Interactive Staff Training Research Articles

Implementation of E-education in Africa via space digital video broadcasting system

This paper introduces an advanced E-education provision via space systems for Africa or any other regions in remote dispersed communities, such as rural, mining, agriculture, surveying, construction, tourism, military and etc. Based on the specific needs and requirements E-education implies significant broadband applications, interconnectivity, and timely and quality-assured content delivery of service. The E-education solutions of distance learning and training for remote and rural areas, which are beyond range of terrestrial and short distance wireless cellular facilities, cannot provide broadband access without space-enabled communication solutions, such as satellite constellations and Stratospheric Platform Systems (SPS) or High Altitude Platforms (HAP). This paper also discusses the integration challenges that are presented by combining space solutions for implementation E-education and learning in rural and mobile environments. Configuration of in-house development of all segments, installation of the scale-down Digital Video Broadcasting-Return Channel via Satellite (DVB-RCS) Hub (Gateway), Ground Network and Very Small Aperture Terminal (VSAT), known as Fixed Interactive Terminals (FIT), for E-education, distance learning and staff training initiative in Africa are described.

Process of implementing and delivering the Prevention of Delirium system of care: a mixed method preliminary study

BackgroundDelirium is a frequent complication of hospital admission among older people. Multicomponent interventions which can reduce incident delirium by ≈one-third are recommended by the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence. Currently, a standardised delirium prevention system of care suitable for adoption in the UK National Health Service does not exist. The Prevention of Delirium (POD) system of care is a theory informed, multicomponent intervention and systematic implementation process which includes a role for hospital volunteers. We report POD implementation and delivery processes in NHS hospital wards, as part of a feasibility study.MethodsA comparative case study design and participatory, multi-method evaluation was performed with sequential six month preparatory and six month delivery stages. Six wards in five hospitals in Northern England were recruited. Methods included: facilitated workshops; observation of POD preparatory activities; qualitative interviews with staff; collection of ward organisational and patient profiles; and structured observation of staff workload.ResultsPOD implementation and delivery was fully accomplished in four wards. On these wards, implementation strategies informed by Normalization Process Theory operated synergistically and cumulatively. An interactive staff training programme on delirium and practices that might prevent it among those at risk, facilitated purposeful POD engagement. Observation of practice juxtaposed to action on delirium preventive interventions created tension for change, legitimating new ways of organising work around it. Establishing systems, processes and documentation to make POD workable in the ward setting, enhanced staff ownership. ‘Negotiated experimentation’ to involve staff in creating, appraising and modifying systems and practices, helped integrate the POD care system in ward routines. Activating these change mechanisms required a particular form of leadership: pro-active ‘steer’, and senior ward ‘facilitator’ to extend ‘reach’ to the staff group. Organisational discontinuity (i.e. ward re-location and re-modelling) disrupted and extended POD implementation; staff shortages adversely affected staff capacity to invest in POD. Findings resulted in the development of ‘site readiness’ criteria without which implementation of this complex intervention was unlikely to occur.ConclusionsPOD implementation and delivery is feasible in NHS wards, but a necessary context for success is ‘site readiness.’

Qualitative evaluation of GoGirlGo! Insights from staff on using a curriculum within after-school programs to improve physical activity.

After-school programs (ASPs) are a promising opportunity for increasing girls' physical activity (PA). Few curricula are targeted specifically for the needs of girls, and the effectiveness of most of these curricula is unknown. One curriculum that is specifically designed to facilitate PA in girls in the ASP setting but has not been formally evaluated is GoGirlGo! (GGG). The purpose of the qualitative assessment was to explore staff's overall satisfaction with GGG and to identify best practices for implementation. A qualitative case study consisting of semistructured interviews with staff (n = 21) was conducted. Data were analyzed using the process of immersion/crystallization. A majority of participants reported being satisfied with GGG. Best practices for implementation included having site directors schedule time and space for GGG and adapting GGG to fit the needs of the girls. Suggested improvements included increasing the intensity of the PA offered, adding visuals (e.g., videos), and providing interactive staff training. This qualitative exploration of GGG provided several suggested modifications for GGG. These modifications may strengthen GGG and other girl-focused ASP programs to improve girls' ability to obtain recommended levels of PA in ASPs.

Improving the end-of-life for people with dementia living in a care home: an intervention study

One in three adults, most of whom are living in a care home at the time, dies with dementia. Their end-of-life is often in hospital, where they may experience uncomfortable interventions without known benefit and die rapidly with uncontrolled pain and comfort needs. This study aimed to improve end-of-life care for people with dementia in a care home by increasing the number and implementation of advanced care wishes. We recruited staff, residents with dementia, and their relatives from a 120-bed nursing home in London, UK. The intervention was a ten-session manualized, interactive staff training program. We compared advance care wishes documentation and implementation, place of death for residents who died, and themes from staff and family carers' after-death interviews pre- and post-intervention. Post-intervention there were significant increases in documented advance care wishes arising from residents' and relatives' discussions with staff about end-of-life. These included do not resuscitate orders (16/22, 73% vs. 4/28, 14%; p < 0.001); and dying in the care homes as opposed to hospital (22/29, 76% vs. 14/30, 47%; p < 0.02). Bereaved relatives overall satisfaction increased from 7.5 (SD = 1.3) pre-intervention to 9.1 (SD = 2.4) post-intervention; t = 17.6, p = 0.06. Relatives reported increased consultation and satisfaction about decisions. Staff members were more confident about end-of-life planning and implementing advanced wishes. This small non-randomized study is the first end-of-life care in dementia intervention to report an increase in family satisfaction with a reduction in hospital deaths. This is promising but requires further evaluation in diverse care homes.

Supportive, interactive staff training may improve outcomes for residents dying in a care home.

IntroductionDementia is associated with shortened life expectancy. Death may occur unexpectedly without end of life care planned. Most people would prefer to die at home, if possible, rather than in...

The Generation and Use of Intraclass Correlation in Interactive Staff Training Research

Abstract Intraclass correlation (ICC) is an underutilized statistical technique in program consultation and program development research. One potential use is to quantitatively characterize the degree of similarity or difference among staff on a number of issues, and this can be a complement to the use of single items assessing perceived similarity between staff members. In this paper, we demonstrate the use of ICCs for quantifying agreement from both dichotomous and nondichotomous staff ratings. A number of issues in the calculation and use of ICCs are noted, especially pertaining to various forms of bias. Data generated from an ongoing Interactive Staff Training project demonstrated that: 1) different programs vary widely in their degree of staff consistency in perceptions and attitudes; 2) ICCs correlate highly with trainer perceptions of staff commitment to change at the sites receiving consultation, and with perceived level of rapport between trainers and staff; and 3) in many cases ICCs correlate di...

Training teams to deliver better psychiatric rehabilitation programs.

Introduction by the column editors: Most rehabilitation programs for persons with severe mental illness are provided by interdisciplinary teams whose members include professionals, paraprofessionals, and, sometimes, “prosumers”— individuals who both provide and consume mental health services. Despite the ubiquity with which psychiatric rehabilitation techniques such as social skills training, vocational rehabilitation, and family psychoeducation are used within a team approach, with few exceptions practitioners are taught these techniques without reference to how they may fit in with a team that delivers the mental health services. One exception is the approach of the Program for Assertive Community Treatment (PACT), which emphasizes adequate preparation of practitioners for working together as a team. Staff members who work on PACT teams have clearly specified roles and frequent face-to-face meetings and use methods of group problem solving that have been operationalized for day-to-day practice. Without recognition of the importance of the team context in which rehabilitation modalities are delivered, rehabilitation practitioners may compromise clinical goals and lose a valuable source of social support and encouragement—namely, positive feedback and reciprocal reinforcement from their teammates. In this month’s Rehab Rounds column, Patrick W. Corrigan, Psy.D., and Stanley G. McCracken, Ph.D., describe their method of combining educational and organizational strategies for teaching teams to deliver better psychiatric rehabilitation programs. They show how combinations of strategies offer the greatest promise for assisting rehabilitation teams in developing programs that meet clients’ needs effectively.

Building teams and programs for effective rehabilitation.

Carefully controlled, clinical research has shown psychiatric rehabilitation to significantly help persons with severe mental illness address their disabilities and obtain a higher quality of life. For psychiatric rehabilitation to yield its greatest effect, discrete principles and skills that are part of the rehabilitation paradigm must be disseminated to staff working in real-world settings. Staff training strategies that help the rehabilitation team develop effective programs are especially important. This paper reviews Interactive Staff Training (IST), an approach to team building and program development that combines educational and organizational strategies. IST comprises four stages--introduction to the system, program development, program implementation, and program maintenance--with each stage defined by behavioral tasks that engage the team and corresponding products that serve as markers of progress. Testing treatment dissemination strategies poses interesting problems for the researcher, some which are reviewed here. Outcome studies completed on IST are summarized in light of these problems. The paper ends with a consideration of some future directions for research in this area.

Review of Interactive staff training: Rehabilitation teams that work.

Review of Interactive staff training: Rehabilitation teams that work.

Staff training to improve implementation and impact of behavioral rehabilitation programs.

Staff who provide services for persons with severe mental illness often have pessimistic attitudes about adopting behavioral innovations for their programs. Thirty-five staff members in psychiatric residential programs participated in eight months of interactive staff training, an organizational development strategy that helps the rehabilitation team develop behavioral approaches to changing clients' behavior. After the training, staff members reported significant improvement in their attitudes about behavioral interventions and increased perceptions of collegial support. Direct care staff reported significantly less emotional exhaustion. Interactive staff training may facilitate implementation of behavioral strategies by improving attitudes toward these interventions.

Intervention research: Integrating practice guidelines with dissemination strategies—A rejoinder to Paul, Stuve, and Cross

Paul, Stuve, and Cross (this issue) misunderstood the importance of the token economy described by Morisse et al. (1996) because they evaluated it solely from a clinical research perspective. Intervention research is a broader paradigm that describes the development of effective interventions via a series of research activities including basic psychological research, clinical research, and dissemination research. Given the wisdom of intervention research, we address three points made by our colleagues: (a) mental health staff should not adapt empirically validated practice guidelines to meet the needs of their program; (b) total-quality-management strategies like Interactive Staff Training should not drive dissemination efforts because they have little empirical support; and (c) user-friendly programs are inappropriate and unethical because they ignore consumer interests.

Refocusing the training of psychiatric rehabilitation staff.

The authors describe an approach to training staff in psychiatric rehabilitation programs that is based on principles of organizational psychology. The approach promotes two shifts in the focus of training. First, training efforts should not only educate individual staff members about state-of-the-art rehabilitation skills but also organize the treatment team into a system that will consistently carry out these skills. Second, training should help the team develop user-friendly programs rather than insisting on faithful implementation of state-of-the-art interventions. A four-phase, eight-step training method called interactive staff training that can help programs achieve these goals is presented. The first phase involves obtaining administrative support for change, assessing staff needs, and forming a program committee. In the second phase, staff participate in decision making about program components, and a facilitator conducts sessions to reach consensus on a draft program. A pilot program is implemented and evaluated in the third phase. In the final phase, a user-friendly program is maintained through continuous quality improvement.

The effects of interactive staff training on staff programing and patient aggression in a psychiatric inpatient ward

AbstractInteractive staff training (IST) uses principles of organizational psychology to help line‐level staff members design and implement social learning programs for severely mentally ill inpatients. IST is a training package that includes assessment of staff perceptions regarding programatic needs, selection of appropriate social learning strategies to meet these needs, appointment of a program committee from within the ward to champion development of the social learning strategy, and participative decision making about aspects of the social learning strategy. Staff on an extended care ward at a state hospital participated in IST for 15 months as part of a pilot study of its effects. Ongoing examination of ward programing showed that IST significantly increased staff and patient participation in rehabilitation programing and decreased the rate of physical restraints and aggression‐related. Changes in staff attitudes about rehabilitation programing were noted on a subsample of IST participants. Implications for more controlled research into IST are discussed.