Technician Program Research Articles

Internship Training of Medical Laboratory Technician Students at the Faculty of Medicine

The internship period of the students enrolled in the Medical Laboratory Techniques Associate Degree Program starts when they come to the second year. Students complete their internships in the 3rd and 4th semesters after completing their 1st and 2nd semester courses and succeeding their courses. Students enrolled in the "Medical Laboratory Techniques Associate Degree Program" can do their internship in the "Clinical Microbiology Laboratory", "Clinical Biochemistry Laboratory", "Pathology Laboratory" and "Hematology Laboratory" and each of them for at least 4 weeks. Training and Research Hospitals, Education and Research Hospitals affiliated with the Ministry of Health that provide Specialization Training in Medicine, and Full-Fledged State Hospitals. This study is the data obtained by observing students who do their internship in 4 different units in the research and practice hospital both in the fall and spring terms. Therefore, the establishment of the medical laboratory technician program within the Health Services Vocational School (Vocational School) in universities with research and application hospitals is extremely important in terms of the quality and functioning of the program. In this study, the educational internships of the students enrolled in this program at the medical faculty were examined.

Enhancing Students’ Genre Writing Skills in an English for Specific Purposes Class: A Dynamic Assessment Approach

Dynamic assessment integrates the teaching and testing process. Several studies have been conducted to find out the role of dynamic assessment in enhancing students’ writing skills (Alemi, 2015; Amiri & Saberi, 2016; Sadek, 2015; Shresta & Coffin, 2012). However, studies on its implementation in English for Specific Purposes (ESP) settings are limited. This study aimed to find out the effectiveness of dynamic assessment in improving students’ writing skills, especially the genre of descriptive text in an ESP class. A mixed-method design was used. Seventy students in a Library Technician Program at a public university in Indonesia participated in the study. The data were gathered through pretests and posttests. An analysis of T-test scores showed that they were statistically significant, suggesting that the dynamic assessments had a positive influence on students’ abilities in composing texts. Following these tests, an open-ended questionnaire was administered to obtain students’ opinions. The responses from the questionnaire revealed that most students had positive views toward dynamic assessments as it helped them assess their writing skills, find specific vocabulary, and reduce anxiety.

Pharmacy technicians, supporting our past, shaping our future: Implementing an ASHP-ACPE-accredited pharmacy technician training program in an academic medical center.

Pharmacy technician training and education vary depending on practice site and state law. Although technician certification provides a national standard for credentialing, not all states require it, making certification a voluntary process for technicians or the organizations employing them. As the role of the pharmacist has evolved, the need for highly trained pharmacy technicians has grown. The pharmacy technician's expanded role in specialized areas of pharmacy practice has created new opportunities that require advanced training. Research is lacking on return on investment for workforce development programs, making it difficult to advocate for pharmacy technician training programs. Therefore, it is important to create internal metrics that link one's program to business performance. This begins with conducting a job market analysis for the geographic area. It is imperative to identify the current occupational outlook for pharmacy technicians, identifying areas with potential for growth as well as where there are shortages or high turnover. Successful development of an American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE)-accredited pharmacy technician program requires a long-term strategy to address key market issues as well as social and economic barriers and financial data to secure funding. This case study details Yale New Haven Hospital's journey from proof of concept to implementation of an ASHP-ACPE-accredited pharmacy technician training program.

Assessing the impact of virtual medication history technicians on medication reconciliation discrepancies.

Background To overcome resource limitations, Ascension hospitals have implemented a virtual pharmacy technician program to facilitate the completion of medication histories in select emergency departments. Objective This multicenter retrospective study aimed to assess the impact of taking a medication history virtually by pharmacy technicians on medication reconciliation accuracy in comparison to other clinicians. Setting Ascension Seton hospitals in Austin, Texas, United States. Method A retrospective chart review including patients above the age of 18, who were directly admitted from the emergency department between January 1, 2019 and August 31, 2019. Study investigators identified, quantified and categorized unintentional discrepancies by comparing medication histories to reconciled medication orders at admission. Descriptive analysis was applied to patient demographics. Mann-Whitney U and chi-square tests were applied to continuous and categorical outcomes, respectively. Main outcome measure The type and number of unintentional discrepancies at admission. Results In 208 patients, a total of 190 unintentional discrepancies were identified. The rate of unintentional discrepancies per medication was significantly lower for virtual pharmacy technicians than other clinicians (8.6% vs. 14.8% respectively, p < 0.0001). The most common type of unintentional discrepancies was omission in both groups. Length of stay, readmissions, and emergency department visits were similar in both groups. The rate of incomplete medication histories was significantly lower for virtual pharmacy technicians than other clinicians (6.7% vs. 62.5% respectively, p < 0.0001). Conclusion Implementing a virtual medication history technician program in the emergency department can revolutionize the medication history completion process and lower unintentional medication discrepancy rates.

Modern methods introduced in the training of students from the Dental Technician program

Dental technology practice is developing continuously with the introduction of innovative technologies. The education is conducted in a regular form with a duration of three years and educational qualification degree of Professional Bachelor in medical colleges in the country. The practical training is focused on the fabrication of denture structures with healing-restorative, functional and aesthetic effect. The dental technician, by following the instructions of the dentist, performs independently tasks related to the fabrication of all kinds removable (partial and total dentures, splints) and non-removable (crowns, dental bridges, pinlay, etc.) denture constructions.

Providing Inpatient Mobilization with a Mobility Technician Constrains Cost in Primary Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Since the 2016 implementation of the comprehensive care for joint replacement (CJR) bundled payment model, our institutions have sought to decrease inpatient physical therapy (PT) costs by piloting a mobility technician program (MTP), where mobility technicians (MTs) ambulate postoperative total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients under the supervision of nursing staff members. MTs are certified medical assistants given specialized gate and ambulation training by the PT department. The aim of this study was to examine the economic and clinical impact of MTs on the primary TKA postoperative pathway. We performed a retrospective review of TKA patients who underwent surgery at our institution between April 2018 and March 2019 and who were postoperatively ambulated by MTs. The control group included patients who had surgery during the same months of the prior year, preceding introduction of MTs to the floor. Inclusion criteria included: unilateral primary TKA for arthritic conditions and conversion to unilateral primary TKA from a previous knee surgery. Minitab Software (State College, PA) was used to perform the statistical analysis. There were 658 patients enrolled in the study group and 1,400 in the control group. The two groups shared similar demographics and an average age of 68 (p = 0.177). The median length of stay (LOS) was 2 days in both groups (p = 0.133) with 90.5% of patients in the study group discharged to home versus 81.5% of patients in the control group (p < 0.001). The ability of MTs to increase patient discharge to home without negatively impacting LOS suggest MTs are valuable both clinically to patients, and economically to the institution. Cost analysis highlighted the substantial cost savings that MTs may create in a bundled payment system. With the well-documented benefits of early ambulation following TKA, we demonstrate how MTs can be an asset to optimizing the care pathway of TKA patients.

The availability of teaching requirements in computer laboratories in government schools in Al Balqa governorate from the point of view of technicians and specialized teachers: مدى توافر متطلبات التدريس في مختبرات الحاسوب في المدارس الحكومية بمحافظة البلقاء من وجهة نظر الفنيين والمعلمين المختصين

The study aimed to reveal the availability of teaching requirements in computer laboratories in government schools in Al Balqa governorate from the point of view of technicians and specialized teachers. The descriptive analytical method was used through a questionnaire consisting of (25) paragraphs and distributed into (4) dimensions. The tool was applied to a component sample Of (120) computer teachers and technicians, including (78) teachers and 42 technicians in government schools in Balqa Governorate, during the first semester of the year (2019- 2020), the results showed that the total degree of teaching requirements in computer labs from the point of view of technicians and specialized teachers obtained a total average (3.42 out of 5) with a percentage of M. Priority (68.4%), and In terms of dimensions; computers and their accessories got the highest arithmetic average (3.73) and a percentage(74.6%), followed by the school administration dimension with an average arithmetic (3.55) and a percentage(71%), then the curriculum dimension with an average arithmetic (3.05) and a percentage(61%), and fina The results showed that there were statistically significant differences on the total score for the responses of the study sample according to the variable of the academic qualification, and for the benefit of the diploma holder, while there were no statistically significant differences on the total score for the responses of the study sample according to the gender variable or the variable of years of experience or the variable number of training courses. In light of the results, a number of recommendations and proposals were presented, including: Holding the necessary training programs for computer teachers and technicians in the field of maintenance and networks to ensure that they are provided with the required skills and capabilities that will improve their performance and in line with the software and developed curricula such as courses((CISCO CCNA ,A+) , Increasing the number of classes for the practical application of the computer curriculum inside the computer lab, in addition to directing the school administration towards allocating an adequate budget for the computer lab to ensure the longevity of the laboratory's work.

Emergency Medical Technician-Facilitated Telehealth Visits: A New Model to Expand Home-Based Primary Care for Homebound Seniors

Objective: As the number of older adults living in the United States grows, the gap between the capacity of home-based primary care (HBPC) services and the community demand will continue to widen. Older adults, living longer with mobility difficulties and multiple chronic medical conditions, often prefer to age in place, and new models of care are needed to meet this need. This article provides a framework for an innovative emergency medical technician (EMT)-facilitated telehealth program, the mobile telemedicine technician (MTT) program, which aims to increase access to medical care and efficiency within an HBPC program.&#x0D; Design: A descriptive framework outlining the deployment of an innovative telehealth model.&#x0D; Setting: An HBPC program serving homebound seniors in downstate New York.&#x0D; Participants: Homebound individuals enrolled in an HBPC program with advanced age (over half &gt;90 years), 67% with 5–6 activities of daily living (ADL) dependencies, and high rates of dementia, congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and diabetes requiring evaluation and treatment of acute conditions.&#x0D; Interventions: HBPC program enrollees requiring evaluation and treatment of acute conditions received a home visit from a telehealth-enabled EMT who has received additional training to provide in-home care. Following an evaluation, the EMT facilitated a telehealth visit via a two-way video conference between the patient and the primary care physician.&#x0D; Main outcome measures: Description of a novel telehealth care model, preliminary results from the first 100 MTT visits including the reason for visit, patient/caregiver, physician, and telehealth-enabled EMT satisfaction survey results.&#x0D; Results: The primary care provider was able to evaluate twice as many patients in a given time period using the new model as in the regular home visit care model. The most common visit reasons were related to skin conditions (22%), neurological conditions (19%), cardiovascular conditions (16%), and respiratory conditions (15%). Satisfaction rates were high from patients/caregivers (45% response rate, 60% strongly agreed and 29% agreed that they were satisfied with the care delivery experience), physician (six surveys over time from one physician, 100% strongly agreed on the effectiveness of care delivery model), and telehealth-enabled EMTs (eight surveys from four EMTs, 100% strongly agreed that they were satisfied with the care delivery experience).&#x0D; Conclusions: In this descriptive article, we outline a new model of care using telehealth-enabled EMTs making home visits to connect with a patient’s primary care physician who is centrally located. This model shows promise for expanding primary care services within the home.

Assuring Quality in Pharmacy Education During a Time of Crisis

The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted all facets of pharmacy education, including accreditation and certification activities. In a very short period of time, Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) programs and pharmacy technician programs had to convert to teaching classes online, experiential education sites had to figure out how to train student pharmacists and pharmacy technicians while ensuring their safety, continuing pharmacy education providers had to move their in-person courses online, and the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) had to postpone accreditation site visits. Given the challenges faced by our constituencies, the ACPE implemented processes and suggested solutions that stayed within the boundaries of the standards while at the same time allowing flexibility so that organizations could achieve their educational outcomes even given the constraints produced by the pandemic.

Salary and entry-level requirements for pharmacy technicians compared with other health technologist and technician occupations in Maryland

ObjectivesPharmacy technician programs are experiencing important transitions to new educational standards, an enhanced accreditation framework, and changing requirements by state boards of pharmacy. The requirements are highly variable from state to state and have practical consequences for the pharmacy workforce in terms of technician recruitment, retention, and satisfaction. Using the state of Maryland as a case report, the purpose of this analysis was to compare the requirements necessary to become either a pharmacy technician or another type of health technologist, including board licensure or registration; training, education or certification or both; and 2016 median salary as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Data sourcesThis analysis of salaries and job requirements for health technologists and technicians in the state of Maryland was conducted using the Standard Occupational Classification system and the Bureau of Labor Statistics wage data. SummaryNuclear medicine technologists have the highest median salary at $38.50 per hour. No relationship between increasing entry-level qualifications and salary was identified, but pharmacy technicians were found to have the lowest median salary at $15.10 per hour. Although 5 occupations have median salaries greater than $30, 9 have median hourly salaries less than $20, of which 5 have minimum qualifications mandated by statute and regulation. ConclusionPharmacy technicians have the lowest median salary compared with other health technologists and technicians in Maryland. With pharmacy technicians reporting low satisfaction with salary as a reason for intending to leave an employer, implementing mandatory minimum entry-level requirements without a corresponding increase in salary could lead to a reduction in applicants for positions.

Determining the sensitivity of university students to violence toward children.

This study was planned to determine the sensitivity of university students to violence toward children. This cross-sectional study consisted of students from nursing, physical therapy and rehabilitation, and midwifery departments, health technician programs, and medical faculty. Data were collected using a sociodemographic information form and the scale of sensitivity to violence toward children. The difference between the scores of the university students from the scale was found statistically significant according to their departments, gender, and years (P > 0.05). The sociodemographic variables of the students were determined to affect the scores that they got from the scale of sensitivity to violence toward children by 4.6% (P < 0.05). More child-related content should be added to the educational curriculum.

La práctica docente y su evaluación: estrategia para la mejora continua en los procesos de acreditación en alta calidad

Esta investigación tuvo como objetivo analizar la evaluación del desempeño docente del programa Técnico Profesional en Servicio de Policía (TPSP), rediseñando los instrumentos de evaluación y el protocolo del sistema de valoración de los pedagogos. Se empleó un enfoque cuantitativo de tipo descriptivo, efectuando un análisis univariado, utilizando tablas de contingencia de 2 por 2. Así se determinó el nivel de acuerdo entre evaluadores, correlacionando las 8 variables comportamentales de la evaluación docente: planeación pedagógica, estrategias de enseñanza y aprendizaje, desarrollo metodológico, evaluación del aprendizaje, implementación de créditos académicos, espacios de convivencia, dominio del conocimiento y habilidades comunicativas. Se realizó una evaluación a 14 sedes educativas y a los resultados de las visitas de pares por parte del Concejo Nacional de Acreditación, empleando un cuestionario validado, junto con la autoevaluación, heteroevaluación y coevaluación a 32 docentes del TPSP y 296 estudiantes. Se concluyó que las habilidades comunicativas y las estrategias de enseñanza aprendizaje, son las variables que más inciden en la evaluación docente por parte de los estudiantes, con un nivel de acuerdo casi perfecto entre evaluadores (Kappa de Cohen de 0,9).

CLOSING THE LEAK: KEEPING LATE-DECIDING STUDENTS IN THE PIPELINE TO BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CAREERS.

With the increased competitiveness of undergraduate, graduate, and professional programs, the continuously accelerating rate of technological innovation and development of new global means of communication, and the evolving face of the local, national, and global job markets, choosing a long-term career has become a challenge for many. More and more students opt to take a gap period in their education, pre- or post-college, for soul searching to determine their future path or for improving their skills and competitiveness for successfully applying to academic institutions. Even though such gap years can lead to more mature and determined students, they often derail the educational path of the individual by leading to loss of interest or to new commitments which hinder going back to school. Engaging students in academic and skills training programs that keep them within the academic environment and provide them with exposure to the benefits of higher education has been shown to increase their persistence, leading to an increased rate of attaining higher-level degrees. A number of United States (US) federal funding agencies, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), have programs such as the Bridges to Baccalaureate Program (support for easing a student's transition from a 2-year junior or community college to a 4-year baccalaureate-granting institution) and Post-baccalaureate Research Education Program (PREP, support for recent college graduates from underrepresented groups or disadvantaged backgrounds to strengthen their research skills and academic competitiveness for pursuing a doctorate degree in the Biomedical Sciences). At Xavier University of Louisiana (Xavier), we have developed a post-baccalaureate technician program under Project Pathways (the NIH National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Division of Training, Workforce Development, and Diversity (TWD)-funded Building Infrastructure Leading to Diversity (BUILD) Program), that provides research experience and training in soft skills to recent Xavier graduates to increase their preparation and competitiveness for graduate programs. The BUILD Technicians also receive both mentee and mentor training and serve as near-peer mentors to undergraduate students in their labs, increasing their scientific identity and preparing them for their future role as graduate teaching assistants. Here, we report the lessons learned from this program and how its differences from other post-baccalaureate programs, including those under the NIH PREP umbrella, have led to improved outcomes for Xavier graduates gaining admission to graduate programs in the Biomedical Sciences.

Graduate and undergraduate university programs in wind energy in the United States

Advances in wind energy technology and continued expansion of wind energy into the United States and global electricity grids will depend upon an educated and skilled workforce. While wind energy technician programs at community colleges or vocational schools have prospered in the United States over the past decade, partially due to the high demand for wind technicians, university programs that prepare graduates pursuing baccalaureate and advanced graduate degrees have lagged behind. At the same time, European university programs in wind energy have flourished, providing experts with advanced degrees who are then employed worldwide by the global wind energy industry. According to a projection of wind industry jobs needed in the U.S. Department of Energy’s Wind Vision report1 and estimates of education level requirements for jobs, as provided in this article, the United States may need more than 50,000 university-educated professionals with advanced degrees to support wind energy development by 2030. To provide these professionals, the number of wind energy academic programs must increase significantly beyond those available today—a task that will require collaboration among universities and external support from both industry and government. This article provides a review of the growing need for a university graduate-level-educated wind energy workforce, an overview of the current domestic wind energy workforce picture, existing global and domestic university wind energy programs, and recommendations for university-level wind energy education programs in the United States.

An environmental scan of medication history technician programs within the Veterans Health Administration.

Results of a study to identify medication history technician (MHT) programs within the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) and to evaluate the personnel, structure, and scope of such programs are reported. Specially trained pharmacy technicians can take accurate patient medication histories and contribute to the medication reconciliation process. An environmental scan of MHT programs within VHA was conducted via an email query of pharmacy personnel. Semistructured interviews of personnel at each responding site (an MHT, a pharmacist, or both) were conducted. Ten VHA sites had existing MHT programs; the earliest was initiated in 2010. Sites employed from 1 to 4 MHTs, who most commonly worked in the inpatient setting (7 sites). At most sites (9), MHTs obtained a "best possible medication history" through systematic collection of medication information using 2 reliable sources, such as patients, caregivers, and medical records. Survey respondents at all sites reported benefits of MHT programs, including dedicated time to obtain medication histories, allowing for more effective use of pharmacists' time. Six sites were eager to increase the reach of their programs. MHT training, oversight, and quality assurance varied across the sites. The survey results indicated that there are opportunities nationally-within and outside VHA-to develop standardized training, competency assessments, and quality assurance measures for MHT programs. Ten VHA sites with MHT programs were identified. MHTs most commonly worked in inpatient settings as part of admission medication reconciliation processes.

Preliminary Evaluation of the Washington State Limited License Legal Technician Program

The Washington State Supreme Court and the Washington State Bar Association created an innovative program to expand the provision of legal services. Limited Licensed Legal Technicians (LLLTs) represent a new legal role that builds on the capabilities of traditional paralegals and operates without supervision by lawyers. LLLTs primarily help customers fill out legal forms and understand legal procedures. The program started with the family law practice area, but Washington State plans to expand to additional practice areas in the near future. A small number of LLLTs have been certified and are currently practicing. The evaluation shows that the program has been appropriately designed to provide legal services to those who cannot afford a lawyer but still wish or need assistance. The training program prepares LLLTs to perform their role competently while keeping within the legal scope of that role. Customers have found their legal assistance to be valuable and well worth the cost. The legitimacy of the role appears to be widely accepted in spite of its short track record. There are some questions about how best to scale up the program. The biggest current bottleneck is the required year of training with the University of Washington (UW) Law School. Washington State is actively pursing other ways to mitigate that constraint. The regulatory costs of the program are not yet close to breaking even, but scaling up the program significantly would resolve that issue. LLLTs would greatly benefit from additional training on business management and marketing, but several of the first LLLTs are successfully running a full-time LLLT practice.

Dynamic assessment to improve students’ summary writing skill in an ESP class

Dynamic assessment is one kind of assessment that integrates the process of interaction within the implementation. The method is based on Vygotsky's zone of proximal development theory which mentions that the students need guidance in a learning process before they can solve the problem individually. The use of dynamic assessment has been proved to be effective in improving the students’ skill in teaching of English as a foreign language (TEFL) settings. This study aims to investigate the role of dynamic assessment in improving the students’ summary writing skill in an English for specific purposes (ESP) class. The method used was quasi-experimental in design. The subjects were 22 students of a public library technician programme in a public university in Indonesia. They were divided into two groups; an experimental group, and a control group. The experimental group received the treatment of dynamic assessment, while the control group did not. The data were gathered through pre-tests and post-tests. The data of pre-test and post-test were tabulated and analysed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The result showed that the implementation of dynamic assessment is effective in improving the students’ skill in summary writing.

National Survey of Pharmacy Practice at MOH Hospitals in Saudi Arabia 2016: Pharmacy Education and Training

Objective: To explore National Survey of Pharmacy Practice at MOH hospitals in Saudi Arabia 2016-2017: Pharmacy Education and Training. Methods: It is a 4-months cross-sectional National Survey of Pharmacy Practice at MOH hospitals in Saudi Arabia. The study consisted of two parts; the demographic information and the second part contained eighty-five questions divided into nine domains drove from American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) and Saudi Pharmaceutical Society (SPS) survey, the international standard of Joint Commission of Hospital Accreditation in adddition to the local standards of Saudi Center of healthcare accreditation. An electronic questionnaire distributed to the one hundred eighty-five directors of pharmacies at MOH hospitals. The study discussed and analyzed National Survey of Pharmacy Practice at MOH hospitals in Saudi Arabia: the drug monitoring and patient’s education. All analysis were done through survey monkey system. Results: The survey questionnaire was distributed to 185 hospitals, the rate of reply, was 105 (56.75%). The most hospital pharmacies required a continuing medical education (CME) 62 (59 %), and allowed paid time off for continuing education program was 45 (42.9%). The policy of CME existed in 47 (44.8%) only while not lived in 58 (55.2%) hospital pharmacies. The most affiliated training program was the pharmacy technician student training program 55 (52.4%) with a total number of candidates (258) annually, and pharmacy students training program 43 (41%) with a total number of candidates was (281) annually. A followed by the on the job training of pharmacy technician program 33 (31.4%) with the total of candidates was (206) annually. The majority of Education and Training available for pharmacy staff for pharmacy technician, pharmacists, and director of the pharmacy, while most Education and Training available delivered to Healthcare professional by pharmacy staff were nurses, general physician, and nursing supervisors. The most courses delivered to health care providers by hospital pharmacies were basic medication safety, Cardiopulmonary resuscitation drugs, and an emergency medicine. Conclusion: The hospital pharmacies had an adequate education and training services for pharmacists and pharmacy technicians while missed by Pharm D student and post-graduate residency programs. Review of strategies for pharmacy education and training is highly recommended. Key word: Pharmacy education, Training, Ministry of Health, Saudi Arabia.

Building for Diversity: How Public Libraries Can Create Great Multilingual Collections

In a multicultural and multilingual country like Canada, building quality multilingual collections in public libraries is an important part of providing equitable library service to all community members. However, this can pose a challenge especially for smaller library systems or systems where no staff speak major community languages. Having multilingual staff offers a significant advantage, both in terms of making connections with community members and being able to appropriately select and catalogue materials. Because of this, libraries, MLIS and Library Technician programs should encourage applications from diverse candidates. Even without multilingual staff, libraries can be successful in creating appropriate multilingual collections by following a process that includes community consultation, collaborating with other libraries to share information, identifying good vendors, cataloguing and maintaining the collection, marketing it appropriately, and providing staff training. Through this process a library can get to know the needs of its community, build relationships and gain experience creating and maintaining a quality multilingual collection. A multilingual collection and other services like cultural programming can mutually support each other through advertising to participants. Although it can be challenging, successfully engaging and serving a diverse community is rewarding and will be appreciated.

Analysis of the Adequacy of the Santa Catarina Coastal State Plan of Management to the Relevant Topics for Integrated Coastal Management

Iniciativas que visam à melhoria da gestão da zona costeira são abundantes, tanto no Brasil como internacionalmente. Neste contexto, o Plano Estadual de Gerenciamento Costeiro de Santa Catarina (PEGC/SC) configura um importante instrumento para a gestão costeira catarinense, uma vez que propõe programas, linhas de atuação e planos de ação que visam organizar os usos e as atividades verificados na zona costeira do Estado. Entretanto, mesmo com o PEGC/SC, nota-se que a decadência da qualidade ambiental e os conflitos de uso e ocupação na costa de Santa Catarina persistem, sendo problemas frequentes: perda de biodiversidade, redução da área de habitat crítico, fragmentação de ecossistemas, redução da diversidade de paisagens naturais, erosão da linha de costa, dificuldade de acesso aos bens de uso público, entre outros. Por conta disso, a análise do Plano Estadual de Gerenciamento Costeiro de Santa Catarina (PEGC/SC) aparece como etapa necessária para que seja possível identificar as fragilidades deste instrumento de gestão e apontar alternativas aos problemas verificados. Este trabalho analisou o PEGC/SC a partir da verificação do atendimento de suas linhas de atuação em relação a temas considerados relevantes no âmbito de gestão costeira. Conclui-se que o PEGC/SC atende a maior parte dos temas relevantes para a gestão costeira, apesar de apresentar fragilidades que poderiam ser minimizadas pela real implementação das propostas já existentes no PEGC/SC, juntamente com a adição de outras três linhas de atuação ao plano, sendo elas: Incentivo à declaração clara de política pública para a gestão costeira catarinense; Estabelecimento de programas de capacitação continuada para gestores e técnicos costeiros; e Incentivo à produção e à organização de conhecimento e informação de interesse para a gestão costeira.