Staff In Australia Research Articles

Miscommunication and misperceptions between health staff and Indigenous carers about raising smoking cessation in a paediatric ward in Australia: a qualitative study

Background: Communication with indigenous patients is often a problem for health staff in Australia. Aim: This paper examines the barriers and enablers in communication between health staff and Indigenous carers of paediatric patients in a hospital, about advice to help reduce exposure of children to second-hand smoke (SHS). Methods: Non-indigenous health staff and Indigenous carers, were recruited from a paediatric ward of a regional hospital in the Northern Territory. A constructivist grounded theory with multiphase case study design and semi-structured interviews was used. Results: Health staff and carers had different perceptions about raising the issue of smoking. Health staff lacked confidence to talk about smoking and questioned the cultural appropriateness of doing so. In contrast, carers expected to talk about smoking while in the hospital., and perceived it as part of a caring and protective relationship by health staff. English being a second language for carers was considered a significant communication barrier by staff; carers, however, felt that health staff needed to modify their communication styles. The possible misperceptions about carers’ lack of response to messages, led to health staff dropping the subject, when, in fact, carers were struggling with health workers communication styles. Conclusions: Health staff and carers perceive discussion around smoking differently. Cross-cultural communication education may empower staff to provide effective smoking cessation interventions in this setting. Impact statement: Improving communication between health staff will help ensure the optimal provision of smoking cessation support to carers.

Translating facilitated multimodal online learning into effective person-centred practice for the person living with dementia among health care staff in Australia: an observational study

BackgroundThis paper aims to identify whether health care staff perceive a 12-week online facilitated, multimodal, person-centred care, dementia education program influences their knowledge, skills, behaviour and practice improvement activities in dementia care. In particular it will examine a dementia education program ‘Positive Approach to Care of the Older Person with Dementia’ (The Program).MethodsThree clusters of online questions were developed. Participants completed the first cluster at course completion (N = 1455;2013–2016). The second cluster was added into the 2015–2016 exit-surveys to measure clinical practice improvement (CPI) activities implementation (N = 520). Thirdly, all participants were invited to a 2018 follow-up survey (N = 343). The Program was also matched with key factors that are likely to result in effective online dementia education programs.ResultsThe Program had a 78% completion rate. At course completion (2013–2016, N = 1455), 62% felt that the online forums generated useful discussion and 92% thought their work would support implementing their new knowledge and skills. In 2015–16, participants (N = 520) reported that The Program had influenced their practice in terms of new knowledge (87%), understanding (87%), awareness (88%), and new ideas about delivering dementia care (80%). Almost all (95%) participants indicated they had changed ‘an aspect of their own professional practice’. Sixty-three percent had planned to develop a CPI activity. Of those (N = 310), 40% developed a new or improved tool and 21% planned to deliver education or create new resources. The most common CPI activities reported in the 2018 follow-up survey (N = 343) included education (49%) and role modelling of new behaviour (47%). Additionally, 75% indicated their CPI influenced their practice and had influenced patients (53%) and colleagues (53%). Fifty-seven percent reported their projects were sustained for 12 months or more.ConclusionThe Positive Approach to Care of the Older Person with Dementia education program can potentially improve training the dementia workforce. Participants perceived that a multimodal online platform facilitated by clinical champions influences knowledge transfer, skills and behaviour, encourages workplace CPI activities. Further effort could be directed towards empowering and supporting care staff on system, procedure and practice change and engaging management to translate training activities into practice.

Towards the development of Vietnam's national dementia plan-the first step of action.

To foster a national dialogue on addressing dementia as an emerging public health problem and formulating a strategy for developing Vietnam's national dementia plan. In September 2018, the Vietnamese National Geriatric Hospital supported by University staff in Australia and the United States organised the first Vietnam National Dementia Conference in Hanoi. Over 270 Vietnamese dementia stakeholders and international dementia experts participated in the conference. The participants agreed dementia was a public health priority in Vietnam and identified the need for the development of Vietnam's national dementia plan. Policymakers supported positioning dementia as a priority in the national health agenda. Research institutions created collaboration to generate scientific information for policymaking process. Funding and international supports were obtained to develop Vietnam's national dementia plan. Strong leadership, stakeholder engagement and international support are critical in raising awareness and advocating for the development of Vietnam's national dementia plan.

Cleaning Staff's Attitudes about Hand Hygiene in a Metropolitan Hospital in Australia: A Qualitative Study.

Background: In 2009, the National Hand Hygiene Initiative (NHHI) was implemented in hospitals across Australia with the aim of improving hand hygiene practices and reducing healthcare-associated infections. Audits conducted post-implementation showed the lowest rates of compliance with hand hygiene practices are among operational staff including hospital cleaners. There is limited information about hand hygiene issues in hospital cleaners to inform development of evidence-based interventions to improve hand hygiene compliance in this group. Aim: This qualitative study was undertaken to explore the attitudes of hospital cleaning staff regarding hand hygiene and the National Hand Hygiene Initiative. Methodology: Focus groups were conducted with 12 cleaning staff at a large Australian hospital implementing the National Hand Hygiene Initiative. Findings: Hospital cleaners recognise the importance of hand hygiene in preventing healthcare-associated infections. Cleaners cite peer support, leadership, and the recognition and reward of those excelling in hand hygiene as strong motivators. Barriers to optimal hand hygiene practice include the presence of multiple conflicting guidelines, hand hygiene “overload” and a lack of contextualised education programs. This exploratory qualitative study reveals three themes about attitudes of hospital cleaning staff towards hand hygiene. These themes are: (1) “The culture of hand hygiene: It’s drummed into us”; (2) “Reminders and promotion for hand hygiene: We just need a big ‘Please wash your hands’ sign”; and (3) “The personal value of hand hygiene: Like he said, it’s second nature to us”. Conclusion: Hand-hygiene messages and training need to be more consistent and contextualised to achieve improvements in hand hygiene practices in hospital cleaning staff in Australia.

Staff views on commercial contract cheating in higher education: a survey study in Australia and the UK

Contract cheating is, potentially, a serious threat to the quality of higher education around the world. Prior research has focused on student perspectives and the companies themselves, but the staff view is poorly understood, despite staff being a major stakeholder with considerable influence over strategies designed to address contract cheating. We surveyed staff in Australia and the UK about their views on contract cheating. We asked staff to estimate the extent of contract cheating, how much it cost students to buy assignments, and whether proposed strategies to tackle contract cheating would work. We also asked about the factors which may motivate students to engage with contract cheating. Staff in both countries estimated high costs for an assignment from an online essay mill. Staff believed that low numbers (5–10%) of students are using these services, although this could represent approximately a quarter of a million students across the two countries. A large proportion of staff had had some experience with student cases of contract cheating at their university and reported that outcomes were lenient. The most prominent reasons which staff believed contributed to contract cheating were ‘Studying in a non-native language’ and ‘Fear of Failure’. Over half of the respondents were aware of companies selling work to students on campus. There was strong support for the view that contract cheating services should be illegal, and that creative assessment strategies could reduce contract cheating. There was also modest, qualified support for the criminalising of student use of these services, and an increased use of examination-based assessments. Suggestions are made for how these data can inform the ongoing debate around contract cheating, including increasing staff awareness of contract cheating and the development of more appropriate assessment strategies.

Slipping through the cracks: teachers who miss out on early career support

ABSTRACTThis paper presents evidence from a nationally representative sample of early career teachers about those likely to miss out on formal support, and the employment conditions associated with this absence of support. It uses survey data from the Staff in Australia’s Schools Survey. Consistent with existing research, our results suggest a relationship between early career teachers with insecure employment and a lack of support. The findings suggest that, for early career teachers, being unsupported is associated with dissatisfaction with professional relationships and career opportunities; and that this dissatisfaction is associated with an intention to leave the profession.

Professional Development for Teachers Working with International Students

The commercialisation of education and the massive recruitment of international students across different vocational education and training (VET) systems including the US, UK, Canada and Australia have led to significant changes in the VET teaching and learning landscape. This situation compels the VET sector to design and develop new professional development programs to support the immediate and changing needs of teachers working with the diverse international student cohort. However, to date, teacher professional development in response to the growing population of international students has not been an explicit focus of empirical study and theoretical conceptualisation in VET research. This study responds to this paucity. It draws on a broader three-year research project funded by the Australian Research Council (2014–2017) that involves fieldwork, participation in and observation of staff professional development activities and interviews with 102 VET staff in Australia. It uses positioning theory as a conceptual framework to examine how VET teachers position themselves and their professional development needs in response to international students. The results call for a critical need to re-examine the focus of the current professional development programs offered for VET teachers. The current context requires teacher professional development in international VET to focus on developing teachers’ capabilities to re-examine their pedagogical beliefs and practices and to understand international students’ various needs and cultural backgrounds. The study also stresses the importance of ongoing professional learning to equip teachers with the skills and knowledge to appropriate their pedagogical practices in response to the critical need to prepare all students for the intercultural labour market and to use students’ diversity as a resource for teaching and learning.

Evaluation of a lateral flow immunoassay for field identification of Solenopsis invicta (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) in Australia

AbstractIn an effort to improve surveillance capacity for the exotic red imported fire ant, Solenopsis invicta, a lateral flow immunoassay (LFA) was recently evaluated by Biosecurity Queensland staff in Australia. The purpose of the research was to assess the ability of the fire ant LFA to discriminate S. invicta from ants found in Australia and to conduct the first field evaluation of the test. In addition to S. invicta, 36 species of ants, collected mainly from Queensland, were evaluated by the LFA, including species from the Dolichoderinae (n = 7), Formicinae (n = 13), Myrmeciinae (n = 1), Myrmicinae (n = 11), Ponerinae (n = 3) and Pseudomyrmicinae (n = 1) subfamilies. The fire ant LFA test correctly identified S. invicta in every instance. No cross reactivity was observed in the other ant species. Field tests by staff previously unfamiliar with the test resulted in suggestions for improving ant collection and manipulation. The fire ant LFA appears to be suitable for use in Australia for rapid confirmation of potential new detections of S. invicta.

Improving childcare staff management of acute asthma exacerbation – An Australian pilot study

ABSTRACTObjective: This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of an asthma first-aid training tool for childcare staff in Australia. The effects of training on both asthma knowledge and skills were assessed. Methods: A pre/post-study design was utilised to assess changes in asthma knowledge and asthma first-aid skills in childcare staff before and after an educational intervention. Asthma first-aid skills were assessed from the participant's response to two scenarios in which a child was having a severe exacerbation of asthma. Asthma knowledge and asthma skills scores were collected at base-line and 3 weeks post the education session, which involved feedback on each individual's skills and a brief lecture on asthma delivered via PowerPoint presentation. Results: There was a significant improvement after intervention in asthma knowledge (Z = −3.638, p < 0.001) and asthma first-aid skills for both scenario 1 (Z = −6.012, p < 0.001) and scenario 2 (Z = −6.018, p < 0.001). In scenario 1 and 2, first-aid skills improved by 65% (p < 0.001) and 57% (p < 0.001), respectively. Asthma knowledge was high at baseline (79%) and increased by 7% (p < 0.001) after the educational intervention. These asthma knowledge results were not significant when adjusted for prior knowledge. Results suggest that knowledge assessment alone may not predict the practical skills needed for asthma first-aid. Conclusions: Skills assessment is a useful adjunct to knowledge assessment when gauging the ability of childcare staff to manage acute asthma exacerbation. Skills assessment could be considered for incorporation into future educational interventions to improve management of acute asthma exacerbation.

Nurse-Performed Endoscopy: Implications for the Nursing Profession in Australia.

Increasing demands for health care globally often lead to discussions about expanding the involvement of nurses in a range of nontraditional roles. Several countries have introduced nurse endoscopists as a means of easing the burden of demand for a range of endoscopic procedures. A shortage of medical staff in Australia combined with increasing demand for endoscopy led to the implementation of nurse endoscopists as a pilot program in the state of Queensland, where a nurse practitioner model was implemented, and Victoria, where an advanced practice model was used. This article will discuss the implementation of and responses from the nursing, medical, and policy community to nurse-performed endoscopy in this country. Regarding health policy, access to cancer screening may be improved by providing nurses with advanced training to safely perform endoscopy procedures. Moreover, issues of nurse credentialing and payment need to be considered appropriate to each country's health system model.

The Many Organisational Factors Relevant to Planning Change in Emergency Care Departments: A Qualitative Study to Inform a Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial Aiming to Improve the Management of Patients with Mild Traumatic Brain Injuries.

BackgroundThe Neurotrauma Evidence Translation (NET) Trial aims to design and evaluate the effectiveness of a targeted theory-and evidence-informed intervention to increase the uptake of evidence-based recommended practices for the management of patients who present to an emergency department (ED) with mild head injuries. When designing interventions to bring about change in organisational settings such as the ED, it is important to understand the impact of the context to ensure successful implementation of practice change. Few studies explicitly use organisational theory to study which factors are likely to be most important to address when planning change processes in the ED. Yet, this setting may have a unique set of organisational pressures that need to be taken into account when implementing new clinical practices. This paper aims to provide an in depth analysis of the organisational context in which ED management of mild head injuries and implementation of new practices occurs, drawing upon organisational level theory.MethodsSemi-structured interviews were conducted with ED staff in Australia. The interviews explored the organisational context in relation to change and organisational factors influencing the management of patients presenting with mild head injuries. Two researchers coded the interview transcripts using thematic content analysis. The “model of diffusion in service organisations” was used to guide analyses and organisation of the results.ResultsNine directors, 20 doctors and 13 nurses of 13 hospitals were interviewed. With regard to characteristics of the innovation (i.e. the recommended practices) the most important factor was whether they were perceived as being in line with values and needs. Tension for change (the degree to which stakeholders perceive the current situation as intolerable or needing change) was relatively low for managing acute mild head injury symptoms, and mixed for managing longer-term symptoms (higher change commitment, but relatively low change efficacy). Regarding implementation processes, the importance of (visible) senior leadership for all professions involved was identified as a critical factor. An unpredictable and hectic environment brings challenges in creating an environment in which team-based and organisational learning can thrive (system antecedents for innovation). In addition, the position of the ED as the entry-point of the hospital points to the relevance of securing buy-in from other units.ConclusionsWe identified several organisational factors relevant to realising change in ED management of patients who present with mild head injuries. These factors will inform the intervention design and process evaluation in a trial evaluating the effectiveness of our implementation intervention.

Self-reported harassment and bullying in Australian universities: explaining differences between regional, metropolitan and elite institutions

We analyse data from the largest survey of university staff in Australia to determine whether bullying and harassment are more common in regional than metropolitan and Go8 universities, and to what extent any differences could be attributed to other factors. While professional staff showed no difference in harassment rates between regional and metropolitan and Go8 universities, academic staff at regional universities reported significantly higher levels of harassment. This probably reflected the labour market and resource context of regional universities. Binary logistic regression indicated that a perceived lack of support for professional development partially explained the effect of regional status on differences in the rates of harassment/bullying across university types. Markers of organisational culture only partially account for differences in the rates of harassment/bullying between university types.

The Development of the strain in dementia care scale (SDCS)

Though many staff gain satisfaction from working with people with dementia in residential facilities, they also experience significant stress. This is a serious issue because this in turn can affect the quality of care. There is, however, a lack of instruments to measure staff strain in the dementia-specific residential care environment, and the aim of this study, accordingly, was to develop the "Strain in Dementia Care Scale." The instrument was developed in three steps. In the first step, items were derived from six focus group discussions with 35 nurses in the United Kingdom, Australia, and Sweden concerning their experience of strain. In the second step, a preliminary 64-item scale was distributed to 927 dementia care staff in Australia and Sweden, which, based on exploratory factor analysis, resulted in a 29-item scale. In the final step, the 29-item scale was distributed to a new sample of 346 staff in Sweden, and the results were subjected to confirmatory factor analysis. The final scale comprised the following 27 items producing a five-factor solution: Frustrated empathy; difficulties understanding and interpreting; balancing competing needs; balancing emotional involvement; and lack of recognition. The scale can be used (a) as an outcome measurement in residential care intervention studies; (b) to help residential facilities identify interventions needed to improve staff well-being, and, by extension, those they care for; and

Education and training for community pharmacists in mental health practice: how to equip this workforce for the future

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to explore the potential approaches to continuing education and training delivery for community pharmacists to equip them to support mental health consumers and carers with illnesses such as depression and anxiety.Design/methodology/approach– Review of national and international literature about community pharmacists’ roles, beliefs and attitudes towards mental health, continuing education delivery for the workforce and training recommendations to equip pharmacy workforce.Findings– Training involving consumer educators was effective in reducing stigma and negative attitudes. Interactive and contextually relevant training appeared to be more effective than didactic strategies. Narratives and role-plays (from the perspective of consumers, carers and health professionals) are effective in promoting more positive attitudes and reduce stigma. Flexible on-line delivery methods with video footage of expert and consumer narratives were preferable for a cost-effective programme accessible to a wide community pharmacy workforce.Originality/value– There is a clear need for mental health education for community pharmacists and support staff in Australia. Training should target reducing stigma and negative attitudes, improving knowledge and building confidence and skills to improve pharmacy staff's perceived value of working with mental health consumers. The delivery mode should maximise uptake.

An Evaluation of the Impact of a Health Literacy Educational Package for Community Pharmacists and Pharmacy Staff in Australia

Pharmacists and Pharmacy Staff in Australia Swinburne GJ1, Duncan GJ2, Hussainy SY1, Mc Namara K1,3, Stewart K1, Emmerton LM4 1Centre for Medicine Use and Safety, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia 2Eastern Health Clinical School, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia 3Greater Green Triangle University Department of Rural Health, Flinders University and Deakin University, Warrnambool, Australia 4School of Pharmacy, Curtin University, Perth, Australia

The accountability of ministerial staff in Australia

It is a reasonable community expectation that ministerial staff who enjoy the privilege of working at the interface of politics and public administration in Australia are subject to appropriate accountability measures. The key questions are what measures currently exist to hold ministerial staff accountable, how effective are such measures, and how could accountability be improved. While descriptions of an ‘accountability black hole’ for ministerial staff are overstated, the measures now in place do not operate uniformly across Australian jurisdictions, have on occasion developed in an ad hoc fashion and are sometimes uncertain in their application. Such circumstances highlight the need for reform, which may potentially encompass both accountability mechanisms directly applicable to ministerial staff, as well as measures that operate more broadly and apply to those with whom ministerial staff interact.在政治与公共管理交合处工作的澳大利亚内阁工作人员需要 接受适当的问责，这是一种合情合理的社会期待。关键的问题在于目前都有哪些手段能对他们问责，这些手段能否改进。设计问责方法的关键因素是内阁工作人员特殊角色和责任，其不同于非政治的公务员，也不同于作为决策者并直接参加公共辩论的大臣。说内阁工作人员为“问责黑洞”未免言过其实，但现在的那些方法在所有澳大利亚司法辖区并未统一运行，有时以特事特办的方式存在，往往在应用上含糊不定。这种状况说明需要改革。改革可以囊括直接适用于内阁工作人员的问责机制，以及涵盖更广、适用于与他们打交道的那些人的办法。

Allies in learning: critical insights into the importance of staff–student interactions in university education

Discussions of the quality of learning in university education often focus on curricula. Less attention is paid to the role of student–staff interactions. In a context in which a host of factors place pressure on the opportunities for students and staff to interact, it is important to use empirical insights to inform decisions about how to optimise learning. This paper uses data from a large survey of students and teaching staff in Australia to suggest that students and staff should be regarded as allies in learning. It investigates student reports to suggest that frequent interactions with those who teach them lead to higher levels of student engagement and satisfaction and lower attrition rates. The advantages do not only flow in one direction. Teaching staff gain insights into students' learning experiences, providing them with clues to better target their teaching.

Exemplary Practice for Learning 2.0

This article is based on cumulative analysis of research projects from 2009 and 2012 exploring the impact and effect of the programs on library staff in Australia, sponsored by CAVAL, a consortium of academic libraries, and in the United States. It includes analysis of survey responses from staff participants and program administrators as a means to identify exemplary practice for implementing self-directed online learning programs in library settings. Librarians creating staff training programs built on the Learning 2.0 (L2.0) model or those developing other types of self-directed online learning for groups will find an evidenced-based set of exemplary practices for such endeavors. The findings offer evidence that L2.0 programs have a positive effect on participants and their confidence and ability to use technology within their professional and personal lives.

Academic employment and gender equity legislation in Australia and Japan, 1970-2010

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to examine the rate of change of men and women's employment as university academic staff in Australia and Japan; and, drawing on quantitative methods, show differences in the rate of change since the introduction of anti-sex discrimination legislation. The author also includes a discussion of programmes designed to increase female participation in academic positions to provide background to the existing changes. Design/methodology/approach – Using statistics published by the Ministries of Education of both countries, a time series of female participation at each level of academic staff was constructed. Breakpoint analysis is used to model the changes in the rate of change before and after the legislation was introduced. Findings – Both Australia and Japan have seen an increase in female participation rates in academic employment at all levels since the introduction of anti-sex discrimination legislation. In addition, the rate of increase of female participation has increased at almost every level of academic staff in both countries between 1970 and 2010. Originality value – Through setting out the changes in female participation at individual levels of academic staff in Japan and Australia, this study sets the stage for future qualitative work exploring why differences in the numbers of female and male staff continue. A further use is the provision of a clear data set for use in teaching and policy construction through showing the increases in female participation in academia between 1970 and 2010.

An Australian and New Zealand scoping study on the use of 3D immersive virtual worlds in higher education

&lt;blockquote&gt;This article describes the research design of, and reports selected findings from, a scoping study aimed at examining current and planned applications of 3D immersive virtual worlds at higher education institutions across Australia and New Zealand. The scoping study is the first of its kind in the region, intended to parallel and complement a number of studies conducted in other parts of the world. Results from a sector-wide questionnaire administered as part of the scoping study, portions of which are presented in this article, appear consistent with international trends, especially in terms of the platforms chosen and the dramatic increase in usage seen in recent years. Higher education teaching staff in Australia and New Zealand are using 3D immersive virtual worlds with their students in a variety of ways, for both assessable and non-assessable tasks and in face to face, fully online/distance as well as blended-mode subjects, although use in face to face and blended contexts appears to be most common. The results also provide some insight into the demographics (e.g. age) of staff who have adopted 3D immersive virtual worlds in their teaching, as well as into the academic disciplines in which the technology is being employed.&lt;/blockquote&gt;