Work Practice Research Articles

A scoping review to evaluate occupational controls and their effectiveness when handling engineered nanomaterials in workplaces.

Research has shown that controlling worker exposure to engineered nanomaterials (ENMs) helps to reduce the exposure risk to employees in workplaces. This study aimed to identify the available evidence on the effectiveness of various control methods used in the workplace to reduce worker exposure to ENMs. The search was conducted in databases-Medline, OVID, Scopus, Science Direct, Web of Science, and Cochrane and the gray literature published from January 2010 to December 2022. The search keywords included ENM controls and their efficiency in workplace environments. Of the 152 studies retrieved, 22 were included in the review. The control measures in the review included (1) substitution controls; (2) engineering measures (i.e., isolation, direct source extraction, and wetting technologies); (3) personal protective equipment; and (4) administrative and work practices. The study results indicate that the above-mentioned control measures were effective in reducing ENM exposures. This information can be used to help employers choose the most effective controls for their workplaces.

Technology trends in practice: A survey of occupational therapy practitioners.

Given the evolving digital revolution, technology and digital tools are becoming inseparable from work and daily occupations. Occupational therapy practitioners (OTPs) focus on supporting individuals in their desired and needed activities. Many of these daily activities (i.e., online banking, shopping, social media, smartphone use) require digital skills at a growing rate, and insufficient technological skills may subject individuals to limited engagement and social isolation. To understand OTPs attitudes regarding technology utilization. We surveyed 109 OTPs about their attitudes, work practices, and barriers to addressing their clients' digital technological functioning. The findings of our study suggest that while OTPs acknowledge the importance and potential benefit of technology for their clients, there is a notable professional gap in the training and skills of OTPs to support their clients' digital functioning effectively and to integrate technology into their practice. There is a need to improve and expand OTP's digital skills and knowledge regarding addressing clients' digital functioning and technology implementation in occupational therapy practice.

MSW Student Perspectives on Facilitators and Barriers in Learning About Social Justice in Social Work Practice

MSW Student Perspectives on Facilitators and Barriers in Learning About Social Justice in Social Work Practice

The problems of social preparedness of orphanage graduates in Kazakhstan

ABSTRACT The key objective of the article was to analyze the current model of social preparedness of young people who were left without parental care in childhood and brought up in orphanages in Kazakhstan. The study utilized various scientific methods, including the structural-functional method, method of synthesis, logical and comparative analysis, and method of generalization. This article explores common issues facing orphanage graduates in Kazakhstan, analyzing factors contributing to their vulnerability and the impact of socio-demographic characteristics. Funded by the European Union, the study’s findings aim to enhance social work practices for this at-risk population.

Survey of occupational hygiene professional practice in Spanish-speaking countries.

Professional credentialing schemes based on experience and examination are used to clarify the scope and required competencies associated with the practice of a profession. National occupational hygiene (OH) credentials developed in 17 nations have been recognized by the International Occupational Hygiene Association (IOHA) to meet or exceed the requirements of a model certification program. To date, there is no credentialing or certification scheme for occupational hygienists in Spanish-speaking regions. To fill this void, a new credentialing body has been created named the Iberoamerican Board of Occupational Hygiene (JIHO). As a first step to the development of a certification exam for a profession, it is necessary to determine the interest in an occupational hygiene certification exam in Spanish and to clarify the most common work practices for those practicing the profession. To determine the proper exam weightings for occupational hygiene competencies needed to practice in Spanish-speaking regions JIHO conducted a comprehensive survey of professional practice of occupational hygiene in nations where Spanish is spoken as the primary language. Surveys were sent to 456 practicing occupational hygienists in nine different countries on a variety of topics. Results indicated that 79% of respondents felt the need for an OH certification exam in Spanish was very or extremely important. The most frequent and important technical competencies utilized in practice were (1) awareness about the health effects of hazardous agents to make decisions about workplace activities and exposures, (2) application of the hierarchy of controls, control banding, hazard communication, training of employees and other methods to reduce worker exposure and workplace risks, and (3) application of principles to recognize and control biohazards in the workplace. The study results have been used to guide the weighting and importance of various technical topics and rubrics on the JIHO exam. Data from this study can be used in the development of certification examinations, to improve international coherence in the profession, and the development of educational programs in OH.

High-performance work practices and entrepreneurial firm performance: the moderating role of firm size and industry type

PurposeThis paper examines the moderating role of firm size (FS) and industry type in the relationship between high-performance work practices (HPWPs) and entrepreneurial firm performance.Design/methodology/approachA descriptive research design involving a five-year dataset from firms in the retail and services industries of Nigeria was used in the analyses.FindingsThe use of HPWPs is widespread among entrepreneurial firms, with ability- and motivation-enhancing practices being dominant. Country context influences the types of HPWPs implemented by entrepreneurial firms. FS and industry type do not have significant moderating effects on the relationship between HPWPs and the performance of entrepreneurial firms. The positive effect of HPWPs on performance is consistent with findings made in prior studies.Research limitations/implicationsFS plays a neutral role in the relationship between HPWPs and entrepreneurial firm performance. Within the broader retail and services industries, this relationship is weaker in capital-intensive firms compared to less capital-intensive ones. The restricted focus on only retail and service industries may limit the universal applicability of the findings.Practical implicationsFindings indicate that the efficacy of HPWPs is neither influenced by FS nor industry type. Entrepreneurial firms with higher capital intensity benefit relatively more from the use of HPWPs.Originality/valueUnlike other research efforts focusing on a single moderating influence, this study combines two important contextual factors, FS and industry type, to provide a better understanding of HPWPs. The study spotlights the effects of country context in the implementation of HPWPs in a way that prior studies have not done.

Enactments of evidence-based programs in social work – the gap between ideal and practice in the context of Norway

ABSTRACT Research shows that social workers have positive attitudes towards evidence-based practice (EBP), but that there exists confusion about what EBP entails in social work. Social workers do not distinguish between EBP and the use of other sources of knowledge and tend to find knowledge and experiences from practice, colleagues, and supervisors just as if not more important. Therefore, for some proponents of EBP, implementing EBP in a way that ensures fidelity according to standardized evidence-based programs becomes important. This article, presenting findings from a PhD project , shows what happens in practice when this is the case. Based on a qualitative study of the implementation and enactment of evidence-based programs in social work in Norway, the findings show that despite organizational and key actors’ attempts to minimize the gap between knowledge and practice and to homogenize practice to prevent drift, heterogenous enactments take place in practice. These enactments are driven forward by social workers’ knowledge about and practical attentiveness to the situation, needs and broader conditions and troubles of the ‘users’, in this case children and families. Thus, competent social workers make EBP work, but this is camouflaged in a top-down approach to implementing evidence-based programs to which these modifications appear to be an obstacle to a ‘pure’ implementation. Therefore, the article discusses the epistemological implications of the findings and offers suggestions for further theoretical and empirical research that cultivates a more adequate understanding of the relationship between knowledge and practice in social work.

Relevansi Nilai-nilai Pendidikan Agama Islam dengan Program Kegiatan Pramuka di SMK Negeri 1 Kerinci

The lack of Islamic religious education lesson hours, which is only 3 lesson hours per week at the SMK/MAK level, plus Prakerind (Industrial Work Practice) for 2 semesters, is of course not enough for a PAI teacher to teach a very broad PAI material. This research aims to determine the relationship between the values of Islamic religious education and the scout activity program at SMK N 1 Kerinci. It is hoped that once the connection between PAI values and scout activities is known, students will be interested in taking part in scout activities to learn and implement PAI values outside of class hours. This research uses a qualitative method with a case study type of research, the object of this research is the scout members of SMK N 1 Kerinci. The data in this research was obtained from observation, interviews and documentation. In analyzing the data the author used source triangulation. The results of this research show that there is a connection between the values of Islamic religious education in several Scout activity programs at SMK N 1 Kerinci. In the scout activity program implemented there are two values of Islamic religious education, namely the value of worship, including: congregational prayer, du'a, natural tadabur, muhasabah, and mutual help. Then the moral values include: Discipline, Patience, Politeness, Independence, Leadership, Willing to help. The habit of worshiping and cultivating these character values can improve the religious attitudes of Scout members.

Social work’s grandest challenge: re-contextualizing racism and reducing its deleterious effects on its members and those we serve

ABSTRACT Social work as a profession has a legacy of racism, bigotry, and White supremacy that has harmed a number of racially marginalized groups of people. To this day, social work continues to be beleaguered by racialized activities at the student, practitioner, and research levels that stain its reputation. The author discusses how racist ideologies negatively affect the social work profession and how members of the profession can make immediate changes in social work practice, education, and research in an effort to eliminate racism as one of the grand challenges for social work.

Print Imaging Practice

This article discusses the author’s transition from artist to curator and cultural producer of contemporary print exhibitions. By exploring the creative process of three exhibitions, including I AM that I AM (2015) at IMPACT 9 in Hangzhou (China), Out of the Matrix 3.0 (2018) at IMPACT 10 in Santander (Spain), and Out of the Matrix 2.0 (2019) at Hong Kong Open Printshop in Hong Kong (SAR, China), this paper uses personal reflections on the relationship between artistic practice, collaboration, and collective creation in cross-cultural print exhibition works. These research projects provide an opportunity to investigate specific elements of print productions from printmaking practice to collaborative curation.

Lived Experiences of Parenting Transgender and Gender Nonconforming Youth: Implications for Clinical Social Work Practice

AbstractTransgender and gender non-conforming (TGNC) youth are the focus of media attention, policy and practice changes, and multidisciplinary research. Due to their disproportionate risk of self-harm, depression, and suicidality, family support of TGNC youth is a key focus. Despite growing community awareness, TGNC children, and their families, continue to navigate a complex myriad of challenges, including at an individual, family, community, and societal level. Parents are likely influenced by their child’s TGNC identity however little is known about how this parenting experience is perceived and navigated, with most research exploring the TGNC person’s perspective. Using qualitative photovoice methodology, this study explored the lived experience of raising a TGNC child from the parent perspective. Eight Australian parents of a TGNC young person aged between 10 and 18 years participated in an in-depth interview guided by their chosen photographs as the stimulus. Thematic analysis identified five key findings: 1. crossing the threshold: finding out and figuring it out; 2. changing and adapting; 3. same but different: attachment and family dynamic; 4. letting go and holding on; and 5. finding a path forward. Findings suggest complex psychosocial impacts on parenting. Recommendations include targeted support for parents that addresses grief, social isolation, career stress, and access to relevant information and services. Clinical social workers can play a vital role in supporting parents of TGNC children by providing trauma informed responses that recognise disenfranchised grief, acknowledge socioemotional impacts, and empower parents with appropriate resources to meet their needs, and those of their TGNC child.

Exploring a practice theoretical tool-kit approach for studying professional and organisational learning processes: a pragmatist interpretation

ABSTRACT This article conceptually explores different practice theoretical vantage points in empirical studies of professional and organisational learning processes. Through an ethnographic study of a management development program in Denmark, possibilities and limitations of three different practice-theoretical approaches are considered. Firstly, learning processes are examined as professional identity formation through participation in the community of practice around the development program. Next, Schatzki’s practice-theoretical approach is applied, focusing on management as situated work practice. A third approach focusing on persons’ learning paths in professional and organisational practices is considered: Ole Dreier's concept of person is discussed as a further development of practice theories in line with Schatzki’s thinking. The article explores the epistemological and ontological stances taken by the three practice theories in relation to the study of learning processes. A pragmatist interpretation of a ‘tool-kit’ approach to operationalising different practice theoretical approaches in alliance is developed, considering how this can generate constructive analytical tensions for exploring and understanding learning processes.

Supervision as a Dispersed Practice: Exploring the Creation of Supervisory Spaces in Day‐to‐Day Social Work Practice

ABSTRACTSupervision is integral to social work practice; however, how it operates in day‐to‐day practice remains poorly understood. Existing research mainly comprises quantitative and qualitative accounts of social workers' and supervisors' experiences of supervision. More recently, a small number of studies examining the content of supervision have added to our understanding of what happens in supervision. However, supervisory interactions outside formal supervision have received scant empirical attention. This paper draws on an ethnographic study of four social work teams in England, exploring how formal and informal case discussion supports social workers' sensemaking. Data comprised observations of case talk in the office space (n = 21) and group case discussions (n = 2), recordings of one‐to‐one supervision (n = 17) and semi‐structured interviews (n = 22). Findings highlighted the importance of space in how social workers perceived and engaged with supervision. Supervisory spaces involve the interaction of physical, thinking and emotional spaces to create spaces that are supportive, task‐focused and reflective. Moreover, these supervisory spaces are not confined to formal one‐to‐one supervision or to the dyadic supervisor–supervisee relationship. This raises questions for how child protection social workers can be best supported, across diverse supervisory spaces and relationships, to ensure their practice is effective.

SOCIAL WORK WITH NATIONAL MINORITIES: US EXPERIENCE

SOCIAL WORK WITH NATIONAL MINORITIES: US EXPERIENCE

Job Satisfaction of Health Care Workers in Hospitals

This research delves into the intricate dynamics of job satisfaction among healthcare workers in prestigious hospitals in India, specifically AIIMS Jodhpur, Apollo Hospitals Jaipur, and Manipal Hospitals Jaipur. Job satisfaction is pivotal for healthcare management, influencing morale, retention rates, and ultimately, patient care quality. By exploring determinants like workload, compensation, work environment, leadership, and professional development opportunities, alongside organizational culture, the study aims to provide actionable insights and recommendations for enhancing healthcare working practices. Through a descriptive research methodology involving surveys, interviews, and observations, the research sheds light on various factors contributing to job satisfaction and wellbeing among 120 surveyed individuals. The findings underscore the significance of addressing employees' needs comprehensively to foster a positive workplace culture, emphasizing strategies such as enhancing communication channels, providing career development opportunities, and prioritizing employee wellbeing. Overall, this study contributes to understanding and improving the work experience for healthcare workers, ultimately benefiting organizational performance and patient care quality.

INTERDISCIPLINARY DICTIONARY: MEETING OF HUMAN PHILOSOPHY AND CULTURE WITH PSYCHOLOGY

Relevance. The authors present the encyclopedic edition of 2022 - an interdisciplinary dictionary that intersects research fields and methodological approaches of a number of humanities. In this case, such sciences are philosophical anthropology, philosophy of culture and cultural studies, as well as psychology. Methodology. The basic heuristics of the categorical analysis of the concepts and philosophical practices presented in the dictionary is the author's original metaanthropological approach, which involves a level interpretation of the phenomenology of existing and new terms and techniques of working with the client. Among the main ones, the dictionary includes such terms as "psyche", "psychoanalysis", "philosophical psychoanalysis", "androgynous analysis", "philosophical art therapy", "aphorism therapy", etc. Results. In the context of psychological understanding, the reader may be most interested in dictionary articles devoted to philosophical psychoanalysis and androgynous analysis. The term "philosophical psychoanalysis" describes the modern domestic direction of psychoanalysis, which developed thanks to the efforts of the authors based on the original methodology of philosophical anthropology as meta anthropology. Its essence consists in the specialist's organization during psychotherapeutic work of a special psycho developmental practice of a consistent transition of the client from the everyday worldview to the personal one and further - from the personal one to the philosophical one, which actualizes constructive material changes in a person. From the standpoint of metaanthropological vision, the text also presents the understanding of human immortality and beauty and the practice of androgynous analysis. Androgynous analysis (from the Greek Andros – man, gin – woman) is the theory and practice of research and deep correction of the existence of the individual and relationships between people through the use of the strategy of interaction of the existential dimensions of masculinity and femininity as spirituality and spirituality.

Authority Over Investigation Decisions in Child Welfare Services: How is it Distributed Among Social Workers, Managers and Citizen Representatives?

ABSTRACTThis study examined the distribution of authority over decisions made during investigations within child welfare services (CWS). The distribution between various actors, such as social workers, citizen representatives and managers, was examined regarding 19 key decisions that frequently occur during investigations. The study also examined how the municipal socio‐economic status and the internal organizational conditions of CWS impact the overall hierarchical level of authority using linear regression analysis. The study was a full population study of Swedish municipalities and districts in larger cities (n = 309, response rate of 62%). The study indicates that the head of the unit holds authority over most decision types, followed by the social worker. However, the study also indicates that there are significant variations between municipalities and decision types. In the municipality delegating authority to the lowest hierarchical level, social workers hold authority over 15 decision types compared with two decision types in the municipality delegating authority to the highest hierarchical level. This variation concerns most decision types except two, where authority is almost exclusively delegated to the same actor in all municipalities. The regression analysis indicated that the educational level of the municipal inhabitants and the size of the CWS budget were the strongest predictors of the hierarchical level of authority in a municipality. High educational levels in municipalities are associated with delegating authority to low hierarchical levels, such as social workers, whereas large CWS budgets (spending as SEK per inhabitant) are associated with delegating authority to high hierarchical levels, such as top‐level managers. The implications of these results for social work research and practice are discussed.

Experiences of families bereaved by opioid-related death

ABSTRACT Family members bereaved by a drug-related death are underserved. In-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 12 people bereaved by a close family member’s opioid-related death. Reflexive thematic analysis was used to identify themes in four areas: emotional responses (e.g. anticipatory grief), communication about the death (i.e. open or closed), supports (e.g. social or formal), and advice for others who lost a family member to opioid-related death. Findings highlight the need to support and reduce stigma toward people who use drugs and their families. This study guides social work practice by identifying the needs of families bereaved by opioid-related death.

Kelios pastabos iš valdovo kanceliarijos darbo praktikų jos laikino valdytojo Ivano Hornostajaus laikais 1540–1546 metais (Lietuvos Metrikos knygų Nr. 24, 28 ir 231 (12-osios TBK) duomenimis)

This article presents an analysis of three Lithuanian Metrica books, formed in around 1540–1544, namely – books No. 24, 28 and Court Case Book No. 12, looking at their purpose and interrelativity, and the value of their information as historical sources. The author of this article found some source-research related confusion in these books, due to which historians studying this period may inadvertently incorporate a degree of undesirable errors in their work. The above-mentioned books of the Lithuanian Metrica were formed at a time when the state treasurer and grand ducal chancellery clerk Ivan Hornostay was serving as the head of the chancellery of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania following the death of Chancellor Albertas Goštautas (December, 1539).In presenting the work practices executed by the chancellery of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania in 1540–1544, the analysis of the interrelation of Lithuanian Metrica books No. 24, 28 and Court Case Book No. 12 and the “movement” of the documents they contained allowed me to arrive at several observations. The chancellery’s work practices were found to indicate the considered redaction of texts, whereby seeking to give them the attributes of an official document, changes and additions to the regular formulated language would be made. Hornostay is deemed the most important official-bureaucrat in this activity, having direct control over the clerks in the chancellery of King and Grand Duke Sigismund the Old and indirectly – of his wife, Queen Bona, and son Sigismund Augustus, as official documents issued in the ruler’s name could only be stamped and entered into the chartulary (chartularium) kept by Marcin Tur with Hornostay’s knowledge. The noticeably significant impact of Hornostay on the ruler made it possible to influence the latter’s official decisions regarding various matters in the internal life of the state. Hornostay was the most important chancellery official not only in 1540–1544 as the executor of the chancellor’s office, but earlier as well. The bureaucratic purpose of these three analysed books of the Lithuanian Metrica may be explained differently than by grouping them into Books of Inscriptions (No. 24 and 28) and a Court Case Book (Court Case Book No. 12), as the modern period historiographic scheme of 1887 devised by Stanisław Ptaszycki dictates. Rather, we should consider Lithuanian Metrica Book No. 24 as the chartulary Book of Inscriptions containing the ruler’s official documents, whereas Book No. 28 and Court Case Book No. 12 were formed from series of clerks’ files, in which the majority of documents were not yet officially authorised – these were drafts, concepts (minutes), preliminary papers, court case protocols, the ruler’s provisional resolutions and alike. In both of the latter books of the Lithuanian Metrica we find the drafts of documents of various content, even though court case documents dominate in one book, while the other had mostly grants (endowments), records of provenance, and alike. This kind of record-keeping was found to lack consistency in the manner that documents were ordered, the documents themselves having been entered haphazardly.This research of three books of the Lithuanian Metrica by no means explains all of the aspects of the activities of the chancellery of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania from that time, but only accounts for several years after the death of Albertas Goštautas. These aspects are related to the same changes to document content that were made during the progression from a draft to its official version.

The Translation of Recovery-Oriented Social Work Practice in Child and Youth Mental Health: A Scoping Review

Abstract Recovery-oriented practice has become taken for granted and seen as the most ideal way of working for social workers alongside other allied health practitioners in the mental health field. Recovery-oriented practice is defined as a person-centred and strengths-based approach, providing interventions, as well as facilitating environmental and multidisciplinary resources to support the individual’s independence. The applicability of recovery in a child and youth mental health (CYMH) context, however, continues to be questioned. Although some research has explored what recovery means for young people, there is scant literature that examines how recovery-oriented practice is enacted when working with children and their families. This scoping review, guided by the Arksey and O’Malley’s framework explores how recovery is conceptualised and translated into practice with children aged two to twelve years who have identified ‘mental health concerns’ and their families. Qualitative and grey literature from the last twenty years was thematically analysed. The findings highlight the primacy placed on global recovery-oriented principles and expose the superficial articulation of the application of recovery-oriented practice with children. Findings underscore the need to critically investigate how social workers enact recovery approaches when working in a clinical CYMH setting, dominated by the medical model which prioritises evidence-based intervention and marginalises children’s knowledge.