Members Of Professional Associations Research Articles

Multidisciplinary First-Line Healthcare Leaders' Roles and Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Ontario Canada.

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, first-line healthcare leaders across the healthcare system played crucial roles leading, motivating, and supporting staff. This study aims to describe multidisciplinary first-line healthcare leaders' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ontario, Canada using transformational and crisis leadership theory. A descriptive two-phase (quantitative & qualitative) design was conducted in the spring of 2021. Phase 1 employed an online survey sent via email to first-line leaders from various sectors who were members of healthcare professional associations in Ontario. Participants included nurse managers, professional practice leaders (e.g., occupational and physiotherapists), advanced practice nurses, and clinical educators. In Phase 2, a subset (n = 19) of the Phase 1 participants were interviewed to gain a deeper understanding of these leaders' experiences including role impact and support available. Semistructured individual interviews were conducted and recorded via Zoom©. Inductive and deductive analysis approaches identified key themes. This paper reports the qualitative findings from Phase 2. Leaders' behaviors were representative of the key dimensions of transformational and complexity leadership theories. Recommendations for leading during a crisis included: engaging in self-care activities to manage the personal impact of the crisis; teamwork and collaborative leadership; and support from fellow first-line leaders and senior leaders. Findings can inform healthcare leadership education programs designed to manage future crises for both academic and practice settings. Descriptions of first-line healthcare leaders' roles and experiences during multiple waves of the COVID-19 pandemic validated their important contributions within various health sectors.

Changes in nurses' work: A comparative study during the waves of COVID-19 pandemic.

The aim of this study is to describe and evaluate how nurses caring for COVID and non-COVID patients assess changes in their work and in nursing activities during the two waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Two cross-sectional surveys were conducted for Estonian nurses working during the first and second waves of the COVID-19 pandemic, using The impact of COVID-19 emergency on nursing care questionnaire. Based on convenience sampling, the data were collected among the members of professional organizations, unions and associations. Responses from the first (n = 162) and second wave (n = 284) were analysed using descriptive statistics, Fisher's exact test and McNemar's test. The COVID-19 pandemic changed the working context during both waves for nurses caring for COVID and non-COVID patients. Changes were considered to a greater extent during the second wave, when Estonia was severely affected, and by nurses caring for COVID patients. During the second wave, the number and complexity of patients increased, and nurses caring for COVID patients performed fundamental care, nursing techniques and symptom control significantly more frequently compared to nurses caring for non-COVID patients. Taking care of COVID patients is demanding, requiring nurses to perform more direct patient care. However, the pandemic also increased the frequency of activities not related with direct patient care.

Proceed with Caution: Social Acceptability of Forestry Practices in Puerto Rico among Members of Local Environmental Organizations, Academia and Professional Associations.

Social acceptability of forestry practices plays a key role in defining sustainable forestry policies and strategies. In this study an online survey was distributed among members of environmental, non-governmental, professional, and academic organizations to assess the acceptability of forestry practices in Puerto Rico among members of civic society interested in environmental management issues. Participants were asked about their perception of forest uses, their preference of tree harvesting technologies, methods that may apply in small scale wood production settings, and trust in organizations providing forest information. We also inquired about attitudes towards economic activity in forests and the impact of such activity on recreation and biodiversity. The results show that even though participants do not place a high priority on economic development through forestry activities, acceptance of forest management for wood harvesting will be possible by considering adherence to particular forestry technologies and methods to safeguard current recreation activities and biodiversity conservation. Social acceptability information would be worthwhile when seeking consensus among a broader group of local stakeholders. As a next step we suggest the creation of a council constituted by diverse forestry sector stakeholders that would engage in a strategic planning exercise to delineate a clear road map that can guide short and long-term sustainable forest management, including wood industry development.

A social network analysis of early twentieth-century elite Black male civil society

ABSTRACT This study provides new empirical evidence on the relationships between early twentieth-century Black voluntary membership associations. Specifically, we utilize data on elite Black men’s fraternal, professional, intellectual, and reform association memberships derived from the first Who’s Who publication for Black citizens to consider how these individuals’ organizational memberships may have helped to foster Black civil society, creating networks of activism and engagement with the potential to enhance democratic citizenship. We find that the three major fraternal orders—the Prince Hall Masons, the Grand United Order of Odd Fellows, and the Knights of Pythias of North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa—had the greatest numbers of identifiers; these associations often were closely connected to professional and reform organizations such as the National Negro Business League and the NAACP. Important regional distinctions also emerge. These findings have important implications for the development of Black social, cultural, and political capital at the turn of the twentieth century.

Membership in professional associations and productivity of teachers in Anglo-Saxon universities in Cameroon

Teachers’ membership in professional associations provides opportunities for continuous education because such associations often hold meetings to update teachers on issues to improve their productivity in Anglo-Saxon Universities in Cameroon. The study examined the prevalence of teachers having membership in professional associations and the relationship between teachers’ membership in professional academic associations and their productivity in Anglo-Saxon Universities in Cameroon. The sequential convergent mixed method design was adopted for the study. The sample size of the study consisted of 436 lecturers, 603 postgraduate students, and 20 administrators. A questionnaire and an interview guide were the instruments adopted for the study. The Spearman rho test was used to test the hypotheses of the study, which examined the significant relationship between professional associations and teachers’ productivity in Anglo-Saxon Universities in Cameroon. The participants were sampled using purposive, proportionate, and convenient sampling techniques. The findings showed that 45.6% of the students do not see their lecturers as productive while 54.4% see them as productive. Furthermore, more of the teachers 61.0% are not members of any professional associations, while 39.0% are members. Despite a low percentage of teachers having membership in professional academic associations, many of them-66.5% (280) opined that membership in professional academic associations is important for teachers while 33.5% (141) said is not important. Thus, it was statistically revealed that membership in professional associations (R-value = 0.280**, p-value = 0.000, < 0.05) significantly and positively correlates with teachers’ productivity. Based on the findings, it was recommended that all teachers should at least be a member of one or two professional academic associations as it improves on their research and work output, and provides networking opportunities for members to attend conferences and be updated on the recent developments.

Nurse practitioner educational preparation and confidence related to managing antipsychotic medications and associated drug-induced movement disorders.

Antipsychotic medications (APMs) have been used to treat multiple psychiatric disorders for decades. The conditions to use these medications have expanded from primarily psychotic disorders to Food and Drug Administration-approved uses as first-line mood stabilizers in bipolar disorder and adjunctive pharmacotherapy in unipolar depression. Antipsychotic medications can have serious side effects, including drug-induced movement disorders (DIMDs). Nurse practitioners (NPs) in non-psychiatric-mental health specialties are increasingly managing psychotropic medication regimes. There is a void in peer-reviewed literature capturing the scope of NPs managing APMs, such as whether they received training to prescribe and manage risks of APM, and if so, what type (e.g., continuing education, attending conferences, consulting), and their confidence assessing and managing DIMDs. To describe the scope of NP management, knowledge, and confidence related to APMs and associated risks of DIMDs. Nonexperimental, descriptive, cross-sectional survey. Participants ( n = 400) recruited through a professional association membership portal. Nearly two-thirds of participants reported managing APMs (64%) and receiving training to prescribe and manage risks of APMs (63%). More than half (54%) reported they received training to do so in their NP education program. Thirty-five percent of participants indicated they were either completely (6%) or fairly (29%) confident, whereas most (65%) endorsed being somewhat (26%), slightly (20%), or not (19%) confident in assessing and managing DIMDs. Opportunities exist to broaden NP education in managing APMs and associated risks of DIMDs.

S2k guideline diagnosis, prevention, and therapy of hand eczema.

The consensus-based guideline "Diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of hand eczema (HE)" provides concrete instructions and recommendations for diagnosis, prevention, and therapy of HE based on an evidence- and consensus-based approach. The guideline was created based on the German guideline "Management von Handekzemen" from 2009 and the current guideline of the European Society of Contact Dermatitis (ESCD) "Guidelines for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of hand eczema" from 2022. The general goal of the guideline is to provide dermatologists and allergologists in practice and clinics with an accepted, evidence-based decision-making tool for selecting and conducting suitable and sufficient therapy for patients with hand eczema. The guideline is based on two Cochrane reviews of therapeutic and preventive interventions for HE. The remaining chapters were mainly developed and consented based on non-systematic literature research by the expert group. The expert group consisted of members of allergological and occupational dermatological professional associations and working groups, a patient representative, and methodologists. The proposals for recommendations and key statements were consented by using a nominal group process during a consensus conference on September 15, 2022. The structured consensus-building process was professionally moderated. This guideline is valid until February 22, 2028.

Who wants to pay for Pantanal? Experiences of payment for environmental services in the preservation of a single biome

Environmental conservation standards in Brazil are insufficient and must be completed by economic instruments, such as Payments for Environmental Services (PESs). These instruments are at initial implementation stage in Pantanal, which is one of the world’s greatest extensions of flooded areas. This biome undergoes increasing pressures for the exploitation of its natural resources. Thus, the objectives of the current research are to investigate PESs in Pantanal and to analyze their potential to be used for environmental protection purposes. Interviews were conducted with political authorities, NGO representatives and professional association members. Four PESs were identified. All counties in Pantanal region receive the Ecological ICMS, which is a percentage of a tax on commerce and services received by the State and redistributed to counties hosting Conservation Units. Another PES, called Private Natural Heritage Reserve (RPPN), enables the exemption of Territorial Tax. Despite protecting 250,000 ha, RPPNs only reach 1.7% of preserved areas in Pantanal. In addition to these PESs, which count on State participation, it was possible to find two mechanisms based on consumers’ participation, organic meat and organic honey production. However, only two producers were certified to produce organic meat and one to produce organic honey. Although PESs are important mechanisms, they play limited role in Pantanal region. PESs between producers and consumers depend on incentive policies and on information about environmental benefits provided to consumers. Ecological ICMS should be subjected to rigorous selection process in choosing who can receive the benefits. Although RPPNs are often used as PESs, their incentives are insufficient and should be improved.

Met een knalgaslantaarn in een biljartzaal

With an oxyhydrogen lantern in a billiard room. The illustrated lectures of Ernst Cohen The Utrecht University professor of Chemistry, Ernst Cohen (1869-1944) gave lectures illustrated with an optical lantern between at least 1899 and 1938. His presentations addressed different audiences, from colleagues at chemical conventions to members of societal and professional associations and audiences at adult education centres. The range of topics he covered was equally broad: from lectures on the use of photography in the sciences to chemical issues and entertaining presentations on caricature and the natural sciences. Cohen used the projected image for a variety of purposes that were linked to his outreach activities as an academic who wanted to address audiences both inside and outside academia. This contribution retraces Cohen’s activities as a lecturer using the lantern to reach diverse audiences and discusses the topics that he chose for his illustrated lectures.

The Pros and Cons of Consolidating Rehabilitation Counseling Associations: A Qualitative Analysis of Views From the Field

The potential for unification of rehabilitation counseling professional associations has been a conceptual debate for the past several decades. In a previous article of this special issue, Phillips et al. (2022) provided quantitative data to capture the opinions of professionals on the issue of consolidation. The present study builds on those findings by providing a qualitative analysis of the rationale provided for each response from not only professional association members, but the broader rehabilitation counseling community. The analysis provides clarity about stakeholders’ rationale regarding their beliefs on rehabilitation counseling professional association consolidation. Responses were analyzed by group according to whether participants were in favor of, opposed to, or uncertain about consolidation. The majority of respondents supportive of consolidation felt it offered a pathway toward internal unity and external validation of the profession, while the main rationale from those opposed to consolidation centered on loss of distinctiveness of individual associations. Overwhelmingly, those who were undecided on consolidation cited lack of familiarity as a barrier to providing a decisive response. Implications for these results are presented.

Knowledge, attitudes, and practices of veterinarians on antibiotic use and resistance and its containment in South Africa

The inappropriate use of antibiotics in the veterinary sector has contributed to antibiotic resistance (ABR), which negatively impacts animal health and welfare. Understanding the knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) on antibiotic use, ABR, and its containment amongst veterinarians is critical to optimise antibiotic use and contain resistance. A quantitative questionnaire-based online survey was conducted amongst members of professional veterinary associations. The questionnaire consisted of four sections focusing on socio-demographic characteristics, KAP of participants on antibiotic use, ABR, and its containment in the South African veterinary sector. The Independent t-test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and chi-square test were used to establish associations among selected socio-demographic variables and selected KAP parameters. A total of 130 responses were received from 2 178 animal health professionals, yielding a response rate of six per cent, with 102 complete responses constituting the final sample size. Self-reported knowledge on antibiotic stewardship, ABR mechanisms, and pharmacology was good at 96 (94.1%), 91 (89.2%), and 70 (68.6%), respectively. Notably, most of the veterinarians (61; 59.8%) lacked an antibiotic stewardship programme at their practice. Place of practice was significantly associated (p = 0.004) with possession of knowledge about ABR. Veterinarians in urban practice were more knowledgeable about ABR than those in rural practice. Antibiotic stewardship programmes need to be implemented in veterinary practice. Such programmes might encourage the frequent use of consensus guidelines for the appropriate use of antibiotics and microbiology-informed therapy.

An Investigation of Surgical Nurses' Professional Values, Ethical Sensitivity and Quality of Care: A Cross-Sectional Study From Northwest Turkey.

Nurses' professional values are closely associated with their ethical sensitivity and the quality of nursing care. The aim of this study was to determine surgical nurses' perceptions of their professional values, ethical sensitivities and quality of care, the relationship between these variables, and the factors influencing these. The sample of this cross-sectional, descriptive and relational study consisted of 231 nurses working in the surgical units of two university hospitals and a training and research hospital. The study revealed a statistically significant negative relationship between the nurses' professional values scale median score and the Moral Sensitivity Questionnaire median score, and a positive significant relationship between the Nurses' Professional Values Scale median score and the Care Behaviors Scale median score. Having ethical problems in their professional lives increased the ethical sensitivity of nurses, while having a medical-vocational high school and vocational school of health services degree and participation in training/meetings about professional values and ethics increased the perception of the quality of nursing care. Awareness of professional values is crucial in providing quality nursing care that is in line with ethical principles; therefore, it is recommended that the continuity of surgical nurses' participation in training/meetings on professional values and ethics be ensured, that they be supported to become members of professional associations, and that supportive working environments be provided to improve the quality of nursing care.

French-speaking Africa and translation: From midwifery to maïeutique?

INTRODUCTIONIn the French version of The Lancet Series (2014) midwifery has been translated as maïeutique. Likewise, the term maïeuticien has recently been introduced in some countries to name (male) midwives. This change of terminology has not been the subject of broad stakeholder consultation. The aim of this study is to explore the opinion of African midwives on the use of the terminologies pratique de sage-femme/maïeutique (midwifery) and sage-femme/maïeuticien (midwife).METHODSA quantitative study was conducted using an online survey among members of francophone professional midwifery associations in 17 French-speaking African countries.RESULTSFrom 140 invited midwives, 82 responses were received. The respondents represented 12 francophone African countries. Respondents obviously prefer the terms pratique de sage-femme and sage-femme above maïeutique and maïeuticien. The sage-femme is acknowledged and deeply rooted in African society. Midwifery is comprehensive, while maïeutique does not describe the full scope of midwifery. Though, some respondents believe that maïeutique has the potential to differentiate sages-femmes from other health professionals, can diminishing role ambiguity, and value midwifery practice. Respondents in favor of the term maïeutique are referring to the modernization of the midwifery profession and its scientific evolution.CONCLUSIONSInternationally, midwives closely follow the developments on the linguistic subject of maïeutique. The results of this study may support current discussion about the evolution and modernization of terminology in the francophone community worldwide. Midwives need to be actively involved in these discussions. Nevertheless, at all times we need to be cautious not to break away from midwives’ cherished historical, social, and cultural roots.

Fad Diets: Professional Development Needs Among Nutrition Agents in Select Southern States

Because FCS agents teach communities about dietary guidelines, it is important that they are aware of the latest nutrition research. This study assessed FCS agents’ knowledge of popular fad diets (low-carbohydrate, intermittent fasting, detoxes and cleanses) and their potential adverse effects, and its relationship among location, certifications, years of experience, professional association memberships, and education. Agents in Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, and Mississippi were emailed a survey. RDN, DTR, and CHES certifications had significant associations (p = 0.03) with knowledge of adverse effects of fad diets. Agents who hold these credentials may have more knowledge about adverse effects of fad diets.

Diet in the management of non-dialysis dependent chronic kidney disease: perceptions and practices of health professionals

BackgroundTherapeutic strategies, including dietary intervention, to target non-dialysis dependent Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) progression have been at the forefront of recent renal research. Nephrologists and other renal health professionals are key stakeholders in the dietary management of patients with non-dialysis dependent CKD and referrals to dietetic services. The aims of this study were to explore (i) health professional perceptions regarding the role of diet in managing non-dialysis dependent CKD, and (ii) health professional practices regarding the provision of dietary advice and referrals to dietetic services.MethodsA 31-item online survey was emailed to members of professional renal networks and associations in Australia and New Zealand. Data was analysed descriptively. Categorical variables were assessed to determine associations between referral frequency, demographic variables, health professional role (non-dietetic versus dietetic) and perceptions of the role of diet.ResultsOverall, 189 health professionals completed the survey. Nephrologists (42%), renal nurses (29%) and renal dietitians (24%) were the most common respondents. Non-dietetic health professionals rated the importance of diet in the management of non-dialysis dependent CKD significantly lower than renal dietitians (73% versus 98% ranked as very-extremely important, p = 0.002). Fifty percent of non-dietetic health professionals referred patients to renal dietetic services never or 0–25% of the time. Reasons for not referring included perceptions there is a lack of evidence that diet reduces CKD progression, perceptions that patients will not adhere to dietary recommendations, and a desire to reduce visit burden for patients. Barriers to accessing dietetic services were perceived to be significant and include lengthy wait times and inadequate dietetic staffing.ConclusionInconsistencies exist between non-dietetic health professionals and dietitians regarding the importance of diet in non-dialysis dependent CKD. Referral practices appear to be influenced by beliefs about the evidence base and perceptions regarding the ability of dietitians to meet referral demand. Raising awareness for non-dietetic health professionals working in nephrology regarding the evidence on diet and CKD progression is needed. An improved understanding of this evidence base may improve knowledge and referral patterns. Further, an increase in renal dietetic staffing is recommended to enhance patient access to services.

Professional event associations in crisis: exploring the relationship between recovery strategy fit and organizational commitments from the perspective of members

PurposeThis study aims to explore how professional event associations’ recovery strategies are perceived by members and to measure the consequent influence of the perceived fit of recovery strategies on organizational identification (OI), consistent behavioral intentions and long-term commitment intentions.Design/methodology/approachData were collected from current members of professional event management associations who work not only as event planners but also as service providers in the hospitality and tourism industry. The authors used partial least squares structural equation modeling to test the proposed model.FindingsThe perceived fit between recovery strategy and internal domains, the self in particular, was found to be the most important in exerting effects directly on OI, and its indirect effects are significant on all the behavioral intentions toward the association, while the perceived fit of recovery strategy with external domains, especially the industry, was not significant with any of the other factors.Practical implicationsThe findings from the present study provide professional event association leaderships with significant managerial implications in establishing a sustainable business model to retain current members and increase their intentions toward consistent engagement and long-term commitment.Originality/valueStepping forward from the strategic management and organizational behavior literature in the private sector, the authors shed light on a crisis recovery mechanism of professional associations in the event industry, to the best of the authors’ knowledge, the first such attempt in the event management literature.

Exploratory Study: Measurement Invariance of the Therapeutic Recreation Job Responsibility Scale

The aim of this study was to assess the measurement invariance of the Therapeutic Recreation Job Responsibility Scale (TR-JRS). It measures four dimensions of recreational practitioners’ duties with 27 items: 1) administration, 2) therapy, 3) face-to-face leadership and 4) professional development. Measurement invariance assesses the ability of a single instrument, the TR-JRS, to measure duties among recreational practitioners working in different environments, members of separate professional associations, and to promote different aspects of their work. The sample comprised 417 members of the Canadian Therapeutic Recreation Association and the F´ederation qu´eb´ecoise du loisir en institution. The initial factorial measurement analysis showed metric invariance as the model of choice, though its overall fit was outside the usual acceptable criteria. A factor analysis with a target rotation resulted in a short scale of 14 items with an appropriate Root Mean Square Error of Approximation and Comparative Fit Index. It included the same four dimensions as the 27-item version. A measurement invariance analysis was also run on the short-form scale. The number of factors, position of items within factors, and factor loadings were equal in both groups. The absolute values of the Root Mean Square Error of Approximation and the Comparative Fit Index associated with the short form were over the acceptable cutoff points by a small margin. As expected, items means differed between the two groups and reliability coefficients were high. Such findings reflect this study’s exploratory nature. Hence, further studies on item development could improve fit indices in favor of a stronger invariance status for this scale, which measures an important construct in therapeutic recreation.

Порівняння включення етики професійними бухгалтерськими асоціаціями до вимог практичного досвіду

This research is part of a much wider endeavour to determine the best practicesin ethics education and the value of ethics in professional accountants’ lives from the very formation, in their university years to when they are members of professional associations and employees. This particular article focuses on how ethics features in the practical experience requirement (PER) from the professional associations’ Initial Professional Development (IPD). Bodies were selected based on whether they are IFAC members, their size and population of their country of origin. ACCA (Association of Chartered Certirfied Accountants) was selected as a standard given its international coverage and CECCAR (Body of Expert and Licensed Accountants of Romania) was selected because of the authors’ origins or place of study. The exams’ sequence in the route to become a member of a profesional accountancy body was analysed as part of a different article in which a correlation was not found between the size of the association (in the hypothesis that larger associations have more resources to invest in their qualification) and availability of exam-prep materials for the wider public as well as how much ethics is featured in them. Given that for practical experience requirement there were less readily available public materials, the research questions became simpler for PER than in the case of exams hence we attempted an overarching comparison of whether ethics was clearly featured in the PER of chose bodies and also how it was examined or demonstred over the practical experience period. We found that the approach was very consistent across the selected associations with all of them strongly featuring ethics in their PER. Hopefully our efforts will give other researchers, educators of ethics and national bodies themsevles a strong starting point to adapt their curricula and approach on ethics.

Integration of complementary and integrative medicine competencies in general practice postgraduate education \u2013 development of a novel competency catalogue in Germany

BackgroundComplementary and integrative medical procedures (CIM) play an important role in general practice (GP). Consequently, in some countries (e.g. USA, Australia) specific curricula for the integration of CIM competencies in GP postgraduate education exist. Although Germany is one of the countries where CIM is strongly integrated in general practice, no such catalogue exists up to date. The aim of this study was to define a set of CIM competencies that are seen as relevant and feasible for postgraduate education in the German general practice setting.MethodsWe used a multi-step, peer-based approach combining four different steps. Firstly, a survey among GP trainees (n = 138) was performed in order to assess needs and attitudes towards CIM. Then, existing competency-based CIM curricula were identified in international literature, translated into German and compared with the needs assessment from the survey. In a next step, we performed a survey among the CIM working group of the German Society for General Medicine and Family Medicine (DEGAM). As a last step, in a peer-based survey, GP trainers, GP trainees, and members of professional CIM associations (n = 131) evaluated a list of CIM competencies according to relevance and feasibility for general practice.ResultsWithin this multistage process, a final catalogue of 16 competencies was defined, covering the following areas: Medical knowledge, patient care and communication, practice-based learning, professionalism, and competencies based on the German healthcare system.ConclusionThe final catalogue of CIM competencies is intended to serve for GP training complementing the German competency-based curriculum for general practice. These competencies cover basic skills and are not intended to replace existing additional qualifications awarded by the medical associations in specific CIM methods, such as acupuncture or manual medicine. Therefore, a list of relevant competencies on CIM is available in order to serve as add-on for postgraduate education in general practice in Germany.

Alternative modes of publication for novice researchers

Alternative modes of publication for novice researchers