Implications For Future Professional Practice Research Articles

TRANSLATORS, INTERPRETERS, AND THE CREATIVE CLASS: AN EXPLORATION OF THE POST-COVID PROFESSION

Coined just over two decades ago, Richard Florida’s concept of the ‘creative class’ has generated significant academic and popular interest. In the light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects, the present literature-based study examines the links between translators, interpreters, and the creative class. This is accomplished firstly by outlining relevant sociological perspectives pertaining to the status of the translational professions, before presenting and reviewing Florida’s definition of the creative class. Subsequently, building on a range of recent academic studies on the topic, attention turns to how the translation and interpreting professions navigated the unchartered territory of the coronavirus lockdowns. As such, the technological, practical, and pedagogical aspects will be presented, discussed, and compared with other creative professionals. Finally, the overview concludes with some brief potential implications for future professional practice.

Soft skills and implications for future professional practice: Qualitative findings of a nursing education escape room

BackgroundEducational escape rooms have been shown to improve student content knowledge; however, research about other skills developed during escape rooms is lacking. ObjectivesTo explore baccalaureate nursing students' perceptions of a cardiovascular-themed educational escape room. During the data analysis, researchers uncovered unique findings related to participant soft skill development and implications for participant future professional practice. DesignA basic interpretive qualitative methodology was used. SettingThe study was conducted at a medium-sized, private, not-for-profit university in the Midwest United States. ParticipantsBaccalaureate nursing students who had recently participated in a cardiovascular-themed educational escape room were purposefully recruited. MethodsA total of two focus groups were conducted using a semi-structured focus group guide. Data were analyzed using a conventional content analysis approach with both inductive and deductive components. ResultsFour overarching themes were identified in the data, including game and learner characteristics, learning outcomes, and implications for future professional practice. The theme of implications for future professional practice included two sub-themes: soft skill development and the real-life nature of the activity. ConclusionA nursing educational escape room may be one strategy to enhance student professional practice skills.

Challenges and Rewards of Social Work Pioneers in the “Making” Process: A Qualitative Study

This article reports on the findings from individual interviews with 20 social worker pioneers who have more than ten years of experience in social work and have been recognized as leaders in the profession. The term “making” in the paper’s title refers to the intervention of the Chinese government, which has been crucial and has gradually “made” social work into a profession. The interview transcripts were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis, which revealed that the social worker pioneers’ ten years of experience in social work affected many aspects of their lives. Three major themes were identified in their experiences. Social worker pioneers faced various challenges over ten years; however, they still found satisfying work in their work environments, including discovering meaning and achieving personal accomplishments. This article offers insights into the experiences of social worker pioneers’ experiences in southern China. The study presents implications for future professional practice, especially in terms of social service practice and ongoing education to particular value to practitioners as well as mechanisms to support the work of social work professionals. The positive aspects of social service jobs may provide a rich area for future research and for the education of social work students.

Challenges, personal growth and social support among family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients in Southern China

The purpose of this study was to obtain a deeper understanding of the experiences of family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients in Shenzhen, Southern China. This study sought to describe how being the main caregiver influences family caregivers’ daily lives. This article reports on the findings from individual interviews with 20 family caregivers of terminally ill cancer patients. The interview transcripts were analyzed using qualitative thematic analysis, which revealed that caring for a cancer patient over the course of his or her illness significantly affected many aspects of family caregivers’ lives. Three major themes were identified in their experiences: (1) challenges, (2) personal growth, and (3) social support. In exploring these themes, this article offers insights into family caregivers’ experiences in Southern China, particularly among family members of terminally ill cancer patients and presents implications for future professional practice, especially oncology social work.

Survey of the National Civil Engineering Curriculum

This paper presents the results of a comprehensive survey of over 40% of the nation’s undergraduate civil engineering programs. This analysis is based on uniform data collected for accreditation and is principally concerned with three major groups of courses: (1) math and science, (2) general education, and (3) engineering topics. The analysis reveals what is currently being taught in our nation’s civil engineering undergraduate programs, what is not being taught, and the implications for future professional practice. The paper discusses how the average national curriculum has changed historically, how well the curriculum satisfies Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology criteria, and what the current distribution of courses and topics says about the priorities of civil engineering education. Overall, the curriculum was found to be highly specialized in terms of technical subjects but lacking in focus regarding the liberal arts, professional skills, and systems thinking.