Labor Support Research Articles

Working on Counseling Skills to Improve Nursing Undergraduates' Knowledge and Breastfeeding Professional Self-Efficacy.

Being well prepared and feeling confident when working with women who are breastfeeding is a challenge for many health professionals who need to be prepared to manage breastfeeding or any associated problems. The purpose of this study was to explore the changes in students' breastfeeding professional self-efficacy and knowledge after a workshop on breastfeeding counseling. The counseling workshop increased their knowledge (p ≤ .001) and breastfeeding professional self-efficacy (p ≤ .001) in the provision of labor support. Counseling skills help students to integrate the knowledge and feel more confident to provide breastfeeding care.

The role of "global competence" in professional competencies of Kazakhstan future educational psychologists

Relevance. The study addresses the crucial need for training globally competent educational psychologists, particularly within the context of Kazakhstan universities. As professionalism becomes vital for effective labour market inclusion, the development of global competencies in future educational psychologists is essential. Purpose. The research aims to identify the training needs of globally competent educational psychologists, and graduates of the "Pedagogy and Psychology" educational program, and to pinpoint priority areas for the development of global competencies among Kazakhstan university students in this field. Methodology. A pilot survey was conducted among students in the "Pedagogy and Psychology" program to assess their current level of global competence and gather their views on international news, cultural diversity events, and global issues discussions. Results. The survey results indicate an overly optimistic view regarding the potential to train globally competent educational psychologists. The findings underscore the necessity for highly educated and qualified specialists, aligning with state policies on optimizing the national labour market. Conclusions. The study highlights the importance of developing global competencies in educational psychologists to ensure their effective inclusion in the labour force. Training programs must focus on enhancing professionalism to meet the demands of the national labour market and support state policies on workforce development. Keywords: educational psychologist; globalization; professional competencies; global competence

The Interdisciplinary Doula Project: Innovations in Nursing Clinical Education.

People giving birth report overwhelmingly positive experiences with nursing students acting as doulas. However, no programs report on improving diversity among students, pregnant people, and curricula. This article describes the Interdisciplinary Doula Project, a program to enhance diverse perspectives and clinical skills of university students. Nursing (n = 21, 77.8%) and other health students (n = 6, 22.2%) completed doula training, diversity seminars, and 36 hours of intrapartum care. Seven nursing students were hired to work on labor and delivery upon graduation. This innovative program may increase registered nurses trained to provide culturally congruent labor support for vulnerable pregnant populations.

AgAID Institute—AI for agricultural labor and decision support

AbstractThe AgAID Institute is a National AI Research Institute focused on developing AI solutions for specialty crop agriculture. Specialty crops include a variety of fruits and vegetables, nut trees, grapes, berries, and different types of horticultural crops. In the United States, the specialty crop industry accounts for a multibillion dollar industry with over 300 crops grown just along the U.S. west coast. Specialty crop agriculture presents several unique challenges: they are labor‐intensive, are easily impacted by weather extremities, and are grown mostly on irrigated lands and hence are dependent on water. The AgAID Institute aims to develop AI solutions to address these challenges, particularly in the face of workforce shortages, water scarcity, and extreme weather events. Addressing this host of challenges requires advancing foundational AI research, including spatio‐temporal system modeling, robot sensing and control, multiscale site‐specific decision support, and designing effective human–AI workflows. This article provides examples of current AgAID efforts and points to open directions to be explored.

Patient perception of labor support behaviors provided by Finnish midwives

BackgroundAlmost all births in Finland occur in hospitals, but the concept of labor support behavior is not well-known among Finnish midwives. ObjectiveThe primary aim was to increase perceived labor support as measured by BANSILQ. MethodsThis study was tailored to evaluate the impacts of short on-the-job training interventions for midwives (n=70) in labor support given to mothers. The training was conducted at one university hospital and and one regional hospital during 2012. The trainings were carried out twice at both hospitals to reach as many miwdwives as possible to participate. Two university hospitals—one regional and one central—were selected as controls. New mothers were asked to complete the Bryanton Adaptation of the Nursing Support in Labor Questionnaire (BANSILQ) in the postpartum wards at all the selected hospitals before the intervention (n=1500) and after the intervention (n=1500). The data were linked to the Finnish Medical Birth Register (MBR). As this is an in-job training intervention study and not a trial, it has not been registered in a trial registry. ResultsThe response rate was 68% (n=1020) for the pre-intervention survey and 47% (n=704) for the post-intervention survey. At the regional-level intervention hospital, the mean length of the second stage of childbirth decreased significantly. A bonding time of at least three minutes was three times more likely at both intervention hospitals. Support for breastfeeding was twice as likely at the university-level hospital after the intervention. In all the study hospitals, mothers with less education were more likely to receive tangible and informal support than highly educated mothers. ConclusionsThis short on-the-job intervention did not increase labor support provided by Finnish midwives in its entirety, and the effect on birth outcomes was minimal. However, support for breastfeeding increased, and some types of support were targeted at those who needed it most. To improve midwifery care, both training and sufficient resources are needed.

Labor Support during the Early Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the United States.

To describe the experiences of registered nurses and certified nurse midwives who provided labor support and care in the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic. A descriptive, qualitative approach was used to explore nurses' and midwives' perceptions via in-depth interviews. Data were analyzed via thematic analysis. Thirteen nurses, four of whom were also midwives, participated in semi-structured interviews. All provided care during the first 9 months of the pandemic and represented seven states across the United States. The analysis revealed an overarching theme, A New World but still a Celebration. This overarching theme encompasses participants' accounts of trying to provide the same support, presence, and celebration while dealing with constant policy changes, the impact of limited family presence in labor, and their own fears and risks. Four sub-themes were identified: The Impact of Nursing during COVID-19; Challenges, Changes, and Consequences; Unexpected Benefits; and The Cost. The first year of the COVID-19 pandemic saw unprecedented challenges for nurses. Practice changes due to these changing policies had negative and positive effects. Negative practices affected family support, decreased interprofessional collaboration, and caused shorter hospital stays for new mothers. Some positive aspects of practice changes included additional time for mother-newborn bonding due to restrictive visitation policies, increased initiation of breastfeeding, and focused patient education. Nurses across the United States are still coping with practice changes from the pandemic. Our study highlights the need to support nurses in adapting care in the midst of practice changes.

Integrating scenario game-based learning with the experiential learning strategy to facilitate nursing students’ learning performance and core competencies in labor support training

ABSTRACT Nursing students participating in labor support training need to learn core clinical skills to assess the delivery process to reduce the risk and labor pain of pregnant women. We proposed an approach to integrate scenario game-based learning with the experiential learning strategy to facilitate nursing students' learning performance and six core competencies (6CCs) (communication, collaboration, critical thinking, complex problem solving, creative thinking, and computational thinking) during labor support training. This study adopted a quasi-experimental study with a pretest and posttest design. We randomly allocated 44 first-year nursing students at a university nursing school to an experimental group (adopted scenario game-based learning integrated with the experiential learning strategy) (n = 21) or a control group (adopted video-based learning) (n = 23). Before and after the intervention, all students were assessed for their learning performance and 6CCs in labor support. The results showed that the experimental group exhibited significantly better learning performance and 6CCs than the control group, indicating that the integration of a scenario game-based learning with the experiential learning strategy validated a strong impact on nursing students' labor support training. Nurse scholars should deliberately incorporate appropriate technologies and learning strategies to facilitate nursing education.

Rural and Urban Transitions with Biogas and Biomethane in Brazil: a Water Energy-Food Nexus Analysis

Brazil has historical concerns about renewable sources of energy, mainly because it is the largest tropical country in the world, receiving intense solar radiation, which is the basis of biomass production. In addition, the country has exceptional soil and climate conditions and great biodiversity. Agriculture and livestock activities are very representative in the Brazilian economy and produce usable biomass, which entail renewable sources of energy and the need for residue management. In this context, biogas represents a basic energy source; it is generated via planned treatment of animal, human and industrial wastes. This has two main results: a) the generation of electric, thermal, and vehicular (biomethane) energy; and b) the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and resultant mitigation of global warming. This paper assesses agricultural biogas projects being developed by Itaipu Binational, the second largest hydroelectric power generation company in the world, which has diversified its energy production from hydropower into other renewable sources such as biogas. In addition to promoting environmental and economic benefits, it promotes local social development, since the process for biogas production constitutes and sustains a relatively complex supply chain, requiring local skilled labor, technical and scientific support, and environmental awareness in the population. We conclude with implications of the Itaipu biogas case example for a range of other contexts.

Relationships Among Individual and Hospital Characteristics and Self-Efficacy in Labor Support Among Intrapartum Nurses in Texas

ObjectiveTo explore the relationships among individual and workplace characteristics and self-efficacy in labor support among intrapartum nurses. DesignCross-sectional survey. SettingOnline distribution from April to August 2020. ParticipantsMembers of the Texas section of the Association for Women's Health, Obstetric, and Neonatal Nurses (N = 106). MethodsI conducted descriptive analysis on individual and workplace characteristics, including scores on the Self-Efficacy Labor Support Scale. I conducted backward stepwise multivariate linear regression to assess the factors associated with self-efficacy in providing labor support. ResultsYears as an intrapartum nurse had a positive association with self-efficacy in labor support. Experience with open-glottis pushing, the overall cesarean birth rate, and the use of upright positioning during labor and birth were also positively associated with self-efficacy in labor support. Conversely, lack of recognition by providers was negatively associated with self-efficacy in labor support. ConclusionFindings suggest that modifiable factors at the individual and hospital levels are associated with nurses’ self-efficacy in labor support. Hospitals must work to engage in obstetric practices that are congruent with providing labor support, including the use of experienced nurses to mentor new nurses and the creation of a unit culture to reinforce the intent of individual nurses to provide labor support.

Impact of continuous labor companion- who is the best: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.

Continuous labor support is widely acknowledged for potentially enhancing maternal and neonatal outcomes, the physiological labor process, and maternal satisfaction with the labor experience. However, the existing literature lacks a comprehensive analysis of the optimal characteristics of labor companions, particularly in comparing the effects of trained versus untrained and familiar versus unfamiliar labor companions across diverse geographical regions, both pre-and post-millennial. This meta-analysis addresses these research gaps by providing insights into the most influential aspects of continuous labor support. A thorough search of PubMed, Google Scholar, Science Direct, International Clinical Trials Registry Platform (ICTRP), ClinicalTrials.gov, Research4Life, and Cochrane Library was conducted from 25/06/2023 to 04/07/2023. Study selection utilized the semi-automated tool Rayyan. The original version of the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool was used to assess the quality of Randomized Controlled Trials (RCTs) while funnel plots gauged the publication bias. Statistical analysis employed RevMan 5.4, using Mantel-Haenszel statistics and random effects models to calculate risk ratios with 95% confidence intervals. Subgroup analyses were performed for different characteristics, including familiarity, training, temporal associations, and geographical locations. The study was registered in INPLASY (Registration number: INPLASY202410003). Thirty-five RCTs were identified from 5,346 studies. The meta-analysis highlighted significant positive effects of continuous labor support across various outcomes. The highest overall effect without subgroup divisions was the improvement reported in the 5-minute Apgar score < 7, with an effect size of 1.52 (95% Confidence Interval (CI) 1.05, 2.20). Familiar labor companions were better at reducing tocophobia, with an effect size of 1.73 (95% CI 1.49, 2.42), compared to unfamiliar companions, with an effect size of 1.34 (95% CI 1.14, 1.58). Untrained labor companions were the better choice in reducing tocophobia and the cesarean section rate compared to trained companions. For the analysis of tocophobia, the pooled effect sizes were 1.34 (95% CI 1.14, 1.57) and 1.84(95% CI 1.60, 2.12) in trained versus untrained subgroup comparisons. For the cesarean rate, they were represented as 1.22 (95% CI 1.05, 1.42) and 2.16 (95% CI 1.37, 3.40), respectively. The pooled effect size for the duration of labor was 0.16 (95% CI 0.06, 0.26) for the subgroup of RCTs conducted before 2000 and 0.53 (95% CI 0.30, 0.77) for the subgroup of RCTs conducted after 2000. A significant subgroup difference (<0.1) was found in relation to the duration of labor, cesarean section rate, oxytocin for labor induction, analgesic usage, and tocophobia in the subgroup analysis of geographical regions. The beneficial effects of a labor companion are well-established in the literature. However, studies systematically assessing the characteristics of labor companions for optimal beneficial effects are lacking. The current study provides insights into the familiarity, training, temporal association, and geographical settings of labor companions, highlighting the differing impact of these characteristics on measured outcomes by evaluating the current randomized controlled trials on the topic. There is insufficient evidence to define the 'best labor companion' owing to the heterogeneity of labor companions and outcome assessment across different studies. We encourage well-designed further research to fill the research gap.

The Impact Of Workload, Availability Of PPE Facilities And Organizational Support On The Work Stress Of Health Workers Taking Attention To Covid-19 Patients At RS Keluarga Kita

Since the outbreak of the corona virus-19 has made it difficult for all health workers and even lack of rest, causing many health workers to be vulnerable and easily experience stress at work. The purpose of this study was to assess the effect of workload, availability of PPE facilities and organizational support on the work stress of health workers who treat COVID-19 patients at our family hospital. This research was conducted from February 2021 to June 2021. The type of research carried out was explanatory research with quantitative methods. This research was conducted at the Kita Family Hospital with a total of 172 respondents. From the research conducted, it was found that there was an effect of workload, availability of PPE facilities, organizational support, and division of labor on the work stress of health workers who partially handle Covid-19, so it can be concluded that an even distribution of tasks and in accordance with competence will reduce stress. the work of health workers who handle Covid-19 during the pandemic by ensuring the availability of appropriate and sufficient PPE, providing good support, appreciating the efforts and work of health workers, paying attention to the welfare of health workers.

The Group Appeal Strategy: Beyond the Policy Perspective on Party Electoral Success

Political parties use policy appeals to change their policy images and increase electoral support. Building on the idea that parties’ group images also matter to voters, this article shows that group appeals can benefit parties as well. Combining manifesto data on policy and group appeals covering 50 years, we revisit the shift from class to catch-all politics in Britain and present three findings. First, a vote share analysis shows that the Labour Party benefited from using not just policy but also group appeals to downplay its class image. Second, consistent with a catch-all strategy, survey evidence shows that this boost in Labour support was most prominent outside the traditional base. Third, while group appeals had independent effects, we show how group and policy appeals also interact and reinforce each other. This suggests that non-policy strategies matter to parties’ electoral success on their own but also in combination with policy strategies.

Analyzing the Correlation of Government Support Efforts to Franchise in MEA for Indonesia's Economic Progress

There are lots of very diverse new businesses that offer different types of products and services, such as modern food and beverage businesses. The franchise business concept makes it possible for someone who has material capital but lacks experience in building their own business to have a profitable business, especially if you buy a franchise from a well-known brand. The purpose of this study is to analyze the correlation of franchise with the input of labor support in dealing with the MEA and to analyze the role of the government in franchise support in the substance of the MEA. regarding the franchise in facing MEA and how the government contributes in it. The industry contribution to the franchise sector is very large because it can absorb a lot of labor, with a large number of workers absorbed increasing economic growth in Indonesia, franchises are able to survive the monetary crisis because franchises produce products that are directly consumed, not depending on capital from banks, to produce goods selectively based on consumption needs, franchise generally comes from termination of employment.

Preventing Job Burnout: Could Workplace Support Protect Maternal and Child Health Professionals Who Are Doing Public Health Equity Work?

To assess the potential of workplace support to protect public health equity workers against job burnout and to identify key workplace support components. This mixed-methods, explanatory sequential study analyzed survey and interview data collected between August 2020 and June 2021. Participants included governmental and non-governmental public health employees whose programs largely focus on Maternal and Child Health populations and who reported that their jobs involved working to reduce health inequities ("equity work"). Regression analysis tested the effect of emotional labor on job burnout, and whether workplace support modified that effect. Qualitative analysis of interview transcripts explored possible components of needed workplace support. Emotional labor was positively associated with job burnout (p < .001), and there was a significant negative interaction between emotional labor and workplace support, meaning workplace support appeared to reduce the effect of emotional labor on burnout (p = .036). Qualitative analysis identified four support components: peer-to-peer mentoring connections, workplace accommodations, engaged and empathetic supervision, and mental health resources. Workplace support is associated with reduced job burnout for public health equity workers, especially those whose jobs involve high levels of emotional labor. Few public health employers are providing needed emotional supports for their equity workers, but certain supports appear to be helpful in reducing job burnout.

Nulliparous Women's Expectations and Experiences of Early Labor.

To describe the expectations of early labor by nulliparous pregnant women in their third trimester and first-time mothers' experiences of early labor after they had given birth. A descriptive qualitative approach involving semi-structured, video-call interviews conducted between September 2020 and April 2021. Data were analyzed using content analysis. Twenty-two women took part in this study. Only 3 of the 10 nulliparous pregnant participants reported pain as an expected symptom of early labor. There were two themes identified from interviews with pregnant participants: Desire to stay at home in early labor and Lack of knowledge and two themes from interviews from postpartum participants: Expectations didn't match experiences and Feelings of anxiety and uncertainty during early labor . Nulliparous women lack knowledge of and skills to effectively cope with pain during early labor while at home. There is a need for an innovative labor support program for childbearing women to remain safely at home in early labor.

The impact of local identities on voting behaviour: a Scouse case study

The political salience of local identities has received limited academic attention in the British political science literature. This paper is a step towards addressing this, through a case study of the Scouse identity. The Scouse identity is primarily found in the English city of Liverpool, Merseyside and its environs. Using original survey data of electors from across Merseyside, alongside the British Election Study, this paper explores the political salience and consequences of the Scouse identity and places it in the comparative context of sub-state national identities across Great Britain, namely Englishness, Scottishness, and Welshness. I find that holding a Scouse identity leads to higher levels of Labour support and lower levels of Conservative and Green support, that the political consequences of the Scouse identity vary across Merseyside, and that local identities can and do exist alongside sub-state national identities, challenging the myth of ‘Scouse not English’. Put simply, local identities can and do matter when it comes to shaping voting behaviour.

Bridging Health Disparities and Improving Reproductive Outcomes With Health Center-Affiliated Doula Programs.

Doulas are community perinatal professionals trained in pregnancy health, childbirth preparation, labor support, lactation counseling, and postnatal care. Doulas serve as patient advocates and provide laboring patients with continuous one-to-one support including informational, physical, and emotional support. Research shows that access to continuous labor support contributes to positive health outcomes such as increasing rates of spontaneous vaginal delivery, shorter labor, less need for analgesics, and increased satisfaction with the birthing process. However, despite their benefits, socioeconomic, structural, and systemic factors limit doula accessibility and manifest in low utilization among patients who could benefit from doulas the most. Given the positive health implications of doula support and the need for these services in underserved populations, there is an urgency to increase the accessibility of doulas. Several health centers in the United States have created successful doula programs to meet the needs of their patient populations. To better understand these programs, we interviewed and collaborated on this paper with program representatives from Boston Medical Center's Birth Sisters and DREAM: Delivery Resources, Education, and Advocacy for Moms; UNC Health's Birth Partners; and Michigan Medicine's Dial-A-Doula. Because many health centers serve as large public safety-net hospitals, having more health center-affiliated doula programs nationwide could be a positive step in bridging disparities and improving maternal and child health.

Paradoxes in the cultural doula concept for migrant women: Implications for gender-inclusive care versus migrant-friendly maternity care

ObjectiveSwedish healthcare policies promote gender equality, shared parenting and cultural diversity. In response to the risk of adverse outcomes for migrant women, cultural doulas were introduced as support for migrant women during pregnancy and/or labour. The aim is to investigate potential tensions in the cultural doula concept in relation to policies of gender equality and diversity. DesignAn interview study was designed to analyse perceptions of the cultural doula concept among healthcare providers in Swedish sexual and reproductive healthcare. Through the framework of Bacchi's approach ‘What Is the Problem Represented to Be?’ and Hochschild's concept of ‘global care chains’, we analyzed whether the introduction of the cultural doula concept is in line with the policies of gender equality and culturally sensitive care by exploring paradoxes, unintended consequences and what was not reflected upon. Setting and participantsSemi-structured interviews (n = 18) with midwives and obstetricians at hospitals in two Swedish counties during 2022. Measurements and findingsThe interviews were analyzed through thematic analysis. Cultural doulas were perceived as multi-tasking resources for facilitating integration and providing healthcare information and psychosocial support. Respondents did not identify doula support as a cultural practice in migrants’ origin countries. Despite awareness of cultural differences in gender norms, many respondents stated that doula support included male partners. Key conclusionsThe cultural doula concept includes paradoxes in relation to gender equality and diversity. Rather than empowering migrant women, the cultural doula concept is related to gendered patterns of low-educated, underpaid care work. Labour support interventions including migrant women's social network and intensified partner involvement would be more in line with Swedish policies of gender equality, shared parenting and cultural sensitivity when needed. However, doulas may be an imperfect solution for women lacking partners or social networks, for example, newly arrived migrant women, if no support is to be found within the perinatal care system. Implications for practiceMidwives and obstetricians need reflexivity about what the problem is represented to be when it comes to gender equality and cultural sensitivity in their collaboration with cultural doulas, boundaries between roles, how they handle confidentiality, and why cultural doulas are needed in relation to migrant women's integration.

노인일자리전담기관 사회복지사의 조직공정성과 이직의도의 관계에서 직무만족과 직무소진의 매개효과

The study purpose is analyzing the relationship between organizational justice and turnover intention and the mediating effect&#x0D; of job satisfaction and job burnout of social workers in senior employment agencies. A survey was conducted on 248 social workers of&#x0D; 26 agencies in Daejeon and Chungcheong provinces. The main analysis methods are confirmatory factor analysis/structural equation modeling.&#x0D; The analysis results are as follows: Firstly, all the paths between the main variables of this study are significant. Secondly, it is analyzed&#x0D; that the mediating effect of job satisfaction and job burnout is significant in the relationship between organizational justice and turnover&#x0D; intention of social workers in the agency. Based on the analysis results, practical measures to reduce social workers’ turnover intention&#x0D; and to effectively promote the senior employment and social activity support programme are as follows: Firstly, to increase organizational&#x0D; justice, it is necessary to reduce the ratio of non-regular workers, involve social workers in organizational decision-making, and form&#x0D; organizational culture of smooth communication. Secondly, for improving job satisfaction, it is desirable to strengthen ethical awareness,&#x0D; support for self-development, and support for emotional labor. Thirdly, it is important to provide appropriate supervision and operate a&#x0D; family-friendly institution to alleviate job burnout. I hope that researches on field measures to decrease the turnover intention of the workforce&#x0D; of the senior employment agency will continue.

Research on the Items of Importance and Satisfaction for Employability in the Korean Information Communication Technology Sector

This study discusses the employability of the workforce in relation to information communication technology. There is a difference in understanding in terms of items of importance/satisfaction during/after employment processes when considering organizations related to the information technology workforce. An empirical analysis of Korean employability based on literature from Asia was conducted. It indicated that differences in the perception of the 12 items comprising importance and satisfaction related to employability could potentially lead to job mismatch. We acquired an adequate sample of 296 respondents, consisting of various organizational employees. The sample was balanced in terms of gender and large or small/medium organizations. After establishing the rank of preferences among items, a difference analysis between/among groups through demographic variables was conducted. As a result, the need for additional disciplines or courses, the arrangement of preferred rank, and methods for enhancing skills from university or education/practice institutes for “interpersonal or team-working skills” and to “communicate effectively” with a higher rank among the general skills of importance/satisfaction were derived. Therefore, technology did not replace human personalities, communication skills, and human attributes such as human cooperation. This study can help address labor shortages and support sustainable employment in organizations, even if an empirical test is rare compared to descriptive statistical analyses.