Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Ethical Practice In Learning Through Participation: Showcasing And Evaluating The Pace Ethical Practice Module, Michaela Baker, Alison Beale, Laura Ann Hammersley, Kate Lloyd, Anne-Louise Semple, Karolyn L. White

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In 2008, Macquarie University instituted the Participation and Community Engagement (PACE) initiative. This initiative embeds units in the curriculum that involve learning through participation (LTP) that is mutually beneficial to the student, the University and the organisation or community in which student participation activities take place. Ethical practice is thus an integral part of this initiative. The issue of ethical practice in LTP 'has not been comprehensively addressed in the literature to date' and warrants further examination. This paper discusses the development of the innovative PACE Ethical Practice Module to teach ethical practice in participation units. We evaluate the effectiveness …

Practice Nurses And Sexual Health Care: Enhancing Team Care Within General Practice, Penny Abbott, Ann Dadich, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Melissa Kang, Wendy Hu, Chris Bourne, Carolyn Murray, Jenny Reath

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Collaboration between general practitioners (GPs) and practice nurses (PNs) can enhance health care delivery. However, despite evidenced shortfalls in general practice-based sexual health care, the PN role in sexual health appears underdeveloped. Evaluation of New South Wales Sexually Transmissible Infections Programs Unit GP Project provided an opportunity to canvass views of GPs and PNs regarding PNs and sexual health care. Methods: A purposively sampled group of 10 PNs and nine GPs were interviewed. Interviews were transcribed and analysed thematically. Results: The extent and nature of PN-GP teamwork in sexual health care was variable, influenced largely by GP recognition and …

Practice Nurses And Sexual Health Care - Enhancing Team Care Within General Practice, Penny Abbott, Ann Dadich, Hassan Hosseinzadeh, Melissa Kang, Wendy Hu, Chris Bourne, Carolyn Murray, Jenny Reath

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Aims & rationale/Objectives Despite a high prevalence of sexually transmissible infections (STIs) and evidenced shortfalls in Australian general practice STI screening, practice nurse (PN) roles in sexual healthcare appear underdeveloped. The evaluation of the NSW STI Programs Unit (STIPU) GP Project provided opportunity to canvass the views of general practitioners (GPs) and PNs regarding PN roles in sexual healthcare. Methods As part of a broader evaluation of resources developed through the STIPU GP project, survey respondents were invited to participate in interviews exploring their views on how to support and increase the delivery of sexual health care in general practice. …

Risky Business: Do Private Practice And Clinical Placement Make A Happy Partnership?, Angela Douglas

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Abstract of paper presented at the 2013 Exercise & Sports Science Australia Business Forum, 18-19 May, Wollongong, Australia.

The Influence Of Longitudinal Integrated Clerkships On Clinical Scholarship In Regional And Rural Communities Of Practice, Kathryn M. Weston, Judith Nicky Hudson

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

All senior medical students at the University of Wollongong undertake a longitudinal integrated community-based cle rkship, supervised by experienced generalist practitioners (GPs) in a regional or ru ral community. Prior to the first clerkship, GP preceptors predicted outcomes from their relationship with the long-term students, including a more scholarly approach to clinical pract ice. This prompted exploration of preceptor post·clerkship perceptions In the light of Grigsby and Tl10rndykes (2011) recent working definition of dlnical scholarship in academic medicine.

Addressing The Deficiencies In The Evidence-Base For Primary Practice In Regional Australia - Sentinel Practices Data Sourcing (Spds) Project: A Pilot Study, Abhijeet Ghosh, Karen E. Charlton, Lisa Girdo, Marijka J. Batterham, Keith Mcdonald

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Background Chronic disease risk on a population level can be quantified through health surveys, either continuous or periodic. To date, information gathered from primary care interactions, using sentinel sites, has not been investigated as a potentially valuable surveillance system in Australia.

Methods A pilot study was conducted in a single General Practice in a regional area of New South Wales, Australia to assess the feasibility of accessing data obtained through a computerised chronic disease management program that has been designed for desktop application (Pen Computer Systems (PCS) Clinical Audit Tool: ™ PCS CAT). Collated patient data included information on chronic …

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse General Practitioners' Utilisation Of Practice Nurses, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Yenna Salamonson, Melissa Cooper, Jennifer L. Clauson, Lien Lombardo

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Background Practice nurses are primarily employed by general practitioners, however little is known about the barriers to practice nurse employment from the perspective of general practitioners (GPs). Aim This paper seeks to explore solo, culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) general practitioners' perceptions of the practice nurse role, and to identify the barriers and facilitators of these doctors employing nurses within their practice. Methods A descriptive study, using semi-structured interviews, was conducted from July to August 2010. Participants were CALD GPs working as solo practitioners who were members of a Division of General Practice in South Western Sydney. Quantitative data were …

Electronic Discharge Summary Driving Advice: Current Practice And Future Directions, John Carmody, Michael Carey, Victoria Traynor, Don Iverson

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Background Driving is a complex task. Many older drivers are unaware of their obligation to inform authorities of conditions which may impact upon their driving safety. Aims This study sought to establish the adequacy of driving advice in electronic discharge summaries from an Australian stroke unit. Method One month of in-patient electronic discharge summaries were reviewed. A predetermined list of items was used to assess each electronic discharge summary: age; gender; diagnosis; relevant co-morbidities; deficit at time of discharge; driving advice; length of stay; and discharge destination. Results Of 41 participants, the mean age was 72 years. Twenty patients had …

Connectgpr: Implementing A Virtual Community Of Practice For General Practice Training, Stephen Barnett

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Abstract of paper the presented at the 2013 Medicine 2.0: World Congress on Social Media, Mobile Apps, Internet/Web 2.0, 25 September, London.

Practice Based Evidence: What Determines Clozpapine Prescribing Practice?, N B. Pai, S C. Vella

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Abstract of poster that presented at the 15th ISAM Annual Meeting: Managing Addiction through Evidence-Based Medical and Psychosocial Interventions, 21-23 November 2013, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

A Qualitative Evaluation Of New Zealand Consumers Perceptions Of General Practice Nurses, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Kath Peters, Deborah Davies

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Background An important consideration in health service delivery is ensuring that services meet consumer needs and that consumers are satisfied with service delivery. Patient satisfaction can impact on compliance with suggested treatments and therefore impact on health outcomes. Comparatively few studies have explored consumer satisfaction with nurses in general practice. Methods A sub-group of 18 consumers from a larger quantitative evaluation of consumer satisfaction with New Zealand general practice nurses participated in semi-structured telephone interviews. Interview data was analysed using thematic analysis. Results Four major themes emerged from the data. These themes highlighted that, despite confusion experienced by some consumers …

Challenges To Getting Evidence Into Practice: Expert Clinician Perspectives On Psychotherapy For Personality Disorders, Kye L. Mccarthy, Phoebe E. Carter, Brin F. S Grenyer

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background No known recent studies have investigated service provision for personality disorder in Australia, despite international studies suggesting provision of such services is sub-optimal. Aims This study aimed to gain insight into psychotherapy provided for personality disorders, treatments considered optimal by clinicians and opinions of clinicians on the current levels of care. Methods The views of 60 experienced clinicians working with personality disorders were sampled. Results Data showed significant gaps between current practices for the treatment of personality disorders provided by clinicians compared to their perceptions of optimal treatment practice. Conclusions This study highlights the evidence-practice gap and the need …

Increasing Practice After Stroke To Optimise Upper Limb Rehabilitation: A Phase Ii Randomised Trial, N A. Lannin, C Hills, A Cusick, B Kinnear, G Bowring

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Poster abstract presented at the STROKE 2013 CONFERENCE. 24th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Stroke Society of Australia. 31 July - 2 August 2013. Darwin, Australia

Policy Advocacy Organizations: A Framework Linking Theory And Practice, Sheldon Gen, Amy Conley Wright

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The practice of policy advocacy by organizations has outpaced its theoretical development. Yet the importance of a theoretical grounding for advocacy campaigns has increased with the need for accountability and an understanding of advocates' contributions to policy development. This article synthesizes practitioner and academic literature on policy advocacy and proposes a conceptual framework of policy advocacy inputs, activities, and outcomes. Five distinct advocacy strategies are hypothesized: enhancing a democratic environment, applying public pressure, influencing decision makers, direct reform, and implementation change. This framework provides guidelines for organizations to strategically engage policy processes, while directing a research agenda on advocacy organizations.

Perceptions Of Family Physician Trainees And Trainers Regarding The Usefulness Of A Virtual Community Of Practice, Stephen Barnett, Sandra C. Jones, Sue Bennett, Donald C. Iverson, Andrew Bonney

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background: Training for Australian general practice, or family medicine, can be isolating, with registrars (residents or trainees) moving between rural and urban environments, and between hospital and community clinic posts. Virtual communities of practice (VCoPs), groups of people sharing knowledge about their domain of practice online and face-to-face, may have a role in overcoming the isolation associated with general practice training. Objective: This study explored whether Australian general practice registrars and their supervisors (trainers) would be able to use, and would be interested in using, a VCoP in the form of a private online network for work and training purposes. …

Improving Implementation Of Evidence-Based Practice In Mental Health Service Delivery: Protocol For A Cluster Randomised Quasi-Experimental Investigation Of Staff-Focused Values Interventions, Virginia Williams, Lindsay G. Oades, Frank P. Deane, Trevor P. Crowe, Joseph Ciarrochi, Retta Andresen

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Background There is growing acceptance that optimal service provision for individuals with severe and recurrent mental illness requires a complementary focus on medical recovery (i.e., symptom management and general functioning) and personal recovery (i.e., having a 'life worth living'). Despite significant research attention and policy-level support, the translation of this vision of healthcare into changed workplace practice continues to elude. Over the past decade, evidence-based training interventions that seek to enhance the knowledge, attitudes, and skills of staff working in the mental health field have been implemented as a primary redress strategy. However, a large body of multi-disciplinary research indicates …

Pre-Service Teachers' Attitudes Towards Overseas Professional Experience: Implications For Professional Practice, Mohan Chinnappan, Barbra Mckenzie, Phil Fitzsimmons

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Reforms in Australia about the education of future teachers have placed a high degree of emphasis on the development of knowledge and skills that are necessary for practitioners who will ply their trade in culturally rich and diverse classrooms (Ramsey, 2000). There is now a broad consensus from key stakeholders (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership, 2012) that pre-service teachers need to be provided with a range of opportunities that are grounded in classroom practices including exposure to teaching students overseas. The aim of this mixed mode study (Creswell, 2012) is to better understand the skills and knowledge that …

Investigating Synergies Between Literacy, Technology And Classroom Practice, Lisa Kervin, Irina Verenikina, Pauline Jones, Olivia Beath

Faculty of Social Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The ways educators incorporate technologies into their classroom literacy experiences and the implications these present for professional practices have been the focus of discussion for some time. We believe it timely to re-examine these debates in a period of 'digital reform' as we consider the realities teachers report as they use technology as a tool in literacy classrooms. In doing this, we acknowledge the potential of new technologies such as laptops, wireless connectivity, Interactive White Boards and mobile communication devices to reshape pedagogic activity within primary classrooms but aim to capture the reality reported by active practitioners. In this paper …

From Theory To Practice In Rail Geotechnology, B Indraratna, Sanjay Nimbalkar, N Tennakoon, Q D. Sun

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

In recent times the increase in axle loads and train speeds have posed serious geotechnical issues with ballasted railway tracks, both in Australia and the world. The large deformations and degradation of ballast under cyclic and impact loads, and the low bearing capacity of compacted ballast and impaired drainage often exacerbate track maintenance. In recent times in Australia, geosynthetics have been trialed in ballasted tracks constructed on soft and saturated formations to help improve stability and longevity. Comprehensive field studies on instrumented tracks at Bulli (near Wollongong) and Singleton (near Newcastle) supported by RailCorp and ARTC, were carried out to …

How On Earth? Cartography And Curatorial Practice In The Archipelago, Etienne Turpin, Anna-Sophie Springer

Faculty of Engineering and Information Sciences - Papers: Part A

While geologists and stratigraphers debate the scientific merits of the Anthropocene thesis, culture workers remain precariously exposed to experiences of the planetary upheavals characteristic of our all-too-human epoch. If, as Peter Sloterdijk has suggested, our planet of terrestrial globalization has become a world interior of capital, what are the cartographic and curatorial practices that might respond to the ecologies of excess in this world interior?

Social Media Experiments: Scholarly Practice And Collegiality, Chris Gibson, Leah Maree Gibbs

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

We draw out and seek to build on two key insights in Kitchin et al. (2013), namely the possibilities of social media for transforming knowledge production practices and for generating new spaces of collegiality and communality. Most promising are capacities to shape the terms of academic labour and to disrupt binaries of core/periphery, research/impact and academic/public.

Using Formative Feedback To Identify And Support First Year Chemistry Students With Missing Or Misconceptions. A Practice Report, Gwen Lawrie, Anthony Wright, Madeleine Schultz, Timothy Dargaville, Glennys O'Brien, Simon B. Bedford, Mark Williams, Roy Tasker, Hayden Dickson, Christopher Thompson

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Students entering tertiary studies possess a diverse range of prior experiences in their academic preparation for tertiary chemistry so academics need tools to enable them to respond to issues in diversity in conceptual models possessed by entering students. Concept inventories can be used to provide formative feedback to help students identify concepts that they need to address to improve construction of subsequent understanding enabling their learning. Modular, formative learning activities that can be administered inside or outside of class in first year chemistry courses have been developed. These activities address key missing and mis-conceptions possessed by incoming student. Engagement in …

Preventive Evidence Into Practice (Pep) Study: Implementation Of Guidelines To Prevent Primary Vascular Disease In General Practice Protocol For A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial, Mark Fort Harris, Jane Lloyd, John Litt, Mieke Van Driel, Danielle Mazza, Grant Russell, Jane Smith, Chris Del Mar, Elizabeth Denney-Wilson, Sharon M. Parker, Yordanka Krastev, Upali W. Jayasinghe, Richard J. Taylor, Nicholas Zwar, Jinty Wilson, Helen Bolger-Harris, Justine Waters

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Background: There are significant gaps in the implementation and uptake of evidence-based guideline recommendations for cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetes in Australian general practice. This study protocol describes the methodology for a cluster randomised trial to evaluate the effectiveness of a model that aims to improve the implementation of these guidelines in Australian general practice developed by a collaboration between researchers, non-government organisations, and the profession.Methods: We hypothesise that the intervention will alter the behaviour of clinicians and patients resulting in improvements of recording of lifestyle and physiological risk factors (by 20%) and increased adherence to guideline recommendations for: the …

What Is Different In Psychiatric Practice In Developing And Developed World? An Experiential Account From Australia And India, Nagesh Pai, Naveen Chandra

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

Abstract of a paper presented at the 65th Annual National Conference of Indian Psychiatric Society, Bangalor, 10-13 Jan, 2013. This is a narrative account of two psychiatrists (from Wollongong, NSW and Mangalore, India) who swapped their location or practice and reviewed their experiences.

Clinical Placements In General Practice: Relationships Between Practice Nurses And Tertiary Institutions, Kath Peters, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Susan Mcinnes

Faculty of Science, Medicine and Health - Papers: part A

As a practice-based discipline a key component of undergraduate nurse education is clinical practice experience. The quality of clinical experiences has a significant impact on the students' ability to function competently post graduation. The relationship between higher education institutions (HEIs) and health service placement providers impacts upon the quality of clinical placements. In Australia, the growth of primary care nursing and the shortage of acute clinical places has prompted HEIs to explore the placement of students in general practice. Given the increasing attention being paid to non-traditional clinical placements, it is timely to explore how universities are establishing relationships and …