Staff Training Program Research Articles

Hospital healthy cafeteria initiatives: a systematic review of consumer behaviour related studies

Unhealthy food has become a concerning issue in the context of hospital cafeterias. Cafeterias in hospitals have been value-added with healthy menu offerings and safe eating practices to promote healthy eating to customers. Research in food service operation precisely in hospital healthy cafeterias is abundant. However, the scope of the study, study design and study setting varied. This paper aimed to present a systematic review of hospital healthy cafeteria initiatives-based research within the context of consumer behaviour. Published research between the year 2000 through 2020, conducted within the hospital cafeteria was assessed. The main criteria of selection were the existence of a comprehensive description of the instrument, questionnaire, or interviews used to gather the relevant data. Initial 53 articles underwent careful evaluation independently to ensure that they were empirical research carried out within the context of healthy cafeterias at hospitals. As a result, 29 articles were reviewed. The scope of the study includes consumer behaviour, the effect of promotion on sales in healthy cafeterias, management and service personnel, the audit of the compliance of healthy cafeterias and the effects of food category or nutrition labelling intervention. Quantitative research design has been used in most research compared to qualitative and mixed methods and the subject of studies involved hospital staff, visitors and food service managers. The findings of this review implied that healthy cafeteria initiatives have been introduced in the hospital food service. But more consumer behaviour research, continuous food service staff training, strategic promotion and intervention programs for healthy menus, eating habits and lifestyles could be implemented to make hospital healthy cafeterias successful.

Organizational Sensemaking Systems as a Determinant of Successful Organizational Change: A Grounded Theory Approach

Organizational Sensemaking has been in the literature for nearly three decades – however, classical theories of organizational sensemaking have studied it as an individual or team-level phenomenon rather than at an organizational level. As a result, the multi-level implications of organizational sensemaking and its relationship to organizational change have yet to receive significant empirical attention. A greater understanding of organizational sensemaking may yield insights on how the effectiveness of organizational change interventions can be improved. A grounded theory approach is being used to examine the introduction of a training program for corrections staff in support of participatory ergonomics to improve worker health and wellbeing. Early findings are being used to construct a theoretical framework to guide the design of organizational sensemaking systems (OSS). The potential for OSS to promote organizational situational awareness, shared mental models, and organizational readiness for change is discussed along with design implications and directions for future research.

Causes of and Alternatives to Medication for Behaviours That Challenge in People with Intellectual Disabilities: Direct Care Providers' Perspectives.

Behaviours that challenge (BtC), such as aggression and self-injury, are manifested by many people with intellectual disabilities (ID). National and international guidelines recommend non-pharmacological psychosocial intervention before considering medication to address BtC. Support staff play a pivotal role in the prescription process. Using coproduction, we developed a training programme for support staff, called SPECTROM, to give them knowledge and empower them to question inappropriate prescriptions and ask for the discontinuation of medication if appropriate and instead look for ways to help people with ID when they are distressed without relying on medication. We have presented data from two focus groups that we conducted during the development of SPECTROM: one that included support staff, and another that had service managers and trainers. In these focus groups, we explored participants’ views on the use of medication to address BtC with a particular emphasis on the causes of and alternatives to medication for BtC. Along with the participants’ views, we have also presented how we have addressed these issues in the SPECTROM resources.

Quality of nursing records in a sector of the Public Hospital of the City of Oberá

Background: records are the main source of information regarding the patient's situation, and should contain complete and accurate information, as they allow retrospective evaluation of the care and attention provided. Aim: to analyze quality indicators of nursing records in a sector of the Public Hospital of the City of Oberá (Misiones) in Argentina. Methods: a retrospective, descriptive design was used for this study. The study was carried out from October 2021 to February 2022. The sampling process consisted in the selection of the patients' medical records, which finally consisted of 195 nursing records. Results: in relation to the distribution of compliance with nursing records according to the dimensions, problems are denoted in the home record, complete Kardex record (Digital Medical History System - RISMi) and complete record of nursing notes records. Conclusions: the evaluation of the quality of nursing records denoted that there are problems and weaknesses in terms of content, process and structure. The results of this study affirmed that nurses have failed to understand and apply the basic concepts of nursing diagnosis, planning, implementation and evaluation. This is alarming for the quality and effectiveness of nursing education, as well as for staff development and training programs for nurses

Hospital Emergency Department Staff Training for Effective Documentation of Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities

Abstract Date Presented 04/01/2022 Individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) have poorer health outcomes than those without IDD, in part because of a lack of training for health care professionals. Researchers implemented a training program for emergency department staff aimed at improving recognition, documentation, and coding. Results indicate that training was considered useful by staff but did not result in coding changes. Recommendations for future research and continued efforts are made. Primary Author and Speaker: Molly Bathje Additional Authors and Speakers: Sarah Brennan, Rose F. DiGiulio, Maeve McCormack, Marisa Snyder

Organizational records management at Effia Nkwanta Regional, Takoradi

This paper looks at the records management in organisations with emphasis on Effia Nkwanta Regional, Takoradi. Organisations are not aware that proper management of records contributes to the good of the organisation. Making of profit is all that organisations aim at; they forget that the maximization of profit depends partly on deciding which records to keep and which once to destroy.Effia Nkwanta Regional Hospital (ENRH) was established in 1938 as a Military Hospital by the then British West African royal Frontier Force (BWARFF) based in Takoradi. The Distribution and Charts shows the Top Ten (10) Disease of the Out-Patient department from 2018 with malaria recording the highest percentage each year at the hospital. This shows the organisation is able to carry out its duties smoothly by keeping records of top ten diseases each year. Objective of the study was to Maintaining adequate documentary records identify the problems associated with records management in the organisation among others. The finding of the study shows that Management does not organise training programmes for employees and staff on how records are managed.

Awareness about Hospital Waste Management System Among Janitorial Staff in Public and Private Hospitals of Hyderabad a Comparative Analysis

Objective: To assess and compare the knowledge, attitude and practices of janitorial staff regarding the hospital waste management system in public and private hospitals of Hyderabad.
 Study Design: Comparative cross-sectional study.
 Place and Duration of Study: Public and Private Hospitals of Hyderabad, from Oct 2017 to Mar 2018.
 Methodology: All 47 male and female janitorial staff of private and 47 public hospitals, aged 18 years were given a semistructured questionnaire about knowledge, attitude and practices regarding healthcare waste management. Scoring adequate knowledge, positive attitude and good practices were done to draw the results.
 Results: Out of the 94 included, 62 were male, and 32 were females. The majority of workers, 52 (55%), had working experience <5 years, whereas 27 (29%) and 15 (16%) of workers had working experience of >10 years and between 5-10 years, respectively. In most of the knowledge and attitude-related questions, scoring of adequate knowledge and positive attitude was significantly higher in staff working in private than in the public hospital. In contrast, the scoring of practice-related questions was found to be significantly higher in staff working in a public hospital compared to those working in a private hospital.
 Conclusion: Knowledge, Attitude and Practices among janitorial staff working in public and private hospitals were not up to the mark and were not following the standard operative procedures while handling the healthcare waste. Hospital administration to formulate and implement refresher comprehensive training programs for the janitorial staff.

Anticipated impacts of voluntary assisted dying legislation on nursing practice.

Background:The Voluntary Assisted Dying Act 2017 passed into law in Victoria, Australia, on the 29 November 2017. Internationally, nurses have been shown to be intimately involved in patient care throughout the voluntary assisted dying process. However, there is a paucity of research exploring Australian nurses’ perspectives on voluntary assisted dying and, in particular, how Victorian nurses anticipate the implementation of this ethically controversial legislation will impact their professional lives.Objectives:To explore Victorian nurses’ expectations of the ethical and practical impacts the voluntary assisted dying legislation will have on their professional lives.Research design:This qualitative study analysed nurses’ free text responses collected as part of a larger mixed methods online survey investigating staff views on the Voluntary Assisted Dying Act. Data were collected during the period between the passing of the voluntary assisted dying legislation and the start date and were analysed using inductive content analysis.Participants and research context:Free text survey responses were analysed from 1873 nurses employed across seven Victorian health services located in both metropolitan and regional areas of the state.Ethical considerations:The study obtained research ethics approval and all participants were informed of the voluntary and anonymous nature of their participation.Findings:This study identified three broad areas of Victorian nurses’ professional lives that they expected to be impacted by the implementation of voluntary assisted dying: professional identity, career development and workplace relationships.Conclusion:Participants anticipate diverse and nursing-specific impacts of the implementation of voluntary assisted dying in Victoria. Their insights can inform health services in jurisdictions considering or already implementing voluntary assisted dying, to develop policies, procedures and staff training programmes that safeguard the well-being and legal rights of their nursing staff.

Doctoral Studies in the Context of Global Trends: Problems and Key Factors of Development

The article focuses on the analysis of the current state, problems and key factors in the development of Russian doctoral education in connection with its transition from 2022/2023 academic year to the implementation of a new model in the context of global trends. As a result of analyzing and evaluating statistical data for 2010-2021 and summarizing numerous publications of researchers, the authors conclude that the trend of steady decline in the efficiency of doctoral education over the past decade is a systemic problem. It is proved that the transition to a new model of implementation of doctoral training programs for scientific and scientific-pedagogical staff aimed at improving its effectiveness, strengthening the scientific component and the quality of PhD dissertations is an important and necessary condition, but not sufficient to solve the existing problem. This study is an attempt to systematize the factors affecting the development of doctoral education in Russia, which determine the possibility of creating necessary and sufficient conditions for the effective functioning of the system of training highly qualified personnel. The authors identify three groups of key factors: dynamic changes in the development of the state policy aimed at improving management in the field of training scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel; developed ecosystem of educational and scientific organizations that provide doctoral education, including infrastructure, information, financial, organizational resources and scientific potential; doctoral students with interest and abilities in research activities, possessing a set of competencies necessary for the development of doctoral education. At the same time, such prospective tasks are considered as increasing reputational responsibility of organizations, which offer programs for training scientific and scientific-pedagogical personnel; forming effective system of targeted training in doctoral education; developing mechanisms for integration of science, higher education and industry by means of creating consortiums, the incentives for which are laid down in the “Priority 2030” university state support program.

Evaluation of a Suicide Prevention Program Encompassing Both Student and Teacher Training Components.

Background: Although suicide prevention programs have been shown to change suicide-related knowledge and attitudes, relatively little is known about their effects on actual behavior. Aims: Therefore, the focus of the present study was on improving participating school staff's practical and communication skills. Method: Suicide prevention workshops for students in grades 8-10 (N = 200) and a gatekeeper training program for school staff (N = 150) were conducted in 12 secondary schools in Germany. Schools were alternately assigned to one of three interventions (staff, students, or both trained) or to a waitlist control group. Results: School staff undergoing the training showed increased action-related knowledge, greater self-efficacy when counseling students in need and augmented counseling skills, and also had more conversations with students in need. Although students participating in the workshops did not seek help more frequently, they provided help to their peers more often in the conditions in which both students and school staff or only the latter had been trained. Limitations: The generalizability of the results is constrained by high dropout rates due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the relatively small sample size. Conclusion: A combination of suicide prevention programs for school staff and students appears to be most effective.

Construction of Nursing Staff Training Program for Hospice Nursing Specialists in China

Based on the analysis of existing responsibilities, the formation of specialist nurse hospice care ability framework, develop the items of hospice care course knowledge system, using literature research method, and through the depth interview of hospice care related experts and patients' families, understand the specialist nurse hospice care knowledge level and learning needs, build the hospice care course knowledge system, form a talent training plan. The specific content includes the training objectives, content, methods and the corresponding assessment mechanism.

Implementation of a Post-Baccalaureate Program at a Pediatric Academic Medical Center: A Pathway to Graduate School.

Post-baccalaureate programs are increasingly common and have demonstrated success in preparing students for graduate programs. Most post-baccalaureate programs have a pre-medical focus, and the few existing clinical psychology-focused programs are centered on coursework, situated within a university, costly to students, and/or geared towards career change. The post-baccalaureate program at Nationwide Children's Hospital was created in 2017 and is uniquely positioned within a pediatric academic medical center. The program provides research skill training, mentorship, professional development, and graduate school preparation to employed clinical research coordinators. An early program assessment, based on self-reports, revealed the program attracts diverse participants that are primarily interested in pediatric or child psychology and rate themselves as "somewhat confident" in their current research skills. This manuscript summarizes the three phases of development and key components of the post-baccalaureate program, which can serve as a model to other medical centers interested in developing training programs for research staff, particularly underrepresented racial and ethnic minorities, and those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Development, evaluation, and implementation of an online pain assessment training program for staff in rural long-term care facilities: a case series approach

BackgroundPain among long-term care (LTC) residents, and especially residents with dementia, is often underassessed and this underassessment has been attributed, in part, to gaps in front-line staff education. Furthermore, although evidence-based clinical guidelines for pain assessment in LTC are available, pain assessment protocols are often inconsistently implemented and, when they are implemented, it is usually within urban LTC facilities located in large metropolitan centers. Implementation science methodologies are needed so that changes in pain assessment practices can be integrated in rural facilities. Thus, our purpose was to evaluate an online pain assessment training program and implement a standardized pain assessment protocol in rural LTC environments.MethodsDuring the baseline and implementation periods, we obtained facility-wide pain-related quality indicators from seven rural LTC homes. Prior to implementing the protocol, front-line staff completed the online training program. Front-line staff also completed a set of self-report questionnaires and semi-structured interviews prior to and following completion of the online training program.ResultsResults indicated that knowledge about pain assessment significantly increased following completion of the online training program. Implementation of the standardized protocol resulted in more frequent pain assessments on admission and on a weekly basis, although improvements in the timeliness of follow-up assessments for those identified as having moderate to severe pain were not as consistent. Directed content analysis of semi-structured interviews revealed that the online training program and standardized protocol were well-received despite a few barriers to effective implementation.ConclusionsIn conclusion, we demonstrated the feasibility of the remote delivery of an online training program and implementation of a standardized protocol to address the underassessment of pain in rural LTC facilities.

The ubiquity of diabetes distress among adults with type 1 diabetes in an urban, academic practice: A template for intervention.

The aim of this study was to assess the patterns of diabetes distress within an urban, technology-oriented academic clinical practice to inform staff training and intervention. Adults with type 1 diabetes completed the Type 1 Diabetes Distress Scale at their regular clinic visit. Descriptive statistics were generated to document the prevalence of diabetes distress overall, and from seven primary sources of distress: powerlessness, disease management, hypoglycaemia, negative social perceptions, eating, physician and family/friends. Additional analyses explored relations between diabetes distress, demographic characteristics and disease status. The prevalence of elevated diabetes distress was 30% overall, with 88% of the sample reporting elevated distress from at least one primary source. Women reported more elevated distress overall, and from the primary sources. There was an inverse relationship between diabetes duration with total diabetes distress (r=-0.19) and with the powerlessness subscale (r=-0.28). Also, those without micro- and/or macrovascular complications more frequently reported elevated distress from powerlessness (85%) compared to those having complications (61%). Use of technology (continuous glucose monitoring, insulin pumps) was not significantly related to diabetes distress. Diabetes distress was positively correlated with HbA1c. About 22% of individuals with HbA1c <53mmol/mol (<7%) had elevated total distress. About a third of the sample (34%-39%) reported elevated distress from powerlessness, hypoglycaemia, negative social perceptions, eating, or family/friends. It is critical to understand clinic-specific patterns of diabetes distress in order to customise staff training and intervention programmes, and thereby reduce distress among unique populations of adults with type 1 diabetes in different settings.

491 Evaluating the long-term impact of a practice-oriented research training program for clinical and translational research staff

OBJECTIVES/GOALS: The objective of this evaluation is to evaluate the long-term impact of the PORT program on the clinical and translational research careers of the participating research staff. The impact of the program is best demonstrated through measures of the scientific contributions of the participants as well as their professional advancement over time. METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: The PORT program participants were tracked through the collection of instructional and public records, including the collection of their subsequent grant and publications. The clinical and translational research careers of the participants was also assessed, using a measure adapted from the operational guidelines for NCATS’ Research Careers Common Metric. A survey was administered to part participants and interviews conducted with participants from the past cohorts. RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The evaluation results demonstrate the PORT program participants made substantial contributions to the advancement of clinical and translational research, particularly through their publication of hundreds of scientific works. In addition, the evaluation results reveal that the program had short-, intermediate- and long-term impact on their research careers, thereby contributing to the advancement of the health research workforce at the University of Michigan for well over a decade. Specific participant cases highlight how individuals utilized their experience and training to advance research agendas and their long-term careers at the institution. These findings can inform the development, implementation and evaluation of similar programs throughout the CTSA consortium and beyond. DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE: Most evaluations of research training and award programs for clinical and translational research staff do not evaluate the long-term impact of CTSA support on the research careers of the participants. The findings of this evaluation can help inform the development of new and more effective workforce development initiatives with long-term impact.

Algorithmengestützte Verwaltungsverfahren – Einsatzfelder, Risiken und Notwendigkeit ergänzender Kontrollen

The digitization of the German public sector is gaining momentum and it now also extends to the use of algorithms and artificial intelligence in administrative procedures. On the basis of recently published official data, a broad spectrum of fields and variants of application can be identified. However, this increasing reliance on algorithms also creates particular challenges to the rule of law. In particular, the reliance on algorithms can increase the risk of systematic unlawfulness and bias in administrative decision-making, whether fully automated or still accounted for by a human official. Recent studies suggest that also in the latter case, those risks are often not properly managed – and are sometimes even exacerbated – by the humans in the loop. The traditional instruments of judicial protection and internal administrative supervision are not well suited to address the aforementioned inherent and operational risks either; moreover, they offer only ex post remedies and have no preventive effect. Therefore, additional technical precautions and institutional arrangements are required to uphold the rule of law. They should include investments in explainable artificial intelligence (“XAI”) and adequate staff training programs, as well as the creation of public registers and independent standard-setting and auditing bodies for public sector algorithms. In particularly sensitive areas of administration, the use of technical or proprietary black box algorithms should be entirely banned until further technological progress on transparency and risk control has been made.

On Storytelling in Participatory Arts with Young People: The Gaps in the Story, by Catherine Heinemeyer

On Storytelling in Participatory Arts with Young People:The Gaps in the Story, by Catherine Heinemeyer Rachel Hedman (bio) Storytelling in Participatory Arts with Young People: The Gaps in the Story, by Catherine Heinemeyer. Palgrave Macmillan, 2020. ISBN 978-3-030-40580-9. $99.99 USD Hardback. ISBN 978-3-030-40581-6. $79.99 USD. Storytelling has long been an educational tool. In Storytelling in Participatory Arts with Young People: The Gaps in the Story, Catherine Heinemeyer traces the century-long evolution of "storyknowing," the way stories become knowledge. Educators, mental health counselors, and storytellers who purposely work with youth see different narrative worlds interweave. Heinemeyer addresses the potential of storytelling with and by adolescents and focuses on the gaps within the traditional triangular relationship between listener, storyteller, and story. These gaps include the happenings and interactions from listener to storyteller, from storyteller to story, and from story to listener. While many of the particular needs of youth have not changed significantly over the decades, Heinemeyer proposes that through social media and accessible technological tools to make, today's youth have expanded capabilities to tell their stories and to represent themselves to peers and adults. [End Page 157] Storytelling in Participatory Arts aims to serve as a self-discovery tool and to define participatory telling through applied research. Heinemeyer summarizes hundreds of storytelling sessions with 400+ youth involved with the Maple House, a residential youth mental health unit where she led weekly sessions, and a two-year residency linked to City School, which includes training programs for youth and staff along with an empowering lunchtime storytelling club for youth. Heinemeyer also draws on her experience with Acting Up, a theater program for youth with learning disabilities. Finally, Heinemeyer delves deeper into her highly documented field notes and evaluations from working with youth between 2013 and 2016. These findings are curated on a website at www.storyknowingwithadolescents.net and as reflections on her blog at www.storytellingwithadolescents.blogspot.com. I have advocated for and been involved with youth storytelling since 1994, and still found much of interest in Heinemeyer's work. One major limitation of this book, as the author notes, is that the focus rests primarily on experiences in England, leaving out the diversity of practices that occur worldwide. Even so, Heinemeyer provides compelling examples of the breadth of storyknowing possibilities for youth: Kevin Cordi's high school storytelling troupes in California and Ohio; Storytelling Centre in Glasgow with storytelling clubs for secondary school students; Belfast's Fighting Words project that has students write and speak their own stories; Real Talk in Scotland, a program that supports the mentally ill; Freedom Theatre in Palestine where youth combat images of violence with fantasy stories; Inspired Youth, where young filmmakers develop storylines based on true stories; Company Three, a theater troupe that presents plays for and by youth; and The Verbatim Formula, which conducts workshops for youth to shape their own stories to present on that stage. These youth-oriented programs bring hope to the global storytelling movement and to story arts practitioners. Storytelling in Participatory Arts is divided into three parts—Storyknowing, Telling Stories, and Story Gaps—followed by three appendixes—Practitioner Interviews, Story Games and Structures for Dialogue, and Recommended Further Reading. The book begins with a story about John, a resident from Maple House. Heinemeyer had asked all the inpatients to think of "watery memories." John told a story about running away from Maple House, and despite being a negative story about the very establishment where this workshop was taking place, the staff at Maple House encouraged John to develop his story further. [End Page 158] This empowered John to perform in front of nonparticipating youth, and finally John tapped into his skills as a lyricist and wrote a song. His energy toward the project inspired the other youth to be more heavily involved. Heinemeyer steers the workshop to "dialogic" storytelling that helps the listener-turned-storyteller to better meet their needs. Later, the author further explains "storyknowing" and its implications from an educational standpoint. Heinemeyer defines her methodology as "practice as research" and traces the evolution of storytelling as a classroom tool. Focusing on how storytelling has...

Multicomponent Staff Training Intervention to Improve Residential Dementia Care (PROCUIDA-Demencia): A Mixed-Methods 2-Arm Cluster Randomized Controlled Pilot and Clinical Outcomes Study.

To evaluate the feasibility outcomes of implementing a multicomponent staff training intervention (PROCUIDA-Demencia) to promote psychosocial interventions and reduce antipsychotic prescription in Mexican care homes and study its effect on staff's care experience and residents' quality of life. A mixed-methods 2-arm cluster randomized controlled pilot study of a 2-day staff training program with baseline, 12weeks, and 24weeks of the PROCUIDA-Demencia intervention vs treatment as usual (TAU). Eight care homes in Mexico City were selected, from which 55 residents and 126 staff were recruited. In situ staff training consisting of evidence-based manualized psychosocial interventions of person-centered activities, reminiscence therapy, doll therapy, psychomotor dance therapy, and antipsychotic prescription review. Fidelity to protocol was supervised once a week. Cluster-level feasibility measures included views of staff, residents, and relatives on acceptability, satisfaction, adherence, and fidelity to the intervention. Staff outcome measures were Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI), Approaches to Dementia Questionnaire, and Sense of Competence in Dementia Care Staff. Residents' outcome measures included Quality of Life-Alzheimer's Disease scale (QoL-AD), and Neuropsychiatric Inventory-Nursing Home Version (NPI-NH). Staff distress was measured using the NPI-NH occupational disturbance scale. Feasibility was elicited through a focus group, and hierarchical linear mixed effects models were used to assess the adjusted effects of the respective measures. Observed medical practice showed the prescription of at least 1 antipsychotic in 41% of participants in the intervention group. Overall, 39% of residents reported discontinuation, and 15% reduction of antipsychotics, following the 12-week medical review in parallel with psychosocial interventions. Clinical outcomes contributed positively to the reduction in baseline staff burden according to the MBI after the intervention [mean difference-8.9, 95% confidence interval (CI)-17.7,-0.1, P= .049] and to the reduction in severity and frequency of behavior as per NPI-NH in residents (mean difference-9.4, 95% CI -17.5,-1.3, P= .025). PROCUIDA-Demencia is a feasible intervention for Mexican care homes. Results contribute to the Mexican Dementia Plan optimizing dementia care by supporting the need for staff training to implement psychosocial interventions prior to prescribing antipsychotic medication.

Effects of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy on Nurse Mentors Using a Mentoring System for Reducing their Burnout

Background: This study aimed to implement a staff training program based on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) to reduce burnout for mid-career nurses (hereafter, nurse mentors) and determine the effectiveness of the program. Methods: Participants comprised 52 nurse mentors working in an acute care hospital. The program consisted of three sessions. The first session was designed to understand stress and burnout among nurse mentors, and to determine counseling mindset and various counseling techniques. The second session attempted to acquire basic knowledge of CBT and understand interventions based on cognitive restructuring. The third session comprised a 15-minute lecture on intervention-based problem-solving techniques and psychological education that summarized the program, 75 minutes of group work. The primary outcome measure was assessed using the Knowledge Checklist of Cognitive Therapy for Nurses. The secondary outcome measures were assessed using the 20-item shortened version of the Active Listening Attitude Scale, the Communication Skills Scale, the Multidimensional Empathy Scale, and the Maslach Burnout Inventory. Results using the above measures were compared before, immediately after, and three months after the intervention. Results: Data of48 participants (5 male nurse mentors and 43 female nurse mentors) who responded to the questionnaire before, immediately after, and three months after the intervention were analyzed. The Friedman test was performed before, immediately after, and three months after the intervention, and knowledge of CBT, which was the primary outcome measure, significantly improved. In addition, the secondary outcome measures of burnout, “emotional exhaustion” and “depersonalization,” decreased, while "sense of personal accomplishment" improved. In addition, communication skills such as “deciphering ability” and “expressivity” improved. Conclusion: The staff training program based on CBT was effective in reducing nurse mentors’ burnout. Furthermore, the program was effective in improving their communication skills.

Measuring the impact of a training intervention for early childhood centre staff on child development outcomes: Findings from a cluster randomized control field trial in rural Malawi.

BackgroundEvidence from low‐income settings around early education interventions that can improve young children's development is sparse, particularly with regard to the most marginalized children. This study used a two‐arm parallel cluster randomized control design to evaluate the impact of an adapted staff training programme on the developmental outcomes of children attending community‐based early learning centres in Thyolo district, rural Malawi.MethodsAt baseline we randomly selected 48 centres, from each of which 20 children were randomly selected, although data from one centre was incomplete resulting in 932 children from 47 centres. Centres were randomly allocated to either the intervention or control arm. Twelve months later, follow‐up data were collected from 44 centres. At baseline and endline, community‐based childcare centre (CBCC) managers provided information about the centre, and parents/guardians provided information on the children, including the primary outcomes of age‐standardized development scores in the language and social domains, measured using the Malawi Developmental Assessment Tool. Children in the bottom 2.5 percentile of either domain were considered to have a delay; a third outcome variable, Any Delay, was developed to indicate children with a delay in either or both domains. Centre‐level mean scores were calculated, and linear regression models were constructed to assess differences between baseline and endline and between allocation groups.ResultsAnalysis of the difference between baseline and endline measures in the allocation groups shows a non‐significant reduction in delay associated with the study intervention across all domains. Adjustment for baseline characteristics within the CBCCs showed little impact on the magnitude of the observed effect, and the difference remained non‐significant.ConclusionsDespite no observed differences between allocation groups, the data did indicate a positive change in the intervention groups in both domains, particularly language. Community‐based early learning in Malawi holds tremendous potential for promoting inclusive development and learning.