Search

The United Nations Global Compact (UNGC) is one of the most important corporate social responsibility initiatives; its aim is to align companies’ strategies and operations with principles that involve human rights, labor, the environment, and anti-corruption. After approximately 15 years of research on the UNGC, we provide a systematic literature review on this topic. We start with a keyword search of 96 papers on the UNGC. We then code these papers based on a deductive–inductive approach and classify them by year of publication, publication outlet, research focus, methodology, and underpinning theory. We frame and summarize the debate on the five main topics of UNGC literature, namely motivations driving the companies toward UNGC adoption, weaknesses, impacts, contextual factors affecting adoption, and contextual factors affecting performance. For each of the five streams of research, we identify several factors or variables that enrich the knowledge of it. Building on these findings, we identify various research gaps and develop a set of hypotheses for future empirical validation that are grounded on prominent theoretical frameworks, such as the stakeholder theory (in combination with the Human Resource Management literature) and the signal theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a comparative study which examined the patterns of staffing and costs in tax assessment organizations in the U.S., Canada and the Netherlands in 2013. Several variables are used including the jurisdiction wherein these organizations operate, the number of government agencies involved and the population covered by the assessment activities of organizations. The number of full-time employees is also considered in this study.

Successful employee retention is essential to an organization's stability, growth and revenue. Organizations can achieve employee retention by developing four strategies. First, effective communication should be encouraged. Second, hire a diverse workforce. Third, hire appropriately skilled people. And finally, offer employees development and training programs. Our paper discusses these components which contribute towards employee retention strategies. Without properly implemented strategies for employee retention, the organization may face high employee turnover rates. The bottom line is that increased longevity of an employee's tenure is better for the organization's overall performance. We offer a series of recommendations to help managers improve retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary slavery is embedded in market relations between global organizations and their suppliers, and involves people management practices that injure human rights such as curtailing freedom, degrading conditions of work and exhausting journey. The article analyzes the slave labor in Brazil and provides empirical support for a theory of contemporary slavery as a practice management. Two main aspects justify this contribution. First, the debate draws attention to the dynamics of social responsibility and the social impact of business activities in emerging countries. Secondly, it puts in evidence the discussion of poverty and its interrelations with the global system of production and consumption. The paper suggests that the field does not have the understanding of the fundamentals of poverty and how management is implicated in its reproduction and relief. The research agenda emphasizes the unsustainability aspects of the globalized production and consumption, and prioritizes the problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diversity management has been a recently debated theme in management due to the legal and normative pressure that exist in several countries. In Brazil, this topic became evident after the promulgation of Law 8213/91, which included the obligation of public and private organizations to destine a percentage of their vacancies to people with disabilities. However, few organizations can meet the percentage demanded by law. In addition to the difficulties of finding these new employees, managers need to deal with the differences among the organizational actors, seeking social justice, as well as concern about the consequences of this interaction -- which is not always harmonious. Adjustments are often necessary to avoid segregation and social exclusion in the work environment. Thus, the aim of this paper is to analyze the interface between diversity management in the inclusion of intellectually disabled people in the organizational context and the practices of Human Resources (HR) generated from this new reality. This issue was investigated in a case study at Sesi/PR and Senai/PR -- Paraná/ Brazil, with a qualitative approach through interviews with a female manager, six employees, five intellectually disabled people active in the organization and one external collaborator -- responsible for monitoring the insertion process of people with disabilities in the organization. Among the results, it was verified that the HR practices are essential to make the inclusion of disabled people effective and to make it render good results, and that these practices facilitate the management of diversity in the organization field. It was observed that the practices of human resources mentioned above were well structured at the beginning of the inclusion project, but require maintenance policies. Among the contributions of this paper, we highlight the realization of the relevance of human resource practices (recruitment, socialization and awareness, training) for the diversity management, pointing to the need of organizations to invest in diversity management so the inclusion of this population really occurs, going beyond law enforcement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population ageing is a global phenomenon that has become prominent in international discourse over the past few decades. This discussion is often coupled with the economic implications of population ageing through reduced workforce participation of the older age group, increased government spending on health and pensions and reduced government income from taxes. A means of mitigating the economic costs of ageing is to lift the proportion of older individuals in the workforce and prolong working lives. This brings to the forefront an important point regarding the need for organisations to undertake changes so as to better enable the employment of older individuals and to cater for an ageing workforce. This article critically reflects on age-friendly organisational practices that can have an impact on the recruitment and retention of older individuals. It further contends that there is a need to develop a deeper understanding of factors that constitute an organisational culture geared towards the older demographic, in order for strategies and practices directed at older workers to be effective. Through this argument, the authors consolidate the literature on age-friendly organisational practices and propose a conceptual model of an age-friendly organisational culture, drawing from both functionalist and interpretivist paradigms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe the feasibility of a Web-based portal for training peer community health advisors (CHAs). We conducted a community-based implementation trial in African American churches between 2012 and 2014. The Web-based portal allows CHAs to log in and view 13 training videos, preparing them to deliver 3 cancer early detection workshops in their churches. Of 8 churches, 6 completed the training, each certifying 2 CHAs. These CHAs took an average of 26 days to complete the training, requiring little technical assistance. Additional technical assistance was required to implement the workshops. The Web-based system appears to be a feasible method for training lay individuals for the CHA role and has implications for increasing the reach of evidence-based interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The delivery of compassionate care leads to safer care but this will only occur with an engaged workforce under effective leadership. In addition, there is a need to understand the behaviours that drive nurses to make particular decisions about care. This article describes the pilot of a simple survey tool (ENGAGE) to ascertain levels of staff engagement to use as an enabler of effective change. It also describes a unique pilot initiative of focus group work, quality improvements and leadership coaching on two hospital wards. This work centred on the patient–nurse relationship and challenged the traditional teaching of preventing harm. Initial results were promising: while many staff did not feel nurtured or guided by their manager or acknowledged by the senior team, they did feel glad to come to work and empowered to improve patient care. Three months after the first ENGAGE survey, a repeat found significantly improved levels of engagement. Alongside this were improvements in avoidable harms and patient experience. Staff were motivated to improve care and admitted they did not really see their patients as individuals with identity and personality. Managers were motivated to improve engagement and take their wards forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on a framework that provides constructive feedback on volunteers' personal growth. It aimed at assessing the process by which a volunteer becomes a competent practitioner. It has been found that the competence of volunteers could be measured by attainments of the volunteers.

There has been a growing trend recently to examine the various factors affecting an age-friendly workplace. Through structural equation modelling (SEM), this study purports to test a model that shows the interaction between and among declining memories, wisdom, age discrimination, and an age-friendly workplace in Filipino elderly in a government setting. Two hundred elderly from a large government bank in the Philippines participated in this study. Data were obtained through a self-completion questionnaire and a one-on-one interview. Surprisingly, results revealed that declining memory has no significant effect on wisdom. However, wisdom has a positive impact on age discrimination as does age-discrimination on an age-friendly workplace. The authors discuss the implications of these results and highlight directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The author focuses on the impact of the U.S. Affordable care act (ACA), patient protection and health care law of the U.S., on employer population health management strategies. topics discussed include need to enhance business models for population health management companies, impact of the act on organizational costs of companies and implication of act for employers.

One of the most devastating impacts of Alzheimer's disease and related dementias is the toll on caregivers. Evidence from randomized clinical trials has demonstrated the effectiveness of providing psychosocial interventions for caregivers to lessen their burden. However, the implementation of such interventions in community settings has proved challenging. This case study describes outcomes of the implementation of an evidence-based intervention in a multisite program in Minnesota. Consistent with the original randomized clinical trial of the intervention, assessments of this program showed decreased depression and distress among caregivers. Participating in a greater number of caregiver counseling sessions was also associated with longer time to nursing home placement for the person with dementia. Some of the challenges in the community setting included having caregivers complete the full six counseling sessions and acquiring complete outcome data. Given the challenges faced in the community setting, web-based training for providers may be a cost-effective way to realize the maximum benefits of the intervention for vulnerable adults with dementia and their families. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In all states, public and private child welfare agencies partner in an effort to deliver effective and accountable services to children and families (Collins-Camargo, Ensign, & Flaherty, 2008). While anecdotal information suggests that managers in competitive markets have incentives to carefully select and implement performance management strategies (McBeath, Briggs, & Aisenberg, 2009; Smith, 2010), little is known about the effectiveness of these strategies. This paper explores managerial perceptions regarding the usefulness of three techniques for performance management: supervisory review within the human resources model; priority review within internal processes; and outcomes management within the rational goal model. Managerial perceptions of the effectiveness of these efforts are examined in relation to organizational characteristics, capacity, and interagency competition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Operating systems and programmes are more protected these days and attackers have shifted their attention to human elements to break into the organisation's information systems. As the number and frequency of cyber-attacks designed to take advantage of unsuspecting personnel are increasing, the significance of the human factor in information security management cannot be understated. In order to counter cyber-attacks designed to exploit human factors in information security chain, information security awareness with an objective to reduce information security risks that occur due to human related vulnerabilities is paramount. This paper discusses and evaluates the effects of various information security awareness delivery methods used in improving end-users’ information security awareness and behaviour. There are a wide range of information security awareness delivery methods such as web-based training materials, contextual training and embedded training. In spite of efforts to increase information security awareness, research is scant regarding effective information security awareness delivery methods. To this end, this study focuses on determining the security awareness delivery method that is most successful in providing information security awareness and which delivery method is preferred by users. We conducted information security awareness using text-based, game-based and video-based delivery methods with the aim of determining user preferences. Our study suggests that a combined delivery methods are better than individual security awareness delivery method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Increasingly, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) are supported to participate in least-restricted settings in the community. However, little is known about desired community participation choice and control of people with I/DD, nor effective strategies to support full participation. Furthermore, service providers of this population in community and residential settings have unique roles in influencing choice and control in community participation. Research Aim The purpose of this project is to empower adults with I/DD in community participation by collaborating with agency staff and administrators to strategize change in service provision and programming. Methods This article describes the development, imple-mentation and mixed-methods evaluation of a pilot staff intervention. Results Findings indicate staff who participated in pilot intervention report increased confidence in supporting adults with I/DD to participate in their communities. Conclusions Intervention development has implications for staff, administrators and agencies in planning and executing opportunities to support choice and control for community participation for adults with I/DD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As nursing continues to advance health care in the 21st century, the current shift in demographics, coupled with the ongoing disparities in health care and health outcomes, will warrant our ongoing attention and action. As within all health professions, concerted efforts are needed to diversify the nation's health-care workforce. The nursing profession in particular will be challenged to recruit and retain a culturally diverse workforce that mirrors the nation's change in demographics. This increased need to enhance diversity in nursing is not new to the profession; however, the need to successfully address this issue has never been greater. This article discusses increasing the diversity in nursing and its importance in reducing health disparities. We highlight characteristics of successful recruitment and retention efforts targeting racial/ethnic minority nurses and conclude with recommendations to strengthen the development and evaluation of their contributions to eliminating health disparities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2010 recommendation that the proportion of registered nurses with BSN (bachelor of science in nursing) degrees in the nursing workforce should increase from the current 40% to 80% by the year 2020 has shifted the focus on nurses' educational progression from state legislatures-where changes in entry-level requirements were debated for decades-to the executive suites of large healthcare providers. The recommendation, contained in the report titled The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health, by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Initiative on the Future of Nursing at the Institute of Medicine, suggests that human resources policies for nurses have the potential to double the rates of college degree completions (IOM, 2010). We surveyed 447 nurse executives in hospitals, nurse-led clinics, and home and hospice companies to explore the current practices of healthcare employers with regard to this recommendation. Almost 80% of respondents reported that their institution either preferred or required newly hired nurses to have a bachelor's degree, and 94% of the facilities offered some level of tuition reimbursement. Only 25%, however, required their nurses to earn a BSN or offered salary differentials on the basis of educational attainment (9%). We conclude that if employers are serious about wanting a more highly educated nurse workforce, they need to adopt requirements for degree completion and wage differentials in the coming years. The likelihood that such policies will be widely adopted, however, is dramatically affected by the dynamics of nursing supply and demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies across industries suggest that the systematic use of high-performance work practices (HPWPs) may be an effective but underused strategy to improve quality of care in healthcare organizations. Optimal use of HPWPs depends on how they are implemented, yet we know little about their implementation in healthcare. We conducted 67 key informant interviews in five healthcare organizations, each considered to have exemplary work practices in place and to deliver high-quality care, as part of an extensive study of HPWP use in healthcare. We analyzed interview transcripts inductively and deductively to examine why and how organizations implement HPWPs. We used an evidence-based model of complex innovation adoption to guide our exploration of factors that facilitate HPWP implementation. We found considerable variability in interviewees' reasons for implementing HPWPs, including macro-organizational (strategic level) and micro-organizational (individual level) reasons. This variability highlighted the complex context for HPWP implementation in many organizations. We also found that our application of an innovation implementation model helped clarify and categorize facilitators of HPWP implementation, thus providing insight on how these factors can contribute to implementation effectiveness. Focusing efforts on clarifying definitions, building commitment, and ensuring consistency in the application of work practices may be particularly important elements of successful implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workforce expansions in terms of dispersed teams have enabled social service organizations to meet objectives anywhere. This article critically analyzes the emerging literature on dispersed teams, the relevance of a transformational leadership style, and resulting implications for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Foreign-educated and foreign-born health workers constitute a sizable and important portion of the US health care workforce. We review the distribution of these workers and their countries of origin, and we summarize the literature concerning their contributions to US health care. We also report on these workers' experiences in the United States and the impact their migration has on their home countries. Finally, we present policy strategies to increase the benefits of health care worker migration to the United States while mitigating its negative effects on the workers' home countries. These strategies include attracting more people with legal permanent residency status into the health workforce, reimbursing home countries for the cost of educating health workers who subsequently migrate to the United States, improving policies to facilitate the entry of direct care workers into the country, advancing efforts to promote and monitor ethical migration and recruitment practices, and encouraging the implementation of programs by US employers to improve the experience of immigrating health workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The treatment of nicotine dependence in individuals with substance use disorders has been an area of neglect and contributes to morbidity and mortality. Lack of staff training and education is the most frequently reported barrier to providing smoking cessation treatment in alcohol and other drug ( AOD) treatment services. This study assessed the effectiveness of brief intervention training for smoking cessation for staff in AOD treatment services. Participants were recruited from one residential AOD Therapeutic Community, which received the intervention, and the results were compared with participants from two other centres, where no intervention was delivered. Results demonstrated that intervention training increased confidence and willingness to intervene, which are predictive of adopting tobacco interventions in AOD treatment services. This is important as providing more smoking cessation intervention in AOD centres is needed in order to decrease mortality and morbidity related to smoking in AOD clients. Findings indicated however that training did not increase motivation to intervene, and future research is required to determine effective ways to increase staff motivation to address smoking cessation in AOD services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: A knowledge transfer program was carried out to improve knowledge in end-of-life care staff at all levels in residential care homes for the elderly, using a model similar to that developed for a non-acute care hospital setting. Methods: The program consisted of a series of seminars and on-site sharing sessions held in the hospital providing outreach support to residential care homes for the elderly (RCHEs), as well as case discussions in the RCHEs. Evaluation was carried out using a knowledge assessment questionnaire before and after the initiative, as well as recording RCHE staff feedback and in-depth interviews with selected residents and their family members. Results: Knowledge gaps among RCHE staff existed in the areas of mortality relating to chronic diseases, pain and use of analgesics, feeding tubes, dysphagia, sputum management, and attitudes towards end-of-life care issues, which improved after the program. From the qualitative study, RCHE staff highlighted knowledge and service gaps, issues relating to use of feeding tubes and refusal to eat, lack of confidence in managing the dying process, application of Advance Care Plan (ACP) in the RCHE setting, and the need for training in these areas. Residents and family members highlighted the preference for death over suffering, planning for death, misconceptions about life-sustaining treatments and the advance directive (AD) document, and service gaps in advance care planning. Conclusion: Considerable knowledge and service gaps exist among staff and residents of RCHEs, which can be improved by the hospital geriatric team providing services to RCHEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informal learning has become an important driver for professional development and workplace learning. Yet, however powerful informal learning may be, there is a problem when it comes to making it a real asset within organizations: Informal learning activities are spontaneous and mostly invisible to others. The aim of this study is to develop a method that helps raise awareness about these activities using a learning analytics approach. This method concentrates on detecting and visualizing informal professional social networks and finding ways in which their presence and accessibility can be improved. This study shows that the presented methodology is a promising research-driven intervention. With this methodology we can detect multiple (isolated) networks in organizations, connect ideas, and facilitate value creation. Using this approach, organizations can link with existing informal networks of practice and unlock their potential for organizational learning by giving them a voice and making their results more explicit within the organization. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article focuses on the big data trend and its benefits and disadvantages to industrial-organizational (IO) psychology. It cites several benefits of big data in various areas including practice and research, adaptive and individualized training and real-time utilization among human resource professionals. Risks are also discussed including financial loss following investment, wrong conclusions arising from a misunderstanding of data and violation of fair treatment due to uninformed analysis.

The article focuses on the prevention of workplace violence and the effect of peer mentoring program among nurses. It discusses some negative workplace activities, which include gossiping, criticism, and verbal and physical aggression. It states that It highlights how peer mentoring help to lessen negative perceptions, to facilitate workplace problem solving, and to create a supportive culture.

The article presents tips on how nurses and physicians in the U.S. can collaborate. It states the need to establish the mutual support, trust, and respect. It cites the development of the shared goals, knowledge, and sharing the information concerning the condition of the patient. It also mentions the process for participating in the planning of patient care and resolving problems.

The aim in this study was to examine the direct effect of organizational commitment on the organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) of flight attendants employed by 6 airlines in Taiwan, and to analyze the moderating role of high-performance human resource practices (HRP) at the organizational level. Data were analyzed via a cross-level analysis using hierarchical linear modeling. Results showed that when flight attendants' affective commitment was stronger, they were more likely to exhibit OCB; when the airlines more actively adopted high-performance HRP, the flight attendants were also more likely to exhibit OCB; and when the airlines valued high-performance HRP, the relationship between the flight attendants' organizational commitment and their OCB behavior was more significant. Managerial implications are discussed and suggestions are made for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses research which investigated mechanisms being used by British community pharmacy managers in managing concerns associated with the performance of individual pharmacists. It acknowledges responsibility of community pharmacists in the distribution of medicines to the public. In addition to behaviour and professional attitudes of staff, the pharmacy managers interviewed identified concerns which include drug dispensing skills and accuracy of pharmaceutical advice.

The article describes the guidance issued by Scottish Government regarding the modernization and integration of equipment services of health care. It states the difficulties while providing training services due to constrained staff involved in delivery, monitoring and development of training. It mentions that development of training material was not required instead the auditing of the available material was needed.

Background/Study Context: In Experiment 1, the authors investigated whether they could train retirement home activity directors with no previous experience in theatre to successfully execute an evidence-based 4-week theatre-arts intervention. In Experiment 2, they investigated whether an outside professional acting teacher who received only minimal training via e-mail and telephone could successfully execute the same intervention heretofore only carried out by the actor/director/professor who devised it. Methods: A total of 115 participants (ages 68–94) in four different retirement homes were taught theatre arts either by their in-house activity director who had no formal training in theatre or a professional acting teacher recruited through a local community college. The intervention consisted of twice-weekly 70-min lessons for 4 weeks. After random assignment to experimental or waiting-list control groups, participants were given pre- and posttests on both functional and cognitive measures. Results: Experiment 1 showed that activity directors were able to run this intervention and achieve significant results on the 28-item functional measure (Observed Tasks of Daily Living, Revised [OTDL-R]) as measured by a mixed-design analysis of variance (ANOVA) and paired-samplettests (p < .001), and on one cognitive measure, Means-End Problem-Solving (MEPS), as measured by a multivariate ANOVA (MANCOVA) and follow-up univariate ANOVAs. Experiment 2 (outside acting teacher) used the identical measures and revealed significant results on the OTDL-R (p = .002), word recall, MEPS, and verbal fluency (ranging from .28 to .59). Conclusions: This study addressed the feasibility of training multiple instructors of varying experience to administer this theatre-arts intervention. Previous iterations had all been administered by the professional actor/director/theatre professor who devised the program. These current results demonstrate that widespread administration of this short-term (4-week) evidence-based intervention is feasible. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this study was to analyze the configuration of an organizational-administrative electricity distributor post-privatization process showing its structure and managerial aspects of legitimacy in the reflexive-multidimensional model proposed by Alves (2003). This is a basic qualitative study that adopts a descriptive-analytical perspective with data collection through semi-structured interviews, observation and document analysis. Based on the analysis, the data indicate that the organizational configuration-management company's post-privatization approaches the base type of model-equiparative adapter. It is a bureaucracy flexible (sometimes) with weak presence of patriarchal dimension of renewal leadership with mitigated charismatic's traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cannabis is the most frequently used illicit drug by Australian secondary school students yet there is scant research investigating school staff responses to student cannabis use. As such, this study surveyed 1,692 school staff who attended Generation Next seminars throughout Australia. The self-complete survey identified that the majority of school staff had discussed cannabis use at least once in the past year, although teachers were less likely to report having cannabis-related discussions compared to other school staff. Staff drug education training was consistently associated with an increased prevalence of cannabis-related discussion and assistance. These findings highlight a need for drug education among school staff and particularly among teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes key components of a mental health practice development training programme, which aimed to translate into practice a deeper, more evidence-based understanding of the lived experience of service users detained under the Mental Health Act (1983/2007), using action research as the underpinning paradigm. The programme explored the myriad applications of the six categories of intervention initially proposed by Heron and the widespread applicability of solution-focused brief therapy. The programme evaluation used open-ended questionnaires in order to obtain participants' views on facilitation and workshop content, in addition to two focus groups. The aim of the evaluation was to provide insight into participants' experience of the programme. Feedback from participants reflected a high degree of skill acquisition and enhancement and a noticeable change in ward culture after completing the programme. Service user researchers were intimately involved during all stages of the design, implementation and analysis including service user interviews for Phase 1 and the education intervention element of the practice development programme. Implications for evidence-based mental health nursing practice, service user involvement in research and directions for future research are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses how a cross-cultural workforce can give rise to conflict at the workplace. It mentions that diversity in the nursing profession is changing, although it still has a large number of white women nurses, the numbers of males, non-white, and other ethnic nurses is increasing. This can give rise to conflicts such as clash with colleagues or power imbalances; diversity training programs that enhance critical thinking skills and help employees alter their behaviours are needed.

The article describes how internationally educated nurses (IENs) improved their communication skills. It mentions that to meet the shortages of nurses in the US, IENs were hired, however, these IENs face challenges of language, communication, and cultural differences. Since communication is an important skill, these nurses underwent a pronunciation course for accent modification; the nurses showed significant improvement; this gave nurses the confidence to interact with American patients.

The article presents a study of large scale county council improvement program. Driving forces for the improvement of work include ideas from personnel, patient's needs Iand complaints and access and safety problem. Special courses such as Management for Improvement in Health Care and Green Card course in management skills are offered to managers to initiate and demand improvement among peers.

Many factors combine to drive the growth in health spending worldwide, but the introduction of new technologies, drugs, and therapies is probably the most important. However, in contrast to other industries, innovations in health care have not tended to reduce the need for labor. In fact, labor still accounts for the largest proportion of expenditures in many health systems. But labor-saving technologies, workforce innovations, and patient self-care approaches are now emerging and altering health care's labor structure. For example, in Mexico more than one million households pay $5 per month to access a health advice hotline before setting foot in a physician's office. In India assembly line-style eye surgery has dramatically reduced cost without sacrificing quality. Policy makers should focus on such labor-saving innovations; reform reimbursement systems to encourage them; tackle professionals' resistance; and remove regulatory barriers. Bold experiments to redesign health services around patient self-care approaches are also warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim Identifying impact areas of nursing leadership development programmes is needed to determine if there are measureable effects on participants. Background These impact areas help to identify measures to substantiate the benefits of nursing leadership programmes for organization leaders making decisions about support and implementation of such opportunities for their emerging leaders. Method Using mixed qualitative/quantitative methods, the impact of a nursing leadership development programme, the Amy V. Cockcroft Fellowship, is examined to determine if there are measureable influences. Results Themes of four areas of impact: improved conflict resolution/negotiation skills, communication skills, personal development and career action or change were identified through content analysis. Conclusions These themes provide the basis for creating measureable indicators for nursing organizations to use in determining the value of nursing leadership development programmes such as the Amy V. Cockcroft Fellowship. Implications for nursing management Based on the findings established in this research article, nurse managers can focus on developing themselves and their peer groups through nursing leadership development programmes to prepare for leading in the present and future healthcare environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article describes and approach to improve the leadership skills of first-line nurse managers (FLNMs) in a transforming care at the bedside (TCAB) environment in the U.S. It focuses on FLNMs who play a vital role in creating a healthful environment for staff to design and evaluate changes that are needed to improve patient and staff satisfaction. It highlights the need for engagement of frontline staff and a leadership that recognizes how they can support TCAB and the creation of a change in a unit level requiring a bottom-up and top-down educational approach.

The purpose of this study is to apply the technology acceptance model to examine the employees' attitudes and acceptance of electronic learning (e-learning) systems in organisations. This study examines four factors (organisational support, computer self-efficacy, prior experience and task equivocality) that are believed to influence employees' perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, attitudes and intention to use e-learning systems. Participants were selected from Taiwanese companies that have already implemented e-learning systems. Three hundred and thirty-two valid questionnaires were collected, and structure equation modelling was conducted to test the research hypotheses. The findings provided practical implications for organisational trainers, educators and e-learning system developers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Racial and ethnic health disparities remain a pandemic social issue in the United States, posing a significant challenge to health care organizations. Culturally responsive and competent care is key to addressing health disparities, and the lack of diversification in the health care workforce is a contributor. The purpose of this study was to investigate the barriers and best practices surrounding the development of diverse staffing in a sample of community health centers (CHCs) in Massachusetts. Survey responses and follow up interviews with CHCs were analyzed. Lessons and recommendations for CHCs and other human service organizations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To implement restorative care in assisted living facilities, staff need to understand the philosophy and learn methods to help residents maintain optimal function. In this study, the researchers developed a multimedia training program designed to teach staff how to encourage residents to increase their participation in dressing themselves. Researchers conducted a pilot test to measure the short-term effects of the training on 40 staff from two states. Program effects were measured by completing a survey developed by the researchers. Pretest scores were significantly related to gender (women as a group had higher scores than men). Results indicated significant gains in knowledge at posttest. In addition, 93% of participants described positive changes related to restorative care that they planned to make at their facility as a result of the training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Child abuse reporting and intervening are a complex process. A comprehensive training program with targeted goals and priorities enables professionals to effectively address the needs of abused children and their families. The study purpose was to identify the content and priorities of health professional education in child abuse by integrating expert opinions and achieving consensus. A 3-round Delphi study was conducted with 25 multidisciplinary experts in health care, social welfare, psychology and counseling, and law and jurisdiction. Structured questionnaires collected expert opinion of appropriateness and importance of knowledge, subjective norms, attitudes, skills, team collaboration and teaching strategies. The expert response rates ranged from 96 to 100% for the 3 rounds, and consensus was achieved. Knowledge was regarded as the most important element. Two items on forensic evidence in the skill category received the highest importance score. Results provide a basis to develop educational programs achieving clinical competence in child abuse care. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a survey based study focused to find the prevalence of presenteeism; test and establish a model of its relation with psychosocial factors in workplace and also assess the effect of the factors on it. The tested ASSET (A Shortened Stress Evaluation Tool) model was supported with the results stating that 60 percent of the subjects reported presenteeism. It shows the major reason for attendance during illness to be self pressure, rectifiable though through efficient management.

Abstract: Research suggests pay and benefits are ineffective to sustain a stable workforce in public child welfare. It is important to know what other mechanisms would motivate caseworkers to stay at the job. However, the relation of factors contributing to the prevalent problem of turnover in public child welfare remains unclear in part due to a lack of theoretical base in research. This study therefore develops a conceptual framework based on the human needs theory of Alderfer (1969, 1972) to examine what motivates caseworkers'' turnover intention. The three categories of needs are existence needs regarding pay and benefits, relatedness needs regarding at-work relationships and life-work balance, and growth needs regarding career development and fulfillment. With a secondary dataset of 289 caseworkers in a northeastern state, our structural equation modeling results show the dynamics between caseworkers'' needs and their differential impact on turnover intention. The effect of existence needs on turnover intention is completely mediated by growth needs. Moreover, the variable of growth needs is found to have the strongest total effect among the three need categories. Administration and management may attenuate turnover intention by enhancing caseworkers'' growth needs with respect to meaningfulness of daily practice, contingent rewards, and development of personal career goals. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Solution-focused coaching ( SFC) represents a short-term, future-focused, and person-directed therapeutic approach that helps people focus on solutions rather than problems. Thirteen cases of SFC of staff dealing with people with severe and moderate intellectual disabilities ( S/MID) are described. In all 13 cases, the progress toward the team goal, proactive thinking of staff, and the quality of the relationship ( QOR) between staff and people with S/MID were measured directly before SFC, directly after SFC, and 6 weeks after SFC. After SFC, progress toward the team goal was found in seven out of 13 teams, improvement of proactive thinking was found in 5/10 teams and improvement of the QOR was found in 7/13 teams. With regard to individual staff members, improvement of proactive thinking was found in 12/34 staff members and improvement of the QOR was found in 22/42 staff members. The authors note that SFC stimulates dealing with support problems in a behavioral, proactive way and that SFC can be a useful approach to build useful relationships. The findings are in line with results of earlier research on the value of solution-focused brief therapy applied to carers (parents or professionals) of people with ID. Future investigation of SFC, preferably using a randomized controlled design, could test the hypothesis that SFC can increase self-efficacy and proactive thinking in teams, can positively alter staff's perceptions of people with ID, and that teams find it a useful approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses better patient outcomes through the execution of evidence-based practice (EBP) at the bedside. It mentions the Affordable Care Act focusing on providing safe, health-quality healthcare. Also mentioned is The Institute of Medicine's (IOM's) initiative to promote quality improvement and patient-centered EBP as central components of healthcare, referring to their report "The Future of Nursing: Leading Change, Advancing Health." The article recommends students to engage in reflective practice, self-critique and self-direction through active participation. It states that a collaborative effort bridges the gap between education and clinical practice, thus better preparing the graduates and nurses to meet the healthcare needs of the patient population.

Accessible summary It can be hard for everyone if someone they care for dies., People with a learning disability may need extra support when someone they know dies., Care staff may not always know what to do to help., This study found that 1 day of training helped care staff to know more about how people might feel and how to support them., We do not know how long this training was helpful to staff for., Summary This study aimed to investigate whether a 1-day training course improved support staff knowledge about bereavement and grief in people with a learning disability. A questionnaire based, mixed design was used. Forty-eight participants were randomly assigned to one of two equal groups. A staggered design allowed for group 2 to act both as a control group and to receive training. Within- and between-group comparisons were made. Training significantly improved staff knowledge in all the areas measured. An analysis of staff knowledge at 1 month after training was not possible due to a low response rate. A short training course was successful in significantly increasing the knowledge of paid carers about issues relating to bereavement for people with a learning disability. The clinical and ethical implications of the study are discussed along with limitations and suggestions for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Alcohol misuse is a prevalent problem in New Zealand society, and one that exacts a considerable cost in terms of health, social cohesion, and economic productivity. Despite the burden of alcohol misuse, screening, brief assessment, and interventions for alcohol problems are frequently poorly performed within general health services. In this paper we explore the response to alcohol problems in a New Zealand emergency department and discuss difficulties encountered in improving rates of detection by emergency department personnel. We report the results of a clinical audit of alcohol screening and brief assessment and a staff education programme designed to improve practice in this area, but which met with limited success. The potential role for an advanced practice nurse providing a clinical consultation and liaison service to the emergency department staff is explored. We argue that such a role has potential to reduce the health and social costs of alcohol misuse, and to meet the national policy objective of providing a treatment response to people with alcohol-related problems in contact with health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]