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Introduction: The aim of this study was to gain consensus among young people with a stoma due to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) on the priorities for the content of an intervention for the self‐management of stoma‐related distress. The current identification and management of distress in young people with a stoma is often suboptimal in clinical settings and there is a need for improved support resources. Methods: Two consensus group meetings were carried out via online video conferencing, using nominal group technique. Participants generated, rated on a Likert scale and discussed, topics for inclusion in a future self‐management intervention. Results: Nineteen young people, aged 19–33, with a stoma due to IBD took part in one of two group meetings. Participants were located across England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland. Twenty‐nine topics were generated by participants, seven of which reached consensus of ≥80%, that is, a mean of ≥5.6 on a 7‐point Likert scale. These were: receiving advice from young people with lived experience of stoma surgery; advice on/addressing concerns about romantic relationships, sex and intimacy; information about fertility and pregnancy related to stoma surgery; stoma 'hacks', for example, useful everyday tips regarding clothing, making bag changes easier and so forth; reflecting on and recognising own emotional response to surgery; tips on managing the stoma during the night; and processing trauma related to the illness and surgery journey. Conclusions: Findings extend previous research on young people's experiences of stoma surgery, by generating consensus on young people's priorities for managing distress related to surgery and living with a stoma. These priorities include topics not previously reported in the literature, including the need for information about fertility and pregnancy. Findings will inform the development of a self‐management resource for young people with an IBD stoma and have relevance for the clinical management of stoma‐related distress in this population. Patient or Public Contribution: Three patient contributors are co‐authors on this paper, having contributed to the study design, interpretation of results and writing of the manuscript. The study's Patient and Public Involvement and Engagement advisory group also had an integral role in the study. They met with the research team for four 2‐h virtual meetings, giving input on the aims and purpose of the study, recruitment methods, and interpretation of findings. The group also advised on the age range for participants. The views of young people with a stoma are the central component of the study reported in this paper, which aims to gain consensus among young people with an IBD stoma on their priorities for the content of a resource to self‐manage distress related to stoma surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of standardized screening tools to identify trauma exposure and associated symptoms is commonly recommended as a key component in the development of trauma informed services and is seen as integral to facilitating access to evidence‐based therapies. However, there is limited evidence in the UK about the factors influencing the adoption of such tools into routine practice in children's social care. This paper presents the findings from a process evaluation of how practitioners implemented a screening tool for post‐traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression into their day‐to‐say practice and what worked or did not work during the process. The findings from this study highlight the potential benefits for both young people and practitioners, alongside some of the challenges involved. In particular, practitioners need to see the direct benefit for young people of being assessed. Additionally, practitioners value regular mentoring as they become more proficient in using standardized screening tools. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the evaluation of a European PEACE III sponsored teaching and learning project that was designed to enable social work students to better understand the needs of victims and survivors of the conflict in Northern Ireland. The paper begins with an introduction to policy, practice and educational contexts before reviewing the literature on social work, conflict and trauma. It also summarises key, innovative pedagogical approaches used in the teaching, including the use of ground rules, teaching teams consisting of lecturer and service user dyads, learning exercises and case studies. The paper then explains the evaluation methodology. This involved two surveys which returned 144 student and 34 practice teacher questionnaires. The findings revealed that students were generally committed to this form of teaching and engagement with victims and survivors of the conflict, although some students reported that their attitudes towards this subject had were not changed. Some students also discussed how the conflict had affected their lives and the lives of families and friends; it is argued that such biographical details are crucial in developing new pedagogical approaches in this area. Practice teachers who supervised some of these students on placement reported general levels of satisfaction with preparedness to work with conflict related situations but were less convinced that organisations were so committed. The paper concludes with a discussion of the study limitations and a recommendation for more robust methods of teaching and evaluation in this area of social work education and practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is currently a limited understanding of what nurses in nursing homes view as the key education priorities to support their ability to provide the appropriate care for residents with heart failure (HF). A modified Delphi technique was utilized to gain a consensus on the key education priorities for nurses working in nursing homes in Northern Ireland. An initial list of items (n = 58), across 19 domains, was generated using the findings of a scoping review and stakeholder interviews, and a review of available clinical guidelines. Two rounds of surveys were undertaken. Items were presented using a 5-point Likert scale, with an additional exercise in the second round to rank the domains in order of importance. Fifty-four participants completed the first-round survey and 34 (63%) returned to complete the second. The findings highlight the importance of providing nurses in nursing home settings with general HF education and the delivery of person-centered care. Participants perceived education around technology for the management of HF and quality improvement or research methodologies associated with HF in nursing homes as lower priorities. This study illuminates key priorities from nursing home nurses regarding HF education that are applicable to this care setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Warwick–Edinburgh Mental Well-being Scale (WEMWBS) is a relatively new measure and to date has been validated in student samples in England and Scotland, and in population samples in Scotland. No data exist on the psychometric properties of the WEMWBS when used within a general population in Northern Ireland, a region that might be expected to differ in health and well-being given its troubled history. This paper represents the first attempt to assess mental well-being in Northern Ireland using this new questionnaire. Data came from the 2009/2010 Continuous Household Survey and analyses are based on the responses of 3355 people aged 16 years and over who completed the full WEMWBS. The results suggest that the data collected using the WEMWBS among a large-scale random sample of adults in Northern Ireland are comparable to those produced for adults in other parts of the UK. The findings from this study are important as any measure of mental well-being purported to have been validated for the UK needs to include Northern Ireland, given that region's recent history in terms of the civil conflict and its potential impact on the health and well-being of its population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education is viewed as central to improving future palliative care for children and families across all countries. International education initiatives will ensure practitioners are aware of global health issues and can provide culturally sensitive care. Creative and innovative means of meeting such directives are required to achieve meaningful student learning. This paper focuses on one innovation, a children’s palliative care workshop using case studies as a teaching method, with nursing students from the USA and nursing and midwifery students from the UK. Key learning points arising from student evaluation were recorded under three main themes, these were: differences across countries, similarities across countries, and making learning fun and memorable. Findings indicated that this joint learning activity was viewed positively by all students and has enabled them to learn with and from each other, potentially impacting on their future practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The prevalence of traumatic brain injury (TBI) among offender populations is significantly higher than among the general population. Despite this, no study has yet assessed the knowledge of members of the probation service surrounding TBI. Method: Knowledge was assessed among members of the Probation Board for Northern Ireland (PBNI) using a cross-sectional online version of the Common Misconceptions about TBI (CM-TBI) questionnaire. Mean total misconception scores, along with scores on four subdomains (recovery, sequelae, insight, and hidden injury) were calculated. Analysis of variance was used to explore differences in misconceptions based on the collected demographic information. Results: The overall mean percentage of misconceptions for the group was 22.37%. The subdomain with the highest rate of misconceptions (38.21%) was insight into injury which covered misconceptions around offenders' self-awareness of injuries. Those who knew someone with a brain injury scored significantly higher in the CM-TBI total score, F(1,63)=6.639, p=0.012, the recovery subdomain, F(1,63)=10.080, p=0.002, and the insight subdomain, F(1,63)=5.834, p=0.019. Additionally, significant training deficits around TBI were observed among the probation service. Conclusions: This study is the first of its kind to examine the level of understanding around TBI within probation services. The findings reflect potential barriers to identification and rehabilitation of TBI for offenders coming into contact with the criminal justice system. A lack of identification coupled with misconceptions about TBI could lead to inaccurate court reporting with a subsequent impact on sentencing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To develop and psychometrically assess a survey instrument identifying ethical issues during palliative care provision in nursing homes. Background: Registered nurses and healthcare assistants have reported ethical issues in everyday palliative care provision. Identifying these issues provides evidence to inform practice development to support healthcare workers. Design: Cross-sectional survey of Registered nurses and healthcare assistants in nursing homes in one region of the UK. Method: A survey instrument, “Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes”, was developed through the findings of qualitative interviews with Registered nurses and healthcare assistants in nursing homes and a literature review. It was reviewed by an expert panel and piloted prior to implementation in a survey in 2015 with a convenience sample of 596 Registered nurses and healthcare assistants. Descriptive and exploratory factor analyses were used to assess the underlying structure of the Frequency and Distress Scales within the instrument. Results: Analysis of 201 responses (response rate = 33.7%) revealed four factors for the Frequency Scale and five factors for the Distress Scale that comprise the Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes. Factors common to both scales included “Processes of care,” “Resident autonomy” and “Burdensome treatment.” Additionally, the Frequency Scale included “Competency,” and the Distress Scale included “Quality of care” and “Communication.” Conclusion: The Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes instrument has added to the palliative care knowledge base by considering the ethical issues experienced specifically by Registered nurses and healthcare assistants within the nursing home. This research offers preliminary evidence of the psychometric properties of the Ethical issues in Palliative Care for Nursing homes survey instrument. Relevance to practice: The two largest factors highlight the need to address the organisational aspects of caring and provide training in negotiating conflicting ethical principles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyse data collected from a survey of Northern Irish low-income households experiencing varying degrees of financial hardship and examine how debt affects health and health-related behaviours. Our results indicate that the subjective experience of feeling financially stressed has a robust relationship with most aspects of health, including ability to self-care, problems performing usual activities, pain problems and psychological health. In contrast, the size of the debt, the type of debt or the number of different lenders does not add any extra explanatory power. Additionally, our results indicate that the pathway from financial difficulties to worse health runs through worse diets and increased consumption of cigarettes and drugs. This research is timely as household debt burdens will soon surpass the high levels seen at the time of the financial crisis and the introduction of welfare reform in Northern Ireland will put additional strain on low-income households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Previous research has identified an association between traumatic experiences and psychotic symptoms. Few studies, however, have explored the underlying mechanisms and contingent nature of these associations in an integrated model. This study aimed to test a moderated mediation model of negative childhood experiences, associated cognitive processes, and psychotic experiences within a context of adolescent loneliness. Design Cross-sectional survey. Methods A total of 785 Northern Irish secondary school adolescents completed the survey. A moderated mediation model was specified and tested. Results Childhood experiences of threat and subordination were directly associated with psychotic experiences. Analyses indicated that peer victimization was a mediator of this effect and that loneliness moderated this mediated effect. Conclusion A new model is proposed to provide an alternative framework for assessing the association between trauma and psychotic experience in adolescence that recognizes loneliness as a significant contextual moderator that can potentially strengthen the trauma-psychosis relationship. Practitioner points Moderated mediation analyses poses an alternative framework to the understanding of trauma-psychosis associations, Adolescent loneliness is a vulnerability factor within this association, Data are based on a Northern Irish sample with relatively low levels of loneliness, Cross-sectional data cannot explore the developmental course of these experiences in adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been acknowledged that poor quality of sleep significantly correlates with poor quality of life; evidence suggests that counselling has a positive impact not only on the cancer patient’s quality of life, but also on family members and friends. The aim of this service evaluation was to determine if there was an improvement in clients’ quality of life and sleep patterns following counselling as offered by a local cancer charity. A total of 60 matched pre- and post-counselling questionnaires were completed and subjected to statistical analysis. When considering quality of life, in the domains of Role Emotional, Mental Health and Mental Component Summary Score, it can be concluded that counselling has a positive effect on emotional health and mental wellbeing. The mean total number of hours sleep per night significantly increased from 6 hours sleep per night at baseline to 6.8 hours sleep per night at the completion of counselling (p=0.005) showing clients gained an extra 48 minutes sleep per night. The improved emotional and mental wellbeing alongside the extra 48 minutes sleep per night provides evidence that there is a positive outcome for those patients and families who use counselling services. Nurses and other members of the multidisciplinary team should be encouraged to discuss supportive therapies with patients and those affected by cancer at all stages of the cancer trajectory, regardless of social status, gender or cancer type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study on a successful applicant's views of a social work admissions process in Great Britain and across the world. The study discusses some debates regarding the effectiveness and reliability on the methods used during the assessment and describes the social work applicants to two programme providers. The study reveals a variation in demographic characteristics in terms of religion and gender which focuses on how students viewed the admissions process.

This study examines the influence of social ecological risks within the domains of parenting, family environment, and community in the prediction of educational outcomes for 770 adolescents (49% boys, 51% girls, M = 13.6 years, SD = 2.0) living in a setting of protracted political conflict, specifically working class areas of Belfast, Northern Ireland. Controlling for religious community, age, and gender, youths’ lower academic achievement was associated with family environments characterized by high conflict and low cohesion. School behaviour problems were related to greater exposure to community violence, or sectarian and nonsectarian antisocial behaviour. Youths’ expectations about educational attainment were undermined by conflict in the family environment and antisocial behaviour in the community, as well as parenting low in warmth and behavioural control. Findings underscore the importance of considering family and community contributions to youths’ educational outcomes. Suggestions regarding targeted interventions toward promoting resilience are discussed, such as assessing both child and family functioning, developing multidimensional interventions for parents, and building community partnerships, among others. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

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Medical Education 2012: 46: 766-776 Context The effects of assessment practice on students' learning are unclear, particularly regarding professional development. Corralling in objective structured clinical examinations (OSCEs) is designed to reduce illicit passing of examination information. Candidates completing an examination are kept secluded until the next cohort of examinees has begun. We used the introduction of corralling as a context in which to explore social influences on examination misconduct, with the aims of improving understanding of the hidden effects of assessment, and evaluating the acceptability of corralling from the student perspective. Methods A questionnaire was administered to students corralled post-OSCE for the first time. Eleven semi-structured interviews were subsequently conducted. Questionnaire data were analysed for descriptive statistics and thematic analysis of interview transcripts was carried out. Results The questionnaire response rate was 95.4% (251/263). Before corralling, 80.9% (203/251) of students were aware of the sharing of information among peers and 78.5% (197/251) agreed that such misconduct was unprofessional. The majority were in favour of corralling (90.8%, 228/251). Four themes emerged from the semi-structured interviews: the student network versus the individual; assessment-driven culture; the deferring of professionalism, and the 'level playing field'. Students saw interaction within the student network, on a background of assessment-driven culture, as the key driver in examination misconduct. Conforming to the rules of the social network was prioritised over individual agency, although the mismatch between the rules of the network and the dominant professional discourse caused some conflict for individuals. Deferred professionalism (described as the practice of taking on the norms of professional behaviour only when qualified) was a rationalisation used to minimise this conflict. Corralling provided a 'level playing field' in which the influences of the network were minimised. Conclusions Examination misconduct is thus a complex social construction with implications for individual learners in terms of professional development. Corralling is one mechanism for addressing misconduct that is acceptable to students, but assessment processes have important hidden effects which educators should acknowledge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]