationship between stress and burnout in nurses (albeit in the opposite direction to what had been predicted), but not in doctors or medical students.ConclusionsWhile self-compassion predicted better outcomes (and may thus represent a target to enhance wellbeing), it strengthened the association between stress and burnout in nurses. How self-compassion impacts the experience of stress and its correlates and why it does so differently in different groups of professionals remains unclear.

Sustaining warm and inclusive transitions across the early years: insights from the START project

ABSTRACT Positive transitions across home, ECEC and compulsory school education (CSE) are critical in promoting children’s development and educational achievement: this seems especially the case for children from migrant backgrounds. However, as a consequence of entrenched institutional practices and lack of ownership the issues by the different groups of professionals involved, the way transitions are managed tends to unintentionally favour children from more advantaged backgrounds, whose families know how to navigate the educational system, including its flaws. The article presents the findings from a transnational participatory action-research study (START) carried out in four countries (Italy, Slovenia, England, Belgium), discussing how an inclusive transition approach can better address the needs of migrant children and families in a holistic way.

A Tale of Two Patient Safety Programs: Comparing Tools and Skills in Two Programs for Integration into Interprofessional Clinical Simulation-Based Training

Patient safety improvement efforts across the country intend to address the threat of medical errors that lead to patient morbidity and mortality. Many hospital-based patient safety programs focus on team tools and skills to support the interdisciplinary nature of healthcare delivery. This institution utilizes two patient safety programs with different groups of professionals and medical trainees. The aim of our research was to identify tool and skill compatibility between the two programs for future integration into interprofessional clinical simulation-based training experiences. Two researchers conducted an independent content analysis of the tools and skills in the two programs to: 1) identify the similarities and differences among tools and skills, and, 2) categorize their potential for integration into clinical simulation-based training. The two programs had six common tools, a majority of which were communication-based. Over half the tools were team-focused. Five common team tools (Brief, SBAR, Check-Back, CUS, and Debrief) were identified for integration in interprofessional clinical simulation-based training experiences.

A feasibility study of Building Information Modeling for Green Mark New Non-Residential Building (NRB): 2015 analysis

Building Information Modelling (BIM) and sustainable buildings are two future cornerstones of the Architectural, Engineering and Construction (AEC) industry. Considering the current challenge in assessing the sustainable level of new buildings, as well as the emergence of digital-based project delivery and operation, this research intends to study the integration of BIM and sustainability assessment framework: its feasibility, AEC industry’s perception and possible approach. The AEC industry is inherently fragmented and the collection of such a large amount of data from different groups of professionals and stakeholders can be a huge challenge. This study adopted a feasibility survey using the Delphi method to investigate the application of BIM technology to assist the green building certification process under the Building and Construction Authority (BCA) of Singapore’s Green Mark scheme, and focused on New Non-Residential Building (NRB) 2015. It started with a feasibility survey by soliciting AEC professionals’ perception in terms of applying BIM for Green Mark assessment. Following that, face-to-face interviews were conducted among the Delphi experts for in-depth information. The study found that 31 Green Mark items out of 78 total items could be achieved with the support of BIM authoring tool (i.e. Autodesk Revit) and BIM-based Building Performance Analysis (BPA) tools.

Patterns of referral and waiting times for specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services.

During 12-month period (2012/13) around 21,480 children and young people (CYP) were referred to Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) in Scotland (NHS Scotland, 2013, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services waiting times in Scotland). At the end of September 2012, there were 3,602 CYP still waiting for 'start of treatment' or 'removal from the waiting list', 375 (10%) CYP had waited over 26weeks and 1,204 (33%) CYP had waited over 18weeks (NHS Scotland, 2013, Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services waiting times in Scotland). Referral source, referral reason and the sociodemographic characteristics of CYP are not routinely collected, and therefore, associations between these factors and wait times for 'start of treatment' or 'removal from the waiting list' (i.e. the referral outcome) are unknown. In this exploratory study, a retrospective analysis of referral data was conducted in one CAMHS. Data for 476 referrals between 1st May 2013 and 31st May 2014 were initially analysed to define categories for each of the following key variables: referral source, referral reason and referral outcome. Data on CYP sociodemographic characteristics were extracted from referral records, including age, gender and postcode, from which Scottish Index of Multiple Deprivation quintile of residence was derived. Descriptive statistics were calculated for referral source, referral reason and CYP sociodemographic characteristics. Regression models were then built to determine predictors of a referral being rejected by CAMHS and waiting time for referrals accepted by CAMHS. Data were analysed in SPSS (Version 20). Of the 476 referrals, 72% (n=342) were accepted and 12% (n=59) were rejected. Most referrals were made by general practitioners. Just under a third of referrals to CAMHS (31%) were for CYP with emotional and behavioural difficulties. The odds of being rejected by CAMHS were significantly higher if referred by teachers and for CYP with emotional and behavioural difficulties. Age and referral reason were significant independent predictors of waiting time after referral to CAMHS, with CYP referred for hyperactivity/inattention waiting significantly longer. Policymakers should consider ways to foster dialogue and collaboration between different groups of professionals making and accepting referrals to CAMHS in order to improve timely access to appropriate mental health support services for CYP. Research is urgently needed to investigate the experiences of CYP who are either rejected by CAMHS or wait lengthy periods of time before starting their treatment with CAMHS.

Parent-Pressure

Abstract In this article, I examine change and continuity in conceptions of parental agency in public debates about children’s media consumption in Scandinavia, 1945-1975. During this period, public debates about the various kinds of media products children consumed were dominated by different groups of professionals: first, by teachers and librarians in the mid-fifties and, then, by intellectuals and performing artists in the late sixties. With a radically changed professional hegemony and a shifting media landscape, the role of media in children’s lives was described very differently during the period. However, a strong continuity in the debates was the negative influence parents were seen as having on children’s media consumption due to their lack of insight and interest in the topic. Drawing upon recent works on children’s media, consumption and enculturation, I analyse why the negative description of parents as co-consumers prevailed despite radical changes in views on children’s media consumption. In particular, I examine the shared inter-Scandinavian socio-cultural contexts that structured the changing professional and political groups’ pressure on parents to perform according to their norms and values.

Eyeglasses for Children - a Survey of Daily Practice.

Glasses for children are recommended and prescribed by different groups of professionals. We set out to compare the prescription practices of ophthalmologists, orthoptists and optometrists/opticians in Switzerland. Online questionnaire on the prescription and recommendation of glasses in fictitious cases of children of different ages, refractive values and symptoms. The questionnaire was sent out to members of the Swiss Ophthalmological Society, Swiss Orthoptics and Schweizerischer Berufsverband für Augenoptik und Optometrie. 307 questionnaires were analysed. Optometrists/opticians recommended glasses with a significantly smaller cycloplegic refraction value (p < 0.005) than did orthoptists and ophthalmologists. In the example of a 14-year-old asymptomatic child, ophthalmologists recommended glasses at + 2.64 [Dpt], orthoptists at + 2.44 [Dpt] and optometrists/opticians at + 1.32 [Dpt]. Optometrists/opticians tended to recommend slightly higher correction values in glasses than did ophthalmologists and orthoptists. In Switzerland, optometrists/opticians recommend glasses with significantly smaller cycloplegic refraction values than do orthoptists and ophthalmologists, regardless of age or symptoms described in these fictitious cases.

Between everything and nothing: Organising risks and oil production in the Russian Arctic

The presence of a developed and visible risk management11Here and further, “risk management” refers to the term used by practitioners and in practice-oriented literature. “Risk governance” is considered as a rather academic term so far. (RM) and/or risk governance (RG) system has been highly institutionalised and discoursed in all kinds of modern activities. Based on the case of an oil-producing company operating in the Russian Arctic, the purpose of this paper is to challenge the organising (everything) capability of the risk concept showing that RM may exist between the everything-nothing extremums. By advocating the practice-based approach to organisational RG, the paper studies how the concepts of risk are used (or not used) in handling hazardous activities among different groups of professionals in a nature-exposed context. When following the mainstream of research on risk in the extreme conditions of the Arctic context one would expect the “risk” concept to be present in all practices throughout the company. However, the findings indicate that—apart from practices aimed at building the public sector of the company—the majority of practices carried out daily amid the challenges of the Arctic context do not even allow “risk” into their vocabulary. Instead, due to deeply inherited tacit knowledge of the context and intense entwinement of practices, their uncertainties are seasonally predictable and expected. As a result, RG within the company includes a range of various risk-displacing practices rather than an all-encompassing RM system.

Cognitive-behavioral group therapy for girl victims of sexual violence in Brazil: Are there differences in effectiveness when applied by different groups of psychologists?

The effectiveness of a cognitive-behavioral group therapy model for the treatment of girl victims of sexual violence (SV) was investigated when applied by different groups of professionals: researchers/psychologists who developed it (G1) and psychologists from the public social care network trained by the first group (G2). A &lt;em&gt;quasi&lt;/em&gt;-experimental study was carried out, in which the group therapy model was applied by the two groups. A total of 103 girl victims of sexual violence (SV), aged between seven and 16 years (M=11.76 years, SD=2.02 years) were included, with 49 attended by G1, and 54 by G2. The results indicated a significant reduction in the symptoms of depression, anxiety, stress, and PTSD. The comparison between the results obtained by the two groups of professionals in the application of the model indicated no significant differences in the rates of improvement of the participants. These results indicate the effectiveness of the cognitive-behavioral group therapy model evaluated and the possibility of it being used as a care strategy by psychology professionals working in public services.

Visually Modelling Collaborative Research into Innovative Community Disaster Resilience Practice, Strategy, and Governance

In 2013 a new collaborative center was established in Wellington, New Zealand to focus on integrating resilience research with the region’s community disaster resilience strategy. An earlier study with parties to this center had indicated that researcher and practitioner groups were divided by attention to their own immediate knowledge and skills, but agreed there was a need to maximize community resilience benefits amongst a regional population. An action research workshop of researchers and practitioners used a visual logic model to focus on the pragmatic benefits of improving community resilience. The visual logic model was used to design research activities that would improve the regional community resilience strategy, which was still in an early implementation phase. Ten of 14 workshop participants were interviewed following the workshop. Statistical content analysis of interview data highlighted certain strengths of the action research process: visual monitoring and evaluation planning was a catalyst for complicated conversations between two very different groups of professionals; and researchers became more focused on practical issues as a result. Other findings suggested that in future collaborative research governance would benefit from wider cycles of strategic intelligence, enhanced research contributions, and the use of different information formats for different purposes. Different formats for different purposes should also be considered when developing and implementing large-scale disaster risk reduction policies and strategies.

What happens when you can’t bewho you are: Professional identity at the institutional periphery

This article examines the impact of large scale, ‘macro’ role transitions on professional identity. Drawing on in-depth interviews with two different groups of immigrant professionals, it theorizes how organizational outsiders with established professional identities respond to the institutional requirements and specifically to professional pre-entry scripts in their new host country. The study demonstrates how identity work evolves among each group as they navigate the permeable and impermeable pre-entry scripts in their respective professions. It identifies both barriers and facilitators to engagement with, and fulfillment of, local pre-entry scripts. These findings demonstrate how different professional domains and power structures create different opportunities for re-entry and as a result give rise to different forms of identity work – involving, for example, identity customization, identity shadowing, struggle and enrichment. Implications for policy makers in the field will be discussed, focusing on how different groups of professionals respond to unique forms of identity threat emerging from their respective professional institutions and structural barriers.

In-depth study of ‘decoupling point’ as a reference model: an application for health service supply chain

This paper reports the findings from a case study research about in-depth analysis of ‘decoupling point’ as a reference model to address a particular management dilemma. Managers from a health service organisation contacted the researchers to investigate possible causes of a managerial dilemma where managers and clinical professionals were not able to agree on a satisfactory decision. Researchers designed a decoupling point reference model where decision-making was taking place to decide which particular process would be chosen for treatment. Clinical professionals were favouring a particular process because of health benefits to patients, whereas managers were more inclined to support a different process, which seemed to bring better outcomes for the organisation. The decoupling point implied applying a hybrid strategy where lean and agile paradigms coexisted so that particular operational views of these different groups of professionals could be taken into account simultaneously. The current performance management system indicated some limitations in the sense that it did not include relevant knowledge of the processes that the reference model suggested. The paper concluded that reference models have potential to offer benefits if considered as tools of process-driven analysis for service organisations. They could serve to find out about potential conflict between different professional groups, as well as indicating the limitations or weaknesses of other critical aspects of management such as measuring of performance and allocations of resources so that better integration across all facets of the service could be achieved.

Entrepreneurial and innovative competences, are they the same?

PurposeThis paper aims to study competencies between two groups of professionals: employees in innovative companies and entrepreneurs. Therefore the following questions arise: Are these two types of competences the same? Do innovative companies demand an entrepreneurial profile? Are entrepreneurs' companies spontaneously innovative?Design/methodology/approachThis paper analyses personal competences in two different groups of professionals. On one hand the authors work the common characteristics among successful entrepreneurs; on the other, they study the competences that innovative companies demand of their employees. The authors study if there is an overlap between both types of competences, considering that the areas in common may represent a training opportunity for both the entrepreneurs and organizations seeking innovation.FindingsThe authors find that innovative organizations value six characteristics in their employees, which are related to entrepreneurs' characteristics and describe individuals within the organization that are able to work in teams, are committed to their work, seek information and new opportunities, and are able to take risks in innovative ventures. However, there are characteristics that entrepreneurs have and that organizations that want to be innovative are not seeking. If employees had these characteristics, they would allow them to be persistent despite difficulties. Finally, the authors find that there is a competence that innovative organizations need but entrepreneurs may not have, which is having previous experience in the field.Originality/valueThe paper shows that the individual competencies that characterize the entrepreneur are also found in innovative organizations.

Pratiques et perceptions des professionnels vis-à-vis du dispositif de maintien dans l’emploi : étude qualitative en région Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur

BackgroundContinued employment of people with health problems that reduce their ability to work is a major social issue. The French measures to optimize job retention are characterized by a multiplicity of participants, and their efficacy depends largely on the capacity of these different participants to work together. The objective of this study was to document the perceived role, attitudes and practices of participants involved in these job retention measures and of general practitioners, as well as their difficulties in this domain. MethodsIn 2009, 15 semi-directive interviews were conducted in the region of Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur (PACA) of occupational physicians, general practitioners, and other participants involved in the occupational reclassification of workers no longer completely fit for their job. The data collected were analyzed from a thematic perspective. ResultsThe different groups of professionals questioned agreed on the primacy of the role of the occupational physician, on the importance of early consideration of each worker's case, and on the need to work together as partners to optimize the prospects of job retention. This study nonetheless showed numerous communication difficulties between the various professionals: although informal exchanges have developed over time, the efficacy of the system seems to be limited by a lack of clarity about the role of each institution, divergences of opinions on some key points including the role of the physicians caring for the patient, and, more largely, lack of information about the tools for job retention. ConclusionThe distribution of homogeneous knowledge, the development of multidisciplinary collaborative practices and the pooling of the lessons of experience between the different groups of participants are essential for the success of job retention procedures.

Risk owners and risk managers: Dealing with the complexity of feeding children with neurodevelopmental disability

This paper illustrates negotiations around risk between lay people and clinicians in relation to gastrostomy interventions for disabled children. These negotiations centre on differing interpretations of what constitutes risk in relation to the safety of oral feeding and a child's need for a feeding tube between parents, carers and clinical specialties. Drawing on Heyman's distinction between risk managers and risk owners, we show that not only do clinicians act as risk managers and parents and carers as risk owners, but that these distinctions often become blurred either because of the shifting dynamics of relations of care or because of the specificity of clinical practice. Parents become risk managers in relation to carers' roles, while clinicians become risk owners in relation to particular procedures which define their practice. This has implications for lay and expert interactions as well as professional accountability for those caring for children with complex medical conditions. Although not an empirical article, we draw on empirical work in the UK. We analyse both parental and professional constructions of risk based on observations of co-ordinating a clinical trial designed to evaluate the effectiveness of gastrostomy surgery. We also examine the diverse value systems used by different groups of professionals and lay carers which inform judgements about risk and feeding. We conclude by arguing that issues of risk in contemporary health care are not just examples of ‘manufactured uncertainty’ or of ‘negotiated power’ but constitute a dialectical relationship which breaks down the essentialist dualism of lay and professional constructions of risk.