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This article reports on a small mixed-methods research project undertaken with trainee nursing associates (TNAs) in the south of England. Aim: The aim was to gain insight into the motivation behind undertaking the nursing associate (NA) programme, how the NA role is perceived by service users and the wider healthcare team, and the future career pathways of NAs. Methods: Online questionnaires (n=14) and online focus groups (n=6). Findings: The results suggested undertaking the NA programme increased the TNAs' confidence and ability to use evidence to support their practice; that the role of the NA is not well understood. Some TNAs perceived the NA role as a distinct professional role, whereas others saw it as a way into registered nurse training. Conclusion: Role confusion still exists. Research is needed to capture how professional identities in new health and social care professional groups become established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In prosperous nations like Ireland, home support workers (HSWs) play an increasingly vital role in providing person-centred care to ageing populations. However, challenges such as workforce shortages, role ambiguity, low pay, and limited career advancement, hinder workforce development and career building. Method: A scoping review using key terms for "HSWs" and "career pathways" was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute Methodology, examining electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PscyINFO, Social Care Online, Social Sciences Citation Index). Inclusion criteria were applied, and a thematic analysis followed and inductive-deductive approach. Results: The review encompassed 261 relevant articles from different countries. Four key themes were identified: (1) Data-driven decision-making on the future workforce, (2) Attracting and developing a competent and motivated home support workforce, (3) Enhancing working lives and retention at every stage of career pathways, and (4) Crafting career pathways to improve quality and impact. Discussion: Leadership, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making across policy, research and practice are pivotal for expanding and enhancing home support. Emphasising a shift towards preventative self-management models, supported by digitally skilled and regulated HSWs, could enhance independence and quality of care. Clear career structures, professional development, and inclusive organisational environments are essential to attract, retain, and empower a competent and motivated workforce, fostering quality and impact. Conclusion: This scoping review provides foundational evidence to establish career pathways for HSWs, identifying key areas for development such as data collection, care model transformation, career progression structures, and systems for safety and quality improvement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Family medicine has trained specialist family physicians in South Africa since 2008, but not investigated their career pathways. The study aimed to determine the career pathways of newly qualified family physicians between 2008 and 2022. Methods: A cross-sectional descriptive survey of all 186 family physicians via an electronic questionnaire. Results: Response rate was 44.6% (83/186). Overall, 9.6% emigrated, 10.8% were no longer practising, and 79.5% were still practising in South Africa. Of the latter, 14.5% were in the private sector, 55.4% in the public sector and 9.6% in both. Of those in the public sector, 33.7% were in specialist family physician posts, 12% in medical officer posts, 4.8% in managerial positions and 4.8% in academic positions. Issues relating to safety and security were important to those working in both sectors and relationships with colleagues in the clinical team, to those in the public sector. Overall, participants practised near or within their province of training and were not equitably distributed. Conclusion: Only a third of graduates were in specialist family physician posts in the public sector. Attention needs to be given to retaining more graduates in such posts to achieve the goals of the national position paper. The proportion in the private sector was lower than expected. The reasons for no longer practising medicine should be further explored. Contribution: This is the first study on the career pathways of family physicians in South Africa since the new speciality was created. Understanding these pathways will assist with human resources for health planning.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between youth road cycling success and becoming a professional cyclist. Specifically, the authors sought to analyze (1) the differences in the success scores in youth categories between future professional (PRO) and future nonprofessional (NON-PRO) cyclists, (2) whether relative age effect influences youth road cycling career pathways, and (3) whether youth competition success could predict a future career as a professional cyclist. Methods: The number of points gathered in the annual national ranking of 1345 Italian cyclists in the U17, U19, and U23 categories were retrospectively analyzed. Participants were divided into 2 groups: PRO (n = 43) and future NON-PRO (n = 1302), depending on whether they reached the professional level. Results: PRO outperformed NON-PRO in all the youth categories considered (ie, U17, U19, and U23). Older cyclists within the same annual age group were not overrepresented in PRO and do not have an advantage over younger cyclists within all the competition years. The number of points gathered in youth competitions provides an indication of probability of becoming professional cyclists from U17 onward with the predictive value increasing with age category. Conclusions: Handling the transition to a new age group well (especially the U19–U23 transition), and therefore having success competing against older and more experienced cyclists, is an important factor for talent identification in youth cycling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Clinical School Model connects professorial staff from the university directly to practitioners in the National Health Service to promote evidence informed practice and develop clinical academic careers. These are promoted widely, but strategic adoption into organisational culture and workforce plans are challenging to overcome. Aims: To describe the development of the Clinical School Model in Cornwall and explore how it generates impact through staff engagement activities to support clinical academic career pathways. Structure, process and outcomes developments over the last 3-years are reported. Methods: Donabedian's framework (structure, process and outcome) was used to report on the development and impact of the Clinical School Model. Results: Structural and process activities are reported, illustrating strong foundations to embed clinical academic career pathway opportunities. In the absence of empirical reporting standards for such developments, quantitative and qualitative outcomes are reported against the Clinical School's 5-year strategic plan. Conclusions: This paper responds to the lack of reported evidence on developing organisational infrastructure to address the clinical academics aspirations of nurses and their employers. This important contribution leads a call for more organisations to report to the evidence base, enabling shared learning and shaping future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A definition of career transitions was initially proposed by Louis in 1980. The pace of career transitions has since increased, unraveling traditional linear career pathways. Despite this, we have inadequate knowledge about what defines successful career transitions. Hence, we conducted a systematic review of the scholarship to understand how career transition success is operationalized and to identify research gaps and directions. We identified and reviewed 244 articles published from 1980 to 2022. We found that career transition success outcomes studied fall under the self-referent category, with the outcomes in the otherreferent category absent. Further, most studies rely on a mix of objective and subjective success criteria, with no study considering possible interactions between the two. The review revealed a fragmented scholarship of career transition success and an urgency to broaden investigations of career transition success criteria given rapidly evolving employment trends globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundIn prosperous nations like Ireland, home support workers (HSWs) play an increasingly vital role in providing person-centred care to ageing populations. However, challenges such as workforce shortages, role ambiguity, low pay, and limited career advancement, hinder workforce development and career building.MethodA scoping review using key terms for “HSWs” and “career pathways” was conducted following the Joanna Briggs Institute Methodology, examining electronic databases (Web of Science, PubMed, MEDLINE, EMBASE, CINAHL, PscyINFO, Social Care Online, Social Sciences Citation Index). Inclusion criteria were applied, and a thematic analysis followed and inductive-deductive approach.ResultsThe review encompassed 261 relevant articles from different countries. Four key themes were identified: (1) Data-driven decision-making on the future workforce, (2) Attracting and developing a competent and motivated home support workforce, (3) Enhancing working lives and retention at every stage of career pathways, and (4) Crafting career pathways to improve quality and impact.DiscussionLeadership, collaboration, and data-driven decision-making across policy, research and practice are pivotal for expanding and enhancing home support. Emphasising a shift towards preventative self-management models, supported by digitally skilled and regulated HSWs, could enhance independence and quality of care. Clear career structures, professional development, and inclusive organisational environments are essential to attract, retain, and empower a competent and motivated workforce, fostering quality and impact.ConclusionThis scoping review provides foundational evidence to establish career pathways for HSWs, identifying key areas for development such as data collection, care model transformation, career progression structures, and systems for safety and quality improvement.

Abstract Background In the field of health informatics (HI), there is a crucial gap between employers’ needs and the output of academic programmes. Although industrial organisations and government agencies recognise the importance of training and education in the development and operation of health-information systems, advancements in educational programmes have been comparatively slow in terms of investment in healthcare information technology. This study aims to determine the gap between employer demands and academic programmes in HI in Saudi Arabia. Methods This mixed-methods study collected both qualitative and quantitative data. A qualitative content analysis was performed to identify the role of advertised HI jobs using two sources: Google and LinkedIn. In addition, university websites were searched to determine job opportunities for graduates with a bachelor’s degree in HI. Next, a quantitative, cross-sectional self-report questionnaire was administered to validate the findings of the qualitative data. Data obtained were analysed using SPSS, N-Vivo, and Microsoft Excel. Results The study’s data were obtained from four sources: Google search engine, LinkedIn, five Saudi university websites, and 127 HI experts. The results show a discrepancy between academic programmes’ outputs and employer recruitment needs. In addition, the results reveal a preference for post-graduate degrees, either a master’s or PhD degree, with a bachelor’s degree in a health or medical discipline. Conclusions Employers tend to prefer applicants with a bachelor’s degree in computer science or information technology over those with a degree in HI. Academic programmes should incorporate more practical applications and provide students with a thorough understanding of the healthcare industry to better equip them as efficient future HI professionals.

• Insight into the minority experience and selected OSH career pathways. • Strategies for deconstructing barriers to workforce diversity. • Equitable participation and closing achievement gaps. • Mitigating disparities and creating pathways of opportunities. Introduction: In this commentary, we explore safety and health career pathways in the U.S. and discuss the future of work through the lens of diversity, equity, and inclusion. We address occupational safety and health inequities, including underrepresentation of racial and ethnic groups in academic disciplines, which impacts workers' safety and the future of work. We introduce the Accessibility, Sustainability, and Knowledge-Generation (ASK) framework to broaden minority participation in occupational safety and health (OSH) education. Method: The ASK framework integrates insights from learned experiences, research literature, accreditation knowledge, and community feedback to identify strategies for dismantling barriers to workforce diversity and promoting equitable participation and access to opportunities in OSH education. We conducted a US based survey to gain insights into the minority experience and the role of students, faculty, and academia in mitigating disparities and creating pathways of opportunities. Results: The survey results highlight the need for pedagogic improvements in OSH academic programs to attract more minorities. The appreciation of cultural competence across universities and changes to current systemic funding mechanisms are identified as crucial factors. We acknowledge that existing interventions have been less effective due to a lack of tangible actions. However, we emphasize that solutions exist, and meaningful support is required to drive change. Conclusions: The study underscores the importance of addressing occupational safety and health inequities and the underrepresentation of minority groups in OSH education. The ASK framework provides a comprehensive approach to broaden minority participation and promote diversity in the field. Pedagogic improvements, cultural competence, and changes to funding mechanisms are necessary steps to attract and retain underrepresented minorities in OSH academic programs. Practical Applications: The findings of this study have practical implications for institutions and stakeholders involved in occupational safety and health education. It emphasizes the need for proactive strategies to attract and support underrepresented minority students and faculty. Promoting cultural competence and making changes to funding mechanisms can contribute to creating more equitable and inclusive pathways for diverse groups in OSH education. Tangible actions and meaningful support are essential for driving change and achieving workforce diversity and equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A definition of career transitions was initially proposed by Louis in 1980. The pace of career transitions has since increased, unraveling traditional linear career pathways. Despite this, we have inadequate knowledge about what defines successful career transitions. Hence, we conducted a systematic review of the scholarship to understand how career transition success is operationalized and to identify research gaps and directions. We identified and reviewed 244 articles published from 1980 to 2022. We found that career transition success outcomes studied fall under the self-referent category, with the outcomes in the other-referent category absent. Further, most studies rely on a mix of objective and subjective success criteria, with no study considering possible interactions between the two. The review revealed a fragmented scholarship of career transition success and an urgency to broaden investigations of career transition success criteria given rapidly evolving employment trends globally.

Background: In the field of health informatics (HI), there is a crucial gap between employers' needs and the output of academic programmes. Although industrial organisations and government agencies recognise the importance of training and education in the development and operation of health-information systems, advancements in educational programmes have been comparatively slow in terms of investment in healthcare information technology. This study aims to determine the gap between employer demands and academic programmes in HI in Saudi Arabia. Methods: This mixed-methods study collected both qualitative and quantitative data. A qualitative content analysis was performed to identify the role of advertised HI jobs using two sources: Google and LinkedIn. In addition, university websites were searched to determine job opportunities for graduates with a bachelor's degree in HI. Next, a quantitative, cross-sectional self-report questionnaire was administered to validate the findings of the qualitative data. Data obtained were analysed using SPSS, N-Vivo, and Microsoft Excel. Results: The study's data were obtained from four sources: Google search engine, LinkedIn, five Saudi university websites, and 127 HI experts. The results show a discrepancy between academic programmes' outputs and employer recruitment needs. In addition, the results reveal a preference for post-graduate degrees, either a master's or PhD degree, with a bachelor's degree in a health or medical discipline. Conclusions: Employers tend to prefer applicants with a bachelor's degree in computer science or information technology over those with a degree in HI. Academic programmes should incorporate more practical applications and provide students with a thorough understanding of the healthcare industry to better equip them as efficient future HI professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The disproportionately low number of women iii engineering faculty roles is concerning to academic administrators, faculty, and students. Prior studies have focused on engineering identity but not on how the interests of women engineering graduate students may change throughout their program progression. The research reported here focuses on the differences in the professional plans of women engineering graduate students early in their Ph.D. programs as compared to those near completion of their graduate studies. A mixed method study was conducted using survey and focus groups at a medium-sized, Midwestern, private institution during the summer 2021. A survey was sent to about 600 engineering Ph D students (both male and female) with analysis primarily utilizing Kruskal-Wallis H tests. Additionally, focus groups of four to six students were conducted based on program progression and gender to better understand the quantitative findings. Survey responses were analyzed by program progression, gender, and international status. Results show that women engineering Ph.D. students' interest in an academic career decreases as they progress through their graduate studies. There are also differences between domestic and international Ph.D. students in terms of their professional interests which is entangled with their legal and immigration status. It is recommended that engineering graduate programs offer formal professional discernment opportunities for 2nd year Ph. D. students, both maie and female, to help them to recognize the opportunities available to them upon program completion. And additionally, for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion efforts be expanded to consider the needs of graduate students in retention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite growing evidence of the impact that clinical academic (CA) staff have on patient care and clinical practice, there are disproportionately low numbers of nurses, allied health professionals (AHPs) and other healthcare professionals in CA joint roles, compared to their medical colleagues. Aim: To describe the initial development of a CA career pathway for nurses, AHPs and other healthcare professionals in a Community and Mental Health NHS Trust. Methods: Kotter's 8-Step Change Model was used to expand opportunities and research culture across an NHS Trust. Results: A variety of capacity and capability initiatives at different academic levels were created to support CA development and to complement those available externally. These opportunities were underpinned by a research and development strategy, senior leadership buy-in, manager and clinical staff support, and targeted organisation-wide communication. Conclusion: The ongoing development of innovative CA opportunities in the Trust, alongside greater support for staff interested in pursuing CA careers, has resulted in a growing number of individuals successful in developing as CAs. This has led to a growth in research culture in the organisation and a greater understanding of what CA staff can bring to patient care, the clinical service and the wider organisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

IntroductionCommunity health workers (CHWs) are critical members of the public health workforce, who connect the individuals they serve with resources, advocate for communities facing health and racial inequities, and improve the quality of healthcare. However, there are typically limited professional and career building pathways for CHWs, which contribute to low wages and lack of career advancement, further resulting in turnover, attrition, and workforce instability.MethodsThe Center for Community Health Alignment (CCHA), within the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina, utilized a mixed-method data collection strategy to provide a more in-depth understanding of this issue and ways that employers, advocates, and CHWs can address it.ResultsThemes across data sources emphasized the importance of retaining skilled and experienced CHWs and educating other health professions about CHWs' critical roles, and reported that doing so will result in decreased attrition professional growth, and improved program quality. CHWs and allies concluded that higher wages, valuing lived experience over formal education, and participation in additional training opportunities should be the primary factors considered for career advancement.DiscussionUtilizing input from experienced CHWs and CHW allies nationally, this article describes the importance of supporting CHW career advancement, shares best practices, and suggestions for designing strategies that organizations/employers can use to improve CHW career pathways to better support the CHW workforce and reduce attrition.

Descriptive research to determine the employment trends of the Master of Science in Home Economics (MSIE) graduates. Thirty-four MSHE graduates of class 2017 to 2021 participated in the study by answering an online questionnaire during the first semester of the academic year 2021-2022. Interviews are also used as an alternative to gathering information. The profiling focused on MSHE graduates' identified variables. Findings showed that most MSHE graduates are permanent government teachers in junior high school and tertiary institutions and have either been promoted or transferred to a rank/position with tenure and higher level. Ten or 29.41% of MSHE graduates have been designated to various positions according to their skills and leadership potential. The top five helpful knowledge and skills were planning and organisation, use of technology, creativity, technical skills, soft skills, and communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This interpretivist qualitative study explored lived experiences of rural secondary schools' female principals' career development. Purposive sampling technique was employed to select eleven female principals from 11 rural public secondary schools in Ilembe District, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa to provide indepth information to the study. A semi-structured interview guide was used in various audio-recorded interviews, which lasted between 20-30 minutes each to capture exact information. The audio-recorded data was systematically transcribed and coded to generate common themes for the presentation and discussion of findings. Findings revealed that some communities' cultures continue to dominantly influence women principals' career pathways, despite policies or efforts to promote gender equality in South Africa. The social attitude or 'injustice' against female principals in rural environments has limited their quest to pursue their careers further or to aspire to top administrative leadership positions in education. It is recommended that necessary government structures and other stakeholders in the education sector should provide the necessary support to encourage female principals in rural schools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:  Family medicine has trained specialist family physicians in South Africa since 2008, but not investigated their career pathways. The study aimed to determine the career pathways of newly qualified family physicians between 2008 and 2022., Methods:  A cross-sectional descriptive survey of all 186 family physicians via an electronic questionnaire., Results:  Response rate was 44.6% (83/186). Overall, 9.6% emigrated, 10.8% were no longer practising, and 79.5% were still practising in South Africa. Of the latter, 14.5% were in the private sector, 55.4% in the public sector and 9.6% in both. Of those in the public sector, 33.7% were in specialist family physician posts, 12% in medical officer posts, 4.8% in managerial positions and 4.8% in academic positions. Issues relating to safety and security were important to those working in both sectors and relationships with colleagues in the clinical team, to those in the public sector. Overall, participants practised near or within their province of training and were not equitably distributed., Conclusion:  Only a third of graduates were in specialist family physician posts in the public sector. Attention needs to be given to retaining more graduates in such posts to achieve the goals of the national position paper. The proportion in the private sector was lower than expected. The reasons for no longer practising medicine should be further explored.Contribution: This is the first study on the career pathways of family physicians in South Africa since the new speciality was created. Understanding these pathways will assist with human resources for health planning.

Nurturing respiratory clinician-scientists - An important priority in the Asia-Pacific and for the Asia-Pacific Society of Respirology (APSR) Keywords: basic research; career pathway; clinician-scientist; translational research EN basic research career pathway clinician-scientist translational research 490 492 3 06/20/22 20220701 NES 220701 The Covid-19 pandemic has again emphasized that close collaboration between respiratory physicians and basic scientists is vital.1,2 There is a need to bridge the divide between the science and the clinical application of that science in order to progress novel scientific discoveries and move them into clinical practice. Through the APSR and other organizations, we can and should promote awareness of clinician-scientist career pathways, particularly in respiratory medicine. [Extracted from the article]

Introduction UK Psychiatry Trainees are allocated one day per week in their final three years of training to use for “a clinical or clinically related area of service which cannot be provided within the training post but which is of direct relevance to the prospective career pathway of the trainee”. It is unclear how trainees in the East of England are using this time and what could help them optimise use of this time. We completed a survey to evaluate these areas. Objectives To determine details of how Special interest sessions (SIS) are spent by trainees: How much support/ planning for SIS is available and if this is adequate. Whether trainees feel they are able to use their SIS for its intended purpose of providing “a clinical or clinically related area of service which cannot be provided within the training post but which is of direct relevance to the prospective career pathway of the trainee” Exploration of barriers/tensions to maximizing use of SIS. SIS Record keeping What advice would trainees give re: special interest sessions to a new SPR? What lessons can be drawn to assist trainees from other countries/ training programmes to maximise their own development. Methods Survey sent to all Higher trainees in the East of England via Regional Training Programme. Results Awaited. Survey sent 29/09/2020 Conclusions Results pending. We will feedback in detail on outcomes from the survey and subsequent discussion with Regional training programme members.

Connecting unemployed people to job openings has been a challenge post-pandemic. With the help of artificial intelligence and big data, we addressed this issue by creating a deep learning model to provide realistic job recommendations for unemployed people based on the employment history of each individual. First, the transfer learning model was applied to match job titles and O*NET Standard Occupational Classification (OSOC) codes using data on job seekers from the Mississippi Department of Employment Security, where OSOC is a standard occupational classification-based system used by U.S. federal agencies to classify workers into occupational categories. Next, a Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM) model was created for career pathway prediction, to generate the top three OSOC job recommendations based on the individual's employment history. The final model accuracy was 72.8% when an individual's education history was included. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker/Practitioner (A&TSIHW) workforce provides not only clinical skills but also responds to specific social and cultural needs of the communities they serve bringing knowledge derived from lived and embodied knowledges. The A&TSIHW is a recognised health professional within the Australian health system; however, this workforce continues to be under-supported, under-recognised and under-utilised. A common discourse in literature written about A&TSIHWs focused on the need to empower and enhance the A&TSIHW capabilities, or rendered the A&TSIHW as part of the problem in improving the health of Indigenous peoples. In contrast, articles written by A&TSIHWs, published in the Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal, tell a different story, one about the limitations of the health system in its ability to care for Indigenous peoples, recognising A&TSIHW leadership. This paper deals with two interrelated tensions—the undervaluing of the A&TSIHW as a clinician and the undervaluing of the A&TSIHW as an academic—both of which the author has had to navigate. It explores the specific challenges of the A&TSIHW academic who too seeks recognition beyond that of 'assistant' within the research enterprise, drawing upon personal experiences and engagement with educational institutions, including higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literature on the corporate elite in transitional economies has focused on the elite's political backgrounds. However, the evolution of the corporate sector amidst decades of transition in these economies suggests that research needs to go beyond origins to focus on career pathways. Adopting a career history analysis, this study constitutes the first systematic attempt to empirically analyze career pathways of top corporate leaders in Vietnam, where, the literature has argued, capitalists emerged from within the state sector. The analysis of an originally constructed database of top leaders of the 100 largest listed firms reveals, firstly, that state‐origin leaders persist alongside newly emerging private‐origin leaders and, secondly, that leaders following different career pathways exhibit different attributes, which influence the leaders' capacity to rise and stay in power. These findings demonstrate how a focus on career pathways would shed new light on the emerging patterns and drivers of social stratification in transitional economies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Worker/Practitioner (A&TSIHW) workforce provides not only clinical skills but also responds to specific social and cultural needs of the communities they serve bringing knowledge derived from lived and embodied knowledges. The A&TSIHW is a recognised health professional within the Australian health system; however, this workforce continues to be under-supported, under-recognised and under-utilised. A common discourse in literature written about A&TSIHWs focused on the need to empower and enhance the A&TSIHW capabilities, or rendered the A&TSIHW as part of the problem in improving the health of Indigenous peoples. In contrast, articles written by A&TSIHWs, published in the Aboriginal and Islander Health Worker Journal, tell a different story, one about the limitations of the health system in its ability to care for Indigenous peoples, recognising A&TSIHW leadership. This paper deals with two interrelated tensions—the undervaluing of the A&TSIHW as a clinician and the undervaluing of the A&TSIHW as an academic—both of which the author has had to navigate. It explores the specific challenges of the A&TSIHW academic who too seeks recognition beyond that of ‘assistant’ within the research enterprise, drawing upon personal experiences and engagement with educational institutions, including higher education.

Why you should read this article: • To improve your knowledge of the factors that affect a nurse's quality of work life • To understand the factors that can contribute to increased work-family conflict in a nurse's life • To develop strategies that you can implement to improve quality of work life and reduce work-family conflict in the lives of staff Background: The nursing profession is known to induce high levels of stress, and being simultaneously engaged in a stressful professional occupation and having a family life can lead to work-family conflict. Healthcare providers require recruitment and retention strategies that preserve nurses' quality of work-life and mitigate work-family conflict. Aim: To investigate the relationship between quality of work-life and work-family conflict among hospital nurses in Iran, as well as the relationships between work-family conflict and quality of work life, and between age, professional experience, type of employment, work shift and marital status. Method: This cross-sectional study was conducted among 378 nurses working in six Iranian teaching hospitals, who were selected using random quota sampling. Data on age, professional experience, type of employment, work shift and marital status was collected. The study questionnaire was based on the 53-item Quality of Work Life scale and the 18-item Work-Family Conflict scale. Correlations were established using Pearson's chi-squared and eta-squared tests. Results: A total of 93% of participants experienced moderate or high levels of work-family conflict and 83% had a low or moderate quality of work life. On average, the levels of work-family conflict and quality of work life were moderate. Quality of work life decreased with increasing work-family conflict. Conclusion: Healthcare providers can use these results to inform their recruitment and retention strategies. Nurse managers can mitigate any adverse effects of work-family conflict on quality of work life by offering staff interventions such as short training courses on how to manage work-family conflict. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Establishing and managing a board certification system is a common concern for many countries. In Japan, the board certification system is under revision. The purpose of this study was to describe present status of internal medicine specialist board certification, to identify factors associated with maintenance of board certification and to investigate changes in area of practice when physicians move from hospital to clinic practice. Methods We analyzed 2010 and 2012 data from the Survey of Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists. We conducted logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with the maintenance of board certification between 2010 and 2012. We also analyzed data on career transition from hospitals to clinics for hospital physicians with board certification. Results It was common for physicians seeking board certification to do so in their early career. The odds of maintaining board certification were lower in women and those working in locations other than academic hospitals, and higher in physicians with subspecialty practice areas. Among hospital physicians with board certification who moved to clinics between 2010 and 2012, 95.8% remained in internal medicine or its subspecialty areas and 87.7% maintained board certification but changed their practice from a subspecialty area to more general internal medicine. Conclusion Revisions of the internal medicine board certification system must consider different physician career pathways including mid-career moves while maintaining certification quality. This will help to secure an adequate number and distribution of specialists. To meet the increasing demand for generalist physicians, it is important to design programs to train specialists in general practice.

Emotional intelligence (EI) is considered essential to nursing practice, but it is unclear how best to support nursing students to develop EI skills. This article details a literature review that was undertaken to explore EI in preregistration nurse education and to identify effective methods for developing nursing students' EI skills. A total of 12 articles were included in the review, from which data were extracted, compared and categorised. Three main areas were identified regarding EI in preregistration nurse education: EI constructs, EI components and EI teaching methods. The review found that a range of EI constructs and components may be included in nurse education curricula, meaning that there is often inconsistency in the approaches used. Classroom teaching methods were primarily used, alongside online methods and experiential methods such as simulation-based learning. The findings of the review suggest there is a need for greater consistency in the EI constructs and components used in preregistration nurse education, as well as further research to determine which EI teaching methods are most effective., Competing Interests: None declared, (© 2023 RCN Publishing Company Ltd. All rights reserved. Not to be copied, transmitted or recorded in any way, in whole or part, without prior permission of the publishers.)

Background To secure human resources for occupational medicine, it is important to analyse occupational physician retention trends and the factors associated with retention. However, little is currently known about this topic. Aims To identify occupational physician retention trends, to identify factors associated with this retention and to discuss the policy implications of the findings. Methods We analysed data from the biannual national physician census surveys conducted by the government of Japan from 2002 to 2014. In this study, those who chose 'working as an occupational physician' as their workplace/type of work from a pre-determined list in the survey questionnaire were considered full-time occupational physicians. We presented retention trends by calculating the annual retention rate for each set of two consecutive surveys. We then used logistic regression to identify factors associated with retention among occupational physicians. Results The annual retention rate of full-time occupational physicians from 2012 to 2014 was estimated as 76%, which represents a 6% improvement in retention over the study period. The odds of continuing to practise as an occupational physician were higher for occupational physicians working in cities compared with those working in towns or villages. Conclusions Improving and facilitating smooth transitions between clinical practice and occupational medicine would help to secure human resources in occupational medicine, even if the current trend of low retention continues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study was to explore career transitions among individuals in select entry-level healthcare occupations. Background: Entry-level healthcare occupations are among the fastest growing occupations in the USA. Public perception is that the healthcare industry provides an opportunity for upward career mobility given the low education requirements to enter many healthcare occupations. The assumption that entry-level healthcare occupations, such as nursing assistant, lead to higher-skilled occupations, such as Registered Nurse, is under-explored. Design: We analysed data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics, which is a nationally representative and publicly available longitudinal survey of US households. Methods: Using longitudinal survey data, we examined the job transitions and associated characteristics among individuals in five entry-level occupations at the aide/ assistant level over 10 years timeline (2003-2013) to determine whether they stayed in health care and/or moved up in occupational level over time. Results/Findings: This study found limited evidence of career progression in health care in that only a few of the individuals in entry-level healthcare occupations moved into occupations such as nursing that required higher education. While many individuals remained in their occupations throughout the study period, we found that 28% of our sample moved out of these entry-level occupations and into another occupation. The most common "other" occupation categories were "office/ administrative" and "personal care/services occupations." Whether these moves helped individuals advance their careers remains unclear. Conclusion: Employers and educational institutions should consider efforts to help clarify pathways to advance the careers of individuals in entry-level healthcare occupations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery (OMFS) remains an enigmatic specialty in Irish medicine and many students are unaware of its scope and the unique career pathway involved. We completed a multicentre cross-sectional study to identify their ability to identify the requirements for entry to specialty training year 3 (ST3) in OMFS, to assess their awareness of OMFS surgeons, and their general awareness of, and exposure to, the specialty. Data were collected through an electronic questionnaire. Participants were asked to select the most suitable surgical specialty to treat a number of common conditions in the head and neck, and to choose the requirements they deemed essential for specialist training. Knowledge was measured by the number of correct responses. A total of 443 medical students participated (University College Cork (UCC) n = 328, 74%; Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) n = 113, 26%). A total of 318/374 (85%) had had no previous experience of OMFS, 38/374 (10%) had had theoretical teaching only, and 18/374 (5%) had had clinical experience. A total of 212/329 (64%) wished for greater exposure as a student, but only 34/329 (9%) would consider a career in the specialty. The median (IQR) number of correct responses for OMFS procedures was 3.0/10 (2.0), with women, direct entrants, and RCSI students scoring highest. Only 11/367 (3%) could identify the minimum entry requirements for a post of specialist registrar. This study has identified a potential gap in the undergraduate curriculum. Although medical students are rarely taught about OMFS, they show an interest in learning more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The American Board of Emergency Medicine joined nine other American Board of Medical Specialties member boards to sponsor the subspecialty of Hospice and Palliative Medicine; the first subspecialty examination was administered in 2008. Since then an increasing number of emergency physicians has sought this certification and entered the workforce. There has been limited discussion regarding the experiences and challenges facing this new workforce.Discussion: We use excerpts from conversations with emergency physicians to highlight the challenges in hospice and palliative medicine training and practice that are commonly being identified by these physicians, at varying phases of their careers. The lessons learned from this initial dual-certified physician cohort in real practice fills a current literature gap. Practical guidance is offered for the increasing number of trainees and mid-career emergency physicians who may have an interest in the subspecialty pathway but are seeking answers to what a future integrated practice will look like in order to make informed career decisions.Conclusion: The Emergency and Hospice and Palliative Medicine integrated workforce is facing novel challenges, opportunities, and growth. The first few years have seen a growing interest in the field among emergency medicine resident trainees. As the dual certified workforce matures, it is expected to impact the clinical practice, research, and education related to emergency palliative care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In South Africa, there is a paucity of optometrists serving the needs of the larger public sector. KwaZulu-Natal is one of the most densely populated provinces and home to several of the poorest districts. Despite an optometry school in the province, and with a lack of compulsory community service for new graduates, more optometrists are needed to serve the public sector. While studies on the recruitment and retention of medical and allied health professionals have been conducted, limited evidence exists on work trends of public sector optometrists. Methods: A cross-sectional study design using both quantitative and qualitative data collection methods was used. All public sector optometrists and local district health co-ordinators in the province were contacted, with an 80% (41 out of 51) and 75% (9 out of 12) response rate, respectively. Questionnaires containing demographic, recruitment, retention and open-ended questions were distributed by post, fax and email and via an online survey to both groups. Telephonic interviews were also conducted using semi-structured techniques. Frequency distributions, Fisher’s exact test and odds ratios were used to statistically describe the demographic data, while qualitative responses were recorded and analysed for commonly occurring themes. Results: The present public sector optometry workforce comprises mainly young (73%), black (70%), women (66%). They chose to work in the public sector to ‘make a difference’ and were attracted by ‘good working hours’ and ‘job security’. Fifty-three percent of optometrists work in the public sector due to a study bursary, for which there was a statistically significant association for race (p = 0.01), gender (p = 0.05) and background origin (p = 0.05). To aid their retention in public service, improved salaries, career progression, recognition, improved management relations and improved instrumentation were ranked highest by these optometrists. Conclusion: The demographic profile of presently serving public sector optometrists poses many human resource (HR) challenges and opportunities. Universities should pay attention to rural origin of students and provide exposure to rural clinical experiences during study. Departments of Health use study bursary incentives to recruit optometrists, but need to consider financial and non-financial incentives for their retention. At hospital level, a responsive HR management system should be implemented with emphasis on career management, recognition, improving infrastructure and supporting professional development.

Introduction: Community health workers (CHWs) are critical members of the public health workforce, who connect the individuals they serve with resources, advocate for communities facing health and racial inequities, and improve the quality of healthcare. However, there are typically limited professional and career building pathways for CHWs, which contribute to low wages and lack of career advancement, further resulting in turnover, attrition, and workforce instability., Methods: The Center for Community Health Alignment (CCHA), within the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina, utilized a mixed-method data collection strategy to provide a more in-depth understanding of this issue and ways that employers, advocates, and CHWs can address it., Results: Themes across data sources emphasized the importance of retaining skilled and experienced CHWs and educating other health professions about CHWs' critical roles, and reported that doing so will result in decreased attrition professional growth, and improved program quality. CHWs and allies concluded that higher wages, valuing lived experience over formal education, and participation in additional training opportunities should be the primary factors considered for career advancement., Discussion: Utilizing input from experienced CHWs and CHW allies nationally, this article describes the importance of supporting CHW career advancement, shares best practices, and suggestions for designing strategies that organizations/employers can use to improve CHW career pathways to better support the CHW workforce and reduce attrition., Competing Interests: AR was employed by Baylor Scott & White Health. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Smithwick, Nance, Covington-Kolb, Rodriguez and Young.)

This is a study of 1,134 high school students enrolled in career and technical education (CTE) classes for which they could receive articulated credit at a local community college. We sought to understand why students take CTE classes, what their career aspirations are, whether or not they know about career opportunities in CTE fields, and whether or not their career aspirations align with their CTE coursework. Analysis contrasted responses of students at comprehensive high schools with those enrolled in a vocational high school program. Though vocational high school students' reasons for taking CTE courses were more positive, poor alignment between CTE class and stated career objectives characterized both groups of students. We discuss the implications on Career Pathways and articulated credit agreements involving partnerships between secondary and postsecondary institutions and make recommendations for policy, practice, and research around CTE and career development activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A concern commonly raised in literature and in media relates to the declining proportions of students who enter and remain in the ‘science pipeline’, and whether many countries, including Australia and New Zealand, have enough budding scientists to fill research and industry positions in the coming years. In addition, there is concern that insufficient numbers of students continue in science to ensure an informed, scientifically literate citizenry. The aim of the research presented in this paper was to survey current Australian and New Zealand scientists to explore their reasons for choosing to study science. An online survey was conducted via a link to SurveyGizmo. The data presented are from 726 respondents who answered 22 forced-choice items and an open-ended question about the reasons they chose to study science. The quantitative data were analysed using t tests and analyses of variance followed by Duncan’s multiple range tests, and the qualitative data were analysed thematically. The quantitative data showed that the main reasons scientists reported choosing to study science were because they were interested in science and because they were good at science. Secondary school science classes and one particular science teacher also were found to be important factors. Of much less importance were the prestige of science and financial considerations. The qualitative data expanded on these findings and showed that passion for science and/or curiosity about the world were important factors and also highlighted the importance of recreational pursuits, such as camping when a child. In the words of one respondent, ‘People don’t go into science for the money and glory. It’s passion for knowledge and science that always attracted me to the field’. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital games industry has developed from a secondary sector of the media entertainment industry to one of its major driving forces. Despite its economic relevance, it is still a transitional industry with quickly evolving structures. As such, it is also an interesting object for the analysis of the development of media industries. The current study uses a combination of social network analysis and expert interviews to map the emerging network structures within the German games industry. It reconstructs the career pathways of key managers in the industry, including their former and current business relationships. The study's findings indicate that the current breed of managers primarily enter the games business from other economic sectors. For this reason, the industry network is still characterized by weak organizational interconnections. However, the strong connectedness of a younger generation of managers hints at a future strengthening of the underlying business and communication network. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: UK Psychiatry Trainees are allocated one day per week in their final three years of training to use for "a clinical or clinically related area of service which cannot be provided within the training post but which is of direct relevance to the prospective career pathway of the trainee". It is unclear how trainees in the East of England are using this time and what could help them optimise use of this time. We completed a survey to evaluate these areas. Objectives: To determine details of how Special interest sessions (SIS) are spent by trainees: How much support/planning for SIS is available and if this is adequate. Whether trainees feel they are able to use their SIS for its intended purpose of providing "a clinical or clinically related area of service which cannot be provided within the training post but which is of direct relevance to the prospective career pathway of the trainee" Exploration of barriers/tensions to maximizing use of SIS. SIS Record keeping What advice would trainees give re: special interest sessions to a new SPR? What lessons can be drawn to assist trainees from other countries/training programmes to maximise their own development. Methods: Survey sent to all Higher trainees in the East of England via Regional Training Programme. Results: Awaited. Survey sent 29/09/2020 Conclusions: Results pending. We will feedback in detail on outcomes from the survey and subsequent discussion with Regional training programme members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the Gerontology which is a diverse, global field, that offers an array of career opportunities that utilize the skills of gerontologists in unique and meaningful ways. It mentions that the career paths highlight the challenges, but also the many rewards, of balancing personal life choices that necessitated and facilitated our international careers; and tell you a little about our stories and how we developed our own global gerontological careers.

Background and purpose of the study: Although traditionally a "dentistry first, medicine second" training route, UK Oral and Maxillofacial surgery is increasingly populated with medicine-first trainees at ST3 level. Despite this, there is little evidence suggesting any increase in exposure at medical undergraduate level. We sought to evaluate the current level of awareness of OMFS as a medical specialty and potential career pathway amongst 'first-degree' medical undergraduates. Method: We distributed an on-line survey amongst 253 medical undergraduates divided between two UK universities. Findings: A total of 72.3% of undergraduates received no exposure to OMFS in any form. Those with exposure had an improved understanding of the scope of the specialty. Regardless of previous exposure to the specialty, only 27.7% correctly identified the essential requirements for entry in OMFS specialty training. Nevertheless, a vast majority (76.7%) wanted more guidance on the possibility of pursuing a career in OMFS. Conclusions: Undergraduate exposure to OMFS in UK medical schools is limited. Even a small degree of exposure to OMFS improves understanding of the scope of the specialty. Although medical students do not fully understand the career pathway, they wish to explore OMFS as a career option. It is therefore important that UK undergraduate surgical curricula offer greater exposure to the specialty, the career pathway and the clinical opportunities it can provide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the term specialist in nursing can be traced to the turn of the 20th Century, it is only since 2001 that a framework was developed for a clinical career pathway in Ireland. This framework has promoted the development and expansion of the clinical nurse/midwife specialist (CNS/CMS) throughout Ireland over the past 10 years guided by the National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery (NCNM). To build upon the achievements of the NCNM and advance nursing practice, it is imperative that CNS/CMSs adopt and fulfil the components of their role. Since CNS/CMS practice is relatively new to Ireland, there is the opportunity to learn from experiences of other countries. This article outlines the development and challenges of the CNS role in Ireland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article describes a dynamic initiative in community nursing education across the South West Peninsula. A group of educationalists from three community health services have written a framework of clinical competences to support community nurses in their professional development, providing career progression. The framework comprises of three sections: a preceptorship for nurses novice to community nursing; a section where experienced community nurses record their achieved knowledge, skills and competences, complemented by a validated, academic, 40 credit, degree module; and a developmental role (identified as a 'band 5+') in which the nurse demonstrates a range of knowledge and competences in order to progress onto a higher band such as a team leader. This framework is currently being piloted in four NHS community health services/trusts and it is expected that an evaluation will be undertaken within 12 months of implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lead Cancer Nurse (LCN) role was developed following the publication of the NHS Cancer Plan [Department of Health (2000) The NHS Cancer Plan. A Plan for Investment. A Plan for Reform. HMSO, London]. In collaboration with the Lead Cancer Clinician and Cancer Manager the role of the LCN is to contribute to the planning and delivery of cancer services in line with government guidance. However, there are significant variations in the remit and authority of the role between organizations, and limited research has been undertaken to evaluate the effectiveness of this senior nursing post. This article explores the complex and often ill-defined remit of the LCN role and compares this with Nurse Consultant and Advanced Nurse Practitioner roles. It explores the challenges that this presents both to the postholders and the organizations within which they work. Recommendations include on-going monitoring and evaluation of these posts, the development of local supportive frameworks and a review of the educational needs of these postholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper describes how competency statements were integrated into an academic framework to provide a transparent yet flexible career pathway for the nurse working in acute cardiac care. Nurses are expanding and developing their roles and use wide ranging skills and knowledge to care for patients. Additionally, models of care delivery are changing and patients are cared for in a variety of settings. Where evidence exists, these models demonstrate improvement in the provision and quality of services and contribute to improved quality of life, maximise medication and therapy and reduce waiting times for investigations. However, whilst many studies have demonstrated benefit, translating these results into routine practice requires skilled nurses who are “fit for purpose,” and to support this, professional competencies can be used to measure competence in practice whilst informing educational initiatives. This paper outlines the development of competency statements that identify the knowledge and skills required for safe, effective and competent care and direct the cardiac nurse acquire skills and knowledge in a focused and coherent way. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background Surgery is an emotionally, physically and mentally challenging profession, and medical students factor in many variables when choosing surgery as a career choice. The aim of this study is to review the available literature on the factors influencing Australian medical students' choice of surgery as their career. Method A search of EMBASE and MEDLINE with the search terms 'medical students' AND 'surgery'; 'medical students' AND 'career pathways'; 'medical students' AND 'career choices' was conducted. Additionally, Google Scholar and the reference list of some articles were canvassed for suitable areas of study. Results Lifestyle factors were the main reason influencing medical student's career choices. A balance between work, family and lifestyle was found to be important, and a surgical career choice was not always compatible with this. In particular, female students placed more importance on family and lifestyle factors when opting for non-surgical careers. Positive exposure and/or experiences in a surgical environment, perceived prestige and perceived financial reward were associated with surgical career choice. Conclusions There is a need to better understand the factors influencing surgical and non-surgical career choice among Australian medical students, and develop appropriate interventions to promote surgery as a career. This article does not discuss personality traits of people who go into surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There has been much anxiety regarding the levels of competence and confidence of newly qualified nurses. This article will describe the developments within one primary care trust of newly qualified student nurses through to the development of a robust career pathway. Within this PCT previous recruitment into community nursing posts had been unpredictable and some newly qualified nurses had found the transition from pre-registration to qualified nurse within primary care very difficult, often choosing to pursue an alternative career pathway. This resulted in a high turn over of staff. It therefore became imperative that the organization reviewed not only its placement experience but ensured a robust comprehensive career pathway that supported and mapped out for nurses the clinical experience they could expect and support continuing professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Women with physical disabilities (WPD) experience major barriers to care during pregnancy. Lack of education about disability in health professionals' education is a pervasive barrier to quality care. In an effort to explore this issue, this study examined the issue from the perspective of obstetric clinicians who provide care to WPD., Objective: This qualitative descriptive study explored perspectives of obstetric clinicians who provide perinatal care for WPD to inform the educational preparation of clinicians to care for women with disabilities., Method: We contacted 33 obstetric clinicians who care for pregnant WPD. Thirteen obstetricians and one nurse midwife participated in semi-structured telephone interviews. Interview transcriptions were content analyzed to identify initial themes. Investigators discussed and revised the themes as additional transcripts were reviewed and new themes were identified., Results: Themes identified from transcript analyses included: lack of education at any level including during postgraduate residency and fellowship on care of pregnant WPD, unplanned career pathway, educating other clinicians, and positive and negative experiences providing obstetrical care to women with physical disability. Several clinicians provided this care because of requests from other clinicians and did not begin their careers with the goal of providing obstetric care to women with physical disabilities. None had received formal education or training including during their residencies or fellowships. The clinicians described very rewarding experiences caring for WPD., Conclusions: The experiences reported by this study's participants suggest the need to include disability in undergraduate and postgraduate education and training to improve obstetric care to WPD., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Establishing and managing a board certification system is a common concern for many countries. In Japan, the board certification system is under revision. The purpose of this study was to describe present status of internal medicine specialist board certification, to identify factors associated with maintenance of board certification and to investigate changes in area of practice when physicians move from hospital to clinic practice., Methods: We analyzed 2010 and 2012 data from the Survey of Physicians, Dentists and Pharmacists. We conducted logistic regression analysis to identify factors associated with the maintenance of board certification between 2010 and 2012. We also analyzed data on career transition from hospitals to clinics for hospital physicians with board certification., Results: It was common for physicians seeking board certification to do so in their early career. The odds of maintaining board certification were lower in women and those working in locations other than academic hospitals, and higher in physicians with subspecialty practice areas. Among hospital physicians with board certification who moved to clinics between 2010 and 2012, 95.8% remained in internal medicine or its subspecialty areas and 87.7% maintained board certification but changed their practice from a subspecialty area to more general internal medicine., Conclusion: Revisions of the internal medicine board certification system must consider different physician career pathways including mid-career moves while maintaining certification quality. This will help to secure an adequate number and distribution of specialists. To meet the increasing demand for generalist physicians, it is important to design programs to train specialists in general practice.