Set Of Technical Skills Research Articles

Developing a coaching mechanism for practicing surgeons

While performance feedback and assessment are hallmarks of surgical training, they abruptly cease after training is completed. In their absence, performance may stagnate and poor habits persist. Our aim was to develop a coaching mechanism for practicing surgeons with feedback provision based on objective performance assessment. Technical and nontechnical intraoperative video recordings from laparoscopic or robotic cholecystectomies, colectomies, and hysterectomies were assessed by a blinded surgeon and a human factors expert, respectively. Aspects of performance in need of improvement were noted, and a coaching session was developed for feedback provision to participating surgeons. This 4-hour coaching session consisted of a didactic lecture with video review and hands-on practice using procedural and mannequin-based simulation. Thirty-two practicing surgeons (18 general; 14 gynecologists) from 6 different hospitals were assessed, and 9 of them participated in coaching. Technical aspects identified for performance improvement included suboptimal trocar placement, inadequate critical view achievement during laparoscopic cholecystectomies, poor visualization of the operating field, bimanual dexterity, and dissection techniques, while nontechnical aspects included inappropriate handling of distractions and interruptions, poor ergonomic positioning and situational awareness, and inadequate mitigation of delays. Most surgeons appropriately accomplished some of the objectives of the distraction scenario, but none was able to achieve expert levels on Fundamentals of Laparoscopy tasks. Participants perceived the coaching sessions as highly valuable. Our study identified several technical and nontechnical skill sets of practicing surgeons in need of improvement and provided support for the implementation of coaching programs for surgeons on an ongoing basis.

From thought to thing: using the fused deposition modeling and 3D printing processes for undergraduate design projects

ABSTRACTThis paper describes the processes used to integrate two additive manufacturing (AM) processes into various engineering courses, which contain a design element, at the University of Windsor. The 3D printing (3DP) and fused deposition modeling (FDM) AM processes are used to fabricate components. There are unique design and post processing opportunities and issues associated with these processes, which are described in detail. Sophisticated projects can be fabricated and tested by personnel with limited technical skill sets, as the process planning is uncomplicated, and minimal supervision is required while the part is being built. A selection of student projects is presented to highlight the opportunities that can be realized, and to discuss the post processing challenges.

Contesting competence

Purpose– The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the debate around conceptualising competence in sport organisations by analysing club leadership and management in the Australian Football League (AFL) at a time of professionalisation. The paper asks: what were considered appropriate activities for newly professionalised AFL clubs, and how was the role of the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) as a competent leader in delivering these activities conceptualised in the clubs?Design/methodology/approach– Semi-structured in-depth qualitative interviews were conducted with 38 senior club managers in the AFL. A thematic analysis was undertaken.Findings– The paper finds that perceptions of core activities of clubs expanded with professionalisation, and that the role of the CEO emerged as the outcome of internal organisational contests. CEO competence is not only a set of technical skills, but is social, relational and “essentially contested” (Good, 1998, p. 205).Research limitations/implications– The qualitative methodology adopted means findings cannot be generalised to other sporting leagues, however, because all clubs participated they do reflect conceptualisations in the AFL at the time. The findings are suggestive of issues that may be relevant to other sporting competitions.Practical implications– The paper provides evidence that CEOs in sporting organisations should not be appointed only on the basis of technical skills. Social and relational skills are critical to organisational success.Originality/value– This paper enriches understandings of AFL clubs and of CEOs as leaders in sport organisations, and contributes to theoretical debates around the organisational construction of competence.

Transitioning the RN to Ambulatory Care: An Investment in Orientation.

Registered nurses (RNs) struggle when transitioning from the inpatient setting to the outpatient clinical environment because it results in a diverse skill-set shift. The RN, considered an outpatient revenue source, experiences a decrease in peer-to-peer relationships, changes in leadership responsibilities, and changes in workgroup dynamics (supervision of unlicensed clinical personnel who function under the direction of the physician, not the RN). Ambulatory organizations find themselves implementing clinical orientation programs that may not delineate the attributes of the RN. This diminishes their value while emphasizing the unlicensed technical skill set. Creating a core RN orientation program template is paramount for the transition of the RN to the ambulatory setting. The literature reveals several areas where improving the value of the RN will ultimately enhance recruitment and retention, patient care outcomes, and leverage the RN role within any organization. Eleven 30-minute in-depth telephone interviews were conducted in addition to 4 nurse observations to explore the lived experience of the RN in ambulatory care. The findings disclosed an overarching theme of nurse isolation and offered insightful underpinnings for the nurse leader as ambulatory growth continues and nurse leaders further endorse the RN presence in the ambulatory setting.

Three-dimensional Printing and 3D Slicer

Recent advances in the three-dimensional (3D) printing industry have enabled clinicians to explore the use of 3D printing in preprocedural planning, biomedical tissue modeling, and direct implantable device manufacturing. Despite the increased adoption of rapid prototyping and additive manufacturing techniques in the health-care field, many physicians lack the technical skill set to use this exciting and useful technology. Additionally, the growth in the 3D printing sector brings an ever-increasing number of 3D printers and printable materials. Therefore, it is important for clinicians to keep abreast of this rapidly developing field in order to benefit. In this Ahead of the Curve, we review the history of 3D printing from its inception to the most recent biomedical applications. Additionally, we will address some of the major barriers to wider adoption of the technology in the medical field. Finally, we will provide an initial guide to 3D modeling and printing by demonstrating how to design a personalized airway prosthesis via 3D Slicer. We hope this information will reduce the barriers to use and increase clinician participation in the 3D printing health-care sector.

Incorporating Sustainability and Life Cycle Assessment into First-Year Inorganic Chemistry Major Laboratories

Although much of the scientific community concerns itself with ideas of a sustainable future, very little of this interest and motivation has reached the classroom experience of the average chemistry major, and therefore, it is imperative to expose students to these ideas early in their careers. The focus of most undergraduate chemistry curricula rests on the preparation of the next generation of researchers, ensuring that students are capable and effective in the laboratory. A majority of laboratory experiences focus on building basic technical skill sets for chemists. However, little time is spent ensuring that students are aware of the impacts of their research, as it pertains to chemical waste and the sustainability of research, in general. At Villanova, an existing first-year undergraduate inorganic chemistry laboratory course was modified to promote novel ideas in research with an emphasis on life-cycle thinking and analysis in terms of sustainability. Initial results are reported, as well as an out...

Invisible innovators: how low-income, first-generation students use their funds of knowledge to belong in engineering

ABSTRACTThough engineering is often perceived as a pathway of upward mobility in the United States, very little is known about the experiences of undergraduate engineering students who come from low-income backgrounds or are the first in their families to attend college. The little research that does exist on low-income, first-generation (LIFG) engineering students is grounded in a deficiency perspective that emphasizes the barriers these students face: greater feelings of financial pressure and curriculum overload, along with lower family support, confidence in technical skill sets, satisfaction with instructors and satisfaction with the overall college experience. Our ethnographic research with LIFG students at a public engineering university and community college reveals that these barriers can create a sense of belonging uncertainty for them as engineering students. Yet our students were also able to draw on the funds of knowledge they acquired growing up in poor families and, when these funds of knowledge are validated, they establish a sense of belonging in engineering education and the profession.

Educating and training a workforce for nutrition in a post-2015 world.

Nearly all countries in the world today are burdened with malnutrition, manifesting as undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, and/or overweight and obesity. Despite some progress, efforts to alleviate malnutrition are hampered by a shortage in number, skills, and geographic coverage, of a workforce for nutrition. Here, we report the findings of the Castel Gandolfo workshop, a convening of experts from diverse fields in March 2014 to consider how to develop the capacity of a global cadre of nutrition professionals for the post-2015 development era. Workshop participants identified several requirements for developing a workforce for nutrition, including an ability to work as part of a multisectoral team; communication, advocacy, and leadership skills to engage decision makers; and a set of technical skills to address future challenges for nutrition. Other opportunities were highlighted that could immediately contribute to capacity development, including the creation of a consortium to link global North and South universities, online training modules for middle managers, and practical, hands-on experiences for frontline nutrition workers. Institutional and organizational support is needed to enable workshop recommendations on education and training to be effectively implemented and sustained. The findings from the Castel Gandolfo workshop can contribute to the delivery of successful nutrition-relevant actions in the face of mounting external pressures and informing and attaining the forthcoming Sustainable Development Goals.

A Fuzzy Logic Approach to Assess Web Learner's Joint Skills

Skill assessment is an important but complicated task in the entire web based teaching and learning process. The learner's performance assessment has a strong influence on learners' approaches to learn and their learning outcomes like professional acceptability on desired skills. Most educators focus either on assessing a learner's technical skill set or non- technical skill set, individually, rather than focusing on both the aspects. This paper bridges the gap by applying fuzzy logic approach to analyze a learner's joint skills incorporating both skills-set. An already proven e-commerce website's evaluation technique has been chosen and applied in two situations of learner's skill assessment through case studies namely: technical skills evaluation, and non-technical skills evaluation. Experiments show that the learner's success depends on both sets of skill attributes. This work then proposed a novel method for skill assessment considering two (instead of one) sets of skill attributes invoking parallel or joint application of the technique. This new technique has also been analysed through a case study. Index Terms—E-learning, fuzzy logic, joint-skill, skill assessment, competencies.

Interregional contacts in the 6th millennium BC: tracing foreign influences in the hole-mouth jar from Ein El-Jarba, Israel

This paper discusses a unique vessel of the Early Chalcolithic Wadi Rabah tradition of the 6th millennium BC, uncovered at Ein el-Jarba, Israel. Technical skill and iconographic language set this hole-mouth jar apart from other decorated vessels of the period. While the shape of the vessel fits well with the typology of the Wadi Rabah assemblage, its iconographic motifs can be traced back to ceramic traditions of northern Levant, and, we argue, even Caucasia and south-eastern Europe. The Ein el-Jarba hole-mouth jar adds a further layer to the still poorly understood trans-regional interaction between the Early Chalcolithic societies of the southern Levant and other cultural entities, indicating that its creator was familiar with the aesthetic traditions of distant communities.

Emergency medicine as a specialty in Asia.

We aim to examine the similarities and differences in areas of EM development, workload, workforce, and capabilities and support in the Asia region. Emerging challenges faced by our EM community are also discussed. The National Societies for Emergency Medicine of Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Turkey participated in the joint Japanese Association of Acute Medicine (JAAM) and Asian Conference of Emergency Medicine (ACEM) Special Symposium held in October 2013 at Tokyo, Japan. The findings are reviewed in this paper. Emergency medicine (EM) has over the years evolved into a distinct and recognized medical discipline requiring a unique set of cognitive, administrative and technical skills for managing all types of patients with acute illness or injury. EM has contributed to healthcare by providing effective, safe, efficient and cost-effective patient care. Integrated systems have developed to allow continuity of emergency care from the community into emergency departments. Structured training curriculum for undergraduates, and specialty training programs for postgraduates are in place to equip trainees with the knowledge and skills required for the unique practice of EM. The practice of EM still varies among the Asian countries. However, as a region, we strive to continue in our efforts to develop the specialty and improve the delivery of EM.

Assessing technical competency during colon and rectal surgery training

Competence in colon and rectal surgery requires a unique set of technical skills, in addition to sound judgment and devoted patient care. Assessment of technical competence is central to defining and maintaining standards and to providing constructive trainee feedback. This review aims to appraise the instruments that are available to assess technical competence in colon and rectal surgery and discuss how these can be best utilized in assessing technical competence.

Faculty Perceptions Of Online Accounting Coursework

The perceptions of faculty members, who design and evaluate online accounting coursework content, are an important consideration in determining the quality inherent in such content. This study reports the results of a survey which examines accounting faculty members’ attitudes towards online education (measured as their willingness to accept transfer credit) and various contributing factors that may affect their attitudes. The results indicate that faculty members harbor significant favoritism toward accepting credit from a student with a traditional, as opposed to an online or blended learning, educational background. Additional results suggest that faculty members’ previous experience with online teaching made no significant impact on their acceptance of transfer credit for the online student; however, faculty members with administrative experience were shown to be more accepting of online education. Furthermore, accounting faculty members generally consider the online educational environment to be less rigorous and less equipped to instill technical and soft skill sets than the traditional educational environment.

How Development and Manufacturing Will Need to Be Structured—Heads of Development/Manufacturing May 20–21, 2014 Continuous Manufacturing Symposium

Continuous manufacturing (CM) is a process technology that has been used in the chemical industry for large-scale mass production of chemicals in single-purpose plants with benefit for many years. Recent interest has been raised to expand CM into the low-volume, high-value pharmaceutical business with its unique requirements regarding readiness for human use and the required quality, supply chain, and liability constraints in this business context. Using a fairly abstract set of definitions, this paper derives technical consequences of CM in different scenarios along the development-launch-supply axis in different business models and how they compare to batch processes. Impact of CM on functions in development is discussed and several operational models suitable for originators and other business models are discussed and specific aspects of CM are deduced from CM's technical characteristics. Organizational structures of current operations typically can support CM implementations with just minor refinements if the CM technology is limited to single steps or small sequences (bin-to-bin approach) and if the appropriate technical skill set is available. In such cases, a small, dedicated group focused on CM is recommended. The manufacturing strategy, as centralized versus decentralized in light of CM processes, is discussed and the potential impact of significantly shortened supply lead times on the organization that runs these processes. The ultimate CM implementation may be seen by some as a totally integrated monolithic plant, one that unifies chemistry and pharmaceutical operations into one plant. The organization supporting this approach will have to reflect this change in scope and responsibility. The other extreme, admittedly futuristic at this point, would be a highly decentralized approach with multiple smaller hubs; this would require a new and different organizational structure. This processing approach would open up new opportunities for products that, because of stability constraints or individualization to patients, do not allow centralized manufacturing approaches at all. Again, the entire enterprise needs to be restructured accordingly. The situation of CM in an outsourced operation business model is discussed. Next steps for the industry are recommended. In summary, opportunistic implementation of isolated steps in existing portfolios can be implemented with minimal organizational changes; the availability of the appropriate skills is the determining factor. The implementation of more substantial sequences requires business processes that consider the portfolio, not just single products. Exploration and implementation of complete process chains with consequences for quality decisions do require appropriate organizational support. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

A Review of Training Research and Virtual Reality Simulators for the da Vinci Surgical System

Phenomenon: Virtual reality simulators are the subject of several recent studies of skills training for robot-assisted surgery. Yet no consensus exists regarding what a core skill set comprises or how to measure skill performance. Defining a core skill set and relevant metrics would help surgical educators evaluate different simulators. Approach: This review draws from published research to propose a core technical skill set for using the da Vinci surgeon console. Publications on three commercial simulators were used to evaluate the simulators’ content addressing these skills and associated metrics. Findings: An analysis of published research suggests that a core technical skill set for operating the surgeon console includes bimanual wristed manipulation, camera control, master clutching to manage hand position, use of third instrument arm, activating energy sources, appropriate depth perception, and awareness of forces applied by instruments. Validity studies of three commercial virtual reality simulators for robot-assisted surgery suggest that all three have comparable content and metrics. However, none have comprehensive content and metrics for all core skills. Insights: Virtual reality simulation remains a promising tool to support skill training for robot-assisted surgery, yet existing commercial simulator content is inadequate for performing and assessing a comprehensive basic skill set. The results of this evaluation help identify opportunities and challenges that exist for future developments in virtual reality simulation for robot-assisted surgery. Specifically, the inclusion of educational experts in the development cycle alongside clinical and technological experts is recommended.

BASIC TECHNICAL SKILLS (THROWS) IN 17-19-YEAR-OLD JUDOKAS

Purpose: The purpose of the research was to determine basic technical skills (throws) in 17-19-year-old judokas and the level of their performance. Material: The study involved 30 judo athletes (aged 17-19). Results: To determine the athletes’ basic technical skills (throws), an analysis of source materials and a diagnostic survey were used. To determine the level of technical skills, the method of expert assessment was applied. Statistical software package Statistica 8 was used in the statistical analysis. In the coaches’ opinion, 17-19-year-old judokas have a specific, characteristic of this age group, set of basic technical skills (throws) aptly defining their technical preparation. Conclusions: The tested group of judokas exhibited the highest level of demonstrating throws of the koshi-waza (hip) group, and the lowest one of the ashi-waza (foot) group.

Moral Distress and Moral Disorientation in the Context of Social Accountability.

Moral Distress and Moral Disorientation in the Context of Social Accountability.

Yeomannet: Breaking Down the Data Panopticon

Collectively, current approaches to networked system design take three different paths: direct central control (with or without a ‘cloud’ to improve performance), self-provisioning, and full peer storage. None of them offer a compelling solution to breaking free of the Data Panopticon, maintaining accountability and legitimacy, and gaining adoption by a critical mass of individuals with varying technical skillsets and interests. This paper proposes a fourth option: Organized, supervised peer storage, designed to take the responsibility out of the hands of the individual, without taking the responsibility out of the network as a whole.

The Resilience of Occupational Culture in Contemporary Workplaces

In France, the notion of “métier” continues to represent a major reference point in current discussions on work issues, both in theory and in public discourse. The “métier” encapsulates the set of specialized technical knowledge, bodily and mental skills, accepted interpersonal conventions and modes of behaviour, which characterize what could be called in English an “occupational culture”, the specific professional knowledge, culture and ethos of an occupation. The article analyses the psychological and cultural instances that make up a “métier” from the point of view of the working individual, distinguishing between a personal, an interpersonal, a transper-sonal and an impersonal dimension of the working activity. The article then argues that the relationship between work and health relies upon a work organization that allows these four instances to be constantly readjusted at the individual level and at the level of the work collective.

Perceptions of technical skills required for successful management in the hospitality industry—An exploratory study using conjoint analysis

The growth of hospitality programs worldwide has resulted in wide variations in program structures, curricular offerings, and course content, all of which have prompted researchers to examine essential competencies and industry needs to inform programmatic restructuring. This paper explores how important various technical skill sets are perceived to be by students, faculty, and industry professionals today. Building on the extant literature, we identified seven key technical skills: Academic performance (using grade point average as a surrogate), social networking, time management, strategic planning, spreadsheet acumen, written communication, and oral communication. Drawing from a convenience sample, 98 respondents ranked the student characteristics by ranking 18 hypothetical student job candidates, each of which was represented on a card. Developed using an orthogonal array, the hypothetical student/job candidate cards were created by varying the three values of the seven characteristic variables; the ranking responses for the 18 cards were then examined using conjoint analysis. Professionals and faculty disagreed with student respondents with respect to GPA and Spreadsheet Skills, ranking them lower in importance than other characteristics. Faculty should note that even though they do not perceive expert knowledge of spreadsheet skills to be important, professionals do. Additional research is necessary to determine whether faculty should update their perception of the demand for spreadsheet skills on the current market. Faculty also perceived social networking skills to be less important than the other respondent groups did. Finally, while Oral Communication Skills were valued more highly than any other skill set, the rankings yielded a progression of perceptions such that students valued them less highly than professionals did, and professionals valued them less highly than faculty did.