Participation In Training Activities Research Articles

Knowledge and perception on the importance of the spiritual dimension of care by Nursing Undergraduate Students

The acceptance of the existence of an extra-physical dimension, the spiritual, as a constituent part of human being has demandedfrom health professionals a reconsideration of the theoretical models that guide their professional practice, aiming at encompassing all dimensionsof the complex human organism. This work aims to identify the perception of undergraduate Nursing students regarding the spiritual dimensionin training activities. This is a descriptive-exploratory study. The sample was composed by 60 Nursing students from the fourth (20), sixth (20)and eighth (20) semesters that had accepted to participate in the study. Participation in training activities was the criterion for inclusion. Forthe collection of data, a half-structured questionnaire, composed of key-questions was applied that supplied elements for interpretation andreaching the proposed objectives. The students had been contacted in December 2006. Data had been worked by means of numbers and percentages.For this, the SPSS program, version 13.0 was used as database. The majority of the students (78.3%) did not recognize the importanceof the spiritual dimension of patients. Students who recognized the importance of the spiritual dimension of patients (21.7%) had pointed theChaplain as the main supplier of this assistance. Conversation and prayer had been the cited communicational expressions by more than half asthe ways for caring for these necessities and 83% of subjects said Nursing must care for the Spiritual Dimension of patients.

Australian small business participation in training activities

PurposeThis purpose of this paper is to investigate the use of on‐line training by small businesses in Australia. It explores the relationship between the owner's acceptance and use of the internet, and their current participation in training opportunities.Design/methodology/approachA sample of small businesses which had participated in an Australian government scheme aimed at improving the participation of this business sector in training, were surveyed using a mailed questionnaire. The scheme provided training vouchers to businesses to fund training activities for the owner managers.FindingsFindings suggest that business characteristics can affect the participation in training, with those having plans more likely to engage in training. The use of the internet for training has improved accessibility for small businesses and offers some potential as a delivery medium, however, the findings also highlight the lack of e‐literacy of many small business owners.Research limitations/implicationsGiven the increasing importance of small business in Australia, it is necessary to continuously promote and encourage the role of training and skills development for owners and their employees. This study highlights a relationship between growth and the need for training, however, acknowledges that many small business owners are reluctant to participate in skill development and training.Originality/valueThis paper highlights the need for small business owners and their staff to recognise their training needs, and to have a broader understanding of the importance of their training and development needs.

The Development of an Operant Conditioning Training Program for New World Primates at the Bronx Zoo

This article describes the development of an operant conditioning training program for 17 species of New World primates at the Bronx Zoo. To apply less invasive techniques to husbandry protocols, the study introduced behaviors-hand feeding, syringe feeding, targeting, scale and crate training, and transponder reading-for formal training to 86 callitrichids and small-bodied cebids housed in 26 social groups. Individual responses to training varied greatly, but general patterns were noted among species. With the exception of lion tamarins, tamarins responded more rapidly than marmosets, Bolivian gray titi monkeys, and pale-headed saki monkeys in approaching trainers and learning behaviors. Marmosets, in comparison to most tamarins, had longer attention spans. This meant that fewer, lengthier sessions were productive whereas shorter, more frequent sessions were most successful for tamarins. Among the cebids, pale-headed saki monkeys needed relatively few sessions to perform basic and advanced behaviors whereas Bolivian gray titi monkeys were less responsive and progressed at a deliberate pace. Marked changes in the animals' behavior during daily husbandry procedures, their voluntary participation in training activities, and the disappearance of aggressive threats toward care staff indicated that training reduced stress and improved the welfare of the animals. During daily training displays, zoo visitors experienced interactive animals while learning the importance of low-stress animal husbandry.

HRD in the Netherlands: participation and costs

Developments in economy, technology and demography have profound consequences for the training function in organisations. Training is, for instance, no longer an isolated activity for which training professionals alone are responsible. It has been given a strategic function. Training professionals are expected to be instrumental in setting up learning processes that are in line with the strategic policy and, moreover, ensuring that this is done in a cost conscious and effective manner. It is proving difficult for training professionals to strike a balance between the interests of the organisation on the one hand and the interests of individual employees on the other. Knowledge productivity and distribution of knowledge have become important activities as knowledge has come to be the ''capital'' of the organisation. Training is no longer the only way to make employees competent and keep them so. To an ever greater extent training is being replaced by learning on the job. The responsibility for the learning process is increasingly being placed on the learning individual or on the team of which he is a part. These changes were the reason for the Faculty of Educational Science & Technology of the University of Twente together with the Faculty of Technology and Management to decide to conduct a study in these developments and the consequences in terms of participation and costs In the main, this study consists of two parts. On the one hand, both present and expected developments in the field of training and development in work organisations are being studied, with specific attention to their consequences for the knowledge and skills (competencies) of training specialists. On the other hand, a survey among a select group of respondents attempted to gain an insight into the costs of and participation in training activities by employees in work organisations. The results of the survey are presented in this paper.

Public sector training participation: an empirical investigation

This study tests a mediated model of employee participation in training activities in a public sector highway department. Results showed the combined predictor sets accounted for a significant proportion of the variance in an objective measure of training attended, a self‐report measure of training attended, and intentions to participate in future training. Although the proposed mediated model was not supported, the findings suggest that previous transfer success and motivation play a significant role in intentions to participate in training.

Gasto farmacéutico en atención primaria reformada: implicación de las actividades formativas en el ahorro en farmacia

ObjectiveTo determine the influence on drug expenditures by reformed primary care services of factors relative to the personal characteristics of prescribers, their training and training activities, their professional practice, organizational factors, and characteristics of the patient population attended. Material and methodsThis cross-sectional, observational study was carried out in the Sabadell Primary Care Directorate, Vallés Occidental region (Barcelona, Spain). This primary care directorate is responsible for the health-care needs of 9 municipalities (with a total population of 254,971 inhabitants). It has 12 Basic Health Areas, 8 of which have Primary Care Teams. The area of study included these 8 primary care teams and the unit of analysis contained 68 of 80 staff physicians.The quantitative prescription indicators (dependent variables) were: total annual drug expenditure, drug expenditure per user and year (users being understood as patients with an open medical record), drug expenditure per visit and year, mean cost per prescription, prescription/user ratio, and prescription/visit ratio.Descriptive, bivariate, and multiple linear regression analyses were made. ResultsThe variables predictive of greater drug expenditures were: patient age, visits, frequentation, referrals to primarycare specialists, urban municipality, physicians with primary care and hospital practice, time on staff, and physician age. Participation in training activities was predictive of drug savings, with each primary-care training session attended producing a mean annual savings in drug expenditures of 50 ptas and 15 ptas per user and visit, respectively. Every hour dedicated to training in the community produced a savings of almost 60,000 ptas in annual drug expeditures. For each rational-druguse session, the mean price of prescriptions decreased by 52 ptas. In the multiple linear regression models obtained, the variables that most frequently helped to explain variations between prescribers in relation to drug expenditures were: patient age, urban municipality, and primary-care-team training activities (as factors in drug savings). ConclusionsThis study confirmed that patient age, frequentation, and type of municipality increased drug expenditures. Urban municipalities, as opposed to rural or semirural municipalities, were associated with a significantly greater expense, in contrast with prevailing opinion. Our results suggested that drug expenditures increase with referrals to specialists. An interesting new finding is that physicians with simultaneous primary care and hospital practice generated more drug expenditures. Finally, we emphasize the importance of training the primary-care team in promoting drug savings (four models: drug expenditures by users, drug expenditures per visit, prescriptions per user, and prescriptions per visit), rational-druguse activities, which tended to reduce the mean cost of prescriptions, and community training activities, which clearly reduced annual total drug expenditures.

Enhancing Parent Participation in the Individualized Family Service Plan

Twenty parents whose children were receiving early intervention services were provided with opportunities to participate in formal education and training in individualized family service planning. All parents received written information about the Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP) and personally selected whether to participate in workshops or small discussion groups led by other parents of children with disabilities. The extent of participation in training activities varied dependent on parents' preferences. Parents who viewed parent support and education as beneficial and whose children had definitive diagnoses were more likely to select participation in a variety of formal training than were parents of children with developmental delays; however, no significant differences between the groups were found in comparisons of child characteristics. IFSPs of the 20 families and children were reviewed and analyzed to determine differences in the use of parent language in written statements of children's present levels of development and in desired outcomes. A significantly greater number of present level of development statements were written on the IFSP documents of children whose parents had participated in formal training. No significant differences were found in the numbers of outcome statements written in parent language. Both groups showed an increase in the number of outcomes written in parent language with a trend that favored the children whose parents had received training.

PROFESIONALITAS DOSEN PERGURUAN TINGGI KEAGAMAAN ISLAM SWASTA (PTKIS) DI OGAN KOMERING ULU TIMUR SUMATERA SELATAN

This study aims to explore and describe the professionalism of lecturers through the implementation of the three duties of higher education including: education and teaching, research and community service at the Private Islamic Religious University (PTKIS) Ogan Komering Ulu Timur, South Sumatra.
 This type of research is a qualitative study, with a phenomenological approach. Data is taken from two PTKIS namely STIT Misbahul Ulum Gumawang and STKIP Nurul Huda Sukaraja. The findings of the research show that: 1) aspects of education and teaching, the ability of respondents in designing, implementing, and evaluating the lecture process is quite good; 2) aspects of research and scientific publications are not so optimal, product research results are still very limited. Meanwhile, scientific publications are published twice a year through local journals that are already ISSN; 3) aspects of community service carried out in a form that is independent and group.
 The factors supporting and inhibiting the professionalism of lecturers: 1) supporting factors include: academic qualifications, academic atmosphere, budget, teaching and learning facilities; 2) inhibiting factors: academic qualifications, inadequate memberships, not so conducive academic atmosphere, teaching and learning facilities are not yet complete. Furthermore, efforts to develop the professionalism of lecturers through: participation in training activities, involvement in activities outside the campus, support from university leaders, and competency development through improving education levels. In addition, the process of fostering professionalism of lecturers is also carried out by Kopertais Region VII Sumbagsel as an umbrella for PTKIS.