Length Of Work Experience Research Articles

A Research Survey on the Information Gathering Methods, Attitudes, and Requests from Care Managers about the Pharmaceutical Service by Pharmacists in Home Care

Care Managers (CMs) were surveyed to clarify the issues involving the promotion of cooperation between care managers and pharmacists in long-term-care and explore solutions. The length of work experience, occupational background, experience of pharmaceutical service; pharmacist visit patients' home for providing medicine and pharmaceutical care into a care plan, degree of understanding on pharmaceutical service, and awareness of work involved in pharmaceutical service were studied to see whether there made differences in the requests from CMs for information on pharmacists and for information gathering methods. The χ(2) test was used to this end. The opinions and requests described by the CMs were validated through text mining. More CMs tended to obtain information and knowledge through training sessions and professional magazines than those who did so through cooperation with pharmacists on a practical level. However, the survey strongly indicated that CMs with high level of understanding and awareness of pharmaceutical service wished to obtain information on pharmacists through cooperation with them on a practical level, and CMs with low level of understanding and awareness of pharmaceutical service wished to obtain such information through training sessions and professional magazines. Results of text mining showed that CMs wished pharmacists to strengthen the cooperation with physicians and provide information on pharmaceutical service. These findings have led to the conclusion that the issues surrounding the promotion of cooperation between CMs and pharmacists centered around "work cooperation on a practical level" and "provision of information to CMs about the roles of pharmacies and pharmacists and their work."

Job satisfaction and quality of life among home care workers: a comparison of home care workers who are and who are not informal carers

Job satisfaction and quality of life among home care workers who serve simultaneously as informal carers for their own family members have seldom been explored. This study examined how this dual role influences job satisfaction and quality of life by comparing these dual carers with home care workers who do not provide informal care. The study also explored whether the factors related to job satisfaction and quality of life between these two groups were different. Standardized self-administered questionnaires (Job Satisfaction Survey, the World Health Organization Quality of Life (WHOQOL) scales and various social demographic questions) were administered to the two groups of home care workers in Taiwan from March to April 2009. A total of 1,641 home care workers working in 119 non-government organizations sponsored by 23 local authorities completed and returned the questionnaires. The two groups did not differ in individual characteristics, work characteristics or job satisfaction. Analysis results indicate that the lowest mean scores for all home care workers were the domains of promotion and pay within their job satisfaction and the domain of environment within their quality of life. Multiple regression analysis revealed a significant effect of unpaid caregiving in terms of quality of life but not in terms of job satisfaction. Moreover, job satisfaction and quality of life among home care workers were significantly determined by both their work conditions (e.g. travelling time, salary and length of work experience) and personal variables (e.g. age, family income and family support).

Radiographers’ attitudes towards persons with dementia

Objectives Improvements in the competency level and changes in attitude of staff are extremely important due to the projected increase in the percentage of persons with dementias, who are frequently referred to imaging departments. The aim of this study is to assess the attitude of radiographers towards people with dementia and to identify whether there is any association between attitude and background variables such as age, gender and length of work experience. Methods Six University hospitals’ diagnostic imaging departments in Norway were surveyed, using the Norwegian translation of the validated Swedish version of the “Strain in nursing care assessment scale” (SNC). The study population was radiographers ( N = 146). Results Significant differences in attitudes have been identified. Male radiographers reported significantly more negative attitudes than female radiographers ( p = 0.02). Radiographers aged over 50 years reported a significantly more positive attitude than staff of aged 30 and under ( p = 0.02). Staff with fewer than 10 years of work experience reported significantly more negative attitudes than staff with more than 20 years of experience ( p = 0.04). Conclusion Overall, the attitude of the radiographers towards people with dementia was measured to be of a negative rather than a positive nature.

자동차 정비업체 도장공정의 작업환경 및 근로자 노출 실태에 관한 연구

The purpose of this paper is to evaluate 1) blood lead levels of workers at auto repair shops as Biological Exposure Indices (BEI) of toxic substances such as lead and toluene that are produced during automotive painting process, 2) the differences depending on personal characteristics of workers who have been exposed to toluene by using urine hippuric acid concentration as a marker and 3) the correlation between the concentration of hazardous chemicals in each workplace and the BEL. All subjects were male with a mean age of 36.2 years. In terms of age, most were in the 30 to 40 age group (13 persons, 48.1%). In relation to the length of work experience, the highest proportion had experience of 10 years of less (18 persons, 66.7%). Twenty three workers were cigarette smokers (85.2%) while 4 (14.8%) were non-smokers. In addition, more than 80% of the workers drank alcohol. Dust concentration and toluene exposure during automotive painting showed no significant difference with age, length of work experience, smoking and drinking while a significant difference (p<0.05) has been detected between lead concentration and smoking. The geometric mean of dust concentration, lead concentration and toluene concentration were <TEX>$0.38mg/m^3,\;0.0021mg/m^3$</TEX> and 1.08ppm respectively. In addition, the geometric mean of blood lead levels and urine hippuric acid concentration were <TEX>$1.70{\mu}g/dl$</TEX> and 0.25g/g respectively, which were lower than the standard levels suggested by the Ministry of Labor. To determine the influential factors on blood lead and urine hippuric acid concentrations, a correlation analysis has been conducted with variables of air, lead and toluene concentrations, age, length of work experience and amount of cigarette smoking. According to the analysis, a relatively high correlation (p<0.01) has been observed between air lead concentration and biological sample concentration.

Nursing Staff Knowledge and Attitudes Towards Deliberate Self-Harm in Adults and Adolescents in an Inpatient Setting

This paper investigates the relationship between care staff perceptions' of self-harm behaviours presented by adult and adolescent inpatients and the emotional responses and helping behaviours of the staff. Seventy-six nursing staff participated, including qualified and unqualified staff, who worked in either adolescent or adult secure inpatient settings within a single organization. Participants completed vignette, knowledge, and attitudes questionnaires, related to working with patients who display deliberate self-harm. Further support was found for attributional theories suggesting that views on deliberate self-harm are linked to propensity to help, and that emotional responses can be a mediating factor. Staff who reported feeling more negative about patients who self-harm reported more worry about working with this patient group. Unqualified nursing staff reported more negativity and worry than qualified staff. Neither gender nor length of work experience was found to be significant factors. These findings indicate that training and support should be aimed at helping nursing staff, particularly unqualified staff working in inpatient settings where self-harm is frequent, feel more positive and less concerned about working with patients who self-harm. Such needs of unqualified nursing staff have not been highlighted in previous research.

International hotel development: A study of potential franchisees in China

Franchising is a strategic partnership formed by the franchisor and the franchisee, and consequently partner selection between the franchisor and the franchisee is critical to the long-term success of a franchise. However, the literature has primarily taken the viewpoint of franchisors, but failed to explore the perspective of the potential franchisees. As China represents a significant growth opportunity for international hotel franchisors, this study examines the perspective of China's domestic hotel operators regarding franchising and analyzes a mix of factors that may affect such perspective. The study of 182 Chinese hotel general managers shows that China's hotel practitioners have considerable interest in franchising and are knowledgeable about the concept as it pertains to hotels. The findings indicate that the length of work experience and educational background of Chinese hotel operators may influence their franchising preferences. Hotel chains that have strong brand awareness, supportive centralized reservation systems, and offer relatively high returns on investment at relatively low franchise fees, are most attractive to potential Chinese franchisees.

Stability and dominance in career success orientation in South Korean employees

This study explored whether career orientation is stable and whether predominant types exist by looking at the differences in specific demographic variables (age, years of work experience, employment level, gender, type of job and education level). These were examined through the framework of career success orientation in a Korean wireless communications company. The findings show that career success orientations were not the same by age, length of work experience, and employment level, and dominant career success orientations were based only on education level. The results imply that there are either generation differences or changes in career orientation and that theoretical re-investigation is needed in researching dominant career orientation by gender.

Bisphosphonates for bone metastatic disease from breast cancer—clinical practice in the Czech Republic

The use of bisphosphonates (BPs) represents a standard therapy of bone metastatic disease from breast cancer and has been incorporated in many systemic international guidelines. We have tried to evaluate the use of BPs in current clinical practice across the Czech Republic. A covering letter, questionnaires and pre-paid envelopes were mailed to the head oncologists of 64 workplaces of Czech Oncology Society. Total 310 questionnaires were sent out. The questionnaire consisted of 23 questions. The questionnaires were completed and returned by 91 oncologists from 32 workplaces. Most of the responding oncologists worked at university hospitals (42%), the most frequent length of work experience was 5 to 10 years (30%) and the most frequent rate of breast cancer patients was from 10 to 25% (45%). Ninety-five percent of the oncologists regularly initiated BP therapy, and oral clodronate was the first choice BP (77%). Once initiated, the treatment was discontinued in less than 5% patients (24%). Seventy-one (79%) oncologists stated that the most important reason leading to therapy termination was impairment of performance status. The consensual agreement pointed out that it could be a fundamental step towards establishing the national treatment guidelines for the BP use in metastatic breast cancer patients.

Dutch Nurses’ Views on Codes of Ethics

This study explored the experiences and views of Dutch nurses on the content, function, dissemination and implementation of their codes of ethics. A total of 39 participants, who differed in age, qualifications, length of work experience and health care setting, took part in focus groups. The findings revealed common unfamiliarity with and a rather implicit use of codes, and negative comments on the growing number of codes available in the Netherlands. Limited dissemination, implementation and functioning of codes of ethics were also identified. The findings were discussed using concepts from the literature, nursing practice and personal experience.

Hospital staff perceptions of parental involvement in paediatric hospital care

This paper reports a study of hospital staff perceptions of parental involvement in children's hospital care. Previous research has shown that parents are expected and encouraged by hospital staff to be actively involved in the care of their hospitalized children. At the same time, parents have expressed a need for improved communication with paediatric hospital staff to clarify both parental and staff expectations and preferences about this involvement. Few studies, however, have studied hospital staff perceptions of parental involvement in the care of hospitalized children and their implications for clinical work. A cross-sectional questionnaire study was conducted among paediatric hospital staff in October of 2003. Questionnaires were distributed to a total of 338 staff, including all physicians, Registered Nurses and nursing auxiliaries working on oncology, surgery and neurology units in three university children's hospitals in Sweden. A total of 207 questionnaires were returned, yielding a response rate of 61%. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses of the 26-item questionnaire resulted in the creation of two indices, Work Routines and Work Strain. Oncology staff reported having better work routines for involving parents in their children's care and they experienced less strain from parental demands compared with staff on other paediatric units. Staff perceptions and workplace routines regarding parental involvement did not differ statistically significantly by profession or by length of work experience. Staff perceptions of parental involvement may be related to clinical specialty. Oncology units may find it easier to establish routines for parental involvement, thereby experiencing less work strain in their interactions with parents. There is a need to further study staff perceptions of parental involvement and their implications for the staff work situation in both Sweden and other countries.

Evaluation of a Master's Degree Program in Psychiatric Rehabilitation

ABSTRACT This brief report assesses the impact of graduate degree program in Psychiatric Rehabilitation (PsyR) on the careers of its students and graduates. Thirty-seven (37) students and recent graduates enrolled in a PsyR Master of Science (M.S.) degree program participated in a survey regarding their demographic data, years of experience in PsyR, work history, and salary. The overwhelming majority of students (86%) were currently employed in PsyR. About half of the employed students were in direct service positions. Other employed students worked in leadership roles as supervisors, managers, and educators. The number of credits attained in the M.S. was positively correlated with both salary and the number of promotions received. Also, length of work experience in PsyR was positively correlated with grade point average. It is concluded that the master's degree program has had a positive influence on the careers of its students. In addition, the students' success reflects the utility of the program for P...

STUDY OF THE INFLUENCE OF THE LENGTH OF WORK EXPERIENCE ON LABOR COEFFICIENT IN UNIT PRICE ANALYSIS

The construction cost is usually calculated based on the unit price analysis using three major coefficients for materials, equipment and labor. Among the three, the labor cost is more difficult to obtain where uncertainty is occurred due to the lack of performance standardization. This paper describes a study with the purpose to acquire an approach model in estimating labor coefficient where the uncertainty is applied. The study is conducted to labor involved in the industry and based on length of work experience that influences labor performance. Reference of labor coefficient is gathered from the National Standard of Indonesia (NSI) and is examined toward the range of coefficient from the data. The correlation and equation between length of work experience and labor performance are computed. By doing so, testing NSI on average time obtained form the study, regression analysis output and its equation could be used as the correlation between length experience and manpower productivity. This productivity is a transformation of the coefficient in unit price analysis.

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome and human immunodeficiency virus: Taiwanese medical laboratory technologists and students’ attitudes, concerns and knowledge

Acquired immune deficiency syndrome and human immunodeficiency virus: Taiwanese medical laboratory technologists and students’ attitudes, concerns and knowledge

Nurse competence scale: development and psychometric testing.

Self-assessment assists nurses to maintain and improve their practice by identifying their strengths and areas that may need to be further developed. Professional competence profiles encourage them to take an active part in the learning process of continuing education. Although competence recognition offers a way to motivate practising nurses to produce quality care, few measuring tools are available for this purpose. This paper describes the development and testing of the Nurse Competence Scale, an instrument with which the level of nurse competence can be assessed in different hospital work environments. The categories of the Nurse Competence Scale were derived from Benner's From Novice to Expert competency framework. A seven-step approach, including literature review and six expert groups, was used to identify and validate the indicators of nurse competence. After a pilot test, psychometric testing of the Nurse Competence Scale (content, construct and concurrent validity, and internal consistency) was undertaken with 498 nurses. The 73-item scale consists of seven categories, with responses on a visual analogy scale format. The frequency of using competencies was additionally tested with a four-point scale. Self-assessed overall scores indicated a high level of competence across categories. The Nurse Competence Scale data were normally distributed. The higher the frequency of using competencies, the higher was the self-assessed level of competence. Age and length of work experience had a positive but not very strong correlation with level of competence. According to the item analysis, the categories of the Nurse Competence Scale showed good internal consistency. The results provide strong evidence of the reliability and validity of the Nurse Competence Scale.

The prevalence of allergic diseases among health care workers (HCW) in the South of Russia

Rationale The prevalence of allergic diseases among HCW may be influenced by unique occupational exposures. Methods A questionnaire was completed by 430 HCW: 240 physicians (47.4%) and 226 nurses (52.6%) from five regions of Krasnodar and Volgograd, average age 42 ± 5.0 years. Results The prevalence of allergic diseases by history was 44.1% (49.5% in physicians, 39.3% in nurses). Asthma was present in 4.9%, seasonal allergic rhinitis in 12%, perennial allergic rhinitis in 12.5%, urticaria in 13.4%, angioedema in 5.8%, atopic dermatitis in 7.9% and drug allergy in 14.9%, the latter noted in 20.5% of physicians and in 15.4% of nurses. A clinical history of allergy to house dust was noted in 19.1%, to pillow feathers in 8.4%, to cat in 5.8%, to dog in 3.7%, to tree pollen in 13.1%, to grass pollen in 8.4%, to ragweed pollen in 8.4% and to food in 25.7%. 20% of those studied revealed the first symptoms of allergic disease after they had started working, the prevalence depending on the length of work experience: 6.7% of HCW manifested allergic disease one year after the start of work, whereas 47% required 7 or more years before allergic disease was apparent. Conclusions The prevalence of asthma and allergic rhinitis among HCW did not differ from the general population, while the prevalence of drug allergy in health care workers was greater, suggesting that HCW may develop more drug allergy due to different patterns of allergen exposure than in the general population.

Chefs` Perception of the Importance of Nutrition in Menu Planning

This study surveyed chefs attending the American Culinary Federation Chefs Forum 2001. They were surveyed regarding their perceptions of the role of nutrition in menu planning. The results showed that chefs strongly agree that food service professionals view nutrition as important in menu planning. The chefs, however, did not perceive that the number of customer requests for modified menu items was increasing or that consumers consider nutrition an important factor when selecting a restaurant. The study found that the chefs' personal health conditions, length of work experience, and recent nutrition education were significantly related to nutrition issues in menu planning. The survey also indicated that chefs no longer perceive that the preparation of low-fat foods requires additional work, and that they can be made equal in taste to foods containing higher amounts of fat.

Assaultive behavior by psychiatric in-patients and its related factors.

The purpose of this article is to explore assaultive behavior of psychiatric in-patients in a hospital and to examine the interplay of patient, environmental, and staff factors related to assault. The present study was carried out prospectively using standardized instruments applied in four acute wards in one hospital. A log system was used to record the occurrence of assaults. The results showed 595 episodes of assault from 238 patients in 7 months. Forty one nurses participated in the study. To further examine the differences between assaultive and non-assaultive patients, and assaulted and non-assaulted nurses, a logistic regression analysis was used. The results indicated that patient factors (diagnosis, history of assault, time since admission, and history of smoking), environmental factors (patient/nurse ratio and spatial density), and staff factors (age, length of work experience, training program received in prevention and management of assaults) are contributing variables to assaultive behavior. The present study examined a wider range of variables than have been included in many previous studies. This reinforces the necessary complexity of models likely to prove useful in predicting assaults among psychiatric inpatients.

Pay Differentials between Early and Mature Graduate Men: The role of state employment

This article examines pay differentials between men who graduate at the conventional age and men who graduated after mature study. This group is interesting given the breakdown of lifetime careers and the current expectation that some of the labour force may have to retrain several times during their careers. The General Household Survey (1983-92) was used to examine factors which may lower mature graduate pay in comparison with early graduate pay. This sample yielded 3733 early graduates and 841 mature graduates who were in employment and had good pay data. Having controlled for shorter lengths of work experience as graduates of mature graduates, the following factors were found to lower mature graduate pay: social origin, with fewer mature graduates coming from middle-class origins: institution of education, with more mature graduates attending new universities: working outside the South-east; and working in the public sector. Public sector employers are less likely to discriminate against mature graduates than private sector employers, and mature graduates are mainly employed in the public sector. This may have affected their choice of educational institution, which may proxy to some extent for academic discipline. Results are discussed in the light of age discrimination and the current costs of higher education.

The Relationship between Age and Work and Non-Work Stressors

The paper deals with the relationship between age and workers' perception of work and non-work stressors. 205 female nurses (mean age =37.5 years) completed the Survey of Health Care Professionals. The most significant correlation has been found between both the age and length of work experience and assessment of work performance (positive), feeling of fatigue after the workday and ability to continue current job (negative). No significant correlation of the age and the concern about the workplace conditions were found.

Ethical decision making and the law

This paper will examine the effects of gender, age, work experience, academic status and legality on certain ethical decisions. Six scenarios representing ethical dilemmas were presented to both undergraduate and MBA students in an attempt to determine if various demographic factors influenced ethical decision making. While some past studies have suggested that gender has an important effect on ethical decision making, this study does not completely support this conclusion and suggests that age and/or length of work experience should be included in any study of ethical decision making.