Search

Previous research has indicated that healthcare support for sexuality after spinal cord injury appears to be neglected or inadequately provided. The perspectives of people living with spinal cord injuries regarding what is lacking and what support they would like to be provided, and why, has yet to be explored. This paper uses critical theory to explore how societal constructs of sexuality and disability shape how sexuality is supported after a spinal cord injury. To do this, we conducted in-depth semi-structured interviews with 11 people with a spinal cord injury from Australia, the United Kingdom, and the United States. We drew from the works of various critical disability theorists to analyze what discourses underpinned the experiences people with spinal cord injuries had when receiving sexuality support. Analysis suggested that the following discourses were apparent: (1) broken bodies require repair, (2) sex is penetration, ejaculation then reproduction, and (3) sexual autonomy is required. Findings indicated healthcare professionals need to recognize people with spinal cord injuries as sexual beings with a diverse range of desires, lives, relations, and bodies. Provision of individualized comprehensive high-quality sexuality support is therefore warranted. To achieve this, healthcare professionals should aim to be aware of, and mitigate, ableist and normative assumptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite emerging evidence of validity and reliability, speech and language therapists' (SLT) uptake of telehealth has been limited and barriers remain to the effective and confident use of this service model. The COVID‐19 pandemic has caused significant disruption to essential health services, including speech and language therapy assessment and intervention, meaning that telehealth must now be considered as part of the suite of service delivery options for all clinicians. Aims: To explore the perceived barriers and facilitators of telehealth among community paediatric SLTs before and after their use of a telehealth platform with an embedded standardised assessment tool. Methods & Procedures: Mixed‐methods questionnaires were developed for this study and completed by SLTs before and after the 3‐month trial of the telehealth platform. A total of 38 SLTs completed the pre‐trial questionnaire and training in the use of telehealth platform (Coviu), including instruction in using a standardised, norm referenced language test as an integrated tool within the Coviu platform. A total of 27 SLTs went on to use the telehealth platform, and 25 of these completed the post‐trial questionnaire on which subsequent qualitative and quantitative analysis was completed. Outcomes & Results: Prior to using the platform, perceived barriers included technology issues, limited clinician experience and concerns around parent acceptance of the service. Potential facilitators included access to appropriate platforms, tools and resources as well as increased clinician confidence with telehealth. Following the trial, barriers to telehealth use continued to include technology barriers, particularly internet stability, and client issues, including suitability for telehealth services. Facilitators for future telehealth use included access to appropriate platforms for telehealth, stable and appropriate internet connectivity, and more extensive telehealth resources for both assessment and intervention for this mode of service delivery. Conclusions & Implications: This study provides insights into the perceptions of the barriers and facilitating factors for telehealth use among community‐based SLTs. This information will be useful in developing strategies to promote uptake and effective and confident use of telehealth as a mode of service delivery beyond the pandemic. What this paper adds: What is already known on the subject: Research about telehealth has shown that it is a reliable and valid way of delivering speech pathology services, yet many clinicians have been wary of its use and uptake of telehealth prior to COVID‐19 had been limited. We wanted to know what SLTs thought about using telehealth before and after participating in a 3‐month trial of a telehealth platform with an embedded formal language assessment. What this study adds to existing knowledge: This study indicates that technology issues including internet stability are a barrier to effective telehealth services, but that appropriate telehealth platforms, resources and experience are facilitators of uptake and successful use of telehealth. What are the potential or actual clinical implications of this work?: This information will be useful in developing strategies to promote uptake and effective and confident use of telehealth as a mode of service delivery for children during and beyond the pandemic, including those isolated by geographical or transport barriers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Formative online multiple‐choice tests are ubiquitous in higher education and potentially powerful learning tools. However, commonly used feedback approaches in online multiple‐choice tests can discourage meaningful engagement and enable strategies, such as trial‐and‐error, that circumvent intended learning outcomes. These strategies will not prepare graduates as self‐regulated learners, nor for the complexities of contemporary work settings. Objectives: To investigate whether providing only a score after formative online multiple‐choice test attempts (score‐only feedback) increases the likelihood of students to engage in self‐regulated learning compared with more directive feedback. Measurable outcomes included deeper learning, collaboration, information seeking, and satisfaction. Methods: Data in this mixed methods study were collected from nursing students through surveys, test results, focus groups, and student discussion board contributions. A quasi‐experimental design was used for quantitative data, and qualitative data were analysed thematically against domains of self‐regulated learning. Results and Conclusions: Students receiving score‐only feedback were more cognitively engaged with the content, collaborated constructively, and sought out richer sources of information. However, it was also associated with lower satisfaction. In this study, minimal feedback created states of uncertainty, which resulted in the activation of self‐regulatory actions. Implications for Practice: Providing overly directive feedback for formative online multiple‐choice tests is conducive to surface‐level learning strategies. By minimising feedback and allowing for extended states of uncertainty, students are more likely to regulate their learning through self‐assessment and problem‐solving strategies, all of which are required by graduates to meet the challenges of real‐world work settings. Lay Description: What is already known about this topic: Formative online multiple‐choice tests are widely used in higher education.Feedback is a critical element in the design of effective online multiple‐choice tests.Formative feedback should promote self‐regulated learning.Feedback types used in multiple‐choice tests facilitate strategies not conducive to self‐regulation. What this paper adds: Online multiple‐choice test feedback can influence how students self‐regulate their learning.Less feedback can result in greater self‐evaluation and performance in summative assessment.Less feedback can encourage richer help‐seeking strategies (collaboration and information seeking).However, less feedback can result in student dissatisfaction. Implications for practice and/or policy: Judicious use of feedback is required in the design of online multiple‐choice tests.Educators should consider providing less feedback to promote learner self‐regulation.Satisfaction with online multiple‐choice tests does not necessarily equate to greater learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives The aim of the Paediatric International Nursing Study was to explore the utility of key performance indicators in developing person-centred practice across a range of services provided to sick children. The objective addressed in this paper was evaluating the use of these indicators to benchmark services internationally. Background This study builds on primary research, which produced indicators that were considered novel both in terms of their positive orientation and use in generating data that privileges the patient voice. This study extends this research through wider testing on an international platform within paediatrics. Design The overall methodological approach was a realistic evaluation used to evaluate the implementation of the key performance indicators, which combined an integrated development and evaluation methodology. Methods The study involved children's wards/hospitals in Australia (six sites across three states) and Europe (seven sites across four countries). Qualitative and quantitative methods were used during the implementation process, however, this paper reports the quantitative data only, which used survey, observations and documentary review. Results The findings demonstrate the quality of care being delivered to children and their families across different international sites. The benchmarking does, however, highlight some differences between paediatric and general hospitals, and between the different key performance indicators across all the sites. Conclusions The findings support the use of the key performance indicators as a novel method to benchmark services internationally. Whilst the data collected across 20 paediatric sites suggest services are more similar than different, benchmarking illuminates variations that encourage a critical dialogue about what works and why. Relevance to clinical practice The transferability of the key performance indicators and measurement framework across different settings has significant implications for practice. The findings offer an approach to benchmarking and celebrating the successes within practice, while learning from partners across the globe in further developing person-centred cultures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Aboriginal people experience a higher burden of disease as a consequence of drug and alcohol (D&A) abuse. Although media campaigns can be a popular tool for disseminating health promotion messages, evidence of the extent to which they reduce the impact of substance abuse is limited, especially for rural Aboriginal communities. This paper is the first to examine the impact a locally designed D&A radio advertising campaign for Aboriginal people in a remote community in Western NSW. Design A post-intervention evaluation. Setting The radio campaign was implemented in Bourke, (population 2465, 30% Aboriginal). Participants Fifty-three community surveys were completed. Main outcome measure(s) The self-reported level of awareness of the campaign and the number of self-referrals to local D&A workers in the intervention period. Results Most respondents (79%) reported they listen to radio on a daily basis, with 75% reporting that they had heard one or more of the advertisements. The advertisement that was remembered best contained the voice of a respected, local person. There was one self-referral to local health services during the intervention timeframe. Conclusion The community-led radio advertising campaign increased community awareness of substance abuse harms, but had limited impact on formal help-seeking. This paper highlights the value of radio as a commonly used, trusted and culturally relevant health promotion medium for rural communities, especially when engaging local respected Aboriginal presenters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This paper reports the profile of the Australian chiropractic workforce and characteristics of chiropractic care from a large nationally-representative sample of practitioners. Methods: A 21-item questionnaire examining practitioner, practice and clinical management characteristics was distributed to all registered chiropractors (n = 4,684) in Australia in 2015 via both online and hard copy mail out. Results: The survey attracted a response rate of 43% (n = 2,005), and the sample is largely representative of the national chiropractic workforce on a number of key indicators. The average age of the chiropractors was 42.1 years, nearly two-thirds are male, and the vast majority hold a bachelor degree or higher qualification. Australian chiropractors are focused upon treating people across a wide age range who mainly present with musculoskeletal conditions. Australian chiropractors have referral relationships with a range of conventional, allied health and complementary medicine (CAM) providers. Conclusion: The chiropractic profession represents a substantial component of the contemporary Australian health care system with chiropractors managing an estimated 21.3 million patient visits per year. While the Australian chiropractic workforce is well educated, research engagement and research capacity remains sub-optimal and there is much room for further capacity building to help chiropractic reach full potential as a key integrated profession within an evidence-based health care system. Further rich, in-depth research is warranted to improve our understanding of the role of chiropractic within the Australian health care system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The term Non-Medical Surgical Assistant (NMSA) encompasses all roles where healthcare clinicians without a medical degree provide clinical services during the perioperative cycle. The role of NMSA is gaining momentum within Australia. It is timely to ascertain who is preforming the role and quantify the practice setting and scope of practice to enable a nationally recognised platform for role evolution. For two months in 2015 a NMSA Practice Audit was available online. Sampling was initially of a convenience modality. A total of 83 clinicians responded. The majority of NMSAs were experienced RNs [>11yrs]; held post-graduate qualifications [80%], practiced predominantly in metropolitan areas [65%] and had been performing the role for 8 years or less. The specialty with the highest uptake of the NMSAs is orthopaedic surgery. This paper provides an overview of NMSAs practicing in Australia and provides cost effective evidence of the need for this service in Australian healthcare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objective: To capture the experiences of nurses in relation to the acutely physiologically deteriorating consumer. Background: Improving the physical health care of consumers with mental illness has been widely adopted as a priority for mental health nursing. Much of the effort thus far has focused on routine screening, prevention and treatment of common comorbidities including cardiovascular disease, diabetes mellitus and cancer. There has been less focus on the acutely physiologically deteriorating consumer in the mental health setting. Further study is warranted since this issue poses a set of highly complex challenges for nurses within the inpatient setting. Method: An exploratory, descriptive study was employed using focus groups to gather narrative data, which was then subject to qualitative analysis. Eleven mental health inpatient wards within a local health district in Sydney, Australia, were studied, comprising ward‐based nurses (n = 64) and nurse unit managers (n = 8). This paper follows the COREQ guidelines for reporting qualitative health research. Results: Qualitative data analysis revealed three themes central to the nurses' experience: (a) lack of clarity (subthemes: procedures and leadership accountability); (b) confidence in the workforce (subthemes: knowledge and skills, training needs, relevant experience, collaboration with emergency and medical teams, stigmatising attitudes); and (c) complexity (subthemes: complexity as the new norm and suitability of the mental health environment). Conclusion: The themes found in this study can be used to guide and inform healthcare policy, protocols, education and processes around building a more confident nurse workforce for the acutely physiologically deteriorating consumer. Relevance to clinical practice: Findings provide a rich data set for the generation of measurement tools and protocols to guide physical health care and evaluate performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction/Objective: The objective of the study was to develop an understanding of the perceptions of people with Parkinson's disease and clinical academics on the implementation of a regional interdisciplinary model of care. Methods: A qualitative descriptive study was undertaken. A PD interdisciplinary clinic was conducted in an Australian regional location. As a novel variation, in this clinic, 4 clinical academics consulted simultaneously offering a long, 3-h appointment. Following the clinic, we conducted 2 focus groups with all clinical academics and 6 semi-structured interviews with people with PD and carers. Data were analyzed using Elo & Kyngäs' inductive content analysis approach. Results: An overarching main category namely, "interdisciplinary care proved valuable to regional people with PD and clinical academics," and 3 generic-categories including "identifying interdisciplinary care as a viable option in regional locations," "current care provision is disempowering and burdensome," and "regional residing people with PD and their carers seek locally accessible healthcare with PD skilled clinicians" were identified. Conclusion: Our findings suggest the implementation of interdisciplinary care to regional healthcare systems is valued by clinical academics and people with PD and carers. Further research is required to establish how interdisciplinary care can be implemented in regional Australia and its effects on practice changes, patient outcomes, and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study aimed to assess mental health nurses' empathy towards consumers with dual diagnosis in Australian mental health settings. The research question was What is mental health nurses' empathy towards consumers with co‐existing mental health and drug and alcohol problems? Design and Methods: A cross‐sectional survey was carried out to understand mental health nurses' empathy. The convenience sample included 96 mental health nurses from various mental health settings with experience working with consumers with dual diagnosis. We assessed empathy using the Toronto Empathy Questionnaire. We utilised SPSS™ software to analyse both the descriptive data and multiple‐regression. Results: The mean empathy score was 47.71 (SD 8.28). The analysis of the association between demographic variables and individual subscales showed an association between the clinical setting and empathy (p =.031) and sympathetic physiological arousal (p =.049). The work sector was associated with sympathetic physiological arousal (p =.045) and conspecific altruism (p =.008). Emotional contagion (β =.98, p <.001), emotional comprehension (β = 1.02, p <.001), sympathetic physiological arousal (β = 1.01, p <.001) and conspecific altruism (β = 10.23, p <.001) predicted mental health nurses' empathy. Conclusions: This study found that most mental health nurses showed empathy towards consumers with dual diagnosis. Mental health nurses who are more empathetic towards their consumers experience emotional contagion. They understand emotions better, show sympathetic physiological responses and exhibit kind behaviour towards consumers. Implications for the Profession and Patient Care: Further research is required to understand how mental health nurses adapt to consumers' emotional states in different mental health settings. This information can help clinicians make better decisions about care quality for consumers with dual diagnosis. Impact: This study addressed mental health nurses' empathy towards consumers with dual diagnosis. Mental health nurses showed increased empathy towards consumers with dual diagnosis. The empathy levels vary based on age, clinical setting, work sector and work experience. Mental health nurses' empathy levels were predicted by emotional contagion, emotion comprehension, sympathetic physiological arousal and conspecific altruism. Empathy enhancement among mental health nurses, particularly towards consumers with dual diagnosis, is crucial and should be regarded as a top priority by healthcare leaders and educators. Reporting Method: Outlined by the Consensus‐Based Checklist for Reporting of Survey Studies (CROSS). Patient or Public Contribution: No Patient or Public Contribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Culturally and linguistically diverse population groups disproportionately experience higher weight and other non–weight‐related discrimination in healthcare settings outside of their ancestral country. Little is known about the experiences of individuals with Arab heritage. This study aimed to qualitatively explore the intersectional weight‐related healthcare experiences of individuals of Arab heritage with higher weight in Australia. Methods: A general inductive enquiry approach was used. Purposive, convenience and snowball sampling was used to recruit individuals of Arab heritage residing in Australia. Individuals were invited to participate in an online semistructured interview. Interviews were recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. Results: Fifteen participants took part in the study. Of these participants, 93% were female (n = 14), 80% were aged between 18 and 44 years (n = 12), 73% were university educated (n = 11), 53% were born outside of Australia (n = 8) and all were Muslim (n = 15). Four main themes were identified: (1) appearance‐based judgement, (2) generalised advice and assumptions, (3) cultural responsiveness and (4) healthcare system constraints. Conclusion: Individuals of Arab heritage with higher weight in Australia, namely, females, often perceive their healthcare experiences as dismissive of their cultural and religious needs and driven by causality assumptions around weight. It is crucial that care delivered encompasses cultural humility, is weight‐inclusive and acknowledges systemic constraints. Cultural safety training benchmarks, healthcare management reform and weight‐inclusive healthcare approaches are recommended to assist healthcare providers in delivering effective, holistic and culturally safe care. Patient or Public Contribution: Insights gained from conversations with Arab heritage community members with lived experiences regarding weight‐related healthcare encounters informed the study design and approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loneliness research has tended to focus on mainstream and older populations despite evidence that non‐mainstream groups, like those experiencing homelessness, may experience loneliness differently. Limited existing research indicates that (a) people who have been homeless experience loneliness as multidimensional (as a pluralistic, non‐unidimensional emotion, experienced specific to lacked relationships) and (b) mainstream loneliness scales may be inappropriate for this group. The current study piloted and appraised the feasibility the short version of the Social and Emotional Loneliness Scale for Adults (SELSA‐S) among 129 Australian adults with a lived experience of homelessness. Exploratory Factor Analysis and an observational questionnaire appraisal were used to assess factorial and content validity and showed the measure did not fit this sample as well as in mainstream samples. Removal of items that participants found difficult to comprehend/answer improved the factorial fit of the scale. In conclusion, the SELSA‐S may be inappropriate for measuring loneliness among people who have experienced homelessness. Further research needs to explore the potentially different structure of loneliness among marginalised groups so that a better understanding of loneliness can be reached. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: This qualitative study explored the experiences of neonatal nurses with facilitating closeness between parents and babies with congenital abnormalities in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). Background: Babies with congenital abnormalities often require admission to the neonatal intensive care unit. Parents may experience emotional distancing from their baby, due to their response to their baby's congenital abnormality, as well as physical separation due to their baby's hospitalisation in the NICU. NICU nurses can help facilitate the development of closeness between babies and parents in the NICU. Method: This qualitative interpretive description study involved face‐to‐face, semi‐structured interviews with twelve neonatal nurses following which the data collected were thematically analysed. The consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ) checklist were used in preparing this paper. Results: Three major themes emerged from the analysis—"Everyone copes differently," "You have to focus on what is the normal thing" and "It's very much an individualised approach." Participants often felt unprepared to care for babies with congenital abnormalities and implemented coping mechanisms to overcome the emotional labour they experienced. Skin‐to‐skin cuddles were considered the most beneficial strategy for parents to develop closeness with their baby. Participants recognised that they sometimes "pushed" parents into engaging with their baby. Participants highlighted the importance of individualised, supportive care for these parents. Conclusions: Neonatal nurses require increased education about congenital abnormalities and individualised care to support them in caring for babies with congenital abnormalities. Relevance to clinical practice: Further research is needed on parental experience of developing closeness with a baby with a congenital abnormality in the NICU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Professional nursing practice is informed by biological, social and behavioural sciences. In undergraduate pre-registration nursing programs, biological sciences typically include anatomy, physiology, microbiology, chemistry, physics and pharmacology. The current gap in the literature results in a lack of information about the content and depth of biological sciences being taught in nursing curricula. The aim of this study was to establish what priority is given to the teaching of science topics in these programs in order to inform an understanding of the relative importance placed on this subject area in contemporary nursing education. Method: This study employed a cross-sectional survey method. This paper reports on the first phase of a larger project examining science content in nursing programs. An existing questionnaire was modified and delivered online for completion by academics who teach science to nurses in these programs. This paper reports on the relative priority given by respondents to the teaching of 177 topics contained in the questionnaire. Results: Of the relatively small population of academics who teach science to nursing students, thirty (n = 30) completed the survey. Findings indicate strong support for the teaching of science in these programs, with particular priority given to the basic concepts of bioscience and gross system anatomy. Of concern, most science subject areas outside of these domains were ranked as being of moderate or low priority. Conclusion: While the small sample size limited the conclusions able to be drawn from this study, the findings supported previous studies that indicated inadequacies in the teaching of science content in nursing curricula. Nevertheless, these findings have raised questions about the current philosophy that underpins nursing education in Australia and whether existing practices are clearly focused on preparing students for the demands of contemporary nursing practice. Academics responsible for the design and implementation of nursing curricula are encouraged to review the content of current programs in light of the findings of this research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Middleton S, Gardner G, Gardner A, Della P, Gibb M, Millar L. International Journal of Nursing Practice 2010; 16: 517-524 The first Australian nurse practitioner census: A protocol to guide standardized collection of information about an emergent professional group Internationally, collection of reliable data on new and evolving health-care roles is crucial. We describe a protocol for design and administration of a national census of an emergent health-care role, namely nurse practitioners in Australia using databases held by regulatory authorities. A questionnaire was developed to obtain data on the role and scope of practice of Australian nurse practitioners. Our tool comprised five sections and included a total of 56 questions, using 28existing items from the National Nursing and Midwifery Labour Force Census and nine items recommended in the Nurse Practitioner Workforce Planning Minimum Data Set. Australian Nurse Registering Authorities ( n = 6) distributed the survey on our behalf. This paper outlines our instrument and methods. The survey was administered to 238 authorized Australian nurse practitioners (85% response rate). Rigorous collection of standardized items will ensure health policy is informed by reliable and valid data. We will re-administer the survey 2 years following the first survey to measure change over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Programme evaluations conducted alongside randomised controlled trials (RCTs) have potential to enhance understanding of trial outcomes. This paper describes a multi-level programme evaluation to be conducted alongside an RCT of a falls prevention programme (RESPOND). Objectives (1) To conduct a process evaluation in order to identify the degree of implementation fidelity and associated barriers and facilitators. (2) To evaluate the primary intended impact of the programme: participation in fall prevention strategies and the factors influencing participation. (3) To identify the factors influencing RESPOND RCT outcomes: falls, fall injuries and emergency department (ED) re-presentations. Methods/design 528 community-dwelling adults aged 60-90 years presenting to two EDs with a fall will be recruited and randomly assigned to the intervention or standard care group. All RESPOND participants and RESPOND clinicians will be included in the evaluation. A mixed methods design will be used and a programme logic model will frame the evaluation. Data will be sourced from interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, clinician case notes, recruitment records, participant-completed calendars, hospital administrative datasets and audio-recordings of intervention contacts. Quantitative data will be analysed via descriptive and inferential statistics and qualitative data will be interpreted using thematic analysis. Discussion The RESPOND programme evaluation will provide information about contextual and influencing factors related to the RESPOND RCT outcomes. The results will assist researchers, clinicians and policy makers regarding decisions about future falls prevention interventions. Insights gained may be applicable to a range of chronic conditions where similar preventive intervention approaches are indicated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Following changes in the structure and funding of the Australian medical system, patients have become 'consumers' or 'clients'. Family and friends have become 'carers' or 'caregivers', signifying their increased responsibilities as patients move from hospitals to communities. While policy makers embrace the term 'carer', some argue that the title is not widely recognised and has disempowering connotations. This paper examines spouses' reflections on the term 'carer' based on qualitative interviews with 32 Australians caring for a spouse with cancer from a study conducted between 2006 and 2009. Recruitment involved survey and snowball sampling. Following a grounded theory approach, data collection and analysis were performed simultaneously. Using Holland and colleagues' sociocultural 'identity as practice' theory and a thematic approach to analysis, findings depict identification with the 'spouse' and 'carer' label as relationally situated and dependent on meaningful interaction. Although others argue that the term 'carer' is a 'failure', these findings depict identification with the label as contextual, positional and enacted, not fixed. Furthermore, and of most significance to practitioners and policy makers, the title has value, providing carers with an opportunity to position themselves as entitled to inclusion and support, and providing health professionals with a potential indicator of a spouse's increased burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of a study seeking to examine the experiences of people with intellectual disability in a sporting context. The research design employed an online, interviewer-completed questionnaire in both a standard and an easy English version designed for administration by a third party for those requiring assistance to respond. Questions sought both quantitative responses about levels of participation and qualitative responses about constraints experienced and benefits received from participation. The results of the study show high levels of participation reported by people who are independent or have lower to moderate support needs, whereas people with high to very high support needs had substantially lower levels of participation. Constraints are examined for both those who participate in sport and those who do not. For those who do participate, the benefits were identified as overwhelmingly social in nature, including belonging, companionship and achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

There is consensus in the partner abuse prevention education literature that a skills-focus is needed. However, appropriate instruments for evaluating the effectiveness of skills-focused programs do not exist. Against this background, and based on the dyadic slippery slope model of partner abuse, the Tendency to Resist or End Abusive Dynamics (TREAD) scale was developed. TREAD is defined as one's tendency to respond assertively or protectively in situations involving warning-sign (potentially hurtful or controlling) behaviors by a partner. The scale's development drew on the input of three Australian samples: mixed-gender adolescent focus groups, 426 young female respondents to an online survey, and 152 adolescent girls participating in a school-based program trial. When tested with the 152 adolescent girls, the TREAD scale had acceptable internal consistency and high inter-rater reliability. Principal components analysis identified three interrelated TREAD subscales (i.e., Conflict-Retaliation TREAD, Denigration TREAD, and Dominance-Possessiveness TREAD) all of which were negatively associated with frequency of exposure to warning-sign behaviors. This paper charts the preliminary development of the TREAD scale, presenting evidence supporting its validity as a change-target for partner abuse prevention education with adolescent girls and, potentially, boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

scott k., white k., johnson c. & roydhouse j.k. (2011) Knowledge and skills of cancer clinical trials nurses in Australia. Journal of Advanced Nursing 68(5), 1111-1121. Abstract Aims. This paper is a report of the development and testing of a questionnaire measuring knowledge and skills of cancer clinical trials nurse in Australia. Background. The role of cancer clinical trials nurse, widely acknowledged as an integral member of the clinical research team, has evolved in recent years. Elements of the clinical trials nurse role in cancer have previously been described. To evaluate specific cancer clinical trials nurse educational and training needs, the development of a valid and reliable tool is required. Methods. In 2009, a study was conducted in three stages. Stage I: questionnaire development and pilot testing; stage II: focus group; stage III: national survey. Internal consistency reliability testing and multi-trait analysis of item convergent/divergent validity were employed. Regression analysis was used to identify predictors of clinical trials nurse knowledge and skills. Results. The national survey was a 48-item questionnaire, measuring six clinical trial knowledge and seven skills sub-scales. Of 61 respondents, 90% were women, with mean age 43 years, 19 years as a Registered Nurse and 5 years as a cancer clinical trials nurse. Self-reported knowledge and skills were satisfactory to good. Internal consistency reliability was high (Cronbach's alpha: knowledge = 0·98; skills = 0·90). Criteria for item convergent/divergent validity were met. Number of years as cancer clinical trials nurse was positively related to self-reported knowledge and skills. Conclusion. Preliminary data suggest that the national survey is reliable and valid. Data have contributed to better understanding the knowledge and skills of cancer clinical trials nurse in Australia and development of a postgraduate course in clinical trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

gardner g., gardner a., middleton s., della p., kain v. & doubrovsky a. (2010) The work of nurse practitioners. Journal of Advanced Nursing 66(10), 2160–2169. Aim. This paper is a report of a study of variations in the pattern of nurse practitioner work in a range of service fields and geographical locations, across direct patient care, indirect patient care and service-related activities. Background. The nurse practitioner role has been implemented internationally as a service reform model to improve the access and timeliness of health care. There is a substantial body of research into the nurse practitioner role and service outcomes, but scant information on the pattern of nurse practitioner work and how this is influenced by different service models. Methods. We used work sampling methods. Data were collected between July 2008 and January 2009. Observations were recorded from a random sample of 30 nurse practitioners at 10-minute intervals in 2-hour blocks randomly generated to cover 2 weeks of work time from a sampling frame of 6 weeks. Results. A total of 12,189 individual observations were conducted with nurse practitioners across Australia. Thirty individual activities were identified as describing nurse practitioner work, and these were distributed across three categories. Direct care accounted for 36·1% of how nurse practitioners spend their time, indirect care accounted for 32·0% and service-related activities made up 31·9%. Conclusion. These findings provide useful baseline data for evaluation of nurse practitioner positions and the service effect of these positions. However, the study also raises questions about the best use of nurse practitioner time and the influences of barriers to and facilitators of this model of service innovation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims Bioscience content within undergraduate nursing degrees provides foundational knowledge of pathophysiology, anatomy, physiology, microbiology and pharmacology. However, nursing students often find studying the bioscience components of undergraduate nursing program daunting (Friedel & Treagust 2005, Craft et al. 2013). This is related to factors such as the volume of content, degree of difficulty and insufficient linkage between bioscience concepts and nurses' clinical practice. Students who are unable to conceptualise the relevance of bioscience with nursing subjects and subsequent nursing practice may not appreciate the broader importance of bioscience, and hence may adopt a surface approach to learning (Craft et al. 2013). The aim of this study was to develop a model within Nursing Practice in the Context theory subject, to include a bioscientist lecturing to complement the nursing lecturer, in order to explicitly demonstrate links between physiology, pathophysiology and nursing practice. Background A deep understanding of bioscience and the ability to draw on this information in the context of nursing clinical practice is integral to achieving high standards of patient care. For example, registered nurses with appropriate bioscience knowledge can contribute to diagnosis and hence influence patient outcomes (Prowse & Health 2005). Nurses' foundational knowledge, including bioscience understanding, is critical to their role as a 'knowledge broker' by being an advocate for patient safety (Logan & Angel 2011). Hence, the importance of bioscience is apparent within the workplace. In addition, during undergraduate studies, the importance of bioscience is appreciated by some students, who agree that bioscience forms the foundation of nursing and hence we believe that a good level of bioscience knowledge is required for nursing clinical practice (Friedel & Treagust 2005, Craft et al. 2013). Although bioscience has been shown to be integral to effective nursing practice, bioscience content requires con-textualisation. To demonstrate the relevance of bioscience to nursing students, nursing academics have been included within a bioscience unit, whereby the nursing academic within a bioscience laboratory session on the pulmonary system would discuss the clinical aspects of lung volume testing and what inaccuracies may arise if the patient is not relaxed (Larcombe & Dick 2003). On the other hand, almost half of nursing educators agreed that their science background was insufficient to their understanding of bioscience relevant to nursing (Friedel & Treagust 2005). This lack of confidence in nursing educators bioscience knowledge may limit their ability to teach bioscience effectively to nursing students. In our project, we approached the contextualisation of bioscience by developing a model that incorporated a bioscientist into a nursing subject, to show the relevance of bioscience for patient care. As far as we are aware, our project reports for the first time on a bioscientist teaching into a clinical nursing unit to strengthen the pathophysiology content, which may improve the integration of these subject topics. Methods The model developed in this project was a unique, two-part lecture structure: (1) the bioscientist teaching the physiology and pathophysiology in the first component of the lecture, followed by (2) the nurse academic focussing on the context of nursing practice, which included the referring to pathophysiology taught by the bioscientist. The bioscience-clini-cal nursing team teaching approach was conducted during the 2nd year of the Bachelor of Nursing course, after all bioscience subjects had been completed (prior content taught by bioscientists included anatomy, physiology and pathophysiology). A 15-item quantitative questionnaire was developed, with responses scored on a Likert scale (1=strongly disagree; 5=strongly agree). Questionnaire items related to patient care, pathophysiology-nursing links, and the relevance of the bioscientist contribution. Questionnaires were paper based and distributed to all students who attended a lecture towards the end of the semester (lecture attendance not compulsory). Time during the lecture was provided for completion and return; students were advised that participation was optional and anonymous. Convenience sampling was used; of the 88 students enrolled, a total of 43 students returned completed surveys. Means and frequency distributions of survey items were calculated, and internal consistency was determined using Cronbach's alpha test (value 0-7). Results The most important findings from this study are that more than 90% of respondents agreed that having a bioscientist who focused on nursing student needs helped to increase knowledge of patient conditions, and bioscientist teaching was beneficial to relate physiology and pathophysiology to nursing care (Table 1). This demonstrated that the teaching approach used was successful, emphasising the relevance of physiology and pathophysiology to patient conditions and outcomes. Similarly, most respondents saw the relevance of pathophysiology to clinical nursing practice, and were confident in their ability to apply pathophysiology to nursing practice. The majority of respondents also valued having a bioscientist teach with the nursing lecturer in this unit. Conclusions The results of our study show overwhelming support for this model, including a bioscientist who is focussed on the needs of nursing students, complementing the nursing lecturer, in a nursing practice subject. Students indicated that they could contextualise bioscience concepts with clinical nursing practice, and importantly, made links with patient care. First-year students have been shown to be confident that when they reach the workplace, they will recognise the relevance of bioscience to nursing (Craft et al. 2013), and our study of second-year students indicated that our teaching approach was effective in enhancing these connections. Registered nurses who draw on bioscience knowledge have been shown to improve patient care (Prowse & Health 2005, Logan & Angel 2011), and strategies to link bioscience content with clinical nursing practice that are integral for effective nurses. Relevance to clinical practice Our data strongly supported our model of physiology and pathophysiology teaching team delivered by a bioscientist and nursing academic, was successful in providing students with the ability to conceptualise pathophysiology for patients and clinical practice. Improved understanding of the knowledge and application of pathophysiology will better inform clinical decisions, and ultimately improve quality of patient care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Childhood trauma has long been implicated in the development of anorexia nervosa and is known to impact more women than men. Still, less is known about the meaning women attribute to food and bodily practices and how they contribute to feminine subjectivity. In this article, we examine the subjective experiences of women with histories of childhood abuse and anorexia and women who did not develop an eating disorder. Through a visual narrative analysis of eight body maps and narratives, we identified five themes: "time and the body have a way of showing what matters," "femininity and family," "sexual subjectivities and food meanings," "voices, dissociation, and sexual subjectivities," and "religion and healthism." In women with anorexia, specific eating and bodily practices reconstructed the traumatic events to align with the available cultural discourses related to health, religion, and family and had implications for their feminine and sexual subjectivities and self-worth. This research showcased how arts-based methodologies add value and advance knowledge about the role of culturally available representations in the development of anorexia and has implications for therapy and prevention of anorexia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Very little attention has been given to the social accountability of conferences, either in action or in scholarship, in particular, of scientific conferences. Concerns that have been raised include: (1) Local communities and regions suffer from ecological pressure caused by conferences, (2) There is limited value to the local community, (3) International conferences take place at locations irrelevant to the topics discussed; hence there is no connection with locals, and (4) It has been the observation of the authors that <10% of participants may come from the region where the conference is organized, which makes it challenging to make a "positive societal impact" locally. We conducted a natural experiment investigating the interactions between academia, conference organizers, and community leaders. Methods: We utilized a case study approach to report on the outcomes of two 2022 annual international conferences that seek to improve community health. We used a mixed-methods approach of surveys and interviews. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify the key themes. Results: We obtained 358 responses from all six World Health Organization regions. Results from both conferences were split into two categories: the why and the how. A strong consensus among participants is that bi-directional learning between conference organizers and local communities leads to shared understanding and mutual goals. The data emphasize that including communities in academic conferences helps us progress forward from intentions toward demonstrating accountability and reporting impact. Discussion: A diversity of perspectives is needed to advance socially accountable health system transformation. Five best practices from conference participants are laid out as a framework to assist in the change: (1) Build trust, (2) provide funding for community member participation, (3) appreciation of local community knowledge, (4) involve the local community in the planning stages, and (5) make the local community part of the conference and learning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A non-medical surgical assistant is a clinician who provides perioperative care in the role of surgical assistant but does not possess a medical degree. This role has been practiced in Australia for more than 20 years. Aim: This survey investigates Australian surgeons' attitudes and current practice regarding the role of the non-medical surgical assistant. Design/method: Distribution of the survey was online in December 2015 by the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS). Data analysis was descriptive using online survey methodology and convenience sampling. Results: In the private sector in Australia 105 respondents (35 per cent) use a non-medical surgical assistant. In the private sector in Australia, 188 respondents (54 per cent) were 'very supportive' or 'supportive to some degree' of the role, with 60 (20 per cent) 'undecided' and 48 (15 per cent) 'not supportive'. Conclusion: The results illustrate there is support in the Australian surgical community for the role. The majority of respondents advocated contribution to governance of the role and curricula oversight by the RACS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To examine patients' perceptions of care quality following a same‐day procedure in the cardiac catheterization laboratory and understand the extent to which they were prepared for discharge. Design: Single‐centre, mixed‐methods study. Methods: Postdischarge, online survey of patients who underwent a same‐day procedure in the cardiac catheterization laboratory (n = 150) and one‐on‐one interviews with 13 of these patients. Results: Survey responses were positive with mean scores between 4.39–4.83 out of five and 63.3% of respondents (n = 95) extremely likely to recommend the service to others. Interview data analysis identified three themes: the care experience, information and education for safe discharge, and follow‐up needs. Participants spoke highly of their interactions with clinicians and were satisfied with their care experience. Mode and content of information delivered varied, with some participants lacking guidance about postdischarge health management and clarity about follow‐up plans. Patient or public contribution: Participants were patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Internationally, the adoption of technology into residential aged care settings has been slow and fraught with multiple challenges for residents, staff and service providers. The aim of this study was to evaluate the acceptability, efficiency, and quality of health information system implementation into aged care. Methods: Three‐stage, mixed‐methods participatory action research, concurrent with the natural experiment of a co‐designed health information system implementation into a 169‐bed aged care home in Australia. Data were collected pre‐, during, and post implementation between 2019 and 2021. Qualitative data included focus groups, interviews, and observations. Quantitative data included work observations, pedometers, record audits, incident reports and staff and resident surveys. There were 162 participants composed of 65 aged care residents, 90 staff, and 7 managers/consultants. Results: Improved work efficiency included reduced staff time searching for information (6%); reduced nurse time on documentation (20.4% to 6.4%), and 25% less steps. Documentation improvement included resident assessments (68% to 96%); resident‐focused goals (56% to 88%) and evaluations (31% to 88%). The staff reported being better equipped to manage the 'delicacies of dignity'. Conclusion: Implementation of a health information system into a residential aged care facility was associated with improved resident‐focused care and staff efficiency. Clinical relevance: Technology can support nurses and care staff to spend more time with residents in residential aged care homes, improve the quality of resident care, and assist meeting regulatory reporting requirements. Flexible and tailored co‐design strategies can enhance both effectiveness and success of technology implementation into residential aged care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated parent-reported barriers and enablers to establishing sun safety practices with young children (0–4 years; N = 423) living in Australia. An online survey examined parent/child adherence to recommended sun safety practices and barriers and enablers to establishing sun safety practices. Adherence to different sun safety practices varied across age groups. Lack of child cooperation was the most commonly-endorsed barrier while child compliance was the most commonly-endorsed facilitator. Young children's lack of cooperation with sun safety practices represents a major obstacle for parents. In conclusion, the development and testing of family-based intervention approaches to reduce child resistance and promote cooperation is warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate coping styles, posttraumatic stress, and mental health symptoms among a sample of community members affected by 2019–20 Australian bushfires. Using a convenience sampling approach, an online survey was used to assess a range of coping strategies, posttraumatic stress and symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress among the affected community members of Black Summer bushfires. The results revealed that study participants reported moderate symptoms of depression and stress, and severe levels of anxiety. Additionally, participants reported use of both approach and avoidance coping strategies following the bushfire event as well as experiencing symptoms of posttraumatic stress, such as having intrusive thoughts and symptoms of avoidance and hyperarousal. Despite the durability of many individuals, others remain affected by the event and there is evidence there may be longer term mental health consequences of the bushfires for some people. Given these findings, it is imperative that mental health services be readily available for people in the bushfire‐affected areas. Mental health nurses have an important role to play in supporting individuals affected by disasters. Awareness of the short‐ and long‐term impacts of disasters on the mental health of people is paramount for mental health nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: GPs are integral to the COVID-19 vaccination rollout, providing education and administering vaccines. We sought to describe how counselling relating to COVID-19 vaccination was impacting Australian general practice consultations. Methods: We conducted an online, mixed-methods, cross-sectional survey of Australian community-based primary care from 7 to 15 July 2021. This survey, number 15 in a series of recurrent cross-sectional surveys conducted over a 14-month period, explored how counselling relating to COVID-19 vaccination was impacting general practice consultations, through multiple selection and open text responses; it also included questions on respondent and practice characteristics, and pandemic-related stress and strain. We calculated descriptive statistics for quantitative variables, and analysed free-text responses using an inductive content analysis approach. Results: We received 73 responses (72 GPs) across all states/territories. Discussions with patients about COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination were common, increasing the duration of routine consultations by 6 min on average (s.d. 2.9). Respondents described the impact of the resulting time pressures, and the stress and challenges of participating in COVID-19 vaccine communication and administration. Although our results are illuminating, they are limited by the small sample, with some different characteristics from national estimates, an uncertain response rate and the inability to pilot the survey prior to distribution. Conclusions: The significant impact on general practice consultation from COVID-19 vaccine counselling is on a background of ongoing pandemic-related stress and strain. With a strong track record of population vaccination, GPs are well-placed to deliver COVID-19 immunisations to the Australian population. However, they must be represented in planning and coordination, to reduce the overall burden on primary care. The COVID-19 vaccination program is a crucial element of the Australian pandemic management plan and goal to return to 'normal' life, and primary care is a vital player in vaccine provision. Integrating new population-wide vaccinations into existing general practice has had a significant, but not well-documented, impact on primary care. Our study describes the experiences of general practice in Australia nearly 5 months into the vaccine rollout. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background As smoking is increasingly de-normalised, different messages may become more appropriate for use in tobacco control advertisements to reflect the changing social environment. To date, more commonly used messages have included fear appeals relating to physical health and guilt appeals focusing on the effects of smoking on loved ones. Objective This study investigated the relative effectiveness of varying advertising appeals to promote smoking cessation. The study was conducted in Australia, where only 12% of the population smokes and legislation restricts smoking in many public places. The aim was to provide insight into ways to motivate the small segment of existing smokers to consider quitting. Methods Across a qualitative phase and an ad testing phase, shame was found to be highly salient to current smokers and those who had quit recently. On the basis of these results, a television advertisement featuring a shame appeal was developed and broadcast. The ad featured various scenarios of individuals hiding their smoking from others. The campaign was evaluated using the measures of awareness, believability, perceived relevance and smoking behaviours. Results The shame appeal television advertisement was found to resonate with smokers and encourage quitting/reducing behaviours. Around 4 in 5 (78%) smokers surveyed recalled seeing the ad, almost all of whom could nominate at least one correct take-out message (94%). Around three-quarters (72%) found the ad to be personally relevant and half (53%) reported that they had successfully quit, attempted to quit or cut down the number of cigarettes they smoked since the start of the campaign. Conclusions The use of shame appeals may be an effective method of motivating smokers to quit in an environment where they are members of a small minority and supportive legislation exists to discourage smoking in public places. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: In late 2019, a pathogen outbreak occurred that rapidly spread, resulting in the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic. Governments responded to the pandemic with a range of strategies, including forced quarantines and nationwide lockdowns. Research on professional identity during the pandemic has predominately focused on health care providers declared as ''essential'' rather than ''nonessential.'' In this study, the authors examine the impacts on the professional identity of massage therapists (MTs) who were predominately deemed as nonessential health care providers during the COVID-19 pandemic. Materials and methods: An online, questionnaire-based study sought to answer ''In what ways has the professional identity of MTs in Canada and Australia been impacted by the COVID-19 global pandemic?'' MTs in Canada and Australia were recruited using convenience sampling through e-mail and social media. A questionnaire was developed and pilot tested before implementation. Results: Six hundred and forty-nine MTs participated (329 from Canada and 316 from Australia). Known constructs of professional identity that were affected during the pandemic included not feeling respected as a health care practitioner, feeling less professional than other health care providers, and experiencing burnout. New constructs that may have developed out of the pandemic and the measures established to manage them included being classified as nonessential and feeling a sense of camaraderie and belonging. Conclusions: This study is the first of its kind to report the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the professional identity of MTs. The emerging constructs reported will be used to create interview questions for the subsequent qualitative strand of this explanatory mixed-methods study. In the qualitative study, respondents will be invited to share their experiences with their own voice to further the understanding of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on MTs' professional identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Self-efficacy can be conceptualised as a person’s perception of their own ability to produce a desired outcome. Low self-efficacy has been reported to be a mediating variable in developing depression. The Self-Efficacy Questionnaire for Depressed Adolescents (SEQ-DA) is a 12-item inventory, designed to measure self-perceived ability of the young person to cope with depressive symptoms. This paper presents further information on the psychometric properties of the SEQ-DA in a clinical sample of depressed adolescents.Method: The SEQ-DA was administered to a clinical sample of 130 adolescents with a depressive disorder at baseline, at the end of 3 months of therapy and 6 months following therapy. A diagnosis of depression was made using the Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia for School Aged Children. The ability of the SEQ-DA to identify those adolescents who had a diagnosis of major depressive disorder at baseline, following treatment and at 6-month follow-up was evaluated. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of the SEQ-DA in this clinical sample of depressed adolescents was undertaken to establish cut-off scores of the SEQ-DA.Results: The SEQ-DA score at baseline of < 36 and following treatment of < 43 were predictive of a depressive disorder.Conclusions: The SEQ-DA is a very simple self-report measure that can be used to predict which adolescents treated for depression are likely to remain depressed, thus prompting more intensive treatment and follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background In Australia, introduction of pictorial health warnings on cigarette packets was supported by a televised media campaign highlighting illnesses featured in two of the warning labels--gangrene and mouth cancer. Methods Two studies examined whether the warnings and the television advertisements complemented one another. Population telephone surveys of two cross-sections of adult smokers measured changes in top-of-mind awareness of smoking-related health effects from before (2005; n=587) to after the pack warnings were introduced (2006; n=583). A second study assessed cognitive and emotional responses and intentions to quit after smokers watched one of the campaign advertisements, comparing outcomes of those with and without prior pack warning exposure. Results Between 2005 and 2006, the proportion of smokers aware that gangrene is caused by smoking increased by 11.2 percentage points (OR=23.47, p=0.000), and awareness of the link between smoking and mouth cancer increased by 6.6 percentage points (OR=2.00, p=0.006). In contrast, awareness of throat cancer decreased by 4.3 percentage points, and this illness was mentioned in the pack warnings but not the advertisements. In multivariate analyses, smokers who had prior exposure to the warnings were significantly more likely to report positive responses to the advertisements and stronger post-exposure quitting intentions. Conclusions Television advertisements and pictorial health warnings on cigarette packets may operate in a complementary manner to positively influence awareness of the health consequences of smoking and motivation to quit. Jurisdictions implementing pictorial warnings should consider the benefits of supportive mass media campaigns to increase the depth, meaning and personal relevance of the warnings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To evaluate the nutrition knowledge of elite Australian athletes, and to obtain feedback from sports dietitians on the Platform to Evaluate Athlete Knowledge of Sports Nutrition Questionnaires' (PEAKS‐NQ) suitability. Methods: Sports dietitians from the National Institute Network across Australia recruited athletes to complete the online, 50‐item PEAKS‐NQ which contained two sections (General Nutrition and Sports Nutrition). Sports dietitians provided feedback on the PEAKS‐NQ using a 14‐item questionnaire (with two open‐ended items). The main outcome measures were nutrition knowledge score and tool suitability (usefulness, acceptability and feasibility) scores. For knowledge scores, independent t‐tests, ANOVA and Chi‐square tests were used to evaluate differences between groups. Suitability was evaluated using descriptive statistics. Results: Twelve sports dietitians from the National Institute Network in Australia recruited a convenience sample of 240 athletes (21.3 ± 4.3 years, 63.5% female, 63.3% competed internationally). Athletes scored 70.7 ± 10.5%, with better general vs sports nutrition knowledge. Females had higher overall scores (P <.001) with no differences for age or sport played. University‐educated athletes scored higher than non‐tertiary educated athletes (P =.004). Knowledge gaps were identified in fats (role and food sources), recovery nutrition and managing body composition. Sports dietitians rated suitability of PEAKS‐NQ positively with complete agreement on 8 of 12 items. Conclusions: Athletes have greater understanding of general nutrition compared to sports nutrition concepts and may benefit from education on applying nutrition in sports‐specific contexts. Sports dietitians' responses showed PEAKS‐NQ was a highly acceptable, feasible and useful measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children from food insecure households are more likely to have substandard food and nutritional intakes, and experience developmental delays, behaviour issues and increased use of health services. In Australia, screening for household food insecurity (HFI) within health services is not undertaken routinely, limiting opportunities to optimise nutrition and healthcare. This research aimed to (a) identify the prevalence, potential determinants and outcomes of HFI among paediatric outpatients in two Queensland hospitals; and (b) identify questions suitable for screening households at risk of HFI. A cross‐sectional survey collected data from caregivers of children attending paediatric appointments at two hospitals in Brisbane, Australia (n = 148). Sociodemographic, health and household‐related characteristics were collected, and food security status was assessed using four HFI measures. Chi‐square, independent t‐tests, ANOVA and logistic regression explored associations between HFI and health‐related characteristics. A potential HFI screener was identified based on the most frequently endorsed questions from any HFI measure, and its validity was assessed through calculation of sensitivity and specificity. Prevalence of HFI was 41%, with 16% experiencing very low food security. Households with a child of 'fair/poor' health had 5.59 times greater odds of being food insecure than being food secure, compared to households with a child of 'excellent/good' health (aOR 5.59, 95% CI: 1.3–23.5). HFI was also positively associated with household chaos (p =.006). A combination of two questions was identified as a possible screening tool, with a sensitivity of 96% and a specificity of 90%. This study demonstrated HFI may be highly prevalent in a paediatric outpatient population, which may result in difficulties in being able to follow nutrition prescriptions. A highly sensitive and specific two‐question screening tool was identified and may assist practitioners in paediatric healthcare settings in identifying clients who are at risk of HFI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To use expert consensus to develop guidance for nurse leaders implementing e‐health tools to support nursing work in hospitals. Background: Nurse leaders are increasingly required to make decisions about the selection, development, implementation and optimisation of e‐health tools for nursing work in hospitals. Guidance in this rapidly evolving and complex space is limited. Design: A two‐phase modified Delphi study. Methods: Phase one involved in‐depth interviews with five nursing informatics experts. Analysis used the qualitative framework method, informed by the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF), to develop statements for an anonymous online Delphi scoring survey. This was distributed using snowball sampling methods to Australian nurse informatics leaders and experts. Final analysis involved synthesis of qualitative and quantitative data. The study adheres to the COnsolidated criteria for REporting Qualitative research (COREQ) checklist. Results: Ten guidance statements to support nurse leaders to implement e‐health tools in hospitals were developed from the synthesis of qualitative interview data and 29 experts' responses to the 55‐item Delphi response survey. Conclusion: Implementation of e‐health tools for nursing work is complex in health settings and requires careful examination of multiple factors and interactions between clinicians, tools, service users and the health organisation. This research proposes ten statements to support nurse leaders with decisions about implementing e‐health tools to support nursing work in hospitals. Relevance to clinical practice: The ten statements developed by this research provide a resource to assist policy and practice decisions about e‐tools to ensure they are suited to supporting nursing work. Nurse leaders can use the ten statements for guidance in the selection, development, implementation and optimisation of e‐health tools to ensure suitability and adaptation for nursing work in hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate people with Parkinson's disease (PwPD): 1) self-reported communication and swallowing difficulties due to Parkinson's disease (PD), 2) participation and psychosocial impacts of these difficulties and 3) experience with and access to speech-language pathology (SLP) services. A cross-sectional mix-methods survey was conducted using nonprobability, purposive sampling for recruitment. An inclusion criterion was that participants needed to have self-reported communication and/or swallowing changes due to PD. Descriptive statistics and thematic analysis were utilised. All of the 78 PwPD who participated reported changes to their communication (97%) and/or swallowing (93%). A diverse range of participation restrictions was found in social, recreational, vocational and everyday living activities. Adverse emotional impacts including frustration, loss of self-confidence, depression and isolation were reported due to these changes. Only 59% of our sample had accessed SLP services. The most common reason for PwPD not accessing services was that neither their general practitioner nor neurologist had referred them to SLP. The majority of PwPD wanted to access SLP at some point in the future. Wide variability in the SLP services provided was evident. Most of the PwPD who had received SLP support wanted further ongoing management. This study provided insight into the everyday impacts of communication and swallowing changes experienced by PwPD, and the gap between service supply and demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Advanced Nursing (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background: Children's play and leisure participation is often assessed by occupational therapists. As such, it is essential that therapists utilize play and leisure scales that are valid, reliable and responsive. Aim: To examine the convergent validity between the Children's Leisure Assessment Scale (CLASS) and Children's Assessment of Participation and Enjoyment and Preferences for Activities of Children (CAPE/PAC). Methods: Forty healthy Australian children (60% female; mean age 9.2 ± 2.01 years) completed the CLASS and CAPE/PAC. Spearman's rho correlations with bootstrapping were completed. Results: A number of the CLASS and CAPE/PAC subscales were significantly correlated. The CAPE's overall scale scores and CLASS's instrumental indoor activities, outdoor activities and games and sport activities subscales were significantly correlated (p > 0.05). The CAPE's Social domain showed several significant correlations with the CLASS's instrumental indoor activities, outdoor activities and self-enrichment activities domains (p < 0.05). Statistically significant relationships were found between the CLASS's outdoor activity preference and the PAC's recreational, physical, formal, informal and overall performance scores (r = 0.466–0.773, p < 0.05). Conclusions and Significance: Preliminary evidence in support of the convergent validity between the CAPE/PAC and CLASS was obtained. Limitations include a small sample size and convenience sampling. Further investigation of the psychometric properties of the CAPE/PAC and CLASS are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People with a mental illness may be exposed to stigma which, when internalised, negatively influences self-esteem, personal goal attainment and quality of life. Avoiding the use of stigmatising language and using terminology that does not exclude the positive characteristics of the individual may play an important role in challenging stigma. This study involved a mixed method approach to identify the terminology preferences of people with a mental illness in Australia. N = 173 participants were recruited via convenience sampling. The humanistic terms 'individual' and 'person with lived experience' were identified as the preferred terms. Qualitatively there was a wide variation in how the terms made the respondents think or feel, with only one of the terms – 'survivor,' having solely negative themes. When contrasting the two most commonly used clinical terms, 'client' was significantly preferred to 'patient'. The term 'consumer' was one of the least preferred terms. This suggests that the use of this term, which is in regular use in Australia, should be reconsidered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the feasibility and impact of an action and coping planning intervention deployed in gambling venues to improve adherence to expenditure limits. We conducted a 2-group parallel-block randomised controlled trial comparing one 20-min session of action and coping planning to an assessment alone. Gamblers who were intending to set a monetary limit on EGMs (n = 184) were recruited in venues and administered the intervention prior to gambling. Measures were adherence to self-identified gambling limits and adherence to expenditure intentions at 30-days post-intervention using the Time Line Follow-Back. The intervention was feasible in terms of recruitment and willingness of gamblers to engage in a pre-gambling intervention. Most gamblers enacted strategies to limit their gambling prior to entering the venue, albeit these limits were on average higher than the Australian low risk gambling guidelines. In terms of impact, the intervention did not improve adherence to limits at post or 30-day follow-up assessment. However, Moderate Risk/Problem Gamblers in the Intervention group spent less (a median of $60 less) than intended (median $100) within the venue. All intervention participants intended to spend significantly less in the 30 days after the intervention compared to the amount spent in the 30 days prior to the intervention. This reduction was not found for participants in the control group. A simple brief intervention appears feasible in gambling venues and have an impact on gambling intentions over the short term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Advanced Nursing (John Wiley & Sons, Inc.) is the property of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Aims and objectives: (a) Describe the co‐development of a point‐of‐care App to promote uptake of best practice recommendations and consolidate nurses' knowledge for managing symptoms of neurocognitive disorders. (b) Report acceptability, usability and feasibility of the App to nurses for patient care in hospital. Background: Strategies used in hospitals to reduce symptoms, risk of harm, or complications of behavioural and psychological symptoms associated with neurocognitive disorders are frequently inconsistent with best practice recommendations. Design: Three‐stage, mixed‐methods, process and outcome evaluation. Methods: The App was co‐developed with experts, nurse end‐users and a consumer. Evaluation data were collected from a convenience sample of nurses observed during delivery of 80.5 hr of care to 38 patients; the App (n = 32 patients); and individual and focus group interviews with nurses (n = 25). Reporting adhered to an adapted STROBE checklist. Results: The App included three components: cognition and risk assessment; tailored evidence‐based strategies; and monitoring and evaluation of effectiveness. Observation data captured nurses using the App with 44.7% (n = 17) of eligible inpatients. Cognitive screening was completed at least once for each patient, with 146 risk assessments recorded. Interview data indicated the App's acceptability was enhanced by familiarity and perceived benefits, but hindered by perceived increases in workload, inconsistent use, pressure to use the App and resistance to change. Feasibility and usability were enhanced by easy navigation, and clear and useful content, but hindered by unclear expectations, unfamiliarity and device‐related factors. Conclusions: The App provided an evidence‐based tool that was, overall, considered feasible and acceptable to support best practice. Findings provide guidance to enhance usability for future implementation. Relevance to clinical practice: Co‐development using best evidence and key stakeholders enabled creation of a novel, feasible and acceptable technology. Real‐time access to assessment tools and tailored knowledge supported nurses' clinical decision‐making; workload and unfamiliarity were barriers to use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In Australia, the number of female psychologists is significantly larger than that of male psychologists. Due to gaps in the literature, it is difficult to establish whether such discrepancies affect mental health support seeking. The present study investigated the preferences of Australian respondents for the sex of a potential therapist and whether the accommodation of such preferences affects mental health support seeking. Method: The study employed a mixed design online survey analysed using multiple linear and multinomial logistic regressions and used a convenience sample of N = 456 Australian participants recruited via social media. Demographics, preferences for therapists' sex, problem type, and likelihood to seek help if preferences for therapists' sex were accommodated or not were collected via an online questionnaire. Analyses included tests for group differences and regressions. Results: Male respondents reported lower baseline likelihood to seek mental health support than female respondents. A main effect of sex of respondent on preferences for therapists' sex was found, but no main effect of problem type on preferences for therapists' sex was evident. Finally, accommodating preferences for therapists' sex was a significant predictor of mental health support seeking. Conclusion: It is prudent to encourage the monitoring and accommodation of clients' preferences of therapists' sex. Additionally, more males could be encouraged to enter the mental health professions. The results of the current study may inform education and health policy. Future research could further explore the effects of occupation and problem type on preferences for therapists' sex and help‐seeking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Validity is a dynamic process and as part of a continual process of evaluation of tools, this study aimed to evaluate content validity of the WorkHab functional capacity evaluation, a tool used in occupational rehabilitation. Methods: A cross sectional survey of health professionals who conduct FCEs investigated their ratings of item relevance and item difficulty across different categories of work and injuries. The survey also explored the relationship of the WorkHab FCE items with the physical demand items of the Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT). Results: The majority of items of the WorkHab FCE were rated as relevant for manual work and vocational retraining with over 90% agreement between the 106 respondents. Therapists identified the WorkHab items of climbing, crawling and balance as less relevant for sedentary work. Lifting items were perceived as the most difficult for those with a lower back injury, or an upper limb injury. Sixteen of the 18 WorkHab FCE items had 100% agreement with the equivalent items on the DOT. The WorkHab FCE items that had poor agreement with the DOT were mainly sensory items such as see, feel, talk and hear. Conclusions: The findings of this study support the content validity for the WorkHab FCE specifically in relation to manual work and for vocational retraining purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Hearing Science is the property of Institute of Sensory Organs and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background. Midwifery is an internationally mobile profession, but there is a lack of research investigating the experiences of internationally qualified midwives practising in Australia. Aim. To investigate the experiences of internationally qualified midwives integrating into the Australian midwifery system. Methods. Phase one of a two-phased sequential explanatory mixed methods study included an e-survey of 66 internationally qualified midwives who were recruited via a non-probability purposive sampling strategy. Ethical approval. This study was approved by the University of South Australia Human Research Ethics Committee (protocol number: 0000036397). Findings. Almost all of the respondents (n=62; 94%) reported diversity in midwifery practices and 51 (77%) reported diversity in the work-based culture between their country of midwifery qualification and Australia. Forty-nine (74%) internationally qualified midwives felt they received adequate support at their workplace and 52 (79%) reported that they experienced respect from women they had cared for. Over half of the respondents (n=41; 62%) perceived inequity of opportunity, and a sixth of respondents (n=11; 17%) felt discriminated against in the Australian midwifery workforce. Conclusion. This study, while limited in scope, provides insight into specific challenges experienced by internationally qualified midwives and may better inform approaches to support future transition into the Australian multicultural midwifery workforce. Diversity in midwifery practice and work-based culture, as well as the possibility of experience of discrimination and inequity of opportunity can influence negatively on future internationally qualified midwives' professional lives. Implications. Understanding the challenges that internationally qualified midwives confront in Australia and enhancing strategies to provide a smooth transition for IQMs are necessary. A supportive work environment is critical to ensure that diversity is valued, and internationally qualified midwives are provided equal opportunity [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/aim: Occupational therapists offer a unique perspective regarding the contribution of the environment to occupational performance. Therefore, a scale that measures the unique characteristics of the primary school classroom environment where children complete their daily schoolwork occupations is needed. The aim of this study was to develop and psychometrically evaluate a new teacher‐report questionnaire that measures a number of environmental characteristics of primary school classrooms. Methods: Participants (N = 117) completed the Classroom Environment Questionnaire (CEQ), which utilises a 4‐point Likert scale where teachers rate 51 environmental characteristics of their classroom. Teachers also rate the extent to which they believe the physical, social, temporal, institutional and cultural classroom environmental domains contribute to students' schoolwork performance using a 10‐point scale. The structural validity of the CEQ was examined using principal component analysis (PCA). Inter‐item correlations were examined using Pearson r correlations, while the internal consistency of the CEQ was assessed using Cronbach's alpha. Results: PCA revealed the CEQ to be multidimensional, with 31 items loading onto nine viable factors, representing the unique nature of classroom environments. Based on the PCA results, 20 items were removed from the CEQ. Cronbach's alpha and correlation analysis indicated that most CEQ subsections had acceptable internal consistency (alpha range 0.70–0.82), with four subsections demonstrating a lower level of internal consistency (alpha range 0.55–0.69). Conclusion: Preliminary structural validity and internal consistency analysis findings confirm that the CEQ has potential to be a useful scale for professionals wishing to examine the unique characteristics of primary school classrooms that influence the occupational performance of students. Ongoing analyses will be undertaken to further explore the CEQ's validity and reliability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research on the role of nurses in providing cost-effective medical care to homeless men in Sydney, Australia. Topics include the impact of multimorbidity on the patients in the study, the role of medication administration as a primary health care (PHC) task in the study, and the need to collaborate with specialists such as mental health professionals through referrals.