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Background: In South Africa, most palliative care takes place in health districts as part of home-based care provided by nongovernment organisations (NGOs). The National Policy Framework and Strategy on Palliative Care (NPFSPC) aims to ensure adequate numbers of palliative care trained healthcare workers. Guidelines and tools such as the Supportive and Palliative Care Indicators Tool (SPICT) assist in identifying and caring for patients needing palliative care. Aim: To evaluate the knowledge, attitudes and practices of public sector doctors to provide palliative care in the Garden Route and Central Karoo Districts. Setting: The study was conducted at public sector district-level hospitals. Methods: A descriptive observational cross-sectional survey was conducted. The study population included all public sector district-level doctors. Participation was voluntary, and 73 responses (60%) were obtained. Data were collected with an online questionnaire using the adapted ‘Knowledge Attitudes Practice’ model. Quantitative data were imported into the Statistical Package for Social Sciences for analysis. Results: Participants had poor knowledge, attitudes and practices regarding palliative care. There was a statistically significant difference between the knowledge of junior doctors and senior doctors, with 78% of junior doctors having inadequate palliative care knowledge. Only 25% of respondents had received formal postgraduate palliative care training. Seventy (96%) participants reported that home was the best care setting for terminally ill patients. Conclusion: Doctors in the Garden Route and Central Karoo need further training to meet the NPFSPC standards. Contribution: This study adds to the palliative care field, highlighting the need for ongoing training of doctors.

Background: Ophthalmology has historically been a male-dominated specialty. Despite there being a higher proportion of females in Canadian medical schools since the early 2000s, it is unknown if trends in female applicants and those accepted to ophthalmology have followed suit. This study aims to evaluate trends in gender representation of ophthalmology applicants to Canadian residency programs from 1998 to 2020 and to compare those trends to other surgical specialties. Methods: We obtained aggregate data of the annual number of male and female applicants ranking and successfully matching to ophthalmology as their first-choice specialty from the Canadian Residency Matching Service (CaRMS) database. We then carried out a retrospective cross-sectional analysis on the publicly available data. Subsequently, we compared trends in female applicants to ophthalmology, as well as female practicing ophthalmologists, to other surgical disciplines. Results: The proportion of female applicants increased from 24.3% in 1998 to 33.3% in 2020 (p = 0.001), and matched female applicants increased from 28.6% in 1998 to 40.5% in 2020 (p = 0.023). However, the incremental change in proportion did not statistically significantly increase in 2008-2012, 2013-2016, and 2017-2020. Comparison of male and female matching success rates did not reveal a significant difference (p = 0.45). Trends in female applicants to ophthalmology and female practicing ophthalmologists were similar to other surgical specialties. Conclusions: Although the proportion of female applicants is increasing, there is a recent plateau and an inability to equalize the female-to-male ratio in ophthalmology. Further studies are needed to identify potential barriers and mitigate possible residual gender biases.

Field trips to augment in class learning hold valuable learning opportunities and can be transformative when observing context is important to understanding complex issues such as mental health and addiction. However, student reflections papers written after participating in the field trip were reviewed over a five-year period and identified that this form of experiential learning also resulted in harm to some social work students. Using a phenomenological approach (van Manen, 1990) to secondary data analysis, 53 papers identified four clusters of meanings related to discomfort, appreciation/ambivalence/regret, personal experiences of trauma and power. These individual experiences collectively raised larger questions around social work pedagogy and how educators should prepare students when confronted with distressing situations. We wondered to what degree witnessing such conditions became either a transformative experience as described by Rone (2008) or re-enacted individual experiences of past trauma. With field experience a pedagogical cornerstone to a career in Social Work, we advocate for ethically balancing between safeguarding students from feeling acute distress or re-experiencing trauma as a result of field trips, while ensuring they are professionally prepared to enter the profession upon graduation.

In August 2021, we piloted an online academic skills orientation program for incoming undergraduate and graduate students. The program featured a range of synchronous online sessions that provided students an opportunity to learn from librarians, learning specialists, peer mentors, professors, academic advisors and other campus partners during presentations, panels and Q&As. The program was attended by 548 unique students with overall workshop attendance totaling 1310 over a four-day period. Due to the success of the 2021 pilot, we ran another iteration of the program in August 2022, which included both online and in-person elements. The three-day online program was attended by 309 unique students with overall workshop attendance totaling 1084 while the one day in-person program was attended by 37 students. Approximately 8% and 20% of program attendees completed program surveys in 2021 and 2022 respectively. While the low response rates make it difficult to generalize about the data, feedback overall was positive, with most respondents indicating that they found the experience to be valuable. We conclude by encouraging other libraries to consider the role that they play in familiarizing students with university supports and services and to take a leading role if such programming is not currently in place at their institution.

La transition de l’hôpital vers le domicile, après avoir subi une greffe de cellules souches hématopoïétiques, augmente la vulnérabilité des patients relativement aux difficultés thérapeutiques, causant souvent des réhospitalisations imprévues et coûteuses. En 2011, deux lits d’hospitalisation jour/nuit pour patients atteints d’une leucémie aiguë et ayant subi une greffe de moelle osseuse ont été mis en place à un hôpital de soins tertiaires pour favoriser la réussite de la transition de l’hôpital vers le domicile. Cette étude pilote visait à étudier la rétroaction relative à la satisfaction des patients en matière de diffusion de l’information, de traitement et de soutien affectif au sujet de ces soins novateurs. Quatorze anciens patients de l’unité y ont participé. Les réponses au sondage ont indiqué une grande satisfaction en ce qui a trait aux traitements et au soutien affectif, ainsi que des possibilités d’amélioration quant à la diffusion de l’information. Les résultats de cette étude préliminaire sur la satisfaction des patients hospitalisés dans le cadre de cette initiative fournissent des observations importantes au sujet de l’expérience des patients, ce qui orientera les recherches et les pratiques futures.

The transition from hospital to home following hematopoietic stem cell transplantation increases the vulnerability for treatment challenges in patients, often resulting in unscheduled and costly hospital re-admissions. Two Acute Leukemia/Bone Marrow Transplant Day/Night (ALBMT) inpatient beds were established in 2011 at one tertiary care hospital to support successful transition from inpatient cancer treatment to home. This pilot study aimed to investigate patient satisfaction feedback on information provision, treatment, and emotional support on this care innovation. Fourteen former unit patients participated. Survey responses indicated positive satisfaction for treatment and emotional support, and opportunities for information provision enhancement. Findings of this preliminary study exploring satisfaction of this novel inpatient initiative provide important insights into the patient experience, informing future research and practice.

Les occasions de revoir la conception des assemblées législatives se présentent rarement, mais une pandémie mondiale et la révision prochaine des délimitations des circonscriptions électorales vont permettre que cela arrive à l'Assemblée législative de la Colombie-Britannique. Dans cet article, les auteures se servent des résultats d'un sondage mené auprès des députés de l'Assemblée législative de la Colombie-Britannique et d'entrevues avec des députés représentant chacun des partis pour déterminer si les parlementaires sont favorables à des changements à la chambre. Elles leur posent les questions suivantes: Si de nouveaux sièges devaient être ajoutés et que la chambre devait être réaménagée en conséquence, les députés de l'Assemblée législative de la Colombie-Britannique accepteraient-ils d'avoir des bancs ou préféreraient ils que l'on garde des bureaux et des sièges individuels? Dans une perspective plus large, y a-t-il une volonté d'opter pour une disposition circulaire ou aléatoire des sièges, ou pour la poursuite de la participation virtuelle aux travaux? Quelle serait l'incidence de ces changements d'aménagement sur la culture et le comportement politiques en Colombie-Britannique? Les auteures concluent en disant que la disposition actuelle des sièges (avec les bureaux se faisant face séparés par deux longueurs d'épée) a été choisie à une époque où la composition de l'Assemblée législative était très différente de ce qu'elle est aujourd'hui, et qu'il serait peut-être temps de se demander si une disposition plus moderne serait plus appropriée pour les parlementaires. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potential of ePortfolios is derived from a learner’s ability to synthesize learning experiences to better understand how seemingly disparate modalities are connected (Alvarez & Moxley, 2004; Chen, 2009). This is best accomplished through a program-wide implementation of ePortfolios, including providing time for self-directed learning opportunities to become accustomed to the self-reflective practice and online technology. Nonetheless, it remains challenging for program-wide ePortfolios to exist effectively due to the commitment and resources required (Posey, Plack, Synder, Dinneen, Feuer, & Wiss, 2015; Sidell, 2003). Our study examines one approach to alleviate logistical and pedagogical issues that emerge when considering program-wide implementations of an ePortfolio, namely, thorough integration of the ePortfolio within the program. We examine the efficacy of an ePortfolio assignment situated within the online Master of Social Work program at Renison University College that was informed by Bernstein’s learning theory. As part of the program capstone, the ePortfolio is intended to be a synthesizing and culminating learning experience, wherein learners develop their professional self. It is a scholarly and creative collection of diverse artefacts accumulated through course work, a field practicum, and practical experiences. We distill the features and processes that make this ePortfolio assignment unique. Core professional social work competencies are embedded within the ePortfolio and learners are expected to continually reflect on their learning experiences and explicitly connect them to the competencies. Such evidence of learning helps students demonstrate their competence to future employers, and allows for program evaluation to assess student proficiency. Learner-reported survey data collected through focus groups and reviewer surveys are analyzed using a thematic analysis on the effectiveness of the ePortfolio for future careers, as well as the ePortfolio’s ability to encourage the intended outcome of synthesizing all aspects of the capstone experience. Multiple pedagogical benefits exist for incorporating an ePortfolio into a professional program. Le potentiel des ePortfolios dérive de l’aptitude d’un apprenant à synthétiser ses expériences d’apprentissage afin de mieux comprendre comment des modalités qui semblent disparates sont connectées (Alvarez & Moxley, 2004; Chen, 2009). Le meilleur moyen d’y parvenir est de faire appel à la mise en oeuvre d’un ePortfolio à l’échelle des programmes, y compris le fait de consacrer du temps pour des occasions d’apprentissage auto-dirigées afin de s’habituer à la pratique d’auto-réflexion et à la technologie en ligne. Toutefois, l’existence efficace des ePortfolios à l’échelle des programmes reste difficile à cause des obligations et des ressources qui sont nécessaires (Posey, Plack, Synder, Dinneen, Feuer & Wiss, 2015; Sidell, 2003). Notre étude examine une approche qui permet de réduire les problèmes logistiques et pédagogiques qui surviennent lorsqu’on examine la mise en oeuvre des ePortoflio à l’échelle des programmes, plus précisément lors de l’intégration des ePortfolios au sein des programmes. Nous examinons l’efficacité d’un ePortfolio qui existe au sein du programme de maîtrise en travail social offert en ligne à l’Université Collège Renison, basé sur la théorie d’apprentissage de Bernstein. En tant qu’élément fondamental du programme, le ePortfolio est censé constituer une expérience d’apprentissage culminante de synthèse qui permet aux étudiants de développer leur moi professionnel. Il s’agit d’un recueil de travaux savants et créatifs divers accumulés par le biais du travail de cours, des stages effectués sur le terrain et des expériences pratiques. Nous distillons les caractéristiques et les processus qui rendent unique cette tâche de préparation d’un ePortfolio. Les compétences professionnelles de base en travail social sont incorporées au sein du ePortfolio et les apprenants sont censés réfléchir continuellement à leurs expériences d’apprentissage et connecter explicitement celles-ci à leurs compétences. Une telle preuve d’apprentissage aide les étudiants à démontrer leurs compétences à de futurs employeurs et fait en sorte que leur réussite peut être évaluée grâce à l’évaluation du programme. Les données recueillies par le biais d’un sondage auto-rapporté par les étudiants et par le biais de groupes de discussion, ainsi que les sondages effectués par des examinateurs, ont été examinés grâce à une analyse thématique traitant de l’efficacité du ePortfolio sur les carrières futures. L’aptitude du ePortfolio à encourager les résultats escomptés, c’est-à-dire à synthétiser tous les aspects de l’expérience fondamentale, a été examinée. Il existe de nombreux avantages pédagogiques pour incorporer un ePortfolio dans un programme professionnel.

How are claims to justice formulated, invoked and confronted in relation to reports of mass human suffering? What notions of justice inform the scope and nature of official inquiries into harms and the responsiveness of governments to their findings and recommendations? Why, despite legal and public recognition of claims of injustice, does harm so often continue? This introduction to the Special Issue ‘Moving On’? Official Responses to Mass Harm and the Question of Justice critically reflects on the hypothesis that official responses to claims of injustice that focus on ‘moving on’ risk ignoring, or precluding, the structural causes and legacies of personal suffering and suggests an interdisciplinary framework within which to analyse the effectiveness of official responses to mass harm as mechanisms of justice. ¿Cómo se formulan, invocan y confrontan las demandas de justicia en relación con los informes de sufrimiento humano colectivo? ¿Qué nociones de justicia dan cuenta del alcance y la naturaleza de las investigaciones oficiales de daños y la capacidad de respuesta de los gobiernos ante las conclusiones y recomendaciones? ¿Por qué continúa tantas veces el daño, a pesar del reconocimiento legal y público de las denuncias de injusticias? Esta introducción al número especial 'Moving On'? Official Responses to Mass Harm and the Question of Justice hace una reflexión crítica sobre la hipótesis de que las respuestas oficiales a las denuncias de injusticias que se centran en "avanzar" corren el riesgo de ignorar, o excluir, las causas estructurales y los legados de sufrimiento personal y sugiere un marco interdisciplinario en el que analizar la eficacia de las respuestas oficiales a los daños masivos como mecanismos de justicia. DOWNLOAD THIS PAPER FROM SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2977205

Background: Medical students are anxious about not getting a preferred residency position. We described elective patterns of two recent cohorts and examined associated match outcomes. Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of the final-year electives of all students who participated in the residency match (first iteration) at one school for 2017 and 2018. We categorized elective patterns and associated them with aggregated match outcomes. We examined high-demand/low-supply (HDLS) disciplines separately. Results: We described three elective patterns: High Dive, Parallel Plan(s), and No Clear Pattern. Many students had High Dive and Parallel Plans patterns; only a few showed No Clear Pattern. Match rates for High Dive and Parallel Plan patterns were high but many students matched to Family and Internal Medicine. When we separated out HDLS predominance, the match rate remained high but a significant number matched to disciplines in which they did not have a majority of electives. Most High Dive and Parallel Plan students who went unmatched did so with HDLS discipline electives. Conclusion: Many students chose High Dive and Parallel Plan strategies to both high-capacity and HDLS disciplines. Match rates were high for both patterns but students also matched to non-primary disciplines. Back-up planning may reside in the entire application, and not just electives selection.

Students will take independent action to improve their writing when they believe those actions will have a positive effect. The data presented focuses on the self-regulatory writing behaviours of nursing students in their third year. The purpose was to explore patterns of writing self-efficacy, anxiety levels, and student grade point average (GPA) in relation to student choices with help seeking, advanced planning of writing, revision habits, and response to feedback. Low writing self-efficacy, high anxiety students sought help from more sources, reported their feedback made them feel negative about their capabilities as writers, and were less likely to report reading and applying feedback to future writing efforts. No patterns of writing self-efficacy or anxiety levels emerged with respect to student revision habits or their choice to begin their assignments in advance of the due date. GPA was also not associated with the writing self-regulatory choices assessed. As the primary writing support for students in the later years of a nursing program, educators should consider interventions that encourage help seeking, facilitate students’ understanding and integration of the feedback they receive into their assignment revisions, and normalize the negative emotions that interfere with the self-efficacy levels required to write well.Les étudiants vont prendre des mesures indépendantes afin d’améliorer leur écriture quand ils pensent que ces mesures vont avoir des résultats positifs. Les données présentées se concentrent sur les comportements d’auto-régulation d’étudiants de troisième année en sciences infirmières. L’objectif était d’explorer les tendances de l’auto-efficacité de l’écriture, les niveaux d’anxiété et la moyenne générale des étudiants par rapport aux choix des étudiants pour chercher à se faire aider, planifier l’écriture à l’avance, leurs habitudes de révision et la réponse au feedback. Les étudiants ayant une mauvaise auto-efficacité de l’écriture et qui étaient anxieux ont cherché à se faire aider auprès de davantage de sources, ils ont rapporté que leur feedback leur avait donné un sentiment négatif concernant leurs capacités en tant que rédacteurs et ils avaient moins tendance à rapporter leurs lectures et à appliquer le feedback reçu à leurs efforts futurs en rédaction. Aucune tendance d’auto-efficacité de l’écriture ou de niveaux d’anxiété ne sont apparus en ce qui concerne les habitudes de révision des étudiants ou leurs choix pour commencer leurs travaux à l’avance par rapport à la date où ceux-ci devaient être remis. La moyenne générale n’était également pas liée aux choix évalués d’auto-efficacité de l’écriture. En tant que soutien de rédaction principal des étudiants au cours des dernières années du programme de soins infirmiers, les éducateurs devraient envisager des interventions qui encouragent les étudiants à chercher de l’aide, à faciliter leur compréhension et l’intégration du feedback qu’ils reçoivent dans les révisions de leurs travaux, et à normaliser les émotions négatives qui perturbent les niveaux d’auto-efficacité indispensables pour bien écrire.

Knowledge of pharmacology is an important aspect of safe, effective and competent clinical nursing practice, yet it can be challenging to teach. Many academics within the discipline of nursing are concerned that current nursing curricula may not be preparing nurses to accept responsibilities related to pharmacological management and are inadequately prepared for their role in medication administration. Nursing faculty who teach advanced clinical nursing practice courses also report that students lack the foundational knowledge of pharmacology needed and required in advanced clinical courses. These concerns have led to a call for additional focus that must be placed on student knowledge acquisition of pharmacology content due to poor student performance on standardized tests. Within a four-year undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) curriculum, pharmacology content was taught to first-term, second year students within a nursing praxis course, over a 13-week period. Students were required to understand the foundational principles, concepts and content of pharmacology and to integrate this knowledge in a critical reflective manner in clinical practice. A teaching/learning approach was implemented within the classroom that aligned with the work of Bui and McDaniel (2015). This method utilized outlines, illustrative diagrams and mental models aimed to enhance student note-taking in the development of content knowledge and to assist students to internalize critical cognitive learning processes. Consequently, student comprehension and critical thinking of pharmacology content was increased. Establishing a solid foundation of pharmacology that is integrated in a critically manner is a major component of providing safe and competent patient care.