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In the UK, student nurses, nursing associates and midwives are supervised by practice supervisors and practice assessors while completing the placement-based component of their training. Because of increased clinical commitments, staff shortages and rising student numbers, demands for the supervision and assessment of student nurses have increased in recent years and this was exacerbated by COVID-19. The Nursing and Midwifery Council's Standards for Student Supervision and Assessment separated the roles of practice supervisor and assessor, giving rise to opportunities to assess students in a different way. Some integrated care systems are exploring the new role of roaming assessor. Roaming assessors can fulfil the role of practice assessors while providing additional support for student nurses. This role could be expanded to other health professions. This article explores the use of practice learning facilitators as roaming assessors for student nurses in the UK and evaluates the potential benefits and limitations of this approach. Roaming assessors may provide a useful service to deliver practice assessments, increasing the reliability and availability of assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Promoting older workers' health in the context of increasing labor force participation and skill shortages is crucial. Examining job resource profiles offers a promising approach to understanding how to promote and maintain the health of older workers within the workplace. However, it is unclear how different job resources interact within distinct worker subgroups. Thus, this study explores the association between the job resource profiles of distinct subgroups and various health indicators among older workers in Europe. Methods: Data from 4,079 older workers (age range: 50–60 years, 57% female) from waves 6 and 8 of the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE) were analyzed. Latent profile analysis was employed to identify distinct job resource profiles using social support, recognition, job promotion, autonomy, and development opportunities. Associations between these profiles and various health indicators were examined, alongside the sociodemographic and socioeconomic characteristics associated with each profile. Results: Four distinct job resource profiles emerged: (I) average job resource workers (n = 2170, 53%), (II) high social job resource workers (n = 983, 24%), (III) low job resource workers (n = 538, 13%), and (IV) autonomous decision-making workers (n = 388, 10%). Workers in the (II) high social job resource profile had the highest socioeconomic status and reported the best self-perceived health, lowest depressive symptoms, and fewest limitations and chronic diseases. Conversely, workers in the (III) low job resource profile had the second-lowest socioeconomic status and reported the poorest health outcomes. Surprisingly, older workers with high autonomy (profile IV) had the lowest socioeconomic status and the second worst self-perceived health. This may be because they perceive themselves as autonomous while lacking support and recognition. Conclusion: There is wide variation in the level and composition of resources available to older workers in the workplace. The most vulnerable subgroups, such as low job resource workers (profile III) and autonomous decision-making workers (profile IV), could benefit from tailored workplace health promotion interventions, such as support from supervisors or peers. Strengthening older workers' job resources, including social support and recognition, can improve their health and contribute to them remaining in the workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Existing research suggests that natural resources, domestic markets, and decisive political influence attract China to build relationships with African countries. However, why China sought to deepen its relationship with Ethiopia since the mid-1990s despite its lack of these endowments? This article aims to address this empirical puzzle by combining theoretical perspectives from development economics and fragmented authoritarianism to analyse the driving factors behind China’s Ethiopia policy and its formulation and implementation process. Examining China’s diplomacy towards Ethiopia from 1995–2019, it finds that Ethiopia’s stable society and abundant labour force made it a key destination for China’s industrial transfer. And China’s need for industrial restructuring has driven its Ethiopia policy, with private enterprises playing a crucial role by proposing projects. These findings enrich the understanding of the motivations and processes behind China’s influence in Africa from an industrial restructuring perspective, offering insights into China’s diplomacy and its impact on Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global economy has been witnessing increasing geopolitical risk (GPR) in recent years. The rise in GPR has several consequences, and the impact of this situation on natural resource rent (NR) has not yet been analyzed for the major oil‐producing countries. Given this deficiency, this study analyzes the impact of GPR, gross domestic product, the labor force (LBR), load capacity factor, population density, and trade openness on the NR for the five major oil‐producing countries (namely, Canada, China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and the United States of America). To this end, the study analyzes data for the period 1995/Q1‐2021/Q4 by using a cross‐sectional Autoregressive Distributed Lag approach. The results demonstrate that (i) an increase in GPR and load capacity factor declines the NR; (ii) an increase in gross domestic product stimulates the NR; and (iii) a rise in population density, labor force, and trade openness has a stimulating impact on the NR. Overall, the research shows that all variables substantially impact the NR. Based on the results, various policy options are discussed, such as assessing geopolitical tensions as leverage to sustainably regulate the natural resource market and growth to prevent negative impact from managing the NR effectively for the five major oil‐producing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The labor market integration of migrants, focusing on employment and job quality, differs notably across Southern and Continental-Northern European nations, often involving trade-offs. Nonetheless, little is known about whether these diverse migrant inclusion models in European labor markets extend to the combination of employment and overeducation. Additionally, the role of gender in this context remains unclear. While overeducation is more prevalent among immigrants compared to native, its prevalence varies across countries. To fill this gap, we analyzed data from the 2015–2019 European Labor Force Survey in 17 European countries, considering gender and migrant origin – Western vs. non-Western. Results show that non-Western migrants and migrant women face more challenges than Western migrants and male counterparts, respectively. Among males, a trade-off model predominates, with low employment penalties but high overeducation penalties in Mediterranean countries, and vice versa in Continental and some Nordic nations. For females, those in Southern Europe align with the Mediterranean trade-off model, while those in most Continental and Nordic countries experience a double penalty. In Liberal countries, male migrants tend toward the Mediterranean trade-off model, while female migrants align with the integration model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-restorative sleep (NRS) affects not only individuals' health, but also company productivity, highlighting the importance of measures in the workplace to improve sleep. This study aimed to examine the clustering of the presence of restorative sleep (RS) and lifestyle habits in a Japanese working population and to explore the characteristics of these clusters. The subjects were 58,150 Japanese working men aged 40−59 years who underwent health check-ups across the country from April 2015 to March 2016. Data for the presence of RS, the frequency and amount of drinking, smoking/exercise habits, and body mass index obtained from health check-ups were clustered with latent class analysis. In addition, the characteristics of each cluster were examined from the perspectives of lifestyle-related disease-associated blood test results obtained from health check-ups and the status of medical treatment at medical institutions as determined from medical claims data. Consequently, RS and lifestyle habits were found to form five clusters. The "NRS, no exercise, drinkers" cluster showed the highest probability of not achieving RS. An "Obese, occasional binge drinkers" cluster with a higher percentage of patients with sleep-apnea syndrome and a "Nondrinkers" cluster with proportions of those taking sleeping pills/anxiolytics and antidepressants/antipsychotics were observed. Furthermore, the "Daily smokers and drinkers" and "RS and drinkers" clusters showed a relatively high probability of achieving RS. These findings suggest that some individuals may not be aware of the sleep disorders caused by their drinking and smoking habits. Measures to improve sleep must be tailored to the characteristics of each cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article stresses the importance of expanding the quality of critical care pharmacy education to ensure the provision of critical care to patients. Topics mentioned include state of the pharmacy practice, several reasons for providing inconsistent care to patients and the key steps to optimize critical care pharmacy models.

The article stresses the importance of mentorship for pharmacists to achieve career growth. Topics mentioned include the challenges faced by early career pharmacists, some ways to address the challenges, the importance of investing in career advancement and the need for pharmacists to improve their reflection skills.

Introduction: Studying surgical services and the workforce in sub-Saharan Africa is crucial for enhancing access to quality surgical care in the region. Despite many recommendations to produce evidence based on reliable data on this subject to guide policymakers, there is still a knowledge gap on this topic. The aim of this nationwide survey was to describe the organization of abdominal emergency surgical care across healthcare services in Senegal. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional nationwide survey. The study period was between October 1st, 2023, and January 20th, 2024. The target population included all registered healthcare facilities in Senegal offering emergency surgical services. A structured questionnaire was designed to gather infrastructure-related data, surgical activities, and human resources. Results: All 33 identified healthcare facilities responded to the survey (100%). Emergency abdominal surgery services were available for 96.7% of the surveyed structures. The teams were mainly composed of surgeons and residents (45.2%) or surgeons and medical trainees (48.8%). The average bed capacity of the services was 21.9, with a standard deviation of 13.9. The absence of a dedicated hospitalization section for patients requiring special monitoring was found in 69.6% of the facilities. Operating rooms dedicated to emergency abdominal digestive surgery were present in 54.6% of the services. On average, the services performed 17.6 scheduled surgical interventions with a standard deviation of 11.5 and 29.7 emergency surgical interventions with a standard deviation of 16.8 per month. Morbidity and mortality conferences were not routinely held in the majority of departments (only 27.3%). Professional development programmes were present only in 24.2% of departments. Most of the departments did not have adequate human resources (69.6%). A total of 70 surgeons were identified, resulting in a national ratio of 0.39 general surgeons per 100,000 inhabitants. The strategies employed to address staff shortages included additional working hour by staff (54.5%), temporary workers (30.3%) or the use of trainee doctors or nurses (12.1%). Conclusion: This research shows that significant deficiencies are present in the essential physical and human resources needed to conduct fundamental life-saving surgical procedures. These findings suggest potential areas for improvement in the delivery of emergency surgical care in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Retaining midwives and registered nurses in the Obstetrics and Gynecology department/unit (OB/GYN) is not just a matter of organizational effectiveness and financial wellness. It's a crucial aspect of ensuring quality healthcare delivery. This study aimed to discuss the degree to which midwives and nurses in OB/GYN departments are structurally empowered, resilient, and committed to remaining at the organizations and to examine whether nurses' and midwives'sense of structural empowerment and resilience is a good predictor of their decision to stay with the organization. Methods: This study employed a unique convergent parallel mixed methods approach. The research was conducted in two distinct phases. The first phase involved a cross-sectional quantitative survey with a convenience sample of 200 midwives and nurses in OB/GYN departments. The second phase was a qualitative study utilizing semi-structured, open-ended interviews. Eighteen nurses and midwives, specifically chosen as the target population, were invited to participate in individual interviews. The data collection took place at three major hospitals in Saudi Arabia, starting in January 2023 and concluding in February 2023. Results: The study results revealed that structural empowerment and resilience were statistically significant predictors of the intent to stay in the organization (F = 35.216, p < 0.001), with 26.3% variation, the structural empowerment is higher predictor (β = 0.486, p < 0.000) to intent to stay if compared to resilience (β = 0.215, p < 0.008). Five major themes emerged from the narratives of the nurses and midwives: the nurturing of the physical and physiological, the development of the psychological, the managing finances, the restructuring of the organization, and the enrichment of the professional and occupational. Conclusion: The study's findings have significant implications for healthcare organizations. They highlight the importance of cultivating a culture of empowerment and resilience, which can serve as a powerful tool to encourage registered nurses and midwives to remain in their organizations. This insight empowers healthcare administrators, human resource managers, and obstetrics and gynecology professionals to take proactive steps toward improving retention rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Unemployment rate estimates for small areas are used to efficiently support the distribution of services and the allocation of resources, grants and funding. A Fay–Herriot type model is the most used tool to obtain these estimates. Under this approach out‐of‐sample areas require some synthetic estimates. As the geographical context is extremely important for analysing local economies, in this paper, we allow for area random effects to be spatially correlated. The spatial model parameters are estimated by a marginal likelihood method and are used to predict in‐sample as well as out‐of‐sample areas. Extensive simulation experiments are used to assess the impact of the auto‐regression parameter and of the rate of out‐of‐sample areas on the performance of this approach. The paper concludes with an illustrative application on real data from the Italian Labour Force Survey in which the estimation of the unemployment rate in each Local Labour Market Area is addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the impact of moral injury on health care professionals amidst the global health workforce crisis, emphasizing that burnout alone doesn't fully address the complexities involved. Topics include the effects of financial and organizational pressures on care quality, the need for a clear understanding and definition of moral injury distinct from burnout, and strategies for improving organizational ethics and support systems to address these issues effectively.

AbstractRestricting high authority jobs to a specific section of society leads to market inefficiencies, resulting in higher costs and lower quality of goods and services due to suboptimal management. Moreover, such favouritism exacerbates social inequalities across occupational hierarchies. Given India’s caste-based societal structure, it is crucial to investigate whether all social groups have equal access to top management and leadership positions. Using the 2019–2020 Periodic Labour Force Survey and binary logit models, this study reveals significant disparities in securing high-authority roles between lower and upper castes. The results show an average marginal effect of −7.3% for lower castes relative to upper castes. These disparities are further amplified if the lower caste individual is female, resides in a urban area, or holds a graduate-level education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background An adequate workforce is needed to guarantee optimal kidney care. We used the International Society of Nephrology Global Kidney Health Atlas (ISN-GKHA) to provide an assessment of the global kidney care workforce. Methods We conducted a multinational cross-sectional survey to evaluate the global capacity of kidney care and assessed data on the number of adult and paediatric nephrologists, the number of trainees in nephrology and shortages of various cadres of the workforce for kidney care. Data are presented according to the ISN region and World Bank income categories. Results Overall, stakeholders from 167 countries responded to the survey. The median global prevalence of nephrologists was 11.75 per million population (pmp) (interquartile range [IQR] 1.78–24.76). Four regions had median nephrologist prevalences below the global median: Africa (1.12 pmp), South Asia (1.81 pmp), Oceania and Southeast Asia (3.18 pmp) and newly independent states and Russia (9.78 pmp). The overall prevalence of paediatric nephrologists was 0.69 pmp (IQR 0.03–1.78), while overall nephrology trainee prevalence was 1.15 pmp (IQR 0.18–3.81), with significant variations across both regions and World Bank income groups. More than half of the countries reported shortages of transplant surgeons (65%), nephrologists (64%), vascular access coordinators (59%), dialysis nurses (58%) and interventional radiologists (54%), with severe shortages reported in low- and lower-middle-income countries. Conclusions There are significant limitations in the available kidney care workforce in large parts of the world. To ensure the delivery of optimal kidney care worldwide, it is essential to develop national and international strategies and training capacity to address workforce shortages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study describes how New York City (NYC) Health + Hospitals implemented a large-scale Community Health Worker (CHW) program in adult primary care clinics between January 2022 and December 2023 and established metrics to monitor program implementation. This study is timely as healthcare systems consider how to scale high-quality CHW programs. Methods: We collected metrics in the following areas: (1) Workforce demographics, team structure, and training; (2) Enrolled patient demographics; (3) Patient-centered metrics, such as patient counts (e.g. patients outreached and enrolled) and engagement (e.g. median time in program, caseloads per CHW), and goals (e.g. median number of goals identified and completed). Metrics are based on standard data elements captured through CHW documentation in the electronic health record collected during program implementation. Data cleaning is completed using SQL queries and R scripts. Results: In June 2023, there were a total of 97 CHW and 22 CHW Supervisor staff lines in adult primary care across 17 healthcare sites. There were 4.6 CHWs to 1 CHW supervisor on average though this ranged by facility from 1:1 to 1:6. Compared to the population that receives primary care at NYC H + H, CHWs served more African American/Black patients (40% vs. 32%) and an older patient population (35% older than 65 vs. 21% older than 65). From January 2022 to December 2023, 13,812 patients were outreached by CHWs. Of these, 9,069 (66%) were referred by clinicians, 7,331 (53%) were enrolled, and 5,044 (37%) successfully graduated. The median number of goals identified by patients was four, and the median number of goals completed with a CHW per patient was three. The top three goals were primary care engagement (47%), specialty care engagement (46%), and food insecurity (45%). Conclusion: Establishing clear implementation and process metrics helps to ensure that CHWs embedded in health systems can meaningfully engage adult patients in health care, address patient-centered goals, and connect patients to community and government services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic posed an enormous challenge on the public health workforce, leading to the hiring of much temporary staff. Temporary staff may experience poorer working conditions compared to permanent staff. From a public health perspective, we need to know how working conditions are experienced when there is an acute pressure on recruiting sufficient public health care staff. This study aimed to investigate differences in job demands and work functioning between temporary and permanent public health care staff, during the fourth wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Netherlands and compare it with available pre-pandemic data from the general working population. Methods: This cross-sectional study included temporary (n = 193) and permanent (n = 98) public health care staff from a municipal health care service in the north of the Netherlands. The participants completed a questionnaire with items about quantitative, cognitive, emotional demands (Copenhagen PsychoSOcial Questionnaire, COPSOQ, range 1-100) and work functioning (Work Role Functioning Questionnaire, WRFQ, range 1-100). The participants' scores were compared to the general working population and differences between temporary and permanent staff were investigated using linear regression analysis. In addition, explorative analyses were conducted with temporary staff stratified by task and permanent staff by department. Results: Permanent staff had relatively high scores on job demands compared to the general working population, whereas temporary staff had relatively low scores. On work functioning, permanent staff had similar scores as the general working population and temporary staff had better scores. Compared to permanent staff, temporary staff had lower, i.e. better, scores on quantitative (regression coefficient (B)=-26.7; 95% Confidence Interval (CI) -30.8 to -22.5), cognitive (B=-24.4; 95% CI -29.0 to -19.9), and emotional demands (B=-11.8; 95% CI -16.0 to -7.7), and better scores on work functioning (B = 7.8; 95% CI 4.5 to 11.3). Conclusions: Temporary staff experienced lower job demands and reported better work functioning than permanent staff. The acute expansion of the public health workforce did not seem to negatively impact the job demands and work functioning of temporary public health care staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents the results of the geoarchaeological study of earthen building materials used in a Tartessic public building at Casas del Turuñuelo. The construction dates back to the fifth century BCE and is one of the monumental buildings of Tartessic culture, characterized by its complex architecture, prestige goods, and intentional destruction after a feast and animal sacrifice. We applied an integrated methodology combining macro and micro approaches to investigate earthen construction processes, such as techniques, labour organization, workers' specialization, and environmental exploitation. The sample mainly consists of mudbricks, but we also include other forms of earthen materials such as mud plasters, mud mortars, and geological soils for comparison. In total, 64 samples from different building parts were studied through X-ray fluorescence, X-ray diffraction, thin-section petrography, and CHN analyses. The results reveal that the workforce involved in the construction process used different resources and presented different skill levels, but was centrally planned and organized. This study reflects on the communities' knowledge of the environment, the logistic effort and technical skill employed in the building process, and the existence of strong political structures capable of managing the erection of the complex Tartessic buildings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite well-documented associations between adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and lifelong impairments in health and well-being, few studies have examined how to facilitate implementation of ACEs screening and referral programs in pediatric settings. We sought to identify facilitators and barriers related to screening for and addressing ACEs in a large integrated healthcare delivery system in Southern California. Using a developmental evaluation approach, we conducted twenty semi-structured interviews with pediatricians, nurses, social workers, and community referral organization staff. Interviews took place across six pediatric clinic pilot sites in Kaiser Permanente Southern California, where more than 7,000 pediatric patients were screened for ACEs between July 2018 and December 2019. Thematic analysis was conducted to identify themes. Key facilitators for screening and referrals for pediatric ACEs screening included providing clinician education to normalize conversations about ACEs, using screening data to provide more holistic and compassionate care, and collaborating across different types of clinicians. Key barriers included screening tool challenges related to patient confusion and cultural differences, capacity limitations, training issues, and care team silos. When used in the context of a trauma- and resilience-informed workforce, ACEs screening may be a powerful tool to support more collaborative and impactful care decisions that move away from symptom management to address root causes and promote prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the role of artificial intelligence in enhancing medical care quality and patient safety. Topics mentioned include the enhancement of electronic medical record, the reduction in administrative burden of medical care, the increase in job satisfaction of medical care personnel, the decrease in workforce shortages and burnout and the improvement in the time of physicians for caring their patients instead of documenting their care.

Background: Palliative care demands in the United States are growing amid a comparatively small workforce of palliative care clinicians and researchers. Therefore, determining research and clinical practice priorities is essential for streamlining initiatives to advance palliative care science and practice. Objectives: To identify and rank palliative care research and clinical practice priority areas through expert consensus. Design: Using a modified Delphi method, U.S. palliative care experts identified and ranked priority areas in palliative care research and clinical practice. Priorities were thematically grouped and analyzed for topic content and frequency; univariate analysis used the median of each priority item ranking, with a cutoff median of ≤8 indicating >76% agreement for an item's ranking. Results: In total, 27 interdisciplinary pediatric and adult palliative care experts representing 19 different academic institutions and medical centers participated in the preliminary survey and the first Delphi round, and 22 participated in the second Delphi round. The preliminary survey generated 78 initial topics, which were developed into 22 priority areas during the consensus meeting. The top five priorities were (1) access to palliative care, (2) equity in palliative care, (3) adequate financing of palliative care, (4) provision of palliative care in primary care settings, and (5) palliative care workforce challenges. Conclusions: These expert-identified priority areas provide guidance for researchers and practitioners to develop innovative models, policies, and interventions, thereby enriching the quality of life for those requiring palliative care services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This series of six articles is inspired by themes arising from the Royal College of Midwives' state of midwifery education report. The series explores the current landscape and challenges in educating the future midwifery workforce, particularly those that relate to the higher education workforce. This fourth article looks at what it is like to work in midwifery education compared to in practice as a midwife. The challenges associated with transition, remuneration, workload, casual working and the breadth of the midwifery education role are examined, particularly in comparison to other disciplines in higher education. The article explores how educators can be better supported in their training of the future midwifery workforce, while assuring their own progression and equal treatment in an increasingly competitive and tightly regulated sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The past developments in cystic fibrosis (CF) treatment warrant a long-term description of the societal impact of the disease. Understanding how societal impact of CF has developed is important to inform health policies to prevent inequalities and secure the right to equal opportunities in life. • The present study describes the development in key socioeconomic factors across 30 years in people living with CF (pwCF) in Denmark, compared with the general population and an early onset chronic disease population. • The educational level of pwCF was similar to the two comparator cohorts indicating successful mitigation of negative effects. However, pwCF were less often in employment and more often permanently outside the labor force than the comparator cohorts. • PwCF had similar or higher personal or household income than the comparator cohorts. • The societal profile of the CF cohort and the comparator cohorts became more alike during the study period. Past and ongoing advancements in cystic fibrosis (CF) care warrant long-term analysis of the societal impact of the condition. This study aims to evaluate changes in key socioeconomic factors across three decades among people living with CF (pwCF), compared with both the general population and an early-onset chronic disease population. This nationwide, registry-based, matched cohort study included all pwCF ≥ 18 years in Denmark in the years 1990, 2000, 2010, and 2018. Each person living with CF was matched to five individuals in the general population and five individuals living with type 1 diabetes or juvenile arthritis based on age, sex, and municipality. The Danish adult CF population increased nearly fourfold from 88 in 1990 to 331 in 2018, and mean age increased by ten years. The educational level of pwCF was similar to the two comparator cohorts, while pwCF were less often in employment and more often permanently outside the labor force. Personal and household income levels of the CF cohort were higher than those of the comparator cohorts. The disadvantage in employment for pwCF remained, but, over time, the societal profiles of the one-year CF cohorts increasingly converged with those of the comparator cohorts, indicative of improved clinical management, extended life expectancy, and the supportive role of the Danish welfare system in reducing health inequalities. Further research should be done to evaluate the effects of the newly introduced modulator therapies on employment, considering the broader societal impact and impact on quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Services data are an important source of information for policymakers and planners. In Australia, significant work has been undertaken to develop and implement collections of mental health services data. Given this level of investment, it is important that collected data are fit for purpose. Objective: This study aimed to: (1) identify existing national mandated and best endeavours collections of mental health services activity (e.g. occasions of service) and capacity (e.g. full-time equivalent staff) data in Australia; and (2) review the content of identified data collections to determine opportunities for data development. Method: A grey literature search was conducted to identify data collections. Where available, metadata and/or data were analysed. Results: Twenty data collections were identified. For services that received funding via multiple funding streams, data were often captured across several collections corresponding with each funder. There was significant variability in the content and format of collections. Unlike other service sectors, there is no national, mandated collection for psychosocial support services. Some collections have limited utility as they do not include key activity data; others do not include descriptive variables like service type. Workforce data are often not collected, and where data are collected, they are often not comprehensive. Conclusion: Findings are an important source of information for policymakers and planners who use services data to inform priorities. Implications: This study provides recommendations for data development, including mandating standardised reporting for psychosocial supports, filling workforce data gaps, streamlining data collections and including key missing data items in some collections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive research has been conducted to scrutinize employee loyalty, but scant attention has been directed toward understanding this phenomenon within the context of the millennial workforce in China. To address this research gap, in this study we investigated the association between Confucian leadership and employee loyalty among millennials in China, incorporating the mediating role of supervisor–subordinate guanxi in this relationship. Participants were 250 employees of 15 firms, who completed a self-administered survey. We found a positive relationship between Confucian leadership and millennial employee loyalty. Moreover, supervisor–subordinate guanxi was a significant and partial mediator of this relationship. These findings suggest that it is important to adopt Confucian leadership as well as building quality supervisor–subordinate guanxi when enhancing millennial employee loyalty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Elder abuse, a pervasive and distressing phenomenon, continues to pose a significant challenge globally, affecting older adults across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. This article provides an overview of the prevalence of elder abuse, highlighting its multifaceted nature, risk factors and the imperative need for intervention and prevention strategies. A synthesis of empirical studies, meta-analyses and reputable sources is used to delineate the prevalence rates and patterns of elder abuse across various geographical regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global labor market has experienced significant transformations due to technological advancements, globalization, and evolving socio-economic dynamics. Despite predictions from neoclassical economics, anomalies such as wage rigidity, involuntary unemployment, and underemployment persist. This article aims to critically analyze the neoclassical model's assumptions of rationality, perfect information, and utility maximization, contrasting them with insights from behavioral economics. A review of studies addressing labor market issues from a behavioral economics perspective was conducted using key terms such as "behavioral economics," "labor supply," and "neoclassical economics." The results indicate that behavioral factors, including bounded rationality, cognitive biases such as risk aversion, and social preferences, significantly influence labor supply decisions. These factors provide a more realistic interpretation of economic behavior, addressing anomalies that neoclassical theories fail to explain. In conclusion, behavioral economics offers a robust framework for understanding labor market dynamics, particularly in wage dynamics, where cognitive biases impact decision-making. This approach challenges traditional economic models and underscores the importance of incorporating psychological factors into labor market policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

En France, pour bénéficier d'une prise en charge médicosociale et éducative adaptée, les enfants ayant un trouble du spectre de l'autisme doivent obtenir une orientation par la maison départementale des personnes handicapées (MDPH) et que ces notifications soient appliquées. En Guyane, les inégalités sociales et territoriales de santé sont omniprésentes. Il n'existe pourtant aucune donnée sur la prise en charge des adolescents avec un trouble du spectre de l'autisme en Guyane. L'objectif du projet était de connaître le parcours scolaire et médicosocial des enfants inclus dans le registre des troubles du spectre de l'autisme de Guyane depuis 2016 (qui vivaient en Guyane en 2016 et dont leur TSA avait été diagnostiqué avant leurs 8 ans) au moyen d'une interview téléphonique et d'un recueil de données à la MDPH. Nous avons inclus 52 jeunes âgés de 11 à 18 ans dont 40 familles jointes par téléphone. Les résultats obtenus à travers les variables recueillies montrent que, malgré un diagnostic posé avant 8 ans, seulement 29 jeunes (sur 47 renseignés) bénéficient d'une prise en charge médicosociale et éducative coïncidente avec les préconisations de la Commission des droits et de l'autonomie des personnes handicapées en cours (CDAPH). Parmi les 52 jeunes suivis, il y en avait au moins 9 – soit 17,3 % – qui ne recevaient aucune forme d'éducation. Trente et un jeunes bénéficiaient d'une prise en charge médicosociale, sanitaire et/ou éducative au moment de l'enquête contre 16 qui n'en recevaient aucune, notamment parce qu'ils étaient sur liste d'attente, depuis 5 ans en moyenne. Par ailleurs, 34 % des familles interrogées disaient ne pas être satisfaites de la prise en charge globale promulguée à leur enfant, surtout du fait du manque de personnel. En conclusion, il existe en Guyane un décalage important et mal vécu entre ce qui est recommandé aux parents pour la prise en charge de leur enfant adolescent et ce qui est en réalité possible. In France, to benefit from appropriate medical, social and educational care, children with autism spectrum disorders must obtain a referral from the Maison Départementale des Personnes Handicapées (MDPH), and these notifications must then be implemented. In French Guiana, social and territorial inequalities in health are omnipresent. However, there are no data on the care of adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorder in French Guiana. The aim of the project was to explore the educational and medico-social pathways of children included in Guiana's autism spectrum disorder register since 2016 (who were living in Guiana in 2016 and whose ASD had been diagnosed before their 8th birthday) by means of a telephone interview and data collection at the MDPH. We included 52 young people aged 11 to 18, including 40 families contacted by telephone. The results obtained through the variables collected show that, despite a diagnosis made before the age of 8, only 29 young people (out of 47 completed) benefit from medical, social and educational care that coincides with the recommendations of the current Commission des droits et de l'autonomie des personnes handicapées (CDAPH). Of the 52 young people monitored, at least nine – or 17.3% – were not receiving any form of education. Thirty one young people were receiving medical, social, health and/or educational care at the time of the survey, compared with 16 who were not receiving any, mainly because they had been on a waiting list for an average of five years. In addition, 34% said they were not satisfied with the overall care their child received, mainly because of staff shortages. In conclusion, in French Guiana, there is a significant gap between what is recommended to parents for their teenage child's care and what is actually possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unmet health-related social needs contribute to high morbidity and poor population health. Improving social conditions are likely to reduce health disparities and improve the health of the overall U.S. population. The primary objective of this article is to describe an innovative workforce model, called Regional Health Connectors (RHCs), and how they address health-related social needs in Colorado. This is a program evaluation that analyzed field notes and interview data from 2021-2022. We applied our findings to the framework developed by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine's (NASEM's) report on strengthening social care integration into health care (2019). We found that RHCs address the following health-related social needs most commonly: food insecurity (n = 18 of 21 regions or 85% of all regions), housing (n = 17 or 81% of all regions), transportation (n = 11 or 52% of all regions), employment opportunities (n = 10 or 48% of all regions), and income/financial assistance (n = 11 or 52% of all regions). RHCs interacted across many sectors to address health-related social needs and provided multiple types of support to primary care practices at the organizational level. Examples of emerging impact of RHCs are described and mapped onto the NASEM framework. Findings from this program evaluation add to the growing landscape of knowledge and importance of detecting and addressing health-related social needs. We conclude that RHCs are a unique and emerging workforce that addresses multiple domains needed to integrate social care into health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Early Head Start (EHS) and Head Start (HS) staff comprise a large segment of the public sector workforce and experience numerous risk and chronic factors for medical conditions or symptoms. Few health and wellness workplace interventions, however, specifically focus on EHS/HS staff. Methods: A train-the-trainer (TTT) approach was used to build capacity among directors and staff from 57 EHS/HS programs on how to strategically plan and implement a health promoting worksite program focusing on improving nutrition and physical activity practices among EHS/HS staff. Baseline and 3-month post-training questionnaires assessed EHS/HS staff changes on knowledge and practices related to nutrition and physical activity. Paired t-tests or chi2 statistics assessed changes in questionnaire responses over time. Results: 1,363 staff from 57 programs completed baseline and follow-up surveys. Staff had high knowledge regarding healthful dietary patterns at baseline. Over one-third of staff reported drinking soda with meals and almost 50% identified soda as their most common drink. Roughly one-third of staff also reported no physical activity in the prior week at baseline. Staff demonstrated significant improvements in dietary, nutrition, and physical activity practices. Staff also improved grocery shopping behaviors. Implications for Practice: The TTT approach to disseminate an EHS/HS staff-focused health promotion program, "Eat Healthy, Stay Active!' provides a potentially promising strategy to build upon and disseminate more broadly to reach the over >300,000 EHS/HS staff workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Why you should read this article: • To refresh your knowledge of the aims of and processes involved in triage • To enhance your understanding of the strategies you can use to make triage as safe and effective as possible for patients and staff • To contribute towards revalidation as part of your 35 hours of CPD (UK readers) • To contribute towards your professional development and local registration renewal requirements (non-UK readers). Triage is the first stage of a patient’s journey through the emergency department and is used to determine patient acuity. There is no single quantifiable metric for determining acuity, which amalgamates different factors that are more or less relevant depending on the patient’s presentation. This article explains the aim and process of triage and how nurses can ensure the process is effective and safe. The author discusses strategies nurses can use to mitigate uncertainty and to make their acuity assessments rapid, targeted and comprehensive. The author also highlights triage safety considerations, including infection prevention and control and the physical and emotional safety of patients and staff. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate community health centers' (CHCs) health literacy. Design: A cross‐sectional study. Sample: A total of 374 CHCs were surveyed and 258 CHCs responded, with an effective questionnaire response rate of 69.0%. Measurements: Data were collected by using a self‐developed health literacy assessment tool to survey CHCs' health literacy throughout Taiwan from January to December 2019. Results: The item of organizational health literacy (OHL) with the highest proportion of CHCs not implementing them was "Design of easy‐to‐use computer applications and new media" (47.3% not yet achieved), followed by "Involving target audiences in document and service development" (34.9% not yet achieved). CHCs located in northern Taiwan had higher health literacy achievement scores than those in other regions, and those in urban areas had higher health literacy achievement scores than those in general and remote areas. Conclusions: This study identified items with poor implementation of OHL and found regional differences in health literacy among CHCs. The findings can inform the development of targeted interventions to improve health literacy in underperforming CHCs and guide policymakers in allocating resources to regions and areas in need of. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the first comprehensive set of estimates of variation in intergenerational social mobility across regions of Great Britain using data from the UK Labour Force Survey. Unlike the Social Mobility Index produced by the Social Mobility Commission, we focus directly on variation in measures of intergenerational social class mobility between the regions in which individuals were brought up. We define regions using the NUTS classification and we consider three levels, from 11 large NUTS1 regions, to 168 NUTS3 regions, across England, Wales, and Scotland. We investigate whether it is possible to form an index of social mobility from these measures and we address a neglected question: how much does the region in which someone was raised matter in comparison with the social class in which they were raised? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As artificial intelligence (AI) assisted diagnosing systems become accessible and user-friendly, evaluating how first-year medical students perceive such systems holds substantial importance in medical education. This study aimed to assess medical students' perceptions of an AI-assisted diagnostic tool known as 'Glass AI.' Data was collected from first year medical students enrolled in a 1.5-week Cell Physiology pre-clerkship unit. Students voluntarily participated in an activity that involved implementation of Glass AI to solve a clinical case. A questionnaire was designed using 3 domains: 1) immediate experience with Glass AI, 2) potential for Glass AI utilization in medical education, and 3) student deliberations of AI-assisted diagnostic systems for future healthcare environments. 73/202 (36.10%) of students completed the survey. 96% of the participants noted that Glass AI increased confidence in the diagnosis, 43% thought Glass AI lacked sufficient explanation, and 68% expressed risk concerns for the physician workforce. Students expressed future positive outlooks involving AI-assisted diagnosing systems in healthcare, provided strict regulations, are set to protect patient privacy and safety, address legal liability, remove system biases, and improve quality of patient care. In conclusion, first year medical students are aware that AI will play a role in their careers as students and future physicians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The enhancement of construction safety performance heavily relies on effective safety training. While virtual reality (VR) technologies have been utilized to improve construction safety training programs, the extent and mechanisms of improvement brought by VR remain unexplored. This study provided explanations on how the effectiveness of VR-based safety training for a heterogeneous workforce was achieved by investigating two mechanisms, namely embodied cognition and emotion arousal, from the physiological perspective. Randomized controlled experiments were conducted with three forms of safety training, namely paper-based training, VR-based learning, and VR-based experiencing, for both novice learners (NPs) and learners with prior knowledge (PPs). Digital eye-tracking and physiological devices and measurements were used to collect objective data. The results revealed better hazard recognition performance in both VR-based learning and VR-based experiencing groups than that in paper-based training groups. The results also revealed that VR-based learning was more effective for NPs than for PPs in acquiring safety knowledge, but VR-based experiencing was more effective for PPs than for NPs in stimulation of emotions. This means that the NPs benefit more from embodied cognition provided by the immersive environment of VR-based learning, and the PPs would be trained better with emotional arousal from the thrill of VR-based experiencing. The discovered mechanisms of embodied cognition and emotion arousal shed light on the underlying processes that contribute to the positive outcomes and promotion of VR-based training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: A severe staff shortage and a dearth of professionals from underrepresented backgrounds in the public health workforce are contributing to poor health outcomes in the United States. Schools and programs can mitigate these problems by admitting more graduate public health students overall and from underrepresented backgrounds. We identified predictors of foundational graduate public health course grades and graduate grade point average (GPA), sharing evidence to remove application factors that are admission barriers and do not predict student outcomes. Methods: We conducted a linear regression analysis on demographic and academic factors from 564 graduate public health applications for students at the University at Buffalo who received their degree from January 1, 2016, to February 1, 2021, analyzing age, race and ethnicity, sex, income, undergraduate degree, verbal and quantitative Graduate Record Examination (GRE) percentiles, and undergraduate GPA. Outcomes were grades in foundational public health courses and cumulative graduate GPA. Results: Undergraduate GPA was the best predictor of graduate public health student success, explaining nearly 7% of foundational public health course grades and 29% of graduate GPA. Higher undergraduate GPA contributed to higher course grades and graduate GPA. GRE scores explained <1% of student outcomes. Conclusions: Our findings add to the growing body of research showing that standardized test scores may not predict graduate student outcomes and provide further evidence for the field of public health to consider removing this admission barrier. By doing so, institutions could admit more students to graduate public health programs who can bring needed skills to the market, further diversifying the workforce and public health faculty, to better meet population health needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forum papers are thought-provoking opinion pieces or essays founded in fact, sometimes containing speculation, on a civil engineering topic of general interest and relevance to the readership of the journal. The views expressed in this Forum article do not necessarily reflect the views of ASCE or the Editorial Board of the journal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This paper examines the significant challenges that the agri‐food industry faces if it is to secure the skilled workforce needed to meet the requirement to massively expand food production across the globe. It highlights the significant role that specialist universities and higher education universities play in identifying, nurturing and equipping people with the knowledge and skills required by industry. It also highlights the complex practical and intellectual challenges the food industry faces in meeting the future food needs of the planet's inhabitants. It argues for the need for better story‐telling and collaboration across universities and industry to inspire more people to see this sector as a destination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents a comparative analysis of multiple jobholding and non-standard employment among young people in EU-28 member states. This work contributes to the understanding of multiple jobholding among youth by connecting the empirical work to the issues of labour market flexibilisation in Europe. The database used is the European Union Labour Force Survey for 2019. Non-standard forms of employment have a positive effect on the likelihood of secondary jobholding, especially part-time work. There is a high rate of multiple jobholding in Nordic countries, whereas it is low in Mediterranean, Central and Eastern European countries, where the time spent in second jobs is high. Finally, there are statistically significant differences in the propensity toward multiple jobholding according to level of education, gender, age, and country of birth, while there is no noticeable effect of over-qualification, although there is on the search for another job. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article urges for the strengthening of neurodiagnostics in Africa and mobilization of students in research and workforce for sustainable impact to improve care for individuals with epilepsy. Topics discussed include challenges in neurodiagnostic access for epilepsy management, strategies for strengthening neurodiagnostics, and the need for collaboration to advance research on epilepsy and other neurological disorders.

Social work regulatory rules and practices should balance the social values of promoting consumer safety and workforce equity. As the two values often compete, the balancing act should be guided by empirical evidence about the effects of regulations on consumers and the workforce. Unfortunately, however, empirical studies investigating the relationships between various regulatory rules and practices and consumer safety and workforce equity are rare in the existing literature. This paper identifies critical gaps in the current knowledge base and proposes a series of future research agendas that call for empirical evidence, including detailed data on jurisdictional regulatory rules and practices, the measures of consumer safety, and licensed social workers' demographic, employment, and practice characteristics. The paper concludes by calling out to all social work stakeholders about the need for empirical evidence on the effects of social work regulatory rules and practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates levels and determinants of in-work poverty (IWP) in Western Europe using EU-SILC longitudinal data 2004–2019. We compared IWP risk and their dynamics across fourteen countries by examining individual labor market positions, household total labor supplies, and employment patterns. We further explored the social class gradient in exposure to IWP, as well as drivers and patterns of longitudinal accumulation of poverty. Relying on a single (standard) earner is often not enough to keep families out of poverty, confirming the importance of dual-earner household arrangements, even if they entail non-standard employment conditions for one partner. This holds particularly true for countries with high levels of IWP and for less privileged social and occupational groups across all contexts. Analyzing IWP inertia, we examined the interplay between genuine state dependence (GSD) and unobserved heterogeneity in the accumulation of economic disadvantage over time. Previous experiences with IWP can lead to future IWP for some, yet this causal effect appears rather small. Our findings have clear implications for the social stratification of risk and policies designed to combat poverty accumulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In some countries, pharmacists have obtained prescribing rights to improve quality and accessibility of care and reduce physician workload. This case study explored pharmacists' current roles in and potential for prescribing in primary care in the Netherlands, where prescribing rights for pharmacists do not exist. Participatory observations of pharmacists working in either general practice or community pharmacy were conducted, as were semi-structured interviews about current and potential practice. The latter were extended to patients and other healthcare professionals, mainly general practitioners, resulting in 34 interviews in total. Thematic analyses revealed that pharmacists, in all cases, wrote prescriptions that were then authorized by a physician before dispensing. General practice-based pharmacists often prescribed medications during patient consultations. Community pharmacists mainly influenced prescribing through (a) medication reviews where the physician and/or practice nurse often were consulted to make treatment decisions, and (b) collaborative agreements with physicians to start or substitute medications in specific situations. These findings imply that the pharmacists' current roles in prescribing in the Netherlands resemble collaborative prescribing practices in other countries. We also identified several issues that should be addressed before formally introducing pharmacist prescribing, such as definitions of tasks and responsibilities and prescribing-specific training for pharmacists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although short-term rental platforms (e.g. Airbnb) are often not considered labour platforms, their suppliers must contend with demands on labour structured by the platforms. Using Lefebvre's rhythmanalysis, this article examines the spatio-temporal dynamics of cleaning labour for STR platforms through the experiences of student-migrant-workers in Montreal between 2017 and 2020. I argue that yield-focused STR operators (i.e. owner-operators and managers) encounter spatio-temporal friction (or arrhythmia) in their efforts to outsource STR cleaning labour, but some labour intermediaries have responded with strategies to bring this conflict into harmony (eurhythmia) by incorporating the lives and labour of student-migrant-workers. At once limited in their employment options and not exclusively dependent on this work, student-migrant-workers illustrate characteristics that these intermediaries require of the workers they assemble and the flexible labour force upon which STR platforms depend. Rather than replacing labour intermediaries, online platforms have created new spatio-temporal dynamics for labour and new opportunities for those who profit from assembling the labour forces that address them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Faunal remains from Ḥorvat Tevet, a site located in the rural hinterlands of the Jezreel Valley, reveal patterns of a complex redistributive apparatus during the Late Iron IIA. This paper assesses a large assemblage of animal bones within inter- and intra-site comparative analyses. Inter-site comparisons to contemporary sites in the northern valleys of Israel demonstrate that the agricultural production of grain and animal by-products at Ḥorvat Tevet is unprecedented and went far beyond the site's local needs. Further, an intra-site comparison reveals a hierarchical distinction in the consumption patterns between elites and the labour force. These results further reinforce the conclusion that the late Iron IIA Ḥorvat Tevet was an administrative centre of a royal Israelite estate in the Jezreel Valley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The change from clinical nurse specialist to nurse practitioner model with emphasis on the biomedical prescriber role significantly affected graduate education/practice. AIM/METHOD This article reports solutions, lessons learned, and insights from faculty in a four-year Workforce Development Project supported by an academic-practice partnership. Lessons learned that are shared as administrative and clinical practice insights include use of experiential learning platform and interaction process recordings, confirmation of the state of nurse psychotherapy blocks to clinical placements, movement toward a salutogenic psychosocial nursing process, changing student evaluation language of preceptors, and implementation of an Advanced Practice Nursing model for clinical supervision. RESULTS The educational hypothesis that in-person experiential learning in a workshop format with live simulations is critical to the professional development of psychiatric mental health advanced practice nursing is supported. Resistance to the cultural change operationalized through the curriculum is described. Five student reflections exemplify progress made as a result of this program. CONCLUSION This program with its enduring educational frame was an opportunity to regain a historical momentum as nurse leaders in mental health care. There is significant interest and commitment to learning the nursepsychotherapist and consultation-liaison roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The change from a clinical nurse specialist to nurse practitioner model has significantly affected graduate education and practice because of emphasis on the dominant biomedical prescriber role, marginalizing the nurse-psychotherapy and consultation-liaison roles fundamental to quality psychiatric advanced practice nursing practice. AIM/METHOD We report on a four-year Workforce Development Project supported by an academic-practice partnership to restore formation and skill building of the marginalized roles. Part One focuses on program design, the curriculum for nine specialty courses, and the teaching and learning community approach that promotes engagement, faculty commitment, and preceptor recruitment and retention; the creative faculty staffing model is described. RESULTS The educational frame described includes highlights of teaching/learning strategies drawn from the history of professional formation curriculum rooted in salutogenesis and belonging science, existentialism, solution-focused therapy, modeling and role modeling theory, and Peplau’s Interpersonal Relations. CONCLUSION There is significant interest and commitment to learning the nurse-psychotherapist and consultationliaison roles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article reports a portion of the findings from a 5-year longitudinal study on child and family social work, commissioned by the Department for Education. The study explored issues relating to child and family practice over the five years, utilising a mixed-methods design, including large-scale surveys, quantitative telephone interviews and semi-structured interviews and culminating in an annual report, published by the Department for Education at the end of each wave. This article focusses on wave four, and on the semi-structured interview phase, which explored how practitioners felt their racial or ethnic identity impacted on their experiences of practice. Five themes were developed across the different topics explored in the interviews; structures and organisations; workforce and colleagues; lack of diversity; working with families and intersectionality. This article presents these themes as part of the challenging context of inclusivity and anti-racism in contemporary social work, and makes recommendations regarding workforce diversity, training needs and reducing the additional burden carried by social workers from minoritized ethnicities, by amending the regulatory requirements of practitioners, education providers and continuing professional development recording. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]