Professional Work Research Articles

SUPERLOTAÇÃO DOS SERVIÇOS DE EMERGÊNCIA: IMPLICAÇÕES PARA A SEGURANÇA DO PACIENTE E PARA O TRABALHO DA EQUIPE DE SAÚDE

Introduction: Overcrowding in emergency services is a reality that is likely to worsen, making it necessary to implement measures to ensure patient safety in the care provided. Objective: To describe the implications of overcrowding for patient safety and the work/daily routine of the healthcare team. Methodology: This is a bibliographic review article in which an exploratory, qualitative approach was used. The search for articles, theses, dissertations, book chapters was conducted in databases such as Lilacs BDNF, Medline, Scielo, and university repositories containing scientific journals. Publications were sought that addressed the topic in Portuguese, within the period of 2015 to 2024. The results yielded 34 articles related to the topic, of which 12 were selected for this study, in addition to the book by the Joint Commission International (JCI), “Managing Patient Flow: Strategies and Solutions for Overcoming Overcrowding.” Results and Discussion: It is well known that patient safety is a globally discussed topic and a recurring requirement for institutions undergoing accreditation processes. In this context are healthcare professionals, who, due to the nature of their work, are subject to committing/experiencing adverse events within their professional environment. Final Considerations: The consequences of overcrowding bring numerous implications for the work of healthcare professionals and for patient safety, such as reduced quality of care, exhaustion of healthcare professionals, increased risk of infections, inequality in access to care, impact on the efficiency of the healthcare system, and increased costs, making it a critical challenge for both public and private healthcare systems.

The Fate of Employees of the Lithuanian Forest Industry 1939–1953

The article explores the fate of employees of the Lithuanian State Forest Industry, a separate branch of the economy, between 1939 and 1953, the staffing policy in this industry and specific features and results of its implementation. The forest was the location closely associated with the post-war resistance struggle, because a large number of partisan headquarters and hideouts were located in the forests. As a result, the work of forestry professionals and foresters and their attitude to events of that time were very important both to resistance fighters and the occupational government structures. The majority of them were under pressure to ‘double deal’, with the result that many left their jobs voluntarily as such conditions were not acceptable to them. The article explores all the events related to the turnover and fate of staff in chronological order: their deaths due to all possible reasons, including at the hands of their own partisans or the collaboration of foresters with the Nazis and the Soviet forces; various reprisals – from deportations and labour camps to violence; emigration to the west and the east due to political reasons; repatriation; peculiarities of employment of people who returned after deportation and imprisonment; the extent of employment of staff of Russian and other nationalities in the post-war years in the Lithuanian forestry system, etc. If the number of full time employees of the industry at the beginning of the Second World War (3,900 people) is held as a point of reference, major losses of the industry can also be expressed in the following figures: one in every eleven employees of this industry was killed; one in four employees suffered reprisals and were sentenced for various periods of time; and one in three suffered physical or moral violence. In the post-war years, only 75 Russian-speaking employees were recruited to the Lithuanian State Forest Industry and after Stalin’s death, over 1,000 of people who returned after deportation and imprisonment were employed.

Experienced art therapists’ perceptions of the EDPP supervision model and its impact on their professional work and identity

ABSTRACT This qualitative study documented 14 experienced art therapists’ perceptions of their supervision experiences, professional identity, and development while engaged in the El Duende One-Canvas Process Painting (EDPP) supervision model. Four main themes emerged from the thematic analysis of the interviews: (1) the role of the canvas in supervision, (2) the model’s impact on professional development and identity, (3) the role of the group in the EDPP model, and (4) challenges during the supervision process. The discussion focuses on the canvas as an adjunct-internal visual supervisor supporting clinical work and the EDPP as a support for professional development and identity.

The preschool teachers’ union in Iceland: a critical analysis of influence and challenges

ABSTRACT This article critically analyses the dynamic role of the Preschool Teachers’ Union in Iceland, tracing its strategic moves within the educational and political spheres from inception to the present. The union’s formative years were marked by a fight to become a fully fledged union and active participation in foundational negotiations that significantly shaped the working conditions and structural policies of preschool education in Iceland. These efforts ultimately enhanced preschool educators’ professional status and working conditions. The union effectively influences wage negotiations, working conditions and policy reforms by leveraging data-driven approaches. The union has also navigated challenges amid neoliberal educational shifts, ensuring teacher representation in public discourses and policymaking with considerable improvements. However, the gains made by the Preschool Teachers’ Union had costs, in terms of professional autonomy and integrity. The article also addresses current challenges, highlighting the union’s adaptability and ongoing advocacy efforts. The data consist of historical documents and interviews with the present union president.

The Paradoxical Development of Liberal Governance: International Adoption Policy and Professional Social Work in Authoritarian South Korea, 1953–1976

Abstract This article explores the development of international adoption policy in post-liberation South Korea, emphasizing the roles of American and Korean professional social workers. By analyzing the orphan registry and a pivotal international adoption law, it reveals how international adoption in South Korea presents a unique opportunity to observe the formation of modern social policy in a newly liberated nation during the Cold War. The study argues that adoption policy served as a crucial locus of transnational governance, where American and Korean social workers pursued their liberal ideals of professional social work within the context of the authoritarian policies of the South Korean state. However, their quest for scientific professionalism, standardized procedures, and public oversight led to a paradoxical evolution of adoption policy, diverging sharply from the trajectory seen in Western liberal democracies where social work significantly contributed to the consolidation and expansion of the welfare state. In South Korea, embedded transnationality and ideological mismatch resulted in the state’s further withdrawal and the creation of policy workarounds that undermined the core social work principle of the child’s best interests. This case highlights the complexities and blurred moral boundaries in the shaping of modern governance and the broader journey toward modernity under postcolonial, Cold War conditions.

Scientometric analysis of articles of respiratory gas mixtures and their application in emergency medicine

Relevance. In humans, specific respiratory gas mixtures (RGMs) significantly maximize the effect of anesthesia and treatment of certain diseases, as well as enhance body functional reserves and exercise performance. The objective is to identify major research prospects on the RGM capacity to optimize the functional status of humans, as represented in publications by Russian investigators.Methods. In response to the RGMs query, the Scientific Electronic Library search engine generated a dataset of 513 publications by Russian investigators, published from 2006 to 2023. For further analysis of the publications, the VOSviewer 1.6.20 software was implemented for clustering of keywords with a frequency of ≥ 4 presented in ≥ 8 publications either by individual authors or co-authorship networks.Results and discussion. The average annual number of articles was (23 ± 3). The dynamics of increasing publications were revealed. The scientometric analysis of the selected publications revealed that the content was highly demanded among readers. For instance, the average citation number per paper was 3.29, with a substantial self-citation rate of 30.2 %. Journals with the largest number of publications by top scientific networks were identified. The VOSviewer analysis produced 7 keyword clusters: Cluster 1 for xenon anesthesia – 258 papers (35 %) with the total link strength of 29 %; Cluster 2 for hypoxic training – 171 papers (23.2%) with the total link strength of 22.5 %; Cluster 3 for gas composition in confined spaces – 76 papers (10.3 %) and 22 % total link strength; Cluster 4 for oxygen-helium gas mixture – 132 papers (17.9 %) with 16.4 % total link strength; Cluster 5 for the neuroprotective effects of gas mixtures – 32 papers (4.3 %) with 3.6 % total link strength; Cluster 6 for the anti-stress effect of xenon-rich inhalation therapy – 40 papers (5.4 %) with 3.6 % total link strength; Cluster 7 for low-flow anesthesia – 28 papers (3.8 %) with 3.6 % total link strength.Conclusion. Scientometric studies can enhance the data support for scientific research of advanced strategies to optimize human functional status and increasing performance at work for professionals operating in extreme occupational environments.

Project-based Learning in a Geomatics Bachelor Program: A Digital Heritage Preservation Project

Abstract. Like in most bachelor engineering programs, the education of geomatics students typically begins with an extensive theoretical introduction covering fundamental subjects. The general objective of the bachelor program is to cultivate geomatics engineers with robust hands-on knowledge. Nevertheless, the progression to a stage where students can independently engage in exercises with minimal supervision is a long process. Although field work-based practices are dominant in this field, they often entail activities limited to testing, experimenting, and the application of basic theories. While this approach is efficient in imparting routine knowledge, it may lead to the fragmentation of acquired knowledge, thereby lacking a comprehensive understanding of the broader significance and context. Students often encounter more complex challenges when commencing work on their bachelor thesis, leading to a steep learning curve within a constrained timeframe. This late exposure to real-world tasks can be a limiting factor, hindering a smoother transition from education to professional work. This paper provides a case study of project-based learning (PjBL) within a geomatics bachelor program. Specifically, it discusses a digital heritage preservation project where students documented an old Norwegian log house throughout the autumn semester of 2023. The outcomes of this learning approach are analyzed with the help of the key features of the PjBL methodology, focusing on students' learning outcomes and their assessment measures.

Designing-in WebGIS Tools for digital learning terrains in Natural Environments

Authentic learning environments (Herrington et al., 2014) have been widely acknowledged in creating engaging, meaningful and deep learning experiences, including for “novice” first-year undergraduate students (Roach et al., 2018). Natural Environments (ENVS10001) is a first-year undergraduate subject (unit) that aims to deliver foundational understanding of earth systems and processes to support studies in agriculture, natural resource management and civil engineering. One main obstacle to facilitating understanding in this domain is the unfamiliar scales of the landscape processes and phenomena (Resnick et al., 2017). Natural Environments has been using the granitic geology dominated landscape of Glenrowan in northeastern Victoria (Australia) as an authentic case study. In this presentation we explain how and why we re-designed authentic learning aligned tutorial interactions by integrating student-driven navigation of WebGIS tools such as Geoscience Australia and NatureKit portal to: (a) enable students to build understanding of how geology, geomorphology and ecology interact to result in the dynamic landscapes in the environment; (b) equip students with fundamental and valuable knowledge and skills in accessing free and publicly available datasets useful in their academic and future professional work; (c) demonstrate the authenticity of the curricular content to establish higher levels of learner engagement. The current learning design where dynamic control and interaction with spatial data is central, is just one iteration in the series of previous designs that moved from non-digital to static-digital resources in the learning environment. Generally, an anchored instruction aligned approach (The Cognition and Technology Group at Vanderbilt, 1990) was adopted. Prior to the tutorial, students attended two one-hour lectures explaining the structure of the earth, plate tectonics, and global-scale structural (volcanic and tectonic) landforms. We wanted students to develop an understanding of how, over “unfamiliar” geological (time) and spatial scales, geomorphological processes operating across different rock types resulting from geological processes (e.g. granite pluton emplacement amongst sedimentary rocks) result in the landscapes observed presently. During the class, with tutors as guides, students worked in groups and learnt how to use the Geoscience Australia portal to explore the Glenrowan region, centered around the Warby Ranges and the surrounding plains. Professional instructional videos developed in collaboration with the University of Melbourne Learning Environments media team were used to demonstrate how to use the portal to find geological and geomorphological information. Students were guided in the use of Google Earth to visualise terrain in pseudo-3D and using elevation transects. The spatial correlation of landform patterns and elements with different surface and subsurface geologies was key to unlocking students’ abilities to explain the “why” and “how” of landscape evolution, albeit at the basic level. Students had mostly positive experiences and learning outcomes shown in the post-subject survey (n = 30; scores of 4.6 to 6.0 for 12 questions on 7-point Likert scale) and comments. Technical issues encountered due to simultaneous class access to the portal, and gaps in explaining specific functionalities and their potential for further understanding, were highlighted. The authors acknowledge the strong support for this work through the University of Melbourne’s FlexAP programme.

Supervision of the Performance of Education Personnel as an Effort to Realize Quality Education Service Standards

This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of supervision of the performance of education personnel at SMP Negeri 11 Palembang by comparing the implementation of activities with the standards that have been set. Supervision in the context of education is known as supervision, where school supervisors have an important role in coaching and assessment both in academic and managerial aspects. In this study, the researcher uses a qualitative descriptive method with data collection techniques through observation, interviews, and documentation. The research respondents included the Principal, Vice Principal, Administrative Staff, and Head of Library. Data analysis was carried out by data reduction techniques, data presentation, and conclusion drawn, and data validity tests using source triangulation and techniques. The results of the study show that supervision is carried out regularly and systematically, with a focus on timeliness, quality, quantity, and cooperation of education personnel. The principal directly monitors and compares the work results with the set standards, as well as provides feedback for performance improvement. The findings of the study reveal that the measurement of the implementation of activities plays an important role in maintaining the quality of performance, improving discipline, and creating a professional work culture. Supervision that is carried out well not only functions as an evaluation tool, but also as a means to increase the motivation and competence of education personnel. This study recommends that the supervision and measurement practices applied at SMP Negeri 11 Palembang can be adopted by other schools to improve the overall quality of education.

Leveraging or Overcoming Distance? Global Strategy and Structure of Professional Services Firms

In this study, geographic distance is an instructional logic that influences the international strategy and structure of professional service firms (PSFs). By drawing on three governance modes—global value chains, virtual teams, and ecosystems—we identify eight governance structures in use by PSFs, resulting from reliance on one of two distance logics: distance-as-enabler and distance-as-barrier. When the logic of distance-as-enabler is prioritized, PSFs choose a structure that is more unified at the global level. When the logic of distance-as-barrier is upheld, PSFs give greater autonomy to local units or establish loosely connected regionally autonomous partnerships. By highlighting the co-evolution between professional governance and professional practice we further show that greater distance necessitates professional work to be more codified and modularized, while proximity preserves professional work's bespoke nature. We apply this framework to demonstrate how external environmental factors trigger firms to shift from one specific governance-practice form to another.

Resistance Capital as a Cultural Asset That Supports Latina Leadership Development & Address Environmental Leadership Challenges in K-12 Schools

ABSTRACT This study delves into the leadership experiences of Latinx women in their professional work contexts who serve as K-12 school principals in public schools located in New Jersey. It accentuates the obstacles faced by these Latina administrators in their roles as school principals to deconstruct negative perceptions and biases toward Latina principals rooted in social identity stereotypes of gender and ethnicity. The study’s findings reveal how their leadership challenges have empowered them to confront microaggressions from intersecting social identity stereotypes related to gender and ethnicity. The primary objective of the research is to dispel misconceptions about Latina school principals and advocate for inclusive leadership practices. The findings indicate that the sustained career success of the Latina school principals in this study was driven by resistant capital (CCW, Yosso & Yosso, 2005; Yosso & Escobedo, 2022), a form of cultural asset that presents an alternative narrative about Latina educational leaders. This study underscores the significance of recruiting and retaining Latina school principals in urban districts and proposes a framework for preparing Latina leaders from K-12 through college.

The mirage of diversity, equity, and inclusion: Exploring career development professionals’ pedagogy and praxis

AbstractDespite the importance of students exploring career options, developing career readiness, and experiencing a successful transition to the workforce, historically excluded populations’ participation in career development remains low. Additionally, career development professionals continue to feel unsupported in their diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices and in incorporating DEI in their respective roles. This multicase study uncovers a mirage approach to the work of career development professionals, providing opportunities to engage in this work, yet largely leaving DEI work unsupported in their quest to incorporate it into their spaces. Results indicate the larger impacts of navigating a lack of support as well as the oppressive intuitional structures that persist while engaging in DEI pedagogy and praxis.

Представления педагогов о реализации педагогического процесса в условиях инклюзивного образования детей с ОВЗ в России

<p>The paper presents the results of the analysis of the empirical research of teachers' opinion about the status of inclusive education in the Russian Federation. The comparative analysis was focused on the answers of teachers of special (correctional) schools (N=192), teachers working in an inclusive format (N=210) to the questions of the author's questionnaire regarding professional training and work experience, ideas about the compliance of inclusive education with the special educational needs of schoolchildren with disabilities, existing problems in the implementation of the pedagogical process and ways to overcome them, the prospects for the implementation of inclusive education. It was revealed that the opinion of teachers working in educational organizations with different models of education for children with disabilities have both common positions and specific ones. Differences to a greater extent concern the expediency of spreading inclusive education for a number of psychological and pedagogical categories of children due to the presence of significant psychological difficulties and low performance of the educational process at high cost.</p>

Интерактивное приложение, реализующее метод уверенных суждений на массовой программной платформе

The article examines the functionality and architecture of an interactive application designed to support multi-criteria decision-making using S.A. Piyavsky's confident judgment method. It provides a description of key components of this method essential for presenting the topic in a computer-oriented format for data and knowledge representation. The application stores and provides access to a bank of universal importance coefficients for specific criteria and serves as the core of an information methodology for decision-making based on the confident judgment method. This methodology includes the following stages: compiling a list of alternative solutions with evaluations by a set of specific quantitative criteria; establishing a selection policy that orders criteria by importance for the decision-maker; normalizing the multi-criteria problem statement in line with a foundational optimization model; evaluating each alternative solution within this model; and selecting the optimal alternatives. The application automatically coordinates the creation and editing of the list of alternative solutions according to variation boundaries set by the selection policy, integrating all solution stages with user feedback. The application’s functionality is represented by a diagram linking the main activities and their outcomes, along with a UML diagram of application use cases. The architecture of the application is presented as a mind map. The application is implemented on the Excel platform using VBA programming language, chosen to ensure accessibility and support the development of advanced multi-criteria decision-making methods for a broad user base who use Excel in their professional work.

Exploring challenges and enablers for community pharmacists using electronic prescriptions (Wasfaty) in Makkah region, Saudi Arabia: a qualitative study using the theoretical domains framework

BackgroundTransition to electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) systems, such as Wasfaty, represents a significant advancement in healthcare. Introduced by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health in 2019, Wasfaty aims to enhance medication availability and streamline healthcare delivery. This study explores the challenges and enablers community pharmacists face when using the Wasfaty system in Saudi Arabia. This study uses the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to analyse behavioural and contextual factors influencing pharmacists’ adoption of electronic prescriptions. TDF identifies key challenges and enablers across multiple behavioural domains, making it well-suited for understanding complex healthcare implementation processes.MethodsA qualitative study design was employed using the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF) to understand factors affecting Wasfaty use. Participants were purposively sampled, focusing on community pharmacists experienced with Wasfaty prescriptions. Recruitment and interviews occurred from June to August 2024. Data saturation was achieved at 18 interviews. Transcripts were coded and mapped into TDF domains to identify barriers and enablers.ResultsFive key TDF domains influenced Wasfaty use: environmental context and resources; social influences; beliefs about capabilities; social/professional role and identity; and knowledge. Challenges included high prescription volumes, medication shortages, technical difficulties, resistance from elderly patients, and inconsistent training. Some pharmacists reported inadequate training as a barrier, while others highlighted effective programs as enablers.ConclusionSignificant barriers, such as insufficient training and high prescription volumes, impede effective Wasfaty use. However, continuous training, prior experience with electronic systems, and organisational support were crucial enablers. Addressing these challenges through targeted interventions can enhance e-prescription efficiency, improving patient care and outcomes. Findings underscore the importance of ongoing professional development and supportive work environments in fostering pharmacists’ competence in electronic systems.

Importância da Enfermagem na Implementação de Protocolos de Cuidado Integral para Gestantes com Pré-Eclâmpsia: Estratégias e Desafios

Introduction: The article investigates the importance of nursing in the implementation of comprehensive care protocols for pregnant women with preeclampsia, highlighting the strategies adopted and the challenges faced by healthcare professionals. Objective: Analyze the importance of nursing in implementing comprehensive care protocols for pregnant women with pre-eclampsia, highlighting the strategies used and the challenges faced. Methodology: This study was developed based on a bibliographical review of scientific literature and national and international guidelines on the management of pre-eclampsia, as well as practical case studies and reports from health units. The search was carried out in the PubMed, Scielo and Google Scholar databases, using the following descriptors: “pre-eclampsia”, “integral care”, “nursing”, “pregnant women” and “health protocols”, where as inclusion criteria Of the articles selected for data collection, we delimited the period from 2014 to 2024, which was in accordance with the present study. Data collection was carried out from July to October 2024, on the other hand, productions that were unrelated or did not correspond to the theme were excluded. Results: Evidence suggests that there are significant challenges in clinical practice, such as a lack of resources and the need for ongoing training, which hinder the effective implementation of care. Furthermore, it was also observed that the pregnant woman’s lack of knowledge regarding her condition, poor appreciation of the work of health professionals and operational challenges faced by nursing are obstacles that directly impact the quality of care and their satisfaction. Conclusion: The adoption of comprehensive protocols improves clinical results and better meets the needs of pregnant women, highlighting the relevance of nursing in promoting maternal-fetal health and well-being.

Optimizing ambulance nurse performance in southern Tuscany: insights from a Delphi study

This study aims to enhance the performance of ambulance nurses in Southern Tuscany through a Delphi method analysis. Conducted from January to December 2022, the research engaged 16 expert participants from a Tuscan health agency. Data on 89 interventions performed by "India" ambulances, which are nurse-led emergency vehicles, were collected. The Delphi method facilitated structured communication among the experts over three rounds, resulting in consensus on nine key intervention proposals. These proposals span areas including staff training, measurement and data collection methods, technologies and materials, and work environments. Key recommendations include prioritizing high-fidelity simulation training, improving data collection for clinical risk, and standardizing equipment across all emergency units. The study highlights the importance of continuous professional development, technological integration, and supportive work environments to optimize the effectiveness of pre-hospital emergency care. These findings provide a practical roadmap for enhancing the competencies and performance of ambulance nurses, ultimately improving patient outcomes in emergency situations.

Implicações da datificação no trabalho dos comunicadores: embates discursivos no contexto da plataformização do trabalho

This study aims to discuss the possible implications of the phenomenon of datafication in the work of communication professionals by considering the restructuring of production processes inherent to the context of platformization. It problematizes this matter based mainly on the following question: how does the rise of datafication change the social conditions of the production process in the work of communicators and the speeches these professionals produce? These initial reflections arose from collective research, carried out by the Center for Research in Communication and Work with support from Fapesp.

Lessons learned during the health crisis caused by COVID-19 in the work of the nursing professional: A systematic review

The health crisis caused by COVID-19 impacted the dynamics of the work of health professionals, specifically in nursing professionals who were aware of the essential need for care and a safe environment to reduce in-hospital risks and mortality indicators. The study aimed to analyze the scientific evidence on the lessons learned during the health crisis in the work of the nursing professional, and the analysis of scientific articles published between 2020 and 2023 in the Scopus databases, obtaining a total of 30 articles. The findings show that there is a need to adopt health contingency policies to respond to health crises, as well as to establish and apply coping strategies in health professionals to avoid the impact on their mental health. Additionally, it is important to recognize their role in society. In conclusion, contingency policies and coping strategies must be developed to ensure the safety and well-being of nursing professionals and prevent the impact on their mental health during health crises like the one caused by COVID-19. Furthermore, it is important to recognize and value the fundamental role of nursing professionals in disease prevention and care in society and continue to work on developing policies and support strategies for health professionals to ensure their safety and well-being during health crises.

The role of objects in negotiations in convoys of care: Addressing fundamental concerns of informal caregivers

Due to an increased policy focus on informal care in many Western countries, professionals and informal caregivers increasingly grow more interdependent. Increased involvement of informal caregivers in professional care has consequences for the work of professionals, the care that is received by care recipients, and the role of informal caregivers. Care needs to be negotiated between them within the dynamic networks of care recipients and caregivers (i.e., “care convoys”). Scant attention has been given to objects as part of these convoys and negotiations. Therefore, in this paper, we answer the question: How do objects become part of and what is their role in the negotiations between healthcare professionals and informal caregivers? We use interview data from 48 participants (care recipients, professionals, informal caregivers, and persons in managerial positions). In the results, we discuss how objects, in terms of their affordances and the values they embody, become important in the relationship between professionals and informal caregivers and how they become part of negotiations on quality of care. We find that seemingly mundane objects become topics of conversation to address more fundamental concerns in how healthcare is organized for and provided to individual care recipients. Our study helps to open the care convoys model to objects as important actors and further understand the politics within care convoys.