Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

Development Of A Seamless, High-Resolution Bathymetric Model To Compare Reef Morphology Around The Subtropical Island Shelves Of Lord Howe Island And Balls Pyramid, Southwest Pacific Ocean, Michelle Linklater, Sarah Hamylton, Brendan P. Brooke, Scott L. Nichol, Alan Jordan, Colin D. Woodroffe

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

Lord Howe Island and Balls Pyramid are located approximately 600 km offshore of the southeastern Australian mainland, in the subtropical waters of the northern Tasman Sea. Lord Howe Island hosts the most southern coral reef in the Pacific Ocean, and the shelves surrounding both islands feature fossil coral reefs. This study creates a seamless, high-resolution (5 m cell size) bathymetry model of the two shelves to compare and contrast the extent of reef development and shelf morphology. This was produced by integrating satellite-derived depth data (derived to 35 m depth) and multibeam echosounder (MBES) data. Image partitioning and filtering improved …

Development And Validation Of A Written Credentialing Examination For Overseas-Educated Dietitians, Neville G. Chiavaroli, Eleanor J. Beck, Catherine Itsiopoulos, Paul Wilkinson, Kay Gibbons, Claire Palermo

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

Aim Health professionals seeking employment in foreign countries are commonly required to undertake competency assessment in order to practice. The present study aims to outline the development and validation of a written examination for Dietetic Skills Recognition (DSR), to assess the knowledge, skills, capabilities and professional judgement of overseas-educated dietitians against the competency standards applied to dietetic graduates in Australia. Methods The present study reviews the design, rationale, validation and outcomes of a multiple choice question (MCQ) written examination for overseas-educated dietitians based on 5 years of administration. The validity of the exam is evaluated using Messick's validity framework, which …

The Development And Testing Of The Dementia Friendly Communities Environment Assessment Tool (Dfc Eat), Richard Fleming, Kirsty A. Bennett, Terri Preece, Lyn Phillipson

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

Background: There is a growing recognition of the need to make the built environment in towns and cities more enabling for people with dementia. This study reports the development of a reliable tool to assess the support provided to people with dementia by public and commercial buildings such as council offices, supermarkets, banks, and medical centers as they approach, use, and leave them.

Methods: A three-step process was carried out to develop and establish the reliability of the tool: (1) a review of principles and available tools informed the development and modification of an environmental audit tool of …

'Involve Me And I Learn': Development Of An Assessment Program For Research And Critical Analysis, Judy Mullan, Kylie J. Mansfield, Kathryn M. Weston, Warren C. Rich, Pippa Burns, Christine A. Brown, Peter L. Mclennan

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

Evidence-based medical practice is best achieved by developing research understanding in medical practitioners. To this end, medical councils worldwide increasingly recognise the importance of medical schools graduating students with well-developed research skills and research capacity. To meet this need, the principles of programmatic assessment were implemented in designing a research and critical analysis curriculum and assessment program that aimed to enhance the research and critical analysis skills of medical students. The program was developed by mapping assessment tasks to a research capabilities framework that was in turn scaffolded to different levels of Miler's pyramid. The curriculum and assessments were integrated …

The Development Of Professional Practice Standards For Australian General Practice Nurses, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Moira Stephens, Julianne Bryce, Elizabeth Foley, Christine Ashley

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

Aims The aim of this study was to explore the current role of general practice nurses and the scope of nursing practice to inform the development of national professional practice standards for Australian general practice nurses.

Background Increasing numbers of nurses have been employed in Australian general practice to meet the growing demand for primary care services. This has brought significant changes to the nursing role. Competency standards for nurses working in general practice were first developed in Australia in 2005, but limited attention has been placed on articulating the contemporary scope of practice for nurses in this setting.

Design …

Development Of Advanced Practice Competency Standards For Dietetics In Australia, Claire Palermo, Sandra Capra, Eleanor J. Beck, Janeane Dart, J Conway, Susan Ash

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

Aim: This study aimed to explore the work roles, major tasks and core activities of advanced practice dietitians in Australia to define the Competency Standards for advanced practice. Methods: A qualitative approach was used to review advanced dietetic practice in Australia involving experienced professionals, mostly dietitians. Four focus groups were conducted with a total of 17 participants and an average of 20 years experience: 15 dietitian practitioners plus 2 employers (1 dietitian and 1 non-dietitian). The focus groups explored the key purpose, roles and outcomes of these practitioners. Data from the focus groups were confirmed with in-depth interviews about their …

First-Stage Development And Validation Of A Web-Based Automated Dietary Modeling Tool: Using Constraint Optimization Techniques To Streamline Food Group And Macronutrient Focused Dietary Prescriptions For Clinical Trials, Yasmine Probst, Evan Morrison, Emma Sullivan, Hoa K. Dam

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

No abstract provided.

Competency-Based Professional Development Training Impact On Physical Activity Promotion, R Glenn Weaver, Falon Tilley, Rahma Ajja, Rohan Shah, Daria Winnicka, Morgan Hughey, Collin A. Webster, Aaron Beighle, Russell R. Pate, Ruth Saunders, Michael W. Beets

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

Abstract of poster that presented at 2013 AAHPERD National Convention & Exposition, Charlotte, NC , 23-27 April 2013.

Evaluating A New Infection Prevention And Control Programme (Ipcp): Tool Development And Use In The Republic Of Kiribati, P-A Zimmerman, H Yeatman, M Jones, H Murdoch

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

Abstract of poster presentation that presented at the 2nd International Conference on Prevention and Infection Control (ICPIC 2013), Geneva, Switzerland, 25-28 June 2013.

Facilitation Development In The Essentials Of Care Program; Learning About And Leading Change, D Higgs, P Bergin, C Green, J Crisp, K Walsh

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

Abstract of paper presented at the Australian Nursing and Midwifery Conference, Newcastle, Australia, 17-18 October 2013.

Development And Validation Of An Insulin Proficiency Assessment Tool For Insulin Self-Management In Adults With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus, Dianna Fornasier, Andrew Bonney

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

No abstract provided.

Measuring Women's Beliefs About Glass Ceilings: Development Of The Career Pathways Survey, Paul Smith, Nadia Crittenden, Peter Caputi

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Purpose - The purpose of this study is to develop a new measure called the Career Pathways Survey (CPS) which allows quantitative comparisons of women's beliefs about glass ceilings. Design/methodology/approach - A 34-item version of the CPS was completed by 243 women from all levels of management, mostly in Australia. An expanded 38-item CPS was administered to another sample of women (N = 307). Findings - Analyses of data from both studies yielded a four factor model of attitudes to glass ceilings: resilience, acceptance, resignation and denial. The factors demonstrated good internal consistency. Practical implications - The CPS allows a …

Development And Validation Of An Australian Database For Estimating The Seafood Content Of Canned Products, Elizabeth Neale, Yasmine Probst, Marijka Batterham, Linda C. Tapsell

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Canned fish products are of increasing popularity in Australia; however current Australian nutrient databases do not include data on the percentage fish in these products. The objective of this study was to develop and validate a database of the percentage fish and seafood contained in common canned fish and seafood products, for use in clinical trials. Six major supermarkets in the Illawarra region, NSW were audited for canned seafood products, and a database of re-ported percentage fish and seafood was developed. Mean + SD of each type of product was then determined. To vali-date the database, a representative sample of …

Tomorrows Workforce: Factors Influencing Nursing Students' Development Of Nursing Assessment & Clinical Skills, Andrew Horne, Patrea Andersen, Roy Brown, Patrick A. Crookes

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Research Design - The aim of this research was to: •Describe student nurses experiences undertaking nursing assessments on clients in clinical practice. •Identify factors influencing the students’ ability to perform assessments. •Determine the types of nursing assessments undertaken by students and the frequency of these. •Identify student involvement in completing assessment documentation on nursing assessments.

Case Study In Academic And Industry Collaboration: The Development Of An Adolescent Targeted Sun Protection Intervention In Nsw, Melinda Williams, Sandra Jones, Donald Iverson, Peter Caputi, Sofia Potente

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Academic and industry collaboration is increasingly identified as a critical element in the future health of Australians through linking theory and practice, with the major priority for academic institutions being the identification of new knowledge and the transfer of this knowledge into changes in policy and health services. Collaborations between academia and industry are increasingly encouraged in Australia by research funding schemes such as ARCLinkage and, more recently, NHMRC Partnerships. While a recent US study suggests that such schemes have a moderate effect on academics’ propensity to work with industry (Bozeman and Gaughan, 2007), industry groups have recognised the value …

Strategic Leadership Capacity Development For Ict: Moving Beyond Learning On The Job, Geraldine Lefoe, Dominique Parrish

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

Leadership for change is a key component for universities striving to find new ways to meet the needs of their future students. This paper discusses an innovative framework for leadership capacity development which has been implemented in a number of Australian universities. The framework, underpinned by a distributive approach to leadership, prepares a new generation of leaders for formal positions of leadership in all aspects of teaching and learning. Through the Faculty Scholars Program a number of teaching and learning innovations were implemented, including a number using innovative technologies, to establish strategic change within their faculties. The Scholars shared their …

Development Of A Clinician-Led Research Agenda For General Practice Nurses, Elizabeth J. Halcomb, Louise Hickman

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

Objective: This study sought to identify and prioritise research issues as perceived by Australian general practice nurses. In this context, a research priority refers to the most pressing research problems that necessitate exploration to improve clinical practice. Design: This paper reports the findings of a two-round Delphi study. Initially, focus groups identified research issues. Subsequently, an online survey facilitated ranking of these issues on a 5-point Likert scale. Setting: Australian general practices. Subjects: Twenty-five practice nurses participated in the focus groups and 145 practice nurses responded to an online survey. Main outcome measure(s): The main outcome measure was the prioritisation …

Development And Early Experience From An Intervention To Facilitate Teamwork Between General Practices And Allied Health Providers: The Team-Link Study, Mark Fort Harris, Bibiana Chan, Christopher Daniel, Qing Wan, Nicholas Zwar, Gawaine Powell Davies

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

Abstract. Background. This paper describes the development and implementation of an intervention to facilitate teamwork between general practice and outside allied and community health services and providers. Methods. A review of organizational theory and a qualitative study of 9 practices was used to design an intervention which was applied in four Divisions of General Practice and 26 urban practices. Clinical record review and qualitative interviews with participants were used to determine the key lessons from its implementation. Results. Facilitating teamwork across organizational boundaries was very challenging. The quality of the relationship between professionals was of key importance. This was enabled …

Examining The Social Processes Of 'Innovation' To Inform The Development Of A New Framework For Making Sense Of ''Social Innovation", Patrick M. Dawson, Lisa Daniel

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In the face of increasing pressure to change and adapt to the needs of highly competitive business markets, it is not unusual for management to focus on the commercial payback on technical innovations and to downplay social processes. Typically, company survival is explained in terms of an 'innovation imperative' where new products and services are part of the dynamic business environment for securing and maintaining competitive advantage. Historically, the focus has been on how to translate innovations in science and technology into commercial applications. We contend that whilst largely downplayed, social processes have always been essential tounderstanding innovation and that …

Development And Validation Of A Short Questionnaire To Assess Sodium Intake, Karen E. Charlton, Krisela Steyn, Naomi Levitt, Deborah Jonathan, Jabuliswe Zulu, Johanna Nel

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

Objectives: To develop and validate a short, food frequency questionnaire to assess habitual dietary salt intake in South Africans and to allow classification of individuals according to intakes above or below the maximum recommended intake of 6 g salt/day. Design: Cross-sectional validation study in 324 conveniently sampled men and women. Methods: Repeated 24-hr urinary Na values and 24-hr dietary recalls were obtained on three occasions. Food items consumed by > 5% sample and which contributed e 50 mg Na/serving were included in the questionnaire in 42 categories. A scoring system was devised, based on Na content of one index food per …

The Role Of Achievement Goal Orientation In The Development Of Self Efficacy During Computer Training, Anura Rohan Jayasuriya, Peter Caputi, Parri Gregory, Joseph A. Meloche

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Computer self-efficacy (CSE) is a key factor that is related to performance in computer training. A study was conducted to understand the effects of achievement goal orientation on computer self efficacy development with 166 trainees using a database application. Results show that trainees with different achievement motivation dispositions have affects on CSE development through different paths. Individuals with high mastery approach and performance approach dispositions have positive effects on pre training CSE. Mastery avoidance disposition increases Computer Anxiety (CA), this is not seen with performance avoidance. Performance approach affects CSE development by increasing effort. The study provides initial evidence for …

The Development And Use Of Mental Health Triage Scales In Australia, Marc Broadbent, Lorna Moxham, Trudy Dwyer

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

In Australian emergency departments, the triage of people with physical illness and injury is well developed and supported by the Australasian Triage Scale. The Australasian Triage Scale contains brief descriptors of mental illness and it is unknown if these provide the same reliability in triage decision-making for emergency triage nurses assessing people with a mental illness. Specialist mental health triage scales have been developed to cater for this deficit and to aid emergency staff who have lacked training in the assessment and management of people with a mental illness. A review of the development of mental health triage scales and …

An Application Of A Psychometric Personality Type Inventory To Improve Team Development And Performance, Terence J. Froggatt, Nathan J. Bibby

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

The issue of individual type preferences and how they relate to learning and human resource management are explored. Team learning, knowledge transfer, characteristics of leadership and trust and trusting in the context of team development and performance, are analyzed through the use of the Myers Briggs Type Indicator. The research is conducted with a semi professional Australian Rules football team. The team consists of a culturally diverse group. Predominantly, Australian men between the ages of 18 and 35 years. The men are university educated, trades professionals or blue collar workers, who volunteered to complete the Myers Briggs Type Indicator with …

Clinician Optimism: Development And Psychometric Analysis Of A Scale For Mental Health Clinicians, Mitchell K. Byrne, Nichole L. Sullivan, Stephen J. Elsom

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Clinician optimism is an important factor in achieving treatment outcomes in psychotherapy. Currently there are no measures of mental health clinician optimism which report substantial psychometric validation. This study sought to assesses the validity and reliability of the Therapeutic Optimism Scale (TOS). 223 mental health clinicians working in a range of clinical settings were administered the TOS and convergent and discriminate validity were established. Test-retest reliability was established over a period of one month. The Therapeutic Optimism Scale was found to achieve acceptable reliability (Chronbach's alpha = .68) and yielded consistent scores over a one month period (r = .68, …

Stages Of Recovery Instrument: Development Of A Measure Of Recovery From Serious Mental Illness., Retta Andresen, Peter Caputi, Lindsay G. Oades

Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences - Papers (Archive)

Objective: In order to realize the vision of recovery-orientated mental health services, there is a need for a model and a method of measuring recovery as the concept is described by mental health consumers. A preliminary five-stage model based on consumer accounts was developed in an earlier study by the authors. This next stage of the research program describes the development and initial testing of a stage measure which, when validated, can be used in testing that model. Method: Existing measures of recovery were reviewed to assess their concordance with the model, and a new measure, the Stages of Recovery …

'The Psychiatric Consumer': The Use Of Student Stories To Inform Course Development, Julie Bradshaw, Lorna Moxham

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

With one in five Australians likely to experience the burden of a major mental illness (Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care Services, 1997), undergraduate nursing programs must prepare graduates to be able to work in the area of mental health. A change to the undergraduate nursing curriculum at Central Queensland University provided the impetus to review the traditional way in which we develop and teach our subjects. The authors saw it as essential to develop a psychiatric nursing subject that not only teaches the student the necessary skills and knowledge to safely and effectively care for the mentally ill …

Development Of A Novel Nutrition Screening Tool For Use In Elderly South Africans, Karen E. Charlton, Tracy Kolbe-Alexander, Johanna Nel

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

Objective: To develop a nutrition screening tool for use in older South Africans. Design: A cross-sectional validation study in 283 free-living and institutionalised black South Africans (60+ years). Methods: Trained fieldworkers administered a 24-hour recall and the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) screening tool, and performed anthropometric measurements and physical function tests. Cognitive function was assessed using a validated version of the Six-Item Cognitive Impairment Test. Biochemical indicators assessed included serum albumin, haemoglobin, ferritin, vitamin B12, red-blood-cell folate, cholesterol and vitamin C. The MNA was used as the gold standard against which a novel screening tool was developed using a six-step …

Development And Validation Of Instruments Measuring Body Image And Body Weight Dissatisfaction In South African Mothers And Their Daughters, Zandile Mciza, Julia Goedecke, Nelia P. Steyn, Karen E. Charlton, Thandi Puoane, Shelly Meltzer, Naomi Levitt, Estelle V. Lambert

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

Objective We sought to validate questionnaires concerning body image perception, body size dissatisfaction and weight-related beliefs in multi-ethnic South African mothers and their daughters. Settings and subjects: Girls attending primary school (ages 9-12 years, n = 333) and their mothers (n = 204) were interviewed regarding their demographics and body image. Weight, height and skinfold thicknesses were measured. Body image questions and body mass index (BMI) were compared with silhouettes adapted from the Pathways Study for girls and Stunkard's body image figures for mothers. A Feel-Ideal Difference (FID) index score was created by subtracting the score of the silhouette selected …

Effects Of Ultraviolet Radiation And Visible Light On The Development Of Encapsulated Molluscan Embryos, Rachel Przeslawski, Andrew R. Davis, Kirsten Benkendorff

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

Benthic egg masses laid in intertidal habitats are exposed to numerous environmental stresses including potentially damaging ultraviolet radiation (UVR). We sought to determine the developmental effects of UVR and visible light on molluscan embryos within egg masses from habitats with differential UVR exposure. Capsular and gelatinous egg masses from 23 marine gastropod species were collected from 3 intertidal habitats: (1) full sun, (2) partial shade, and (3) full shade. Egg masses were then divided among 4 spectral treatments: full spectrum, no UV-B, no UV, and dark. An ANOVA confirmed that a significant interaction between original habitat and spectral treatment affected …

Low Cost Technology For Monitoring Sustainable Development, R John Morrison, Ursula Kaly, Alifereti Tawake, Batiri Thaman

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

The term 'sustainable development' first appeared in a significant way in the World Conservation Strategy (IUCN 1980), but the basic ideas had been discussed much earlier. 'Ecologically sustainable development' became particularly popular after the publication of Our Common Future, the Brundtland report (WCED 1987). Many agencies claim that their work is highly dependent on, or governed by, sustainable development or sustainability principles. One of the major problems with the concept of sustainability, however, is that, while many people claim to be utilising sustainability principles, there is often little evidence to confirm this. Supporting data are frequently absent, perhaps because …