Doctoral Level Research Articles

From plate to waste: a cross-sectional study of food waste trends in Al Ahsa, Saudi Arabia

BackgroundFood waste is a global concern that needs special attention and urgent actions to reduce the amount of wasted food. This study aims to investigate the trend of food waste in Al Ahsa.MethodsThis is a cross-sectional study designed to analyze the factors associated with the generation of wasted food within Al Ahsa community.ResultsThe results showed that out of 257 participants, 82.9% were of Saudi nationality, 83.3% were females, 69.6% below 34 years and the family sizes mean was around 6. The majority of study participants were unemployed (62.3%), the employed ones were in healthcare field (56.4%). No significant gender differences was found in terms of other food waste-related variables. No significant association was found with age and occupation. Non-Saudi participants significantly report a lower frequency of wasting food and a higher rate of attitudes toward food waste sorting with p = 0.02 and p = 0.02, respectively. Working participants showed significant differences in terms of attitudes toward food waste sorting (p = 0.002), attitudes toward reducing food waste (p = 0.042), and the amount of food wasted per day (p = 0.010) when compared to those who are not working. Doctorate level of education exhibited significant (p = 0.002) attitudes toward food waste sorting and those who are in the commerce field of education had higher mean scores (M = 2.81, SD = 0.84) to reduce food waste. The cause of food waste was related to expiry date (61.1%). The common cause of wasting food when eating out or ordering online, was related to participants’ preference for trying a variety of dishes (40.1%). The participants adherent to home-cooked food during pandemic (mean 3.85, SD 1.40). Males reported a slightly higher impact of COVID-19 on their dietary habits when compared to females (p = 0.04). The majority of participants agreed that sharing food with neighbors decreases food waste (Mean = 3.96, SD = 1.32). Moreover, they do not throw food due to religious and cultural beliefs (Mean = 3.36, SD = 1.60).ConclusionCreating educational campaigns, promoting sustainable waste management and integrating technology to reduce food waste are recommended to achieve Saudi vision 2030.

Attitudes of Instructors Toward the Use and Implications of Artificial Intelligence in Online Higher Education

The purpose of this study was to assess the attitudes and perceptions of instructors toward the use and implication of artificial intelligence (AI) in online higher education spanning bachelor’s through doctorate level classroom instruction. 104 online higher education instructors were recruited through LinkedIn and the Colorado Technical University Teaching & Learning Center to complete a survey. Nonparametric statistical analysis was used to assess close-ended question responses and open-ended question responses were categorized. A significant difference in instructors’ concern for being displaced by AI in the next 2 years compared to the next 5 to 10 years was found at the bachelor’s level (p=0.04846). At the doctorate level, support for the use of AI in higher education was moderately correlated with concerns for being displaced by AI (rho=0.493, p=0.01058). Support for the use of AI in higher education by the instructor was moderately correlated with support for use of AI in the classroom by students (rho= 0.58199, p<0.001). Instructor support for allowing students to use AI in the classroom was not found to be dependent on the perception of the university employer providing instructors with the policies, procedures, and training to appropriately and ethically adapt to AI in the higher education classroom (p=0.7336). However, most participants recommended that the university develop strong policies regarding the use of AI. The findings indicate a positive preference toward the use of AI by both faculty and students, with some significant exceptions. Support and research toward adopting AI in the classroom are recommended.

Mapping the Knowledge Management Education and Professional Landscape in Brazil

Abstract: The article shows how the knowledge management area has developed in Brazil, in terms of academic and scientific foundations as well as organizational support and collaboration networks in the extra-academic context. In this way, it documents the existence of a corpus of reference sources already available for those interested in the subject as well as a deepening the understanding of knowledge management at the master’s and doctoral program levels.

The importance of critical reflexivity in a professional business doctorate

ABSTRACT The focus of this study is to research the importance of critical reflectivity in practice-based management research. To achieve this, this paper seeks to demonstrate how candidates on the Doctor in Business Administration (DBA) programme at the University of Gloucestershire, have managed to integrate the dynamic tensions associated with ‘real life’ practice with their scholarly activities. It contends that rather than applying a Cartesian logic to education, the interplay of theory and practice can provide an essential component for studyat a doctoral level. The proposal here is that it is no longer necessary to maintain the thinking that scholarship and ‘real-life’ practice need to have a critical reflectivity ethos embedded into the candidate’s journey throughout the programme. Adopting a qualitative approach, 12 candidates at various stages of their professional doctorate journey were interviewed, including 5 at the submission or viva stage. To inform the interviews the research drew on Heidegger’s three physical placements of ‘ready to hand’, ‘present to us’ and ‘mitsein’ or ‘being with others’ to contextualise the candidates’ experiences. This was also viewed in terms of anticipatory resoluteness. This study also highlights that the DBA, being a practice-based doctorate, needs to embrace the importance of co-production.

INTERACTIVE PRACTICES BETWEEN PEERS AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF ORTHOGRAPHIC KNOWLEDGE

This article reports on one of the axes of a research project developed by the author at the doctoral level, entitled “Learning spelling from the perspective of interactive practices”. Considering that learning written language, in addition to discursive reflection, depends on the elaboration of notational aspects, and that classroom interaction affects this process, this article has as its object of study the learning of spelling, contemplating the progression of this acquisition by students, from the perspective of interaction between peers. Using the theoretical framework of psychogenetic and historical-cultural studies (the conception of children as active subjects and protagonists of learning; language as a social practice; and learning as the construction of the individual in relation to lived experiences), the article assumes the objective of analyzing how interactive practices between peers can generate different possibilities for reflection, especially with regard to learning spelling. To this end, the longitudinal case study, conducted with students from a private school in Santos/SP, covered five stages between the 2nd and 4th grades of Elementary School, a period in which learning conventional writing becomes one of the main focuses of reflection for children. Data collection was carried out based on the writing of word dictations and rewriting of texts, considering both the process and the product of these activities. The data demonstrated that, in the interactions between students, there were different degrees of reflection based on situations of conflict, situations in which one student centralized the referrals, and situations of agreements based on linguistic criteria or social agreements. Based on the understanding of spelling learning and the potential of interactive situations in this process, it was possible to glimpse pedagogical implications that suggest the revision of teaching practices.

INNOVATIVE HIGH SCHOOL IN MARANHÃO: NEW CHALLENGES FOR TEACHERS

This article is part of the research “Innovative High School Program in Maranhão: training needs of teachers and innovative pedagogical practices in public schools in São Luís”, which is currently being developed at the doctoral level. It deals with the implementation, assumptions and propositions of this Program in the State of Maranhão and its impacts on the continuing education of teachers who work in the aforementioned program. Its objective is to analyze the implementation of the Program in question based on official data and documents, having as a guiding axis the multiple determinations of the socioeconomic context of contemporary society, which has required complex educational demands on schools that have been impacting the continuing education of teachers through educational policies and programs implemented by government spheres. Thus, the educational reality of Brazilian and Maranhão high school is discussed, taking as a reference for analysis mainly the results of the Basic Education Development Index – IDEB and the official documents that establish educational policies and programs as a mechanism for improving the quality of education, which require reflection and redirection of the policies for continuing education of teachers, specifically in high school. It is concluded that even with the implementation of this Program in more than 100 municipalities in Maranhão, it was still not possible to achieve better results as in IDEB and the continued training of teachers for this level of education remains under discussion due to its complexity.

1.Y.1. Navigating choppy water for global health competencies, education and innovation in Europe

Abstract Global health is rapidly evolving against a backdrop of increasingly complicated, intersecting challenges and crises across health, socio-economic and ecological systems. Interconnected social justice movements call for greater acknowledgement, accountability and qualified responses to address inequities and their structural drivers. The field of global health is going through a period of reckoning and debate about how colonial legacies and structural inequities pervade the sector and how activities of global health professionals across research, policy and practice are complicit in and perpetuating them. Simultaneously, global health education (GHE) is growing, with new speciality degrees and core or elective courses integrated into degrees in medicine, health and other disciplines. Thus, GHE holds great potential as a space to train future professionals with competencies and aptitudes to confront inequalities through innovative, evidence-informed and sensitive approaches. Yet it is also a space in which inequalities may be reproduced through material and epistemic injustices. To address these paradoxical tensions, transformation in GHE is needed in terms of what is taught, how it is taught and who is involved in teaching. This Pecha Kucha workshop will contribute to this discourse by exploring perspectives on issues including: i) What key competencies and content should be included in GHE across different disciplines and Bachelor, Master or Doctoral level?; ii) How can we better practice and develop in educators and students critical perspectives and capacities to be equipped for and responsive to inequities and social injustice?; and iii) How can we ensure meaningful engagement and partnership in education with countries across varied contexts and communities with direct lived experience of marginalisation and deprivation? Four panellists with diverse backgrounds and perspectives will provide insights on their initiatives to tackles such issues within their own institutions and European alliances, followed by a short discussion with the audience. The presentations will emphasise the need to progressively build affective, practical and cognitive competencies to critically engage with historical, geopolitical and structural inequities and injustices, including how they manifest in local contexts. Panellists will highlight examples of innovative methods and approaches to build these capacities, including through co-design in education that fosters self-reflexivity in students and builds alliances and partnerships with non-academic stakeholders, such as civil society and people with lived experience. The Pecha Kucha workshop aims to inspire exchange across institutions and countries, and with the audience, about how we can collaboratively set our compasses and our sails to navigate the choppy waters of tackling pervasive colonial legacies and sailing towards an equitable, inclusive and effective future for education and action in global health. Key messages • Transformation is urgently needed to ensure that global health education builds curricula and competencies that are sensitive and responsive to historical injustice and structural inequities. • Equitable partnerships across institutions and with diverse stakeholders, and innovative educational approaches such as gamification and co-design, can address tensions in global health education. Speakers/Panelists Henrique Barros ASPHER, Porto, Portugal Victoria Saint Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany Francisco Mboufana Department of Community Health, School of Medicine, Eduardo Mondlane University, Executive Secretary, Maputo, Mozambique Mariam Sbaiti Faculty of Medicine, School of Public Health, Imperial College London, London, UK

Exploring Barriers to Attending Zhengzhou University from the International Nursing Students’ Viewpoints in China: A Qualitative Study

Background: Developing nursing capacity worldwide includes training nurses to the doctorate level. Due to a global shortage of PhD nursing programs, many nurses are pursuing their doctorates abroad. International nurse students frequently face some barriers because of socio-cultural and other differences. As far as we are concerned, there is limited research on the barriers experienced by international nursing students. Objectives: This study aimed to explore the barriers to attending Zhengzhou University from the viewpoint of international nursing students in China. Methods: The study employed a qualitative approach among international nursing students at Zhengzhou University, China. Participants were selected using purposeful sampling, and the sample size was determined by information saturation. A semi-structured interview guide and a conventional content analysis method were used. Results: In this study, ten international nursing students were interviewed. All participants expressed their concerns regarding the barriers experienced in China. Two major categories were identified from the student data: (1) situations outside the school/university (skin color, language, and socio-cultural differences); and (2) those inside the school/university (expectations and realities of learning experiences, supervisory concerns, and lack of support). Conclusions: This study indicated that international nursing students experienced different barriers than international students at Zhengzhou University. A secure learning environment is required to adapt and flourish in an educational teaching society. The university/school should create a culturally competent and suitable environment for international nursing students.

Identification of middle cerebral artery stenosis in transcranial Doppler using a modified VGG-16.

The diagnosis of intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis (ICAS) is of great significance for the prevention of stroke. Deep learning (DL)-based artificial intelligence techniques may aid in the diagnosis. The study aimed to identify ICAS in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) based on a modified DL model. This retrospective study included two datasets. Dataset1 consisted of 3,068 transcranial Doppler (TCD) images of the MCA from 1,729 patients, which were assessed as normal or stenosis by three physicians with varying levels of experience, in conjunction with other medical imaging data. The data were used to improve and train the VGG16 models. Dataset2 consisted of TCD images of 90 people who underwent physical examination, which were used to verify the robustness of the model and compare the consistency between the model and human physicians. The accuracy, precision, specificity, sensitivity, and area under curve (AUC) of the best model VGG16 + Squeeze-and-Excitation (SE) + skip connection (SC) on dataset1 reached 85.67 ± 0.43(%),87.23 ± 1.17(%),87.73 ± 1.47(%),83.60 ± 1.60(%), and 0.857 ± 0.004, while those of dataset2 were 93.70 ± 2.80(%),62.65 ± 11.27(%),93.00 ± 3.11(%),100.00 ± 0.00(%), and 0.965 ± 0.016. The kappa coefficient showed that it reached the recognition level of senior doctors. The improved DL model has a good diagnostic effect for MCV stenosis in TCD images and is expected to help in ICAS screening.

Management of Emergency Department Services at a Secondary Level Hospital

Background: The primary purpose of the Emergency Department (ED) is to provide immediate medical attention and resuscitation to seriously ill patients. Prompt treatment and efficient service management play crucial roles in preventing fatalities and disabilities. Objective: To evaluate the management of emergency department services at a secondary-level hospital in Bangladesh. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study was carried out in the emergency department at Narayanganj General Hospital from January to December 2018. The study involved 229 participants, including both service recipients and providers. Data was collected using a pre-tested, semi-structured questionnaire administered through face-to-face interviews. Results: The majority of participants easily identified the ED room (82.3%) and waited ≤15 minutes (91.2%) to see a doctor. They also felt that doctors listened attentively to their complaints (88.9%) and behaved well (92.5%). Service providers' behavior was also positively rated by patients, with 90.8% expressing satisfaction. Most patients did not receive all prescribed medicines from the pharmacy (81.4%), expressed dissatisfaction with the cleanliness of the environment (52.1%), and facilities in the waiting room (60.0%). Despite these concerns, they mostly stated satisfaction with the treatment received (51.6%) and the overall management of the ED (45.1%). Service providers identified several shortcomings across multiple areas, such as laboratory facilities (78.6%), staffing levels of doctors (78.6%), nurses (64.3%), and supporting staff (85.7%). Despite these challenges, they expressed satisfaction (64.3%) with their roles. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that both service recipients and service providers were satisfied with the management of medical services. However, hospital administration and health service providers should prioritize resolving deficiencies in order to improve patient satisfaction more substantially. Journal of Monno Medical College June, 2024; 10 (1):36-42

A-183 Examination of the Roles and Responsibilities of Clinical Chemists as Determined by an International Peer Response-Based Survey

Abstract Background Doctoral-level clinical chemists (also termed clinical biochemists) have unique, broad roles in laboratory medicine spanning numerous clinical specialties. However, the full scope of responsibilities for a clinical chemist is not well understood, and institutional recognition and support varies. We sought to better understand the roles and responsibilities of practicing clinical chemists through distribution of an online survey designed to examine work-related responsibilities and other key factors related to job satisfaction. Survey results demonstrate the value of clinical chemists and can be used to promote parity within the profession. Methods Survey data was collected for 5 weeks from 10/10/2022-11/14/2022. The survey was targeted towards individuals holding doctoral level degrees (MD, PhD or MD/PhD), and consisted of 41 questions related to demographics, compensation, duties/responsibilities, and institutional support. Data analysis focused on responses from full-time clinical chemists located in the US and Canada (n=223/298 total respondents). Results Survey responses included male (n=109) and female (n=109) clinicians from all career stages (early <10y, n=101; mid 10-20y, n=63; late >20y, n=59). Clinical chemistry was the primary specialty reported (69%), followed by clinical pathology (16%), with 55% of responses reporting more than one specialty of practice, most often toxicology (21%). Multiple institution types (academic, community, reference laboratory, other) and academic career tracks (clinical, education, research, other) were represented; Most respondents were based in an academic hospital laboratory (n=131/223). Self-reported daily working hours varied by gender, years in practice, job duties and institutional setting; Females reported working more hours than males, working hours increased with years in practice, and the academic hospital setting reported the longest working hours, as did those on an ‘Education’ track. Responsibilities were quantified based on time spent per week; Clinical service represented the greatest time spent per week (majority result, 20-40h/week), followed by administrative (1-20h/week), research (<1-10h/week), teaching (<1-10h/week) and CE (<1-10h/week) duties. Support for clinical responsibilities was assessed further; 69% of respondents felt they had adequate time to perform clinical responsibilities, 55% reported access to adequate resources to perform clinical responsibilities and 51% reported feeling ‘Moderately’ or ‘Very’ stressed by clinical workload assignment. Top reasons for feeling overwhelmed included ‘Understaffing or inadequate support staff’ (n=113 responses), ‘Increased volume of work or caseload’ (n=73 responses) and ‘Lack of IT support to make necessary changes/improvements’ (n=70 responses). Resource quality was individually rated; Medical technologists, research technologists/scientists, LIS support and research support received a ‘Less than adequate’ rating by the majority of respondents, while compensation, administrative support and equipment received majority ‘Adequate’ ratings. Conclusions Clinical chemists work in a wide range of healthcare settings with unique career tracks, although the majority of work hours are devoted to provision of clinical service regardless of role definition. Most or all prioritize clinical work due to limited resources, which can limit research time and academic contributions. Clinical responsibilities are tied to feelings of stress and overwhelm in more than half of the survey population and could be reduced with improved quality and/or quantity of staff support.

Exploring the lack of continuity of care in older cancer patients under China's 'integrated health system' reform.

Continuity of care is essential to older patients' health outcomes, especially for those with complex needs. It is a key function of primary healthcare. Despite China's policy efforts to promote continuity of care and an integrated healthcare system, primary healthcare centres (PHCs) are generally very underused. To explore the experience and perception of continuity of care in older cancer patients, and to examine how PHCs play a role in the continuity of care within the healthcare system in China. A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews was conducted in two tertiary hospitals in Nantong city, Jiangsu province, China. A combination of deductive and inductive analysis was conducted thematically. Interviews with 29 patients highlighted three key themes: no guidance for patients in connecting with different levels of doctors, unmet patients' needs under specialist-led follow-up care, and poor coordination and communication across healthcare levels. This study clearly illustrated patients' lack of personal awareness and experience of care continuity, a key issue despite China's drive for an integrated healthcare system. The need for continuity of care at each stage of cancer care is largely unmeasured in the current healthcare system for older patients. PHCs offer benefits which include convenience, less burdened doctors with more time, and lower out-of-pocket payment compared to tertiary hospitals, especially for patients with long-term healthcare needs. However, addressing barriers such as the absence of integrated medical records and unclear roles of PHCs are needed to improve the crucial role of PHCs in continuity of care.

The Diary of the Sky as a methodological strategy to teach Astronomy in Elementary School

The aim of this paper is to describe some activities undertaken at different phases of a broader research project named “The Northern and Southern Skies: Teaching astronomy in schools”. This project is a collaborative agreement between São Paulo State University (Bauru Campus, São Paulo, Brazil) and La Sapienza Università (Rome, Italy). The project aimed to bridge the gap between the academic production in the field of astronomy education and the classroom experiences of elementary school teachers and their students. The project finds justification in the fact that elementary school teachers, in general, face significant challenges when teaching astronomy elements to their students. In this article, we describe some steps of this project and the teaching resource named Diary of the Sky and its implementation, starting with the translation of the original Il Diario del Cielo, in its Italian version, to Brazilian Portuguese (O Diário do Céu). The aforementioned Brazilian university offered in-service specialization courses to several elementary school teachers in the last few years (2018–2023), enabling them to interact with the dairy and understand key aspects of its methodology. Before using them, the Brazilian version was adapted to suit geographic local coordinates in the southern hemisphere—an opportunity for teachers in training to incorporate astronomical concepts into their planning. Throughout the academic year, students filled out their diaries on a daily basis. The Science Education Graduation Program at UNESP, along with teachers and researchers, acknowledged the value of this strategy and shared the data collected to be used in teaching courses at the masters and doctoral levels. Current studies on this methodology have now showed that the Diary of the Sky is a powerful and efficient tool for working introductory astronomy concepts with elementary students and training their respective teachers.

Informing policy with health labour market analysis to improve availability of family doctors in Tajikistan

BackgroundTajikistan has embarked on health reforms to orient the health system towards primary health care (PHC). The health labour market analysis (HLMA) was initiated by the Ministry of Health with the World Health Organization (WHO) on policy questions related to the PHC workforce team. This article presents the results with focus on family doctors as a critical part of the PHC team, providing lessons for strengthening family medicine and PHC in the European Region and central Asia.MethodsThe HLMA framework was used to guide the analysis. The data for analysis were provided by the Ministry of Health and Social Protection of the Population of the Republic of Tajikistan. Descriptive means were used to analyse the data. A Technical Working Group guided the process.ResultsThere has been an increase in the number of health workers in the country over the last 7 years. However, there is a huge shortage of family doctors when compared with norms, with decreasing family doctor densities over the last 7 years. Family doctors have the highest vacancy rates among specialists and also constitute the highest proportion of specialists who migrate. There is inequitable distribution of doctors across the regions. Overall number of enrolments and graduates in family medicine are declining. Although salaries in PHC are higher than in hospitals, the overall health workforce salaries are lower than the national average. While there have been efforts to retain and attract doctors to PHC in rural and remote regions, challenges exist. The attraction of doctors to narrow specialties may be leading to undermining PHC and family medicine. While the optimal skill-mix and availability of nurses provide an opportunity to strengthen multi-disciplinary teams at the PHC level, shortages and unequal distribution of doctors are affecting health services coverage and health indicators.ConclusionsApplication of the HLMA framework has helped identify the bottlenecks in the health labour market flows and the possible explanations for them. The policy considerations emerging out of the HLMA have contributed to improving evidence-based planning for retention and recruitment of the PHC workforce, improvements in medical and nursing education, and higher investments in the PHC workforce and particularly in family doctors. Implementation of the Action Plan will require political commitment, financial resources, strong inter-sectoral collaboration, stakeholder management, and cross-country learning of best practices. Through this process, Tajikistan has shown the way forward in implementing the Central Roadmap for health and well-being in Central Asia and the Framework for Action on the Health and Care Workforce in the WHO European Region.

Promoting Geropsychology: A Memorandum for Research, Policies, Education Programs, and Practices for Healthy Aging.

This viewpoint paper reports the state of the art at a global level on research, practice and assessment, policies, and training in the clinical psychology of aging and, more specifically, in geropsychology. The main sources of information were as follows: (1) the most recent reviews of the literature available in the scientific literature; (2) the resources on the internet referable to professional and academic associations dealing with the topic; and (3) the laws, policy initiatives, and funded programs that are aimed at the diffusion and applications of mental health in aging. The present study aims to provide an updated and comprehensive memorandum highlighting the importance of prioritizing mental health in older adults. It seeks to promote health in general and disease prevention strategies, ensuring equitable access to mental health services integrated into primary care and designed for aging. This paper also aims to shed light on the slow development process and lack of consolidation in the adaptation of academic training at master's and doctoral levels in most developed countries, despite the long-declared importance of enhancing resources for the promotion of geropsychology. The results of the present study are patchy. Although the importance of enhancing resources for the promotion of geropsychology has long been declared, the development process seems very slow, and the adaptation of academic training at master's and doctoral levels in most developed countries-those that, for demographic reasons and attitudes, should be more sensitive to the issue, does not yet seem to have consolidated. Collaboration among diverse professionals is crucial for providing integrated and comprehensive care to older adults that addresses their physical, psychological, and social needs.

Examination of Postgraduate Theses on ERAS Protocol Applications in the Field of Nursing in Türkiye

Aim: This study is designed to examine postgraduate theses conducted in the field of nursing in Türkiye focusing on the Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) protocols. Method: In this retrospective literature review, theses conducted in the field of nursing between 2011-2023, focusing on the utilization of ERAS practices, were examined. The inclusion criteria for the theses retrieved from the National Thesis Center database of the Higher Education Council were as follows: having key terms such as "Postoperative enhanced recovery protocol," "Enhanced recovery," "Oral carbohydrate," or "ERAS" in their thesis titles, and being conducted by departments of Nursing and/or Nursing Science. After categorizing the theses into master's and doctoral theses, they were examined in chronological order. Results: The screening process identified 21 theses conducted between 2011-2023, excluding one thesis that was inaccessible for full text. All theses were written within the last 12 years, with 3 theses at the doctoral level and 17 at the master's level. When examining the study designs, one these was a meta-analysis, 13 were descriptive, and 6 were conducted using experimental methods. Among the studies, 75% were conducted with patients, 10% with healthcare workers, and 10% with nursing students. Conclusion: The nursing theses conducted on ERAS have concluded that ERAS practices are effective based on their intended purposes. Additionally, it has been determined that healthcare professionals have insufficient knowledge regarding ERAS practices. Therefore, it is recommended to increase the number of studies conducted in the field of nursing to promote the widespread implementation of ERAS practices and raise awareness.

Contemporary Branding Strategies for Higher Education

“Brand” is a term relating to organizational activities designed to synthesize and manage various complementary elements, such as visual identity, online presence, and reputation, in order to create a tangible sense of value to which people can make emotional attachments. “Higher education” refers to universities and other similar organizations that offer qualifications at degree level and above, and it represents the upper-most level of formal education in most countries. “Students” in this context are individuals attending university to study degree-level qualifications at bachelor’s, master’s, and doctorate levels.

Psychologists aspiring to leadership positions in public sector health care.

Psychologists are well-positioned to take on leadership roles in health care systems as a result of the broad-based skills included in doctoral level, professional training programs. These include knowledge of evidence-based practice, extensive training in applied research and clinical practice, emphasis on critical thinking in scientific methods and hypothesis testing, teaching, supervision, team consultation, and continuous learning (APA Presidential Task Force on Evidence-Based Practice, 2006; Korman, 1974; McFall, 2007). Formal opportunities to learn how to apply these skills in leadership and organizational management roles are, however, limited during graduate training. There have been recent efforts within the American Psychological Association to foster interest and readiness for leadership roles among psychologists. These efforts have included a leadership development fellowship, on-demand webinars, and online learning for continuing education (American Psychological Association, 2023). The content of these training opportunities is typically general in nature so that it can be applied to all types of organizational settings. Psychologists interested in leadership positions within public sector health care organizations are likely to benefit from information that aligns more specifically with the mission and organizational structures of such systems. This article presents a conceptual framework to prepare psychologists aspiring to leadership positions in public sector health care. Leadership theories and models from organizational management science are outlined which capture the context and organizational goals of such programs. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2024 APA, all rights reserved).

An innovative Doctor of Nursing Practice scholarly project curriculum model: Strategies for supporting learners at various entry levels

The Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP) Program curriculum must address the challenge of developing Competency Based Education (CBE) curriculum for DNP Scholarly Projects tailored to meet variations in nursing learner preparation and practice, from novice bachelor's entry level and master's advanced nurse practice expert entry level pathways. The recent Future of Nursing 2020–2030: Charting a Path to Achieve Health Equity report by the National Academy of Medicine advocates that competency-based education (CBE) approaches in nursing schools should focus upon the advanced practice nursing population within collaborative academic practice partnerships. This article describes an innovative DNP Scholarly Project Curriculum model at an academic health science center that integrates academic partnerships and CBE strategies that have been developed for second degree Bachelor's direct entry to nursing (direct entry), post BS in nursing to DNP (BS to DNP), Post Master's to DNP (PM DNP) entry levels of preparation. The DNP Scholarly Project Curriculum utilizes an innovative, scaffolded approach to fostering CBE for the assessment of learning activities at the doctoral level. The DNP Scholarly Project Curriculum includes domains of quality improvement, critical appraisal of the literature, evidence-based practice models, implementation practice models, policy analysis, and process/outcome evaluations. Preliminary alumni and stakeholder feedback suggests that these projects are not only impacting practice but improving learner competency in quality improvement science. Implementation of this model has led to enhanced CBE-driven curriculum teaching and learning strategies, and sustainable collaborative academic partnerships.

Factors Associated with Anxiety Level of Resident Doctors during The COVID-19 Pandemic

Factors Associated with Anxiety Level of Resident Doctors during The COVID-19 Pandemic