Unqualified Staff Research Articles

Qualified and Unqualified Staff in German All-day Schools. An Exploratory Overview

In Germany, three groups can be identified who work in all-day schools and take on pedagogical tasks in extended education: Teachers, pedagogical staff, and staff without a pedagogical qualification (lay pedagogues). While the professionalisation debate on teachers and pedagogical staff already exists, there is a lack of knowledge on lay staff. In this article we consider the group of lay pedagogues. Findings from existing studies explore in more detail the expertise that personnel bring into all-day education.

Drug Dispensation by ‘Signature Pharmacists’ in South Asia

The phenomenon of ‘signature pharmacists’ in South Asia has allowed allopathic prescription medication to be dispensed without the necessary medical knowledge, specifically of drug interactions, dosages and side effects. This practice, in which qualified pharmacists delegate their professional inputs to often unqualified and unsupervised sales staff, persists due to complicity among pharmacists, other healthcare professionals and regulatory officials. The article discusses the extent of this significant risk to public health in South Asia and argues that pharmacy enforcement and education standards should be reformed to address these huge challenges to ensure consumer protection and the general public’s welfare. While the advice is that regulatory authorities should intensify their supervision and inspection efforts to ensure registered pharmacists actively participate in regular pharmacy operations, the article also identifies predicaments related to corruption that are difficult to tackle.

Human Capital and Performance of Kisii and Kakamega County Governments in Kenya

Decentralization in Kenya aimed to reduce bureaucratic delays and improve service delivery by transferring power to sub-national governments. Yet, governance challenges persist mainly due to unqualified staff, nepotism, cronyism, among others. The Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis found 32% of county governments staff lack the required qualifications for their roles, leading to inefficiencies and service delivery gaps. Despite these concerns, no empirical research has explored the influence of human capital on the performance of Kisii and Kakamega county governments. This study addresses this gap by assessing the effect of human capital on performance of Kisii and Kakamega counties in Kenya. The study adopts a positivism research philosophy and a cross-sectional survey research design. The target population comprised of Chief officers, Directors and Assistant Director at various ministries, sub-county administrators and Members of County Assembly (N=325). To arrive at a statistically sound sample size, the study adopted the Yamane (1967) formula for sample size determination, which gives a sample size of 136 for Kakamega County and 92 for Kisii County (n=228). Given that the study is quantitative in nature, it adopts structured questionnaires in data collection, which were distributed using online platform (Google Forms). In data analysis, Stata version 17 was used to compute descriptive statistics (mean and standard deviation) and inferential statistics (Pearson correlation and univariate linear regression). Data was presented in prose form and visualized using tables and figures. Findings from the test of hypothesis using simple linear regression indicate that human capital has a statistically significant effect on performance (p<.05). Results revealed that human capital has a moderate positive association with performance, 𝑟 (191) =0.486, 𝑝<.05. It is recommended that the County Governments of Kisii and Kakamega should improve human capital by implementing performance contracting, eliminating political patronage, and investing in innovation infrastructure. Additionally, county governments should develop well-documented SOPs, ensure regular employee training, and embrace public participation to align policies with citizens’ needs.

CONTEMPORARY PROBLEMS OF TECHNOLOGICAL RISKS AND THE WAYS OF DEVELOPMENT

The article ‘’Contemporary problems of technological risks and ways of development ‘’ describes the role of technical risks in the economy of Georgia and the search for ways of its development. The problems that stand in this direction are mentioned. Today, in the era of technologies, the degree of technical risks increases in direct proportion of the development of technologies, which has become a heavy burden for users. Today, each of us uses plastic cards or simply has an account in some social network, and all this automatically puts us at technological risk. Therefore, the most frequently discussed issue is precisely the technical risks and possible serve consequences caused by them. Electronic commerce and internet banking are also noteworthy as the object of attack. Thus, we think that the topic is relevant. The paper discusses the changes that have been made to mitigate these risks. The results of the research are given, the analysis of which gives an idea of the quality of the existing technological risks and ways of elimination. The problems that prevent the better development of technological risks throughout the country are mentioned: 1. Lack of support from the government. 2. Unqualified staff. 3. Inadequate legislation in terms of cyber security. 4. Inadequate insurance of cyber risks. The article presents the results of survey conducted within the framework of the study and relevant statistics. 1. The government should find more support for people affected by technological risks. 2. Specialists employed in the field should be retrained. 3. Legislation should be refined and become victim-friendly. 4. Improve cyber security insurance. Taking all this into account will help’ to solve the problems in technological risks throughout the country. The article contains the opinions ad advice of the authors, seen from the point of view of scientists and its implementation in practice will help to effectively conduct the activities of the filed. Keywords: Technological risks. Cyber security. Economy. Plastic cards. Government. Insurance.

POLICIES TO PREVENT CORRUPTION IN NIGERIA: ENFORCEMENT OF THE RIGHT TO EDUCATION

This paper investigates how well Nigeria conforms to international best practices on the right to education. The quality of education that is available to Nigerians is affected by inadequate budgetary allocation, which is compounded by mismanagement of scarce resources and generally by corrupt practices. Education at the level of the primary, secondary and tertiary levels suffers on account of corruption, despite government propaganda that the state provides adequate educational opportunities at the three tiers of education. Attempts to prosecute and punish acts of corruption have failed consistently. Nigeria is a signatory to international and regional instruments which have influenced it to enact national anti-corruption legislation. However, the political will of successive governments to fight corruption remains on the decrease, particularly when a government itself is a product of corrupt practices. Such a government appoints politicians to the councils of the universities as a reward for political patronage and with a view to recouping the huge sums expended on elections. Anti-corruption laws are sidelined, regulations are compromised and the anti-corruption crusade fails. This results in education being the responsibility of unqualified teaching staff working with poor quality teaching infrastructure. The enforcement of the right to education is undermined. In order to salvage the education sector, it is submitted that Nigeria’s anti-corruption crusade should emphasise preventive measures. A university should be autonomous in respect of its objectives and finances. When funds allocated to education are safe from misappropriation, the right to education may be enforced properly.

Discussion on Innovation Strategy of Government Management in the New Era

Government signifies the organization which can be capable of effectively mobilizing social resources and promoting social development in the development of human society. With the improvement of social productivity, further innovation is required for government in management to meet the development needs of the new era, which also leads to a certain lag of government management compared with social development. Government management should be conducted from the following three aspects: system supply, policy incentive and external constraint. At present, there are three problems in government management, such as imperfect system, insufficient information and unqualified staff level. By promoting the holistic level, informationization and professionalism of government services, these three problems can be effectively solved. With the development of productivity, the government management will develop towards the direction of informationization and servitization.

Influence of Variations in Job Description on Organizational Performance in Nyanchwa Adventist College in Kisii County, Kenya

The performance of an organization is directly linked to those who work for it hence hiring unqualified staff can be costly in the long run. Nyanchwa Adventist College enrolment trend has been going down for the last five years despite the many efforts put by marketing and outreach programs to restore it. Financial performance depends on the student enrolment given that the college does not receive any external funding. The purpose of the study was to analyse the variations in staff recruitment strategies on performance at Nyanchwa Adventist College in Kisii County, Kenya. Descriptive survey design will be employed in the study. The target population will be the 158 staff and students at Nyanchwa Teachers Colleges. Stratified random sampling was used as it covers all sections of staff and members of management that will give a sample size of 113 using the Israel formula. Both Primary and Secondary data were availed using questionnaires and interviews. The reliability for the research instruments were determined by Cronbach's alpha through Test-retest method where a value more than 0.70 was considered reliable. Validation was determined by the supervisor and data collection experts. Data was analysed using both inferential and descriptive statistics that was presented in percentage, mean, standard deviations and tables. The results obtained from the study were used to improve the recruitment process, thus reversing the declining enrolment trends in order to boost the financial base. The research findings indicate that the majority strongly agreed that the organizations’ workers are highly qualified and they understand their job descriptions, this is because there is proper supervision which helps each employee to learn and follow their job description. Variation in employee qualification on organizational performance, the result showed that the majority strongly agreed that the organization employs only qualified staff for the betterment of the organization. It is up to the management of Nyanchwa College to upgrade all employees for better productivity

ІНВЕСТИЦІЙНІ РИЗИКИ ТА ІНВЕСТИЦІЙНІ ПРОЦЕСИ В УКРАЇНІ У РОЗРІЗІ ВИДІВ ЕКОНОМІЧНОЇ ДІЯЛЬНОСТІ

The article is devoted to the problems of assessment and modeling of investment processes in terms of economic activity types. The article determines that the development of state investment activity as an economic category is characterized by certain degrees of uncertainty and risk. In addition, investment risks and the influence of their factors on the development of the economic system are characterized. It is emphasized that investment risks can be interpreted as the probability of not receiving investment profits, social effects of investments, failure to achieve planned investment goals. Obviously, the investment risks of the economic system are influenced by a number of external and internal factors. The authors indicated that among the external factors, if the economic system is considered at the micro level, are an unbalanced market, an unstable market situation, an increase in the level of inflation, unpredictable actions of economic counterparties, a decrease in the welfare of the population, an increase in unemployment, various force majeure circumstances, political and economic crises, military actions in country, etc. Among the internal – unqualified staff, dishonesty of management, low level of productivity and others. It is also stated that risk is an integral component of any sphere of economic activity. Therefore, it is extremely important to take into account risks in investment activities, as every investor seeks to minimize them, reduce the level of potential losses, take into account various factors influencing investment processes, etc. The research also analyzed the dynamics of capital investments in Ukraine for 2010–2020, calculated indicators of the dynamics of capital investments in Ukraine such as absolute growth, growth rate, growth rate, etc. The model of averaging indicators over time was also used. The research selected the types of economic activity that are the most important both in wartime and in peacetime: agriculture, forestry and fishing, industry, construction, transport, warehousing, postal and courier activities, food and beverage provision activities, information and telecommunications, financial and insurance activities, public administration and defense; compulsory social insurance. The profitability indicator is also used to assess investment risks. Therefore, the profitability of economic activities was evaluated. Special attention is focused on the systematization of information on investment processes in Ukraine in the form of tables and visualization of data on investment activity.

“I’m just a TA”; From mixing paints to managing safeguarding and class teaching: An exploration of teaching assistant's perceptions and roles in school

This small-scale piece of research listened to the stories, experiences and perceptions of teaching assistants to hear their lived experiences of the role of teaching assistant. To hear how expectations have altered with/without legislative and framework guidance and consideration of the individuals who take up teaching assistant roles, in a climate where there is a succinct lack of legal requirement for any training or qualifications to be undertaken prior to or during the job role. The findings indicated that there appears to be an ethos within primary educational settings that teaching assistants can ‘do it all’ at ‘all times’, that there is a lack of clarity in role and responsibilities across the ‘unqualified staff’, and furthermore that they self-position as “Just a TA”.

Patient satisfaction with the quality of care provided by student nurses at Ndola Teaching Hospital in Ndola, Zambia

Introduction: Patients’ satisfaction with the care provided by student nurses indicates that students are able to meet the patients' needs, which could also be an indicator of the quality of nursing education received by students and quality of care offered by future nurses. Quality of care influences patient satisfaction and also boost the morale of the care givers.Methods: This was a descriptive quantitative cross sectional study done on 100 randomly selected patients from four admission wards at Ndola Teaching Hospital. The data was collected using a validated semi-structured questionnaire and analyzed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences version 25. A p-value of ≤ .05 was considered statistically significant using Chi square test.Results: The results showed that patients (79%) were dissatisfied with the nursing care provided by student nurses. The cause of dissatisfaction was low quality of care received (48%), lack of student supervision (60%), poor student patient interactions (68%) and level of training (75%). Patient satisfaction had a significant association with availability of supervisors (p = .010), level of training (p = .002), number of students per ward (p = .011) and student interactions (p = .001).Conclusions: Patients are not satisfied with the care provided by student nurses due to poor quality of care provided as students are not guided, and overcrowding in the wards making patients uncomfortable being exposed to a lot of unqualified staff, These findings will help educators to identify areas of improvement in student clinical learning to enhance quality care. Therefore it is recommended that training institutions should strengthen clinical supervision of student nurses by faculty members and senior nurses to enhance the quality of care.

Aggression on the psychiatric ward: Prevalence and risk factors. A systematic review of the literature.

IntroductionOn psychiatric wards, aggressive behaviour displayed by patients is common and problematic. Understanding factors associated with the development of aggression offers possibilities for prevention and targeted interventions. This review discusses factors that contribute to the development of aggression on psychiatric wards.MethodIn Pubmed and Embase, a search was performed aimed at: prevalence data, ward characteristics, patient and staff factors that are associated with aggressive behaviour and from this search 146 studies were included.ResultsThe prevalence of aggressive behaviour on psychiatric wards varied (8–76%). Explanatory factors of aggressive behaviour were subdivided into patient, staff and ward factors. Patient risk factors were diagnosis of psychotic disorder or bipolar disorder, substance abuse, a history of aggression, younger age. Staff risk factors included male gender, unqualified or temporary staff, job strain, dissatisfaction with the job or management, burn-out and quality of the interaction between patients and staff. Staff protective factors were a good functioning team, good leadership and being involved in treatment decisions. Significant ward risk factors were a higher bed occupancy, busy places on the ward, walking rounds, an unsafe environment, a restrictive environment, lack of structure in the day, smoking and lack of privacy.ConclusionDespite a lack of prospective quantitative data, results did show that aggression arises from a combination of patient factors, staff factors and ward factors. Patient factors were studied most often, however, besides treatment, offering the least possibilities in prevention of aggression development. Future studies should focus more on the earlier stages of aggression such as agitation and on factors that are better suited for preventing aggression such as ward and staff factors. Management and clinicians could adapt staffing and ward in line with these results.

Promoting compassionate and respectful maternity care during facility-based delivery in Ethiopia: perspectives of clients and midwives

ObjectiveThe purpose of this qualitative study was to explore clients’ and midwives’ perceptions of compassionate and respectful care during facility-based delivery in Bishoftu District, the regional state of Oromia, Ethiopia.SettingPublic...

Teamwork Conflicts; Medical Errors and Patient Safety as Perceived by Nurses: A Cross-Sectional Study of Selected Hospitals in Hail City; Saudi Arabia

Patient safety is a global problem and one of the key elements of the quality of health care systems. The human factor is a major risk factor leading to medical errors that affect patient safety. To explore the impact of this factor on patient safety in the hospitals located in the Ha'il city in Saudi Arabia; the perceptions of nurses working in governmental hospitals were assessed using a self-structured questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were presented for the studied variables. Significant differences between the categories of the respondents’ characteristics in relation to risk factors were assessed using the Mann-Whitney test; the Kruskal-Wallis and the Spearman rank correlation test. Only 50% of the factors tested were perceived as moderate risk factors that were negatively affecting patient safety in Ha'il hospitals; namely: ‘Poor teamwork among medical staff’; ‘Unqualified medical staff’ and ‘Miscommunication among medical staff’. The substantial differences among demographic characteristics of the study sample in relation to the human resources risk factors causing medical errors was identified at P<0.05. Although the human risk factors were ranked as low to moderate; attention to and concern for all risk factors is needed by policymakers and hospital managers in order to improve patient safety in the healthcare settings in the Ha'il city in KSA.

Method of Estimating Uncertainty as a Way to Evaluate Continuity Quality of Power Supply in Hospital Devices

The article presents issues related to the determination of the continuity quality of power supply (CQoPS) for hospital electrical devices. The model describing CQoPS takes into account power redundancy. The uncertainty modeling method based on the certainty factor (CF) of the hypothesis was used to establish the single-valued CQoPS factor. CQoPS modeling takes into account multidimensional quality models and physical stages of power. The quality models take into account seven dimensions that make up CQoPS (availability, appropriate amount, power supply reliability, power quality, assurance, responsiveness, security). The model of power stages includes five of these stages (power generation, delivery to recipient, distribution by recipient, delivery to device, power-consuming device). To date, when designing hospital power systems, the applied reliability indicators revealed limitations because they do not consider all the possible factors influencing the power continuity. Estimating the supply continuity quality with the use of the uncertainty modeling proposed in this article allows for taking into account all possible factors (not just reliability factors) that may affect supply continuity. The presented modeling offers an additional advantage, namely, it allows an expanded evaluation of the hospital supply system and a description using only one indicator. This fact renders the evaluation of the supply system possible for unqualified staff. At the end of the article, some examples of calculations and simulations are presented, thus showing that the applied methods give the expected results.

Contribution to the Assessment of the Quality of the Pre-Analytical Phase of Medical Biology Tests at the Ibn Sina University Hospital in Rabat

The study of the nonconformities (NC) literatures in medical biology report that between 60-85% of laboratory errors are produced during the pre-analytical phase, which are often external and escapes the biologist's control. The objective of our study was to identify the factors at the origin of non-conformities during this phase at the University Hospital of Rabat. A mixed analytical descriptive study realized between August 2019 and August 2020 based on a non-compliance form, a self-questionnaire, an observation grid, focus groups and semi-structured interviews. We also set up the Deming wheel PDCA as well as the work tools (BRAINSTORMIN, 5M, ISHIKAWA). Our results show that 22 % of the prescriptions of biologic tests are drafted by nurses and not doctors this in the absence of an updated list of biological exams. The samples are taken at 88,1% by unqualified personnel and 95 % without any guide or manual. For the traceability aspect, the name of the sampler is never placed on the sheet of examination, age, sex of the patient; time and nature of the sample are often not mentioned in the label vials of samples. Transportation is made by pneumatic cylinder system and sometimes by unqualified staff in absence of procedures for packaging and transportation equipment without traceability. The reception of samples is carried out by untrained staff on the error management of the pre-analytical phase. They result at first from a major defect of coordination between the laboratory and the services, then by the lack of continuing education and the weak competence of the staff involved in this process and finally compounded by the lack of manual sampling, procedures for packaging, transport, reception and triage.

Attempting inclusive practice: perspectives of physical educators and adapted physical educators

ABSTRACT Inclusive education has become a global area of study, yet research has highlighted challenges with inclusive practices among teachers in integrated physical education contexts. The purpose of this study was to examine physical education and adapted physical education teachers’ perspectives on how they attempt inclusive practice in integrated physical education. Using a qualitative description design, 78 teachers (30 physical education, 48 adapted physical education) responded to an open-ended survey item related to their inclusive practice. While the teachers believed that they did the best they could with their inclusive practices, which often relied on collaborative efforts to meet students’ needs, they highlighted challenges of inadequate support, unqualified staff, and integrating students with severe disabilities. To mitigate these challenges, teacher education can better prepare preservice PE and APE teachers to navigate the sociopolitics of working in public schools and to collaborate effectively with other personnel to meet the needs of students.

Use of non-sterile gloves in the ward environment: an evaluation of healthcare workers' perception of risk and decision making.

Studies have found that inappropriate use of non-sterile gloves (NSG) can affect hand hygiene compliance; the main risks are missing opportunities for hand hygiene and gloves being a vector for microbial transmission. The aims of this study were to explore the accuracy of healthcare worker (HCW) risk assessment and decision making regarding the use of NSG. The study was conducted in two acute NHS Trusts and a community social enterprise. A cross-sectional survey was carried out, followed by qualitative semi-structured interviews. There were highly significant differences at the 95% probability level between staff groups, unqualified staff being significantly more likely than qualified staff to report NSG use when not indicated (P < 0.0001). The primary motivating factor for staff to wear NSG was for personal protection; the secondary factor being the protection of patients. Staff were also motivated by a desire to create an image of professionalism. Respondents were more likely to follow the lead of seniors in their own profession. The results suggest a necessity for change interventions aimed at unqualified staff such as healthcare assistants (HCAs). It would be beneficial to review the indications for glove use and amend organisational policies accordingly. Leaders in each professional staff group would be required to influence practice across organisations, taking into account motivating factors, and in association with multi-modal interventions to improve practice.

Nurses and Physicians perception of Causes and Risk Ractors Contributing Patient Readmission to the Coronary Care Unit

Background: Readmission to the intensive care unit is associated with increased cost of care and worse patient outcomes Aim :of the study was to determine and explore nurses and physicians perception of causes and risk factors contributing patients readmission to coronary care unit. Design:- descriptive research design was used in this study . Setting: The study was conducted in coronary care units at a University Hospital. Sample: thirty nurses and twenty-five physicians working at the Coronary Care Unit. Tools: semi structured interview questionnaires. Results: thirty-two factors within four broad themes that could lead to readmissions were identified (1) patient factors: Previous comorbidities, Previous acute coronary syndrome, Bad medication compliance and Patient discharged before articulation goal of care (100%). (2) process factors: Unqualified staff member, Resources constraints (100%). (3) provider factors: Heavy workloads 90%, Unqualified staff member deal with highly demand patient (86,9). (4) organizational factors: Resources constraints (when patient transfer to ward)100% Conclusion and recommendations: intensive care unit care givers need to look at ways of increasing the knowledge and skills of ICU staff or identify more appropriate environment for managing acutely ill patients

Assessing contract management as a strategic tool for achieving quality of work in Ghanaian construction industry

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the attainment of quality in Government of Ghana’s (GoG) infrastructural projects through effective contract management and especially, relating to qualification, competence and experience of supply chain stakeholders.Design/methodology/approachA survey questionnaire and field observations were used to collect primary data from staff of the education ministry and construction professionals. Documentary analyses of contract documents were also undertaken.FindingsThe results show that executing agencies’ failure to apply appropriate contract management processes was linked to the gap between stakeholders’ knowledge and actual practice. This was confirmed by Spearman’s rho tests of correlation between overall mean ranks given by professionals and non-professionals, which indicated strong agreement between those groups. Factors such as contractors’ engagement of unqualified supervisory staff, lack of proper projects monitoring and evaluation by executing agencies mainly contribute to the poor quality of work.Research limitations/implicationsInvestigations were limited to the Funds and Procurement Management Unit of the Ministry of Education, Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies and local contractors. Nonetheless, the methodology used could be used in future studies to analyse the socio-economic implications on the quality of education infrastructure.Practical implicationsConstruction is booming in Ghana but the capacity to improve the work quality through effective contract management is limited. However, with the effort of stakeholder and statutory bodies’ support in capacity building initiatives, GoG projects could offer some novel solutions to improve quality of work.Social implicationsConstruction industry professionals and students’ knowledge and perception on construction industry and contract management is significantly improved.Originality/valueThis study provides information on respondents’ knowledge on contract management process, which, if not properly understood, can lead to poor quality of work and loss of money.

Medical care in unlicensed combat sports: A need for standardised regulatory frameworks

ObjectivesTo explore the provision of medical care at ‘unlicensed’, full-contact amateur and lower-level professional combat sports competitions in England. DesignQualitative, mixed methods. MethodsObservations totalling 200h of fieldwork shadowing medical professionals at 27 individual combat sports events, alongside formal, semi-structured interviews with 25 medical professionals, 7 referees and 9 promoters/event staff. ResultsPractices and standards vary widely. Event organisers and promoters often have very little understanding of how different types of medical practitioners operate. They rarely, if ever, check that the staff they are hiring are qualified, sometimes resulting in unqualified staff being used to provide medical cover at events. Venues are often poorly equipped to accommodate basic medical procedures. Patient confidentiality is very often compromised. Medical professionals often have limited autonomy within the combat sports milieu and may find themselves marginalised, with their judgements overruled by non-medical staff during competitive events. Some practitioners are cognisant of the dangers such working environments pose to their professional reputations and livelihoods, but remain working within combat sports regardless. ConclusionsDespite pockets of good practice, the lack of standardised rules for medical care provision creates substantial risks to athletes, to practitioners and the standing of the profession. The development and implementation of standardised, enforceable regulatory frameworks for full-contact combat sports in England is urgently needed.