Short-term Education Program Research Articles

Short-term conservation education influences Ugandan adolescents' knowledge, attitudes and investment decisions.

Environmental education research methods often focus on measuring changes in people's attitudes toward conservation. While attitudes are an important indicator of change, it is critical to target incentivised behaviour because conservation efforts often involve behavioural changes that are costly to one's self (e.g., reducing water use, purchasing pricier alternatives). In the present study, we measured both attitudes and behaviours in a short-term conservation education program near the primate-rich Kibale National Forest in Western Uganda. Adolescents ( N = 59) participated in a three-hour curriculum over three weeks integrated into an after-school wildlife club. After almost 30 years of successful primate conservation education in this region, we chose a novel taxonomic group (bats) for this study. Our pre-registered study had two conditions: an experimental condition, in which students learned about bats as an important local pollinator species, and a control condition, in which students learned about the moon. Only the experimental condition emphasised conservation's delayed benefits. We compared attitudes, knowledge, and behaviours pre- and post- curriculum. To capture behaviour, we employed an investment task in which participants could invest their own resources in a 'fund' to support work relating to bats or the moon, depending on condition. Across both conditions, participants showed positive shifts in attitudes and knowledge from pre- to post-measures and showed increased investments in bat- and moon-related funds. These findings reveal that short-term conservation education influences adolescents' investment decisions as well as their attitudes and knowledge. Our method can easily be edited for conservation education of any species including endangered primates.

Effects of Short-Term Educational Hospitalization with Multidisciplinary Approach for Lymphedema on Limb Circumference and Quality of Life.

Background: Lymphedema is an intractable disease requiring lifelong treatment. Daily self-care by the patient is essential; however, establishing care is often difficult. Our hospital offers a short-term educational hospitalization program that involves intensive, multidisciplinary intervention to develop self-care. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of this program. Methods and Results: Among the patients diagnosed with primary or secondary lymphedema who underwent educational hospitalization, 31 cases (33 limbs) were included in this study. The upper extremity lymphedema (UEL) index and lower extremity lymphedema (LEL) index were used for objective evaluation, and the Lymphedema Quality of Life Questionnaire was used for subjective evaluation. The therapeutic effects of educational hospitalization were examined before admission, at discharge, and at 6 months postdischarge. The UEL/LEL index significantly decreased for both the upper and lower limbs after educational hospitalization. In addition, the UEL/LEL index change rate from prehospitalization to 6 months postdischarge was compared between the continued and discontinued exercise groups; the former index showed significantly more improvement than the latter. Comparing the quality of life (QOL) assessments pre- and posthospitalization, statistically significant improvements were observed in all categories, including function, appearance, symptoms, and psychological state. Conclusions: Short-term educational hospitalization led to a sustained reduction in the circumference of lymphedema-affected limbs and an improvement in the QOL. The multidisciplinary approach resulted in improved self-efficacy and established daily self-care.

The Transformative Power of Environmental Education in the Consumption of Safety: The Case of a Popular Housing Estate

Water is a basic resource for the survival of human beings, however, not everyone has access to this resource. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the impact of an educational intervention in a popular urbanization that lacks access to drinking water and is supplied by surface wells. A pre-experimental quantitative methodology was used that involves three stages: diagnosis, educational intervention and evaluation. The results showed that the educational intervention had significant changes in knowledge and water safety consumption habits (p < 0.001), furthermore learning persisted after the educational intervention and habits continued to improve; also, it was identified that there were no significant differences in gender and educational level. It is concluded that implementing short-term environmental education programs contributes to bringing about change in vulnerable populations that do not have access to safe drinking water.

ФОРМИРОВАНИЕ И УПРАВЛЕНИЕ КАДРОВОГО ПОТЕНЦИАЛА ОРГАНИЗАЦИЙ ДОРОЖНОЙ ОТРАСЛИ В РОССИИ

In the long term, an increase in the average duration of adult education by just one year will increase economic growth by 3,7% and increase per capita income by 6%. Today, the participation of the population in continuing education is the most important indicator of the level of socio-economic development of the country and individual subjects (regions). The participation rate of the adult population of Russia aged 25–64 in additional and formal education in 2023 was only 25,2%, which is more than 2 times lower than in the OECD and EU countries. In the long term, increasing the average duration of adult education by just one year will increase economic growth by 3,7% and increase per capita income by 6%. The extent of participation in continuing education is positively correlated with the indicators of gross regional product (GRP). The two-year implementation period of the national Education project at the moment has not allowed the creation of a regulatory model for accounting for short-term additional education programs as part of the main professional programs. The launch of this mechanism provides for the «unpacking» of the main master's and bachelor's degree programs into additional professional programs with the assignment of «micro-degrees», as well as a thorough testing of the norms and recommended practices being put into effect.

Microcredentials as an Educational Trend and a Challenge for Higher Education

Based on an analysis of official materials and analytical reports from international organisations (including the European Commission, UNESCO, the European Training Foundation, CEDEFOP, and international economic forums), as well as the findings of foreign scholars, this article outlines the history and essence of micro-qualifications as a component of education and training policies. It also reveals the specifics of utilising micro-qualifications within the higher education system.
 The article delves into the role and history of micro-qualifications within higher education, notably through the initiatives and documents of the European Commission. Micro-qualifications have become a pivotal instrument in ensuring flexibility and accessibility in education within contemporary society. The European Commission plays a crucial role in promoting the integration of micro-qualifications into the European educational landscape. A significant impetus for the development of micro-qualifications is provided by the Recommendation for a European approach to micro-qualifications for lifelong learning and employability enhancement, adopted by the European Union in 2022.
 It is demonstrated that micro-qualifications open promising opportunities for lifelong learning and skill development. Their integration into the higher education system represents a significant step in the advancement of both formal and informal education, addressing modern needs and requiring strategic planning and investments in high-quality educational digital ecosystem.
 The article analyses the institutionalisation of micro-qualifications in higher education, existing models for the implementation of short-term educational programs, and identifies key aspects that universities need to consider when implementing micro-qualifications. These include program management, the development of digital infrastructures, assessment and validation procedures in accordance with educational quality requirements, engaging faculty members in support for learners, and monitoring.

The development and evaluation of a short-term international student research and educational program

ObjectivesThis study aimed to describe the “how-to” details and processes for developing and evaluating a short-term international student research and education program. MethodsThis study included two parts: development and implementation, and evaluation of the program. A foreign doctoral nursing student requested to visit the West Virginia University School of Nursing for research training and academic teaching experience. The global nursing program coordinator and the lead mentor met and identified the program basis and team participants. Learning activities were related to this student’s interest in older adults and in-home end-of-life care, included four contents: research; educational engagement; practice/clinical engagement; special activities & professional development training and courses. The program evaluation was conducted at the end of the six-month visit using a focus group and an anonymous short survey. Participants (n = 10) included the host university’s faculty, graduate students, and one short-term international student. ResultsContent analysis of the participant’s short survey answers and the focus group discussion resulted in three themes: 1) lessons learned from participating in the program (enhanced diversity in education and research, gaining new global healthcare knowledge, and self-reflection on and promoting cultural awareness); 2) program barriers and challenges (the visa application process, the English language barrier, the lack of public transportation in the town, and scheduling conflicts); and 3) strategies to overcome these barriers and challenges (adding cultural diversity information into curriculum; attending English proficiency with others in the class; using different communication techniques; continuous collaboration with the University’s Office of Global Affairs for the Visa application process; providing interactive experiences). All participants rated their engagement in the program as very satisfactory (Mean = 4.67, SD = 0.50), and highly impacted their nursing skills in research, teaching, and clinical practice (Mean = 4.67, SD = 0.50). ConclusionsAll the participants have gained some experience in this program, which can be used for future teaching guidance. Further, international nursing students need assistance to adjust and thrive in the host university learning community. Faculty must be culturally sensitive, understand the visiting foreign nursing student’ learning needs, and advocate for an environment suitable for enhancing the students’ learning.

신학생 생명윤리 교육 향상을 위한 인격주의 생명윤리 교육프로그램의 개발과 운영

This study aimed to establish a bioethics education system for Catholic seminarians and provide basic resources by developing a short-term education program based on personalist bioethics. Modern seminarians must correctly understand the true value of human dignity in the face of problems such as contraception, abortion, homosexuality, and euthanasia, which are increasing due to the development of biotechnology and medicine. This is so that they can help faithfuls as pastors in the future. Personalism is necessary for this education because it views humans as “persons,” a unity of body and soul, and can communicate the true value of human dignity. However, except for the curriculum of the Theological Seminary at The Catholic University of Korea, there was no independent course for bioethics. Therefore, we developed and operated a short-term personalist bioethics education program incorporating debate, lectures, and problem-based learning (PBL) methods, which are expected to be effective in ethics education.

“FastSchool”: A single session of an interprofessional pain management program for chronic pain patients inspired by cognitive behavioral therapy

ObjectivesMultidisciplinary approaches to treating chronic pain have been proven effective. Currently, chronic pain patients face lengthy waitlists in pain medicine departments. To overcome this problem, we developed the “FastSchool” program to educate patients about pain management and treatment. In this study, we evaluated the benefit of a “FastSchool” session on pain and catastrophizing in chronic pain patients. MethodsIncluded patients had chronic non-cancer pain, no more than 2 visits to a pain medicine department. Patients attended a single 3-hour session, conducted by an interprofessional team. Four topics were addressed: chronic pain mechanisms, pharmacological therapies, physical activity, and the management of analgesics. Patients completed questionnaires at baseline and at 3 months post-session to assess pain interference, pain intensity, and catastrophizing. ResultsThe study population included 88 patients; 71 completed the follow-up questionnaires. Pain interference (p = 0.002), average pain intensity (p = 0.013), and catastrophizing (p < 0.001) decreased 3 months after FastSchool. At M3, 35 % of patients felt their pain had improved based on the Patient Global Impression of Change. ConclusionFastSchool, an innovative short-term educational program inspired by cognitive behavioral therapy, showed positive results in reducing pain impact. Practice implicationsImplementation of FastSchool in pain medicine departments would reduce waitlist times for non-pharmacological treatment.

The Effects of Pain, Agitation, Delirium, Immobility, and Sleep Disruption Education on Novice Nurses in Adult Intensive Care Units.

Intensive care unit (ICU) patients experience highly complex health problems, such as pain, agitation, delirium, immobility, and sleep disruption (PADIS), and require professional nursing care. The assessment of PADIS is critically important for ICU nurses, and therefore, PADIS education programs need to be conducted for these nurses to update and improve their caring knowledge, attitudes, and skills. The aims of this study are to bridge this gap by evaluating the effects of PADIS education programs on the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of these nurses, and compare the difference between novice and advanced nurses after receiving the PADIS education programs over a short period of time. In this quasi-experimental study, 112 nurses in ICUs were recruited by researchers and participated in the PADIS education programs. The PADIS education intervention was performed in a teaching hospital in Taipei. A demographic and self-developed PADIS care knowledge questionnaire was used. A baseline (T1) was measured before the interventions, followed by post-test (T2) immediately after the programs, and subsequently a follow-up (T3) test one month later. The results indicated that knowledge and skill scores between novice and advanced nurses varied significantly in T1 but not in T2 and T3. Thus, education programs can significantly assist novice ICU nurses to improve their short-term knowledge, attitudes, and skills, and PADIS education programs are strongly suggested for clinical nursing practice.

Certification training of social workers and social managers: the experience of Ukrainian Catholic University

The article defines the need and relevance of creating different training programs for social workers and social managers in the post-graduate system taking into consideration the development of a new system of social work and rapid social transformations in Ukraine. The authors emphasize the need to develop new approaches to providing “long life education”, such as short-term educational programs. The last should correspond to the "Global Standards for Social Work Education and Training" and the competency-based approach to learning. The paper presents the certificate program "Social work: the path to professionalism", developed by the professors of the Pedagogy and Social Work Department of Ukrainian Catholic University in response to numerous requests from employers. The structure of the program is highlighted: it has three levels - basic, professional and managerial; each of which contains several training modules. Its content is characterized. The algorithm of the implementation of the Certificate program in the process of improving the qualifications of social workers and managers of social service providers in the territorial communities of Rivne, Volyn, Khmelnytskyi and Chernivtsi regions is described. The procedure for selecting learners and the organization of the educational process due to the program has been characterized. The results of the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Certificate program "Social work: the path to professionalism", which was implemented by the "Ukrainian Catholic University" in the process of improving the qualifications of social workers and social managers of communal and public sector institutions that provide social services in territorial communities, are presented. It has been proven that a competent approach to educational process, taking into account the professional needs of potential learners, a hybrid, flexible format and personalization of training, the use of various forms and methods while presenting educational material, an inextricable connection between theoretical concepts and practice, as well as reinforcement by the speakers' own professional experience, gives a good result in improving the qualifications of those who are already in the profession and wish to be better in it. The results of evaluating of the effectiveness of the developed program among the participants involved in the training proved the success of its implementation in the proposed format.

Antecedents of short-term international mobility programs: a systematic review and agenda for future research

ABSTRACT Short-term international mobility programs are being increasingly adopted by universities to achieve internationalisation, secure international accreditation and prepare graduates for global careers. A plethora of beneficial outcomes of student participation in short-term mobility education programs [Roy, A., A. Newman, T. Ellenberger, and A. Pyman. 2019. ‘Outcomes of International Student Mobility Programs: A Systematic Review and Agenda for Future Research.’ Studies in Higher Education 44 (9): 1630–1644; Waibel, S., H. Ruger, A. Ette, and L. Sauer. 2017. ‘Career Consequences of Transnational Educational Mobility: A Systematic Literature Review.’ Educational Research Review 20: 81–98] has motivated governments and universities to fund such programs [Pfotenhauer, S. M., J. S. Jacobs, D. J. Newman, and D. T. Roos. 2013. ‘Seeding Change Through International University: The MIT-Portugal Program as a Driver of Internationalization, Networking and Innovation.’ Higher Education 26: 217–242; Quan, R., A. Pearce, and Y. Baranchenko. 2017. ‘Educational Mobility in Transition: What Can China and The UK Learn from Each Other?’ Journal of Management Development 36 (6): 828–843; and Sin, C., O. Tavares, and G. Neave. 2017. ‘Student Mobility in Portugal: Grappling with a Adversity.’ Journal of Studies in International Education 21 (2): 120–135]. Scholarly work on student mobility in education has grown phenomenally in the last two decades. However, the specific study of antecedents of student participation which shape a student’s decision to participate in short-term mobility programs has not received adequate attention in literature. The need to study antecedents of student participation in mobility is highly relevant and critical to the creation of student opportunities for participation in such programs. With this aim, our paper undertakes a comprehensive review of scholarly works thus far on antecedents of student participation in short-term mobility programs classifying antecedents into personal and contextual antecedents. We identify areas of study needed to enhance scholarly understanding of antecedents of student participation and propose an agenda for future research complemented with recommendations for studying antecedents to short-term mobility participation.

Fostering pre-service teachers’ perceived ability to implement dialogic teaching in Turkey: Examining the contributing factors of an intensive short-term teacher education program from the teacher-learners’ vantage point

This study reports the design, implementation, and evaluation of a 3-day intensive short-term teacher education program that was specifically designed and implemented with the aims of fostering English as a foreign language (EFL) teacher-learners’ ability to enact dialogic teaching in their teaching practices. Thirty pre-service English teachers from 13 different universities across Turkey participated in the program and their perspectives of the effectiveness of the program in reaching its objectives were investigated to examine: (1) to what extent they felt their ability to implement dialogic teaching practices had improved, and (2) which specific factors from the program they felt specifically contributed to their development. Data were collected over a 4-week period, and included pre/post-course self-evaluation scales, during-course session evaluation forms, post-course evaluation forms, and interviews. Overall, the findings suggest the importance of intensive short-term teacher education programs with similar objectives consisting of: (1) instructors who are both knowledgeable and good models of what they are teaching in the context they are preparing teachers for; (2) content that is up to date, contextually related, and organized in a way that builds up both knowledge and practical skills; and (3) methods and activities in which teacher-learners experience what they are being taught both from a student’s and teacher’s perspective. The findings of this study hold important implications for various stakeholders involved in English teacher education, and teacher education program development, thus, practical suggestions are discussed regarding how future teacher education programs with related objectives may be designed and implemented to better foster attendees’ ability to apply what they learn at the classroom level.

Incarceration-Based Educational Opportunities: Transforming Students, Families, the College, and Communities

ABSTRACT Community college professionals actively cultivate social justice within the U.S. system of higher education. We seek to meet the community wherever they and their skills are and provide the opportunities to take their knowledge and credentials to the next level. This can include offering incarcerated-based education. This work can be life changing for all involved in it, yet there is little literature providing guidance on this type of location-based programming. Therefore, within this article, we share our experiences partnering to offer short-term non-credit vocational certificate educational training programs in local jails to transform the students, families, college, and communities we serve.

The Role of Vocational Education in the Development of The Viticulture and Oenology Sector of Georgia

Today, the viticulture and oenology sector in Georgia has a fair potential for development. According to the statistical data, the income from the wine production is growing year by year for the country. Maintaining the growing potential of productivity in the viticulture and oenology sector is linked to the stable quality of grape and wine. The skilled workforce represents one of the essential components for ensuring production of high-quality products. Vocational trainings can provide both, the prospective and existing employees of the viticulture and oenology sector with the possibility to develop necessary skills. Moreover, each country has its own unique cultural, economic and social aspects that have to be taken into consideration in the process of assessing and reforming the country's educational potential. Numerous countries rely on the "mixed systems" that combine different types of work-based learning, including school-based vocational education and dual vocational education programs. However, in view of international best practice, dual programs are considered to be the best mode of instruction for vocational programs in the direction of viticulture and oenology. Introduction of work-based learning with the so called dual vocational education programs by the state in recent years, can be considered as a step forward in this direction. Also, the state offers short-term vocational education programs within the framework of close cooperation with the private sector. The viticulture and oenology sector is the first, together with the tourism sector, to be recognized as a priority by the state, therefore the training of students with dual vocational education programs has been piloted. In summary, for a vocational student, dual vocational education programs involve pursuing studies at a vocational education institution, where a student takes a theoretical course on a future profession, as well as a practical course necessary for acquiring practical and technical skills for the profession. This form of teaching provides more opportunities for deepening the public-private partnerships in education. On the one hand, it helps to reduce budgetary expenditures of the state and, on the other hand, allows the system to receive additional financial as well as intangible benefits. The interest of the private sector to participate in the educational process is multifaceted. However, one of the main reasons for the interest is possibility to hire experienced workforce in the future. Increasing the private sector involvement and delegating responsibilities to the private sector by the state represents a good opportunity to train/retrain qualified staff. This factor can be considered as a prerequisite for matching workforce demand and supply on the labor market. Training of highly qualified staff guarantees reduction of unemployment and poverty and ensures sustainable economic development of the country. Keywords: vocational education, dual vocational education programs, work-based learning, viticulture and oenology sector.

Some Issues of Electronic Teaching and Assessment System in Non-Georgian Speaking Groups

Assessment plays an important role in the planning and implementation process of teaching. Assessment is a continuous process of collecting, recording and analyzing quality data to achieve learning objectives, a consistent study of the success and progress of language learners.In this paper we discuss the issues of teaching and assessment of Georgian as a foreign language. First of all, we will discuss some strategies related to learning process. We will present our innovation in the assessment system. This is a novelty that we have worked on with our colleagues at Batumi Shota Rustaveli State University within the short-term educational program “Georgian Language for Foreigners”.In this work we will discuss about how to use the electronic resources to develop specific language competencies and assess the knowledge based on relevant materials. We note that the article mainly reflects our personal experience, which we have accumulated in the teaching process, the innovations that we have tried to introduce to groups of non-Georgian listeners.

Clinical, functional and inflammatory evaluation in asthmatic patients after a simple short-term educational program: a randomized trial

This study aimed to evaluate the clinical evolution, functional parameters and inflammatory activity of asthma in patients who submitted to an educational intervention. 58 adult patients over 18 years of age with partly controlled and uncontrolled asthma were randomized into an intervention group (IG) (N = 32) and a control group (CG) (N = 26) and evaluated for 12 weeks. The Asthma Control Test (ACT), Asthma Control Questionnaire (ACQ), Asthma Quality Life Questionnaire (AQLQ) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) questionnaires were applied. Spirometry, exhaled nitric oxide (NO), exhaled breath condensate (EBC) and induced sputum (IS), measurement of the peak flow and symptoms were performed. The IG patients received an educational activity for 30 min applied by a nurse. Statistical analysis: analysis of variance with repeated intragroup measures. IG presented a decreased number of eosinophils in IS and IL-17A in EBC, an increase in the percentage of FEV1 before and after bronchodilator and an improvement in quality of life compared to the CG. There was an improvement in depression levels and a decrease in IL-4 and IL-5 in the IS and in the EBC in both groups. Our results suggest that an educational intervention can bring benefits concerning the control of inflammation, lung function alterations, quality of life and levels of depression in asthmatic patients. Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT03655392.

Strategies to improve clinical confidence in nursing students' c: A Narrative review

Introduction: Universities are responsible for nurturing nurses who have clinical skills and confidence. Self-confidence is one of the main components of clinical work and, nursing students have more efficient self-confidence. This review study aimed to find strategies for self-confidence improvement in nursing students. Methods: To conduct this review study initially, using the keywords self-confidence, professional self-confidence and the self-confidence of nursing students in Persian and English, separately and in combination, between 2008 and 2018, a total of 1536 articles were obtained from Medline, CINAHL, ProQuest, Ovid and Science Direct databases. The full text of the articles was reviewed for inclusion and exclusion criteria and finally, 16 articles were selected for the final analysis. Result: The findings indicated the efficacy of the short-term educational program on self-confidence skills of baccalaureate nursing students. Studies have shown that students demonstrate greater abilities in terms of knowledge, critical thinking, clinical understanding, or satisfaction upon simulation-based learning. Conclusion: Simulation-based nursing educational interventions have strong and special educational effects in the field of psychology, especially in promoting the self-confidence of nursing students. Therefore, due to its positive effect on students' self-confidence, this method is proposed as a superior educational method in nursing students.

Volunteer activity of student youth as a means of formation personal and professional qualities of future specialists

The article is devoted to the study of the legal framework and best practices of volunteer activity in the Republic of Kazakhstan and the Republic of Belarus through a review and analysis of the available scientific and methodological literature and official data of both countries, as well as a direct visit to the volunteer centers at the Belarusian State Pedagogical University named after M. Tank. The study was aimed directly at volunteering for people with special needs, including adults and children with various developmental and health conditions. In Kazakhstan the state provides full support for the volunteer movement and the development of civil initiatives, but this is more of a social nature, which indicates the need to consider volunteerism as a means of forming not only personal, but also professional qualities in future teachers. This makes it possible not only to initiate a volunteer movement in the social sphere, but also to build a system of training volunteers in conditions of higher and secondary vocational training. The authors present the experience of using volunteer practice in the professional training of teachers in the Republic of Belarus, which allows us to solve this issue by creating a volunteer network at the university, introducing volunteer practice and special courses for students, which form the competencies necessary in working with different categories of children, contribute to understanding the essence of volunteer activity as an integral part of pedagogical work. Based on the analysis of official data and scientific literature, the authors identify the main problems, such as the need for a systematic approach to the training of volunteers at the university and college level; the development and implementation of short-term educational programs; the development of scientific and methodological foundations of volunteer activity within the framework of inclusion. Accordingly, the following solutions are proposed: development of the concept and model of the student volunteer movement within the framework of inclusive education; development and implementation of an elective course for students; coordination and methodological support of the existing network of volunteerism; creation of volunteer clubs, schools, centers in all educational, social and other organizations. The introduction of the best practices of friendly countries and systematic steps for the widespread introduction and development of the volunteer movement among students will allow for the training of teachers who are able to compete in the labor market and are ready to work in the changing conditions of the modern educational and social space.

Nurses’ knowledge, attitude and practices on use of restraints at State Mental health care setting: An impact of in-service education programme

Objective.To evaluate the effectiveness of short-term in-service education program in improving nurse’s knowledge, attitude and self-reported practices related to physical restraint use.Methods.A quasi-experimental one group pre-post study was conducted involving nurses working at a tertiary mental health care setting, Dharwad, India. We provided 3 consecutive days of intensive restraint management education (total 6 hours-two hours per day) with a follow-up assessment after one month. The standard questionnaires on knowledge, attitude and practice regarding physical restraints were used as tools for measuring the impact of in-service education program. The program was conducted for a group of five to six nurses at a time. Teaching was done using lecture method, group discussion and demonstrations.Results.Of the 52 nurses who participated in the study, 52% were male, 58.5% had a baccalaureate degree. The mean age of respondents was 33.3 years, the mean work experience was 6.7 years. The findings of the study revealed that the mean scores on the knowledge regarding physical restraints increased after the in-service education from 6.4 to 8.2 (p<0.001). The mean attitude scores improved from 18.5 to 23.1 (p<0.001). There was a significant difference in mean practice scores between pre and post-intervention phases (23.7 versus 25.4; p<0.001). There was a significant correlation between post-test knowledge, attitude and practice scores.Conclusion.The in-service education program improved nurse’s knowledge, attitude and self-reported practice scores. This may lead to more effective restraints management by psychiatric nurses.

A half-day education program for healthcare students on communication support for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

ABSTRACT Background Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) requires on-going support but few studies describing AAC training for healthcare professionals were found. Method We developed a short-term education program on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis communication support for undergraduate students in multiple healthcare disciplines. The program comprised lectures plus practice of three AAC methods. Participants were 58 students from four courses at four Japanese universities who completed the program twice, at 6-month intervals. Effects of the program on ‘Beginners’ (taking the program for the first time) and ‘Experienced’ (repeating the course 6 months later) were evaluated using pre-test/post-test scores, number of letters transmitted in 5 min, subjective burden indicated on visual analogue scale (VAS) before and after each AAC trial, and free-text comments. Results An increase in scores was shown from the first to the second pre-test. Number of letters generated in 5 min was higher for the Experienced group than for Beginners with the exception of one AAC device. VAS change rate for the Kuchimoji method was lower in the Experienced group than for Beginners. Text-mining of participants’ comments showed lower eyestrain reported in the Experienced group. Conclusions This study suggests that participants’ knowledge of AAC for communication support of people with ALS was retained 6 months after completing the short training program, and hands-on AAC experience helped them develop their skills and reduce the perceived subjective burden.