Digital Commons Network^™

Patients’ And Caregivers’ Contested Perspectives On Spiritual Care For Those Affected By Advanced Illnesses: A Qualitative Descriptive Study, Clare O'Callaghan, Joanne Brooker, William De Silva, David Glenister, Adelaide Melia, Xavier Symons, David Kissane, Natasha Michael

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Context; Spiritual care refers to practices and rituals addressing spiritual/religious concerns. It supports coping with loss and finding hope, meaning, and peace. Although integral to palliative care, its implementation is challenging.

Objective: To understand an Australian cohort of patients’ and caregivers’ perspectives about experiencing and optimizing spiritual care in the context of advanced illness.

Methods: Patients and caregivers of patients with #12 month prognosis were recruited from a broader spiritual study via criterion sampling and agreed to opt-in interviews. Participants from an Australian, metropolitan health service received a spiritual care definition and were interviewed. Transcripts were analyzed using qualitative description. …

'Through The Eyes Of The Dying' - Identifying Who May Benefit From Bereavement Follow-Up: A Qualitative Study, Jane L. Phillips, Elizabeth A. Lobb, Francis Bellemore, Terrence Hays, David C. Currow

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Introduction: Bereavement support is an integral element of palliative care. Emerging evidence stipulates that bereavement support should be reserved for those most at risk of poor outcomes. While this evidence makes identifying those at risk of experiencing a complex bereavement a necessary first step, it has been difficult to arrive at a consensus as to whom that should be.

Aim: To explore whether palliative care in-patients with advanced disease are concerned about the bereavement needs of others and, if so, is it their next-of-kin.

Design: A qualitative study using semi-structured interviews, and thematic analysis using a constant comparative method.

Setting/participants: …

To Teach Or Not To Teach? The Experiences And Self-Perceptions Of Early Career Teachers In Western Australian Catholic Primary Schools That Led Them To Remain In The Profession, Deborah Black

Theses

The focus of this research was Early Career Teachers (ECTs) in Western Australian Catholic primary schools, their experiences and self-perceptions that led them to remain in the profession. The review of literature highlighted four aspects that were pertinent to ECTs’ decisions to remain in the profession. These four areas were: motivation to join the teaching profession; likes and dislikes of teaching; challenges faced as a teacher; and, strategies used for coping with challenges faced that maintained motivation to remain in the teaching profession.

The study focused on an instrumental case study, the conduct of which was located predominantly in the …

The Christian Concept Of The Nature Of Motherhood And Its Implications In A Contemporary Context, Christine Fisk

Theses

The contemporary context presents countless ideologies and conflicting views about what femininity is and what it is not. In particular, the modern pursuit of equality and autonomy has resulted in the perception of motherhood as inconvenient in some quarters or, worse yet, inconsequential. This thesis considers the question as whether or not motherhood is separable from womanhood, and if there is indeed any inherent value to motherhood. The intent of this thesis was to go beyond the variety of views of what motherhood is to the two primary female figures in Scripture – Eve and Mary - to discern what …

Perceptions Of Large-Scale, Standardised Testing In Religious Education: How Do Religious Educators Perceive The Bishops’ Religious Literacy Assessment?, Antonella Poncini

Theses

This research provides a Western Australian perspective of teaching and assessing Religious Education (RE) in Catholic schools. The perspective recognises RE as a learning area reserved for classroom instruction. This educational focus aligns RE with other learning areas as well as highlights the important role that RE plays in the evangelising mission of the Catholic Church.

A pragmatic approach to research was implemented to focus on religious educators’ perceptions of a large-scale, standardised assessment in RE called The Bishops’ Religious Literacy Assessment (BRLA). This assessment is developed by the Catholic Education Office of Western Australia. The research surveyed 238 religious …

Development Of A Professional Practice Competency For Undergraduate Nursing Students At A Private Catholic University In Western Australia: A Mixed-Method Study, Christine Adams

Theses

This research investigating professional student nursing practice occurred at a private Catholic university in Western Australia. The objects of this university articulate the provision of education in the context of Catholic faith and values. The objects are further expressed through the university’s 10 graduate attributes, which every student should have achieved by graduation. These attributes aim to foster and grow the qualities of ethical practice, interpersonal skills, professionalism, specialist knowledge and skills to support local and global communities. Suggested university strategies for attaining these attributes include undertaking high-quality work-integrated learning and building strong and mutually beneficial relationships with industry partners …

How Is Chaplaincy Marginalised-By Our Faith Communities And By Our Institutions And Can We Change It?, Jeffrey Cohen

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

This paper reviews the issues confronting chaplaincy/spiritual care in the 21st century. It looks at how faith communities are changing their view of chaplaincy as well how institutions respond. The paper looks at two qualitative studies and what can be learned from them in confronting the questions raised at the beginning. It concludes with the question of how the evidence base can be expanded to make chaplaincy/spiritual care more relevant over the next few years.

International Medical Electives In Selected African Countries: A Phenomenological Study On Host Experience, Elspeth Fotheringham, Pippa Craig, Elina Tor

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Objectives: To explore the host experience on international medical electives at a selection of hospitals in low- and middle-income countries in Africa. Outcomes of the study may inform and improve the preparation of global health curriculum, pre-elective training and debriefing for international medical electives.

Methods: A descriptive phenomenological study was undertaken, involving semi-structured interviews with ten elective hosts at seven study sites in three African countries. Purposive convenience sampling augmented by snowballing was utilised to recruit study participants. The data were thematically analysed and interpreted with reflexivity to generate an accurate aggregate of the experience of participants in hosting international …

Cultural Considerations At End Of Life In A Geriatric Inpatient Rehabilitiation Setting, Melissa J. Bloomer, Mari Botti, Fiona Runacres, Peter Poon, Jakqui Barnfield, Alison M. Hutchinson

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Aim: To explore the impact of cultural factors on the provision of end-of-life care in a geriatric inpatient rehabilitation setting.

Background: Australia’s ageing population is now also one of the most culturally diverse. Individuals from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds may have specific care needs at the end of life according to various aspects of their culture.

Design: A mixed method approach using a retrospective audit of existing hospital databases, deceased patients’ medical records, and in-depth interviews with clinicians.

Findings: Patients’ and families’ cultural needs were not always recognised or facilitated in end-of-life care, resulting in missed opportunities to tailor …

'Death Is Difficult In Any Language': A Qualitative Study Of Palliative Care Professionals' Experiences When Providing End-Of-Life Care To Patients From Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Backgrounds, Anna Green, Natalia Jerzmanowska, Marguerite Green, Elizabeth Lobb

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Ethnic minority patients have unique challenges in accessing health services. These include language difficulties, unfamiliarity with the health system, lower rates of cancer screening and survival, higher rates of reported side effects from cancer treatment and poorer quality of life. Little is known about this patient group when transitioning to palliative care.

Aim: To elicit the experiences of palliative care health professionals when providing care for patients from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds which differ from mainstream Australian language and culture.

Design: An emergent qualitative design, informed by theoretical and procedural direction from grounded theory research.

Setting/participants: Four focus …

Identifying Systems Barriers That May Prevent Bereavement Service Access To Bereaved Carers: A Report From An Australian Specialist Palliative Care Service, Jane Phillips, Elizabeth A. Lobb, Paula Mohacsi, Nicole Heneka, David Currow

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Bereavement follow up is an integral element of palliative care. However, little is known about the systems that link bereavement services with bereaved carers.

Aim: To map how effectively a specialist palliative care service linked bereavement service to bereaved carers.

Methodology: A retrospective medical audit, using process mapping was undertaken within one Australian specialist palliative care service to identify the systems that linked bereavement services to a consecutive cohort of palliative care decedents (n=60) next of kin.

Results: Bereavement records were located for 80% of decedents. Nearly all (98%) had a nominated next of kin, with just over half …

Culturally And Linguistically Diverse Palliative Care Patients' Journeys At The End-Of-Life, Anna Green, Natalia Jerzmanowska, Marguerite Green, Elizabeth Lobb

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Objective: To understand the clinical and psychosocial journey of culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) palliative care patients.

Method: This study was conducted at a subacute hospital with a specialist palliative care unit and a community palliative care service in a metropolitan region of New South Wales, Australia. Medical records of 100 deceased patients from CALD backgrounds over a 12-month period from 2014 to 2015 were recorded on a data mining tool. The cohort had transitioned to either community or inpatient palliative care services with a life-limiting illness. We used descriptive statistical analyses to identify the patients’ end-of-life journeys in the …

Using New And Innovative Technologies To Assess Clinical Stage In Early Intervention Youth Mental Health Services: Evaluation Study, Laura Ospina-Pinillos, Tracey A. Davenport, Frank Iorfino, Ashleigh Tickell, Shane Cross, Elizabeth M. Scott, Ian B. Hickie

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Globally there is increasing recognition that new strategies are required to reduce disability due to common mental health problems. As 75% of mental health and substance use disorders emerge during the teenage or early adulthood years, these strategies need to be readily accessible to young people. When considering how to provide such services at scale, new and innovative technologies show promise in augmenting traditional clinic-based services.

Objective: The aim of this study was to test new and innovative technologies to assess clinical stage in early intervention youth mental health services using a prototypic online system known as the Mental …

Patient Reported Outcomes Of Pastoral Care In A Hospital Setting, Elizabeth A. Lobb, Susanne Schmidt, Natalia Jerzmanowska, Ashley M. Swing, Safrina Thristiawati

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

This study aimed to establish whether Pastoral Care (PC) visits were an effective component of a hospitalized patient’s overall health experience. Outcomes of PC visits were reported by 369 patients in 7 sites across Australia. The patient reported outcomes of PC visits included: the patients felt they could be honest with themselves, with a sense of peace, a better perspective of their illness, less anxiety, and felt more in control. Five factors of the PC visit significantly related to higher patient’s overall outcomes: (a) having more Pastoral Care visits (p < 0.5 0 R 0.778, CI 0.17–1.38); (b) the patient was able to talk about what was on their mind (p < 0.01, OR1.48, CI 0.58–2.37); (c) they had something to be hopeful about (p < 0.01 OR1.18, CI 0.51–1.85); 4); the visit focused on decisions about the patient’s health care (p < 0.05, OR0.70, CI 0.05–1.35); and (d) a belief in God/Higher Being (p < 0.01, OR 1.01, CI 0.43–1.71).

'What’S On Your Mind?' The Only Necessary Question In Spiritual Care, Austyn Snowden, Elizabeth Anne Lobb, Susanne Schmidt, Ashley M. Swing, Pamela Logan, Catherine Macfarlane

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Around the world, chaplains provide specialist spiritual care for people with complex healthcare needs. If the nature of chaplain interventions was better understood then multidisciplinary colleagues could both improve their own skills in spiritual care and better understand when to refer people to chaplains. A survey was constructed to establish what aspects of the chaplain/patient relationship were most important for patients in Scotland and Australia. Outcomes were measured with the Scottish Patient Reported Outcome Measure (Scottish PROM©). Results from 610 respondents showed the strongest correlation was between ‘being able to talk about what is on my mind’ and the Scottish …

Parents: Active Partners In The Educational Achievement Of Their Children, Michael O'Neill, Shane Lavery, Anne Coffey

eJournal of Catholic Education in Australasia

Parents exercise a significant influence on student achievement and psychosocial functioning within the school environment. However, the best way to involve parents as active partners in the education of their children is not always evident. This article explores the perceptions of parents and their role in the academic achievement of students in nine high performing Catholic secondary schools in Western Australia. Initially, the review of literature focuses on three constructs: relational trust, parental involvement and policy documents for Catholic schools. Data collection involved a series of focus group interviews in which parents were invited to reflect not only on their …

Sisters Of St John Of God In The Kimberley: A Journey Near Completion And A Story Still To Be Told, Paul Lane

Nulungu Insights

The Sisters of St John of God (SSJG) arrived in the Kimberley in 1907 and through the following 110 years played a critical role in the story of the region: when it comes to health, education, and social development in the Kimberley over the past century the SSJG are central characters. As with many other institutions, the SSJG have reached a time in their journey where they are seeking to transition their values and experiences into some lasting benefit for the Kimberley and its people. It may be that the Sisters will no longer have a physical presence in this …

Theological Foundations Of Pastoral Care In Catholic Universities, Thomas V. Gourlay

eJournal of Catholic Education in Australasia

One defining element of life in any Catholic educational institution, whether it be primary, secondary, or tertiary, is the focus on pastoral care for staff and students. This paper provides a distinctly Catholic definition of the term ‘pastoral care’ and briefly examines the theological foundations that underpin this concept, particularly, in relation to its application in the Catholic university. The paper traces the motif of pastoral care through the Scriptures and, building on insights from St. Pope John Paul II’s Apostolic Constitution on Catholic Universities, Ex Corde Ecclesiae (1990) and the broader theological anthropology of the Vatican II Council. The …

Rewriting The History Of The Native Mounted Police In Queensland, Lynley A. Wallis, Noelene Cole, Heather Burke, Bryce Barker, Kelsey Lowe, Iain Davidson, Elizabeth Hatte

Nulungu Insights

The Archaeology of the Native Mounted Police in Queensland project, jointly led by Nulungu research fellow Dr Lynley Wallis, is a long-overdue exploration into the nature of frontier invasion. Several of our team members have worked in Queensland for many decades and, in every Aboriginal community in which we’ve worked, stories are told about the ‘killing times’ or the ‘war’, as community members call the period when the Native Mounted Police (NMP, also referred to as the ‘Native Police’) were operating. Many community members have asked us over the years to record their stories about the massacres that took place, …

Beginning Teacher Induction In Secondary Schools: A Best Practice Case Study, S Kearney

Education Papers and Journal Articles

Beginning teacher induction is becoming an increasingly popular process in acculturating teachers to their new careers. The problems that teachers face early in their careers are well known, and effective and ongoing induction is one of the foremost practices for alleviating the pressures that teachers face early in their careers. While induction practices have become more common in recent years, there are still no mandated structures for inducting teachers into the profession throughout Australia. In a collective case study of six different programs in independent schools in Sydney, Australia, the author showcases one case in particular that illustrated best practice …

Climate Change And Adaptation On Karajarri Country And ‘Pukarrikarra’ Places, Anna Dwyer

Nulungu Research Papers

I am a Karajarri woman and one of the Traditional Owners of Karajarri Country. I come from Bidyadanga Aboriginal Community which is on Karajarri Country, approximately 190 km south of the township of Broome in the Kimberley region of Western Australia. I am a linguist, interpreter and researcher at the Nulungu Research Institute, located on the Broome campus of the University of Notre Dame Australia, on Yawuru Country. I am often required to bring together traditional knowledge and Western rationalist approaches to knowledge generation in my research endeavours. The aim of the project described in this paper was to explore …

'When She Calls For Help' - Domestic Violence In Christian Families, L Westenberg

Theology Papers and Journal Articles

Violence in relationships is a common experience for a significant number of women. VicHealth (Australia) has noted that one of the underlying and contributing factors towards violence against women is their environment, citing ‘faith-based institutions’ such as churches as one such environment for many women. Indeed, international research shows that the language of religion is often used by women to explain abuse. Additionally, abused Christian women are more likely to remain in or return to unsafe relationships, citing religious beliefs to support avoidance of ‘family break-ups’ despite abuse. In contrast, however, churches can address domestic violence within a context of …

The Relationship Between Love And Reason, Tracey Rowland

Theology Papers and Journal Articles

No abstract is available for this article.

'Weakness, And Wounded And Troubled Love' In Amoris Laetitia: Pope Francis As Pastor, Thomas Ryan

Theology Papers and Journal Articles

‘Accompanying, Discerning and Integrating Weakness’ is the ‘contested’ chapter 8 of Pope Francis’s postsynodal allocution ‘The Joy of Love’ (Amoris Laetitia). This collegial document can be approached from various perspectives, for example, in its historical and theological context; in its significance for moral theology; in its reception within local churches. The aim here is pastoral, namely, to clarify the chapter’s content and, specifically, its implications for the faithful and those engaged in pastoral ministry.

Establishing Factors That Enable Or Inhibit Student Access To Academic Support Office Services, Louise Johnston

Theses

With the increasing diversity of students entering higher education there is a greater need and obligation to assist in creating an even playing field to ensure the academic success of all students. Learning support has received much attention in the last decade with the introduction of a more diverse population. Consequently, now more than ever, universities must ensure best practices are implemented for enhancing academic skills of students. This qualitative case study, undertaken at one university in Sydney, examined the factors that enabled or inhibited students from accessing Academic Support Office services. A survey and interviews were used to collect …

Communion Ecclesiology And Communication In The Post-Vatican Ii Church, Marita Winters

Theses

From the time of the Second Vatican Council (1962–65) there has been a recovery of the understanding of the nature of the Church as communion. The communion of the Church is derived from the divine love between the three Persons of the Trinity and gives rise to communion among the faithful. It is evident in scripture and was understood by the early Church. This shift in ecclesiology underpinned the renewal of the Church’s mission of evangelization in the years since the Council. The Church is called to go out to the whole world and tell the Good News of Jesus …

“Life Within The Person Comes To The Fore”: Pastoral Workers’ Practice Wisdom On Using Arts In Palliative Care, Clare O'Callaghan, Libby Byrne, Eleni Cokalis, David Glenister, Margaret Santilli, Rose Clark, Therese Mccarthy, Natasha Michael

Medical Papers and Journal Articles

Background: Pastoral care (also chaplaincy, spiritual care) assists people to find meaning, personal resources, and connection with self, others, and/or a higher power. Although essential in palliative care, there remains limited examination of what pastoral workers do. This study examined how pastoral workers use and consider the usefulness of art-based modalities.

Methods: Qualitative research was used to examine the practice wisdom (tacit practice knowledge) of pastoral workers experienced in using visual arts and music in palliative care. Two focus groups were conducted. Thematic analysis was informed by grounded theory.

Results: Six pastoral workers shared information. Three themes emerged. First, pastoral …

Student Perspectives Of A Leadership Program: Benefits And Shortcomings, G Hine

Education Papers and Journal Articles

Despite the importance of adolescent leadership development, little research has critically examined how to improve school-based leadership programs. The intention of this research was to explore how one Catholic secondary school developed leadership potential in adolescents, and how such efforts could be improved in the future. Perspectives of elected student leaders from Years 10 - 12 were examined using a longitudinal case study. The primary methods for collecting data included qualitative interviewing, field notes, journalling and document analysis. Based upon the collected data, the researcher inductively conceptualised strengths and shortcomings of the leadership program proffered by the student participants. According …

Cultural Decoding: A Humanities Program For Gifted And Talented High School Students Seeking University Entrance, Laura D'Olimpio, Angela Mccarthy, Annette Pedersen

Philosophy Papers and Journal Articles

This article details Cultural DeCoding, a humanities based high school extension program for gifted and talented Year 11 and 12 students in Western Australia. The brainchild of Dr Annette Pedersen (UWA & John XXIII College) and Dr Angela McCarthy (UNDA), the program runs for four days across the summer holidays before the start of the school term. The program fills a gap that exists in the education of gifted and talented secondary students who are interested in the humanities. It is comprised of sessions run by academics who facilitate discussion and activities based on their area of research and teaching …

Martin Griver: Unearthed, Angela Mccarthy

Theology Papers and Journal Articles

Book Review: -

O'Brien, Odhran. Martin Griver: Unearthed. Strathfield NSW: St Pauls, 2014.