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Open-ended Questions (open-ended + question)
Selected AbstractsClinician attitudes towards early psychosis intervention: the first 4 yearsACTA PSYCHIATRICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 2002J. Gorrell Objectives, A questionnaire was administered with an aim to assess the attitudes of mental health clinicians towards the adoption of an early intervention approach and to monitor attitudinal change during the introduction of this approach. Method, The perceptions of Early Psychosis Intervention (PEPI) questionnaire was developed and then completed by clinicians at three time points over 4 years during the introduction of a best practice early intervention approach (n=143, 178, 102, respectively). Results, Indicate that at all three time points clinicians generally agreed with the potential advantages of early intervention but were unsure about their own readiness to implement such intervention. Responses to an open-ended question regarding concerns about the new approach indicated a positive shift up the developmental process of change, from initial concerns about personal skills, resources and workload, to a gradually more specific focus on particular aspects of clinical interventions and on the impact of the new approach. Conclusions, Our services have introduced early psychosis intervention. Clinicians have moved up the developmental process of change. The questionnaire has provided a means for clinicians to influence the change process. [source] Between ideology and social representations: Four theses plus (a new) one on the relevance and the meaning of the political left and rightEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF POLITICAL RESEARCH, Issue 5 2009PIERGIORGIO CORBETTA This study analyses the relevance and the meaning given by Italians to the political labels ,left' and ,right' between 1975 and 2006. Based on responses to the open-ended question ,What do you mean by "left/right" in politics?', the study compares five alternative hypotheses on the meaning of the left-right axis and show that, despite the alleged end of ideologies, the relevance of the axis has increased over time. A core of abstract meanings persists throughout the thirty-year period considered. As the importance of abstract meanings has increased over time, reference to more concrete contents (such as ,parties' and ,leaders') has decreased. The findings thus support the hypothesis that the left-right axis has the functional characteristics of social representations. [source] Nurses' perception of disaster: implications for disaster nursing curriculumJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 22 2009Fung WM Olivia Aims and objectives., The aims of the study were to identify nurses' perception of disaster, whether they considered some of the events that have occurred in Hong Kong to be disasters and the types of disastrous events that they considered likely in Hong Kong. Background., The frequent occurrence of disasters has caused concern internationally. When disaster strikes, the demands on nursing staff are much higher than those on other healthcare professionals. There is little understanding of the concept of disaster among nurses in Hong Kong. Design., This was a descriptive study. A questionnaire was used to explore nurses' perception of disaster. Method., The questionnaire was distributed to all registered nurses studying in a master's degree programme in a university in Hong Kong. Findings., Only 123 out of the 164 respondents (75%) gave a description of disaster in the open-ended question. Sixty-one per cent of them described unfortunate events with large numbers of victims as disasters. The ,Lan Kwai Fong tragedy , stampede caused by over-crowdedness' (90·9%) and the severe acute respiratory syndrome outbreak (89·6%) were commonly referred to as disasters in Hong Kong. Fires in tall buildings (61·6%), infectious disease outbreaks (61%) and stampedes caused by overcrowding (48·8%) were rated as the events most likely to happen in Hong Kong. Conclusion., Understanding how nurses perceive disaster and the likelihood of disastrous events is the initial step for disaster planning and the development of a disaster nursing curriculum in Hong Kong. Relevance to clinical practice., All nurses around the world should be equipped with knowledge and skills for disaster care. This study provides information and implications for related research and the development of a disaster nursing curriculum to meet the global demand for disaster preparedness. [source] Willingness to pay for a hearing aid: comparing the payment scale and open-ended questionJOURNAL OF EVALUATION IN CLINICAL PRACTICE, Issue 1 2009Janneke P. C. Grutters MSc Abstract Rationale & objectives, Different question formats elicit different willingness-to-pay (WTP) results, but there is no consensus on which method elicits the most valid WTP. In spite of the methodological controversies, WTP is a potentially valuable tool in health economics to value health services. Our general objective was to provide additional evidence on the validity of two WTP elicitation formats: the open-ended question and the payment scale. Methods, We elicited WTP for a hearing aid among hearing aid users (n = 108), using both a payment scale and an open-ended question. We compared the results from both formats. We tested criterion validity by comparing both formats with the actual out-of-pocket payment. Construct validity was tested by examining whether WTP was consistent with positive income elasticity. Results, The WTP results elicited with the payment scale and open-ended question were not statistically significantly different. Both formats showed good criterion validity, although the open-ended question showed a stronger association with the actual out-of-pocket payment. The open-ended format showed better construct validity, as it was influenced by family income. Conclusion, The results of the present study showed that the open-ended question was more valid than the payment scale question. We, therefore, recommend that in future WTP studies on hearing aids the open-ended question is used to directly elicit WTP values. The same recommendation may apply to other studies where respondents are familiar with costs or payments for the intervention under evaluation. [source] Empirical Design Research: Student Definitions, Perceptions, and ValuesJOURNAL OF INTERIOR DESIGN, Issue 2 2007Joan I. Dickinson Ph.D. ABSTRACT Third and fourth year undergraduate interior design students in Colleges of Architecture or Human Sciences at three different research universities were surveyed to compare their: (1) perceived value of research in interior design practice, (2) perceptions of who should conduct research, (3) attitudes toward research in interior design education, and (4) definitions of research. A survey instrument was developed that consisted of one open-ended question and 29 questions using a Likert scale. Questions were adapted from the Chenoweth and Chidister (1983) scale that measured landscape architecture attitudes toward research, and from the Dickson and White (1993) scale administered to interior design practicing professionals. A total of 89 undergraduate students were surveyed from the three universities. The majority of the students were Caucasian (n = 79) and female (n = 84). The results indicated that, overall, students valued research for the profession regardless of their college or university affiliation. However, their definitions of research were pragmatic in nature, and they often regarded research as the gathering of information rather than the generation of new knowledge. The students were also unclear about who should be conducting interior design research. College affiliation revealed that students who were in an architecturally-based program put a higher value on research at the undergraduate level than those students housed in a College of Human Sciences; similarly, College of Architecture students had a better understanding that research advanced a profession. [source] High risk factors of hostage barricade incidents in a Japanese sampleJOURNAL OF INVESTIGATIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND OFFENDER PROFILING, Issue 2 2004Kaeko Yokota Abstract Hostage taking incidents in which the police besiege a particular location are known as hostage barricade incidents. The first aim of the present article was to examine the process of risk assessment in hostage incidents, using a group of police officers as the sample. The second aim was to identify the risk factors involved in hostage incidents and examine the degree of concordance between the risk as assessed by the police officers and the figures obtained from the analysis of actual hostage barricade incidents. For the purpose of this study, a survey was carried out across Japan, and 45 police officers responsible for hostage negotiation responded to the questionnaires. Additionally, a sample of 116 actual hostage barricade incidents that occurred in Japan from 1970 to 2002 was utilised to examine the high risk factors involved in such cases. As per the results, a majority of the police officers (73.3%), in response to an open-ended question, indicated that the highly excited state of the hostage takers was dangerous for the hostages. Moreover, it was demonstrated in all 116 incidents that several factors such as ,a long siege' tended to increase the risk of deaths, though this was very rare (n,=,4). On the other hand, the proportion of injuries to the hostages was high in expressive situations such as domestic situations or suicide attempt scenarios. On the whole, the results obtained from the analyses of actual incidents were consistent with those obtained from the police officers' risk assessment in many respects. However, the correlation between the degree of risk as assessed by the police officers and the actual rate of deaths/injuries to the hostages was very low. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Paradoxical Effects of Alcohol Information on Alcohol Outcome ExpectanciesALCOHOLISM, Issue 7 2010Marvin D. Krank Background:, Cognitive associations with alcohol predict both current and future use in youth and young adults. Much cognitive and social cognitive research suggests that exposure to information may have unconscious influences on thinking and behavior. The present study assessed the impact of information statements on the accessibility of alcohol outcome expectancies. Methods:, The 2 studies reported here investigated the effects of exposure to alcohol statements typical of informational approaches to prevention on the accessibility of alcohol outcome expectancies. High school and university students were presented with information statements about the effects of alcohol and other commercial products. The alcohol statements were taken from expectancy questionnaires. Some of these statements were presented as facts and others as myths. The retention of detailed information about these statements was manipulated by (i) divided attention versus focused attention or (ii) immediate versus delayed testing. Accessibility of personal alcohol outcome expectancies was subsequently measured using an open-ended question about the expected effects of alcohol. Results:, Participants reported more alcohol outcomes seen during the information task as personal expectations about the effects of alcohol use than similar unseen items. Paradoxically, myth statements were also more likely to be reported as expectancies than unseen items in all conditions. Additionally, myth statements were generated less often than fact statements only under the condition of immediate testing with strong content processing instructions. Conclusions:, These observations are consistent with findings from cognitive research where familiarity in the absence of explicit memory can have an unconscious influence on performance. In particular, the exposure to these items in an informational format increases accessibility of the seen items even when the participants were told that they were myths. The findings have implications for the development of effective prevention materials. [source] Automating survey coding by multiclass text categorization techniquesJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY FOR INFORMATION SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY, Issue 14 2003Daniela Giorgetti Survey coding is the task of assigning a symbolic code from a predefined set of such codes to the answer given in response to an open-ended question in a questionnaire (aka survey). This task is usually carried out to group respondents according to a predefined scheme based on their answers. Survey coding has several applications, especially in the social sciences, ranging from the simple classification of respondents to the extraction of statistics on political opinions, health and lifestyle habits, customer satisfaction, brand fidelity, and patient satisfaction. Survey coding is a difficult task, because the code that should be attributed to a respondent based on the answer she has given is a matter of subjective judgment, and thus requires expertise. It is thus unsurprising that this task has traditionally been performed manually, by trained coders. Some attempts have been made at automating this task, most of them based on detecting the similarity between the answer and textual descriptions of the meanings of the candidate codes. We take a radically new stand, and formulate the problem of automated survey coding as a text categorization problem, that is, as the problem of learning, by means of supervised machine learning techniques, a model of the association between answers and codes from a training set of precoded answers, and applying the resulting model to the classification of new answers. In this article we experiment with two different learning techniques: one based on naive Bayesian classification, and the other one based on multiclass support vector machines, and test the resulting framework on a corpus of social surveys. The results we have obtained significantly outperform the results achieved by previous automated survey coding approaches. [source] Long-term follow-up of a 10-month programme in curriculum development for medical educators: a cohort studyMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 7 2008Aysegul Gozu Context, There is an ongoing need for curriculum development (CD) in medical education. However, only a minority of medical teaching institutions provide faculty development in CD. This study evaluates the long-term impact of a longitudinal programme in curriculum development. Methods, We surveyed eight cohorts of participants (n = 64) and non-participants (n = 64) from 1988 to 1996 at baseline and at 6,13 years after completion of a 10-month, one half-day per week programme offered annually, which included a mentored CD project, workshops on CD steps, a final paper and a presentation. Results, Fifty-eight participants (91%) and 50 non-participants (78%) returned completed follow-up surveys. In analyses, controlling for background characteristics and baseline self-rated proficiencies, participants were more likely than non-participants at follow-up to report having developed and implemented curricula in the past 5 years (65.5% versus 43.7%; odds ratio [OR] 2.41, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.03,5.66), to report having performed needs assessment when planning a curriculum (86.1% versus 58.8%; OR 5.59, 95% CI 1.20,25.92), and to rate themselves highly in developing (OR 3.57, 95% CI 1.36,9.39), implementing (OR 3.04, 95% CI 1.16,7.93) and evaluating (OR 2.74, 95% CI 1.10,6.84) curricula. At follow-up, 86.2% of participants reported that the CD programme had made a moderate or great impact on their professional careers. Responses to an open-ended question on the impact confirmed continued involvement in CD work, confidence in CD skills, application of CD skills and knowledge beyond CD, improved time management, and lasting relationships formed because of the programme. Conclusions, Our results suggest that a longitudinal faculty development programme that engages and supports faculty in real CD work can have long-lasting impact. [source] The development and evaluation of a measure to assess cancer survivors' unmet supportive care needs: the CaSUN (Cancer Survivors' Unmet Needs measure)PSYCHO-ONCOLOGY, Issue 9 2007K. Hodgkinson Abstract Background: Many cancer survivors experience ongoing morbidity over the survivorship continuum and their supportive care needs have yet to be comprehensively assessed. Methods: This study aimed to develop and empirically evaluate a self-report measure of cancer survivors' supportive care needs. In Phase I, questionnaire items were generated based upon previous qualitative research that identified both unique and shared needs in survivors and their partners; items were constructed into the Cancer Survivors' Unmet Needs measure (CaSUN). In Phase 2, the CaSUN was completed by 353 cancer survivors who had been diagnosed with cancer between 1 and 15 years earlier and were currently disease-free. Results: After modification, the CaSUN included 35 unmet need items, 6 positive change items and an open-ended question. Good acceptability, internal consistency and validity were demonstrated, although test,retest reliability was low. Maximum likelihood factor analysis identified five discrete factors: Existential Survivorship, Comprehensive Care, Information, Quality of Life and Relationships. Conclusions: Preliminary data indicates that the CaSUN meets the majority of psychometric criteria for assessment measures, although its low test,retest reliability awaits further investigation. The CaSUN will facilitate the evaluation of supportive care services and generation of service delivery recommendations for cancer survivors. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Sources of stress in impoverished neighbourhoods: insights into links between neighbourhood environments and healthAUSTRALIAN AND NEW ZEALAND JOURNAL OF PUBLIC HEALTH, Issue 1 2009Deborah Warr Abstract Objective:This paper explores associations between residents' perceptions of social incivilities and physical disorders in local environments and self-reported health status. Method: Surveys were conducted with 4,029 residents from 13 Neighbourhood Renewal sites and 1,857 residents of corresponding Local Government Areas in Victoria. An open-ended question asked respondents to nominate the worst things about living in their neighbourhood and this qualitative data was analysed for the range of perceptions of incivilities. Quantitative data analysis considered associations between incivilities in neighbourhood environments and self-reported health status. Results: Issues conceptualised as social incivilities (drug and alcohol use, dangerous driving, the behaviour of other people, feeling unsafe, noise, racism) accounted for 58% of issues nominated. Quantitative analyses suggested that increased exposure to issues related to aspects of neighbourhood safety were associated with living in a disadvantaged neighbourhood. Perceptions of lower levels of neighbourhood safety were, in turn, associated with poorer health. Conclusions: Cumulative and compounding aspects of local environments that heighten feelings of insecurity and anxiety may be mechanisms through which places affect health. Implications: While the characteristics of populations are important determinants of health outcomes, the findings endorse the value of incorporating complementary place-based approaches for addressing mechanisms that contribute to health inequalities in local environments. [source] Self-report of physical symptoms associated with using mobile phones and other electrical devicesBIOELECTROMAGNETICS, Issue 6 2009Leena H. Korpinen Abstract The aim of our work was to study the working-age population's self-reported physical symptoms associated with using mobile phones and other electrical devices. A qualitative method was applied using an open-ended question in a questionnaire, which included questions about the possible influence of new technical equipment on health. We then created subgroups of respondents for different self-reported symptoms associated with mobile phones and other electrical devices. The research questions were: (1) how the respondents described physical symptoms associated with using mobile phones and other electrical devices and (2) how the answers can be classified into subgroups based on symptoms or devices. We identified the following categories: (1) respondents with different self-reported symptoms which they associated with using mobile phones (headache, earache, or warmth sensations), (2) respondents who had skin symptoms when they stayed in front of a computer screen, (3) respondents who mentioned physical symptoms associated with using mobile phones and other electrical devices. Total prevalence of self-reported physical symptoms associated with using mobile phones and other electrical devices (categories 1 and 2) was 0.7%. In the future it will be possible to obtain new knowledge of these topics by using qualitative methods. Bioelectromagnetics 30:431,437, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The oral health of street-recruited injecting drug users: prevalence and correlates of problemsADDICTION, Issue 11 2008Anne-Marie Laslett ABSTRACT Aims To examine the effects of a series of injecting drug users' (IDU) characteristics and drug use behaviours upon the self-reported oral health of a sample of IDU. Design Cross-sectional survey. Setting Melbourne, Australia. Participants A total of 285 IDU recruited through needle and syringe programmes, snowballing and outreach across six sites. Measurements Structured survey that collected information on current drug use patterns, self-reported blood-borne virus status and general health factors, including open-ended questions on past-year dental health problems. Findings Sixty-eight per cent of the sample reported dental problems that were commonly severe and caused dental pain. Despite these reported problems, almost half the sample had not visited the dentist in the 12 months prior to the survey. Participants who were older, and reported homelessness, not eating every day and more common injection of amphetamines rather than heroin in the previous month, were more likely to report having a past-year dental problem. Conclusions Dental problems in IDUs are common but few receive treatment. Further, those using amphetamines, with poor housing, hygiene and poor nutrition, are most at risk. Programmes designed to improve the oral health of IDU need to be developed and implemented in a manner amenable to the varying social circumstances of this marginalized group in the community. [source] Television Shopping for Apparel in the United States: Effects of Perceived Amount of Information on Perceived Risks and Purchase IntentionsFAMILY & CONSUMER SCIENCES RESEARCH JOURNAL, Issue 3 2000Minjeong Kim In a two-part study, the amount and types of information available in television-shopping segments selling apparel were examined. In Phase 1, a content analysis of 60 segments selling apparel was conducted. In Phase 2, using an experimental format, a convenience sample of 128 middle-aged women (M = 46 years) viewed a 6-minute television-shopping segment selling apparel and assessed perceived risk, perceived amount of information available in the segment, and purchase intentions, and they answered some open-ended questions about their information-searching activities. Taken together, results of Phases 1 and 2 revealed that when making apparel purchases, participants needed product and customer service information; however, in some segments, that information was never available or was available in less than half the segments coded. Results also revealed that the amount of information perceived from a television-shopping segment selling apparel was negatively related to perceived risk and positively related to purchase intent. [source] A bird can't fly on one wing: patient views on waiting for hip and knee replacement surgeryHEALTH EXPECTATIONS, Issue 2 2007Barbara L. Conner-Spady PhD Abstract Objectives, To obtain patients' perspectives on acceptable waiting times for hip or knee replacement surgery. Methods, A questionnaire with both open- and close-ended items was mailed to 432 consecutive patients who had hip or knee replacement surgery 3,12 months previously in Saskatchewan, Canada. A content analysis was used to analyse the text data from the open-ended questions. Results, The sample of 303 (response rate 70%) was 59% female with a mean age of 70 years (SD 11). The median waiting time from the decision date to surgery was 17 weeks. Individuals who rated their waiting time very acceptable (48%) had a median waiting time of 13 weeks compared with a median waiting time of 22 weeks for those who rated it unacceptable (23%). The two most common determinants of acceptability were patient expectations and pain and its impact on patient quality of life. The median maximum acceptable waiting time was 13 weeks and median ideal waiting time, 8.6 weeks. Seventy-nine per cent felt that those in greater need (higher severity) should go before them on the waiting list. Patient ratings of maximum acceptable waiting time were based on: pain and loss of mobility, time needed to prepare for surgery, and severity at the time of seeing the surgeon. In consideration of changing their surgeon to one with a shorter waiting list, 68% would not. Conclusions, Patient views on waiting times are not only related to quality of life issues, but also to prior expectations and notions of fairness and priority. Understanding patient views on waiting for surgery has implications for better management of waiting times and experiences for joint replacement. [source] Consumers' everyday food choice strategies in FinlandINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CONSUMER STUDIES, Issue 4 2006Katja Järvelä Abstract In developed countries, choosing and purchasing food is today perhaps more complex than ever. In recent years, European consumers have experienced several food crises. We face a rapidly expanding range of novel food products, the food chain has become longer, and the origin of food more anonymous. At the same time, consumers confront increasing amounts of information on food every day. Consumers build their conceptions of modern food-related risks on the basis of their everyday knowledge and coping strategies. Hence, the focus of this paper is on consumers' food choices and everyday practices in relation to food safety and quality as well as food-related risks. The paper is based on a Finnish study1 examining consumers' food choices. The data for the study were collected in September 2004 using an Internet-based food diary accompanied by open-ended questions on food-related views and strategies. Altogether, 92 consumers completed the diary. The method combining the tradition of dietary intake and food consumption surveys with open-ended questions was developed in order to gain an insight both on the types of foods purchased and on consumers' conceptions of food-related issues. In this paper, we focus on the key findings of the study as regards to consumers' notions on food quality and safety issues and the practices they use in their everyday lives. We found eight everyday strategies consumers use. We suggest, first, that the strategies are important in simplifying food choice and making daily life easier, and second, that consumers use food-related information flexibly in creating these strategies. [source] Estimated drug use based on direct questioning and open-ended questions: responses in the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and HealthINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 2 2010Larry A. Kroutil Abstract Substance use surveys may use open-ended items to supplement questions about specific drugs and obtain more exhaustive information on illicit drug use. However these questions are likely to underestimate the prevalence of use of specific drugs. Little is known about the extent of such underestimation or the groups most prone to under-reporting. Using data from the 2006 National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), a civilian, non-institutionalized population survey of persons aged 12 or older in the United States, we compared drug use estimates based on open-ended questions with estimates from a new set of direct questions that occurred later in the interview. For these drugs, estimates of lifetime drug use based on open-ended questions often were at least seven times lower than those based on direct questions. Among adults identified in direct questions as substance users, lower educational levels were consistently associated with non-reporting of use in the open-ended questions. Given NSDUH's large annual sample size (,67, 000 interviews), combining data across future survey years could increase our understanding of characteristics associated with non-reporting of use in open-ended questions and allow drug use trends to be extrapolated to survey years in which only open-ended question data are available. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Swedish student nurses' knowledge of health statutes: a descriptive surveyINTERNATIONAL NURSING REVIEW, Issue 2 2009I.D. Kapborg rnt Background:, The nurse's function, no matter the working area, is guided by ethical approaches, grounded in science and well-tried experiences, and has to be conducted according to national laws, statutes and instructions. Aim:, To survey newly graduated Swedish nurses' knowledge about current statutes and laws that govern their healthcare system. Method:, A questionnaire was developed from facts in relevant statutes and laws presented and used in the nursing education programmes. Following a pilot study testing the items, a 20-item questionnaire, with mostly open-ended questions, was distributed to student nurses in the last semester of their nursing education programme before graduation. Results:, One hundred and seventy-eight participants answered the questionnaire (response rate 59%). Only 29% of responses on all questions showed correct knowledge about the different statutes and laws that regulate their work as nurses. The best knowledge was found in the area of documentation (range 35,86%) and in the area of information (range 16,54%) on group scores. Conclusion:, This survey concerning novice nurses' knowledge about statutes and laws showed great deficiencies. It was surprising to find that, on existing demands regarding nurses delegating medical tasks, not a single respondent presented a correct answer. Evidence-based knowledge was difficult to recognize. Nurses will be more conscious of their own limitations and more prepared to meet the reality of practice if there is emphasis on relevant statutes and laws during their education. [source] Developing an advanced nurse practitioner service in emergency care: attitudes of nurses and doctorsJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 3 2006Miriam Griffin MSc RGN PGCSNP Aim., This paper reports a study to determine the attitudes of nurses, doctors and general medical practitioners towards the development of an advanced nurse practitioner service within an emergency department. Background., The role of advanced nurse practitioner in emergency care has emerged in a number of countries, and has brought with it confusion about titles, role boundaries, clinical accountability and educational requirements. Initially, the role resulted from a need for healthcare professionals to provide a service to the increased numbers of patients presenting to hospital with less urgent problems. Since then, the service has evolved to one where nurse practitioners provide high-quality and cost-effective care to persons who seek help for non-urgent, urgent or emergent conditions in a variety of emergency care settings. However, little research could be identified on the attitudes of relevant nursing and medical staff towards the development of this role. Methods., A questionnaire survey was carried out, and a 29-item Likert rating scale was developed to measure attitudes. Along with some demographic variables, two open-ended questions were added to allow respondents to elaborate on what they perceived as benefits and difficulties associated with an advanced nurse practitioner service. All general practitioners, emergency nurses and emergency doctors in one health board in the Republic of Ireland were targeted, and 25 emergency nurses, 13 emergency doctors and 69 general practitioners were approached to take part. Data were collected in February 2004. Findings., An overall response rate of 74·8% was achieved. All respondents were positive towards the development of an advanced nurse practitioner service, with general practitioners being less positive. The principal differences appeared between general practitioners and hospital emergency care staff. Conclusion., There is a need for a multidisciplinary approach to the planning of advanced nurse practitioner services. To achieve multiprofessional acceptance, an accredited and standardized education programme is required, and this must address existing role boundaries. [source] Putting the pieces together: teaching undergraduate research from a theoretical perspectiveJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 4 2003Marjorie C. Dobratz DNSc RN Problem/purpose.,Baccalaureate graduates are expected to utilize research across a wide variety of practice settings. While the literature reports a variety of teaching approaches, few studies examine baccalaureate students' comprehension of research content. Teaching techniques that focus on a conceptual or theoretical approach may foster research comprehension. Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to evaluate teaching/learning outcomes of an undergraduate nursing research course designed from a conceptual or theoretical approach. Procedure/findings.,Two classes of senior baccalaureate nursing students (n = 47) at a private institution, whose curriculum was based on the Roy adaptation model, were surveyed in 1990 and 1991 at the end of their undergraduate research course. The survey tool consisted of seven three-point Likert scale questions, four open-ended questions, and one unstructured comment. Findings showed that 72% strongly agreed that they would continue to read nursing articles in their practice field, 57% disagreed that they were intimidated by research language, and 55% agreed that they trusted their ability to use and utilize nursing research in practice. The most helpful learning activity was the research critique (34%) followed by group work (28%). The support of the teacher and Instructor's use of own research examples was also seen as most helpful (36%), while abstract cards (8%) were least helpful. Nonetheless, 23% requested more group activities, 13% wanted more class examples, and 11% asked for more time to comprehend definitions. Implications.,Students who approached research from the perspective of a nursing conceptual framework indicated that they put the pieces of the research puzzle together by working in groups, being supported by the Instructor, and learning from a variety of teaching methods. [source] Maximizing Clinical Research Participation in Vulnerable Older Persons: Identification of Barriers and MotivatorsJOURNAL OF AMERICAN GERIATRICS SOCIETY, Issue 8 2008Edward R. Marcantonio MD OBJECTIVES: To identify barriers and motivators to participation in long-term clinical research by high-risk elderly people and to develop procedures to maximize recruitment and retention. DESIGN: Quantitative and qualitative survey. SETTING: Academic primary care medicine and pre-anesthesia testing clinics. PARTICIPANTS: Fifty patients aged 70 and older, including 25 medical patients at high risk of hospitalization and 25 patients with planned major surgery. MEASUREMENTS: Fifteen- to 20-minute interviews involved open- and closed-ended questions guided by an in-depth script. Two planned study protocols were presented to each participant. Both involved serial neuropsychological assessments, blood testing, and magnetic resonance brain imaging (MRI); one added lumbar puncture (LP). Participants were asked whether they would be willing to participate in these protocols, rated barriers and incentives to participation, and were probed with open-ended questions. RESULTS: Of 50 participants (average age 78, 44% male, 40% nonwhite), 32 (64%) expressed willingness to participate in the LP-containing protocol, with LP cited as the strongest disincentive. Thirty-eight (76%) expressed willingness to participate in the protocol without LP, with phlebotomy and long interviews cited as the strongest disincentives. Altruism was a strong motivator for participation, whereas transportation was a major barrier. Study visits at home, flexible appointment times, assessments shorter than 75 minutes, and providing transportation and free parking were strategies developed to maximize study participation. CONCLUSION: Vulnerable elderly people expressed a high rate of willingness to participate in an 18-month prospective study. Participants identified incentives and barriers that enabled investigators to develop procedures to maximize recruitment and retention. [source] The health promotion model as assessed by ageing workersJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 2 2006Paula Naumanen PhD Aims., This study describes qualitatively ageing workers and their health promotion. It also describes quantitatively the importance of individual, workplace and occupational health promoting factors, the impact of health promotion and the contributions of the other co-partners promoting the health of ageing workers. These form the foundation for a model of health promotion. Background., Very little is known about the health promotion factors exclusively focused at ageing workers. Methods., A pretested questionnaire with structured and some open-ended questions were devised to form the basis of qualitative data and sent to 150 ageing workers, of whom 93 (62%) returned it. Qualitative data were analysed by content analysis. Statistical analyses were performed using frequencies and means. Results., Over 90% of respondents stated that health habits, individual arrangements at the workplace, a good workplace spirit, health checks, counselling and access to nursing care were important factors for health promotion. Better health (99%), work satisfaction (95%) and motivation of employees (96%) were the factors impacting on health promotion. Ageing workers stated that health and safety organization (94%) and rehabilitation institutes (93%) were the most important co-partners. Conclusions., This study confirms extremely high importance of different health promotion factors, their impact and some co-partners. Health problems, early retirement and work absenteeism are rather common in ageing workers. If we are to avoid these problems, it is important to support their work ability effectively and systematically to allow these workers to stay employed until the normal retirement age. Relevance to clinical practice., It is necessary, that management appreciate the benefits of ageing workers; they have to take a positive attitude toward these workers and participate more effectively in their health promotion. Occupational health professionals play a key role in training workers and management to undertake the required measures. [source] Family involvement in perioperative nursing of adult patients undergoing emergency surgeryJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 2 2001Eija Paavilainen PhD ,,The purpose of this study was to describe how adult patients undergoing emergency surgery experience family centredness in perioperative nursing practice. The central aim was to generate knowledge to be used while developing the practice, education and management of perioperative nursing. ,,Data were collected using a questionnaire with emergency surgical patients in five regional hospitals in Southern Finland. The number of distributed questionnaires was 132. The response rate was 85% (n=112). ,,The results were mainly described as frequencies and percentages. The open-ended sections of the answers were analysed using qualitative content analysis. The findings from the open-ended questions were used for deepening and complementing the quantitative description of the results. ,,In the preoperative phase, ascertaining the family situation and informing the family member chosen by the patient were not achieved systematically. Family situation was also rarely examined in the intraoperative and postoperative phases, although it is central to coping after surgery, especially in home care. ,,The results support the view of earlier research about the importance of individuality of patients and their families during the perioperative care process and hence enhance the endeavour to develop nursing based on families' real needs. [source] Peer evaluation in nurses' professional development: a pilot study to investigate the issuesJOURNAL OF CLINICAL NURSING, Issue 2 2000Riitta Vuorinen MNSc ,,Peer evaluation in nursing is a method by which the nurse evaluates the work of a peer, according to set evaluation criteria. ,,The aim of the study was to clarify the potential significance of peer evaluation with regard to nurses' career development and relates to the introduction of a career development programme for nurses in a Finnish University Hospital. ,,The research concepts were created on the basis of literature analysis. The concepts served as a basis for data collection, and five open-ended questions were devised from them. Informants (n = 24) gave free-form essay-type answers to these questions. The material was analysed using qualitative content analysis. ,,The results indicate that self-evaluation constitutes the basis for peer evaluation. Peer evaluation allows nurses to give and receive professional and personal support promoting professional development. Professional support offers possibilities for change and alternative action. Personal support requires respect for the peer's equality and individuality. Personal peer support can decrease feelings of uncertainty and insecurity caused by work. ,,The conclusion is drawn that peer evaluation is a means of promoting nurses' professional development to further on-the-job learning in collaboration with peers. [source] Breastfeeding Support and Early CessationJOURNAL OF OBSTETRIC, GYNECOLOGIC & NEONATAL NURSING, Issue 2 2006Lynne Porter Lewallen Objective:, To examine the types of help women received with breastfeeding both in the hospital and at home and the reasons why women stopped breastfeeding earlier than intended. Design:, A descriptive design with open-ended questions. Setting:, After participant recruitment in the postpartum hospital room, data were collected by phone 8 weeks after delivery. Patients/Participants:, Three hundred seventy-nine women planning to breastfeed for at least 8 weeks after uncomplicated delivery. Main Outcome Measures:, Breastfeeding status at 8 weeks postpartum; report of help with breastfeeding in the hospital and at home. Results:, Sixty-eight percent of women were still breastfeeding at 8 weeks, although 37% of those reported supplementing with formula. Of those who had stopped, the most common reason was insufficient milk supply. Other reasons included painful nipples and latch problems, personal reasons, returning to work or school, and drugs/illness of the mother or baby. Most women received help with breastfeeding in the hospital, but only 55% received help with breastfeeding after hospital discharge. Conclusions:, The primary reasons for early cessation of breastfeeding are amenable to nursing intervention. Every opportunity should be taken to address these issues both in the hospital and through follow-up calls. JOGNN, 35, 166-172; 2006. DOI: 10.1111/J.1552-6909.2006.00031.x. [source] The resources of parents with a child in psychiatric inpatient careJOURNAL OF PSYCHIATRIC & MENTAL HEALTH NURSING, Issue 1 2002T. A. PUOTINIEMI MSc RN The purpose of this study was to analyse and describe the resources of parents with a child in psychiatric inpatient care. The factors associated with parental coping were also assessed. The data were collected from 19 hospitals with a child psychiatry unit. At the time of data collection, all the parents of the children in psychiatric inpatient care in these hospitals were invited to participate in the study (N = 268). The method of data collection was a questionnaire including open-ended questions. The response percentage was 30% (N = 79). The data were analysed using SPSS software. The replies to the open-ended questions were analysed utilizing data-based content analysis. The findings indicated that the parents received more emotional than instrumental support. Few got financial support. The parents got support from their spouses, families, friends and fellow-workers and the health care personnel. Nearly half of the parents wanted more support from health care personnel. Of the different kinds of social support reported, emotional support, support in the care and rearing of the child in inpatient care, love and acceptance correlated most strongly with parental coping. [source] Effect of bead and illustrations models on high school students' achievement in molecular geneticsJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 5 2006Yosi Rotbain Our main goal in this study was to explore whether the use of models in molecular genetics instruction in high school can contribute to students' understanding of concepts and processes in genetics. Three comparable groups of 11th and 12th graders participated: The control group (116 students) was taught in the traditional lecture format, while the others received instructions which integrated a bead model (71 students), or an illustration model (71 students). Similar instructions and the same guiding questions accompanied the two models. We used three instruments: a multiple-choice and an open-ended written questionnaire, as well as personal interviews. Five of the multiple-choice questions were also given to students before receiving their genetics instruction (pretest). We found that students who used one of the two types of models improved their knowledge in molecular genetics compared to the control group. However, the open-ended questions revealed that bead model activity was significantly more effective than illustration activity. On the basis of these findings we conclude that, though it is advisable to use a three-dimensional model, such as the bead model, engaging students in activities with illustrations can still improve their achievement in comparison to traditional instruction. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 43: 500,529, 2006 [source] Strategies reported used by instructors to address student alternate conceptions in chemical equilibriumJOURNAL OF RESEARCH IN SCIENCE TEACHING, Issue 10 2005Jeff S. Piquette This study explores general-chemistry instructors' awareness of and ability to identify and address common student learning obstacles in chemical equilibrium. Reported instructor strategies directed at remediating student alternate conceptions were investigated and compared with successful, literature-based conceptual change methods. Fifty-two volunteer general chemistry instructors from 50 U.S. colleges and universities completed an interactive web-based instrument consisting of open-ended questions, a rating scale, classroom scenarios, and a demographic form. Survey respondents who provided responses or described remediation strategies requiring further clarification were identified (n,=,6); these respondents amplified their views in separate, researcher-led semistructured phone interviews. All 52 responding chemistry instructors reported and identified common student areas of difficulty in chemical equilibrium. They reported employing a variety of strategies to address and attempt to remediate students' alternate conceptions; however, these self-reported strategies rarely included all four necessary conditions specified by Posner, Strike, Hewson, and Gertzog (Science Education, 66, 211,217, 1982) to stimulate conceptual change. Instructor-identified student alternate conceptions were congruent with literature-reported alternate conceptions of chemical equilibrium, thus providing validation support for these compilations. Implications for teaching and further research are also highlighted. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 42: 1112,1134, 2005 [source] Symptom comparison across multiple solicitation methods among Burundians with traumatic event histories,JOURNAL OF TRAUMATIC STRESS, Issue 2 2008Peter D. Yeomans Debate continues over whether posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms are more biologically based and therefore relatively universal or are more culturally constructed. This study aimed to describe traumatic stress reactions in a Burundian sample and to investigate the influences of the solicitation method (open-ended questions and standardized measures) and psychoeducation (as a process of acculturation) on symptoms reported. Standardized measures showed that distress was manifested in somatization, anxiety, and depression, and less so in specific PTSD symptoms. Content analysis of open-ended questions revealed frequent material complaints. Prior exposure to Western ideas about trauma was predictive of more severe PTSD symptoms. The implications of the findings are discussed in terms of how methodological and cultural factors may influence posttraumatic reactions in nonindustrialized settings. [source] Challenges in multisource feedback: intended and unintended outcomesMEDICAL EDUCATION, Issue 6 2007Joan Sargeant Context, Multisource feedback (MSF) is a type of formative assessment intended to guide learning and performance change. However, in earlier research, some doctors questioned its validity and did not use it for improvement, raising questions about its consequential validity (i.e. its ability to produce intended outcomes related to learning and change). The purpose of this qualitative study was to increase understanding of the consequential validity of MSF by exploring how doctors used their feedback and the conditions influencing this use. Methods, We used interviews with open-ended questions. We purposefully recruited volunteer participants from 2 groups of family doctors who participated in a pilot assessment of MSF: those who received high (n = 25) and those who received average/lower (n = 44) scores. Results, Respondents included 12 in the higher- and 16 in the average/lower-scoring groups. Fifteen interpreted their feedback as positive (i.e. confirming current practice) and did not make changes. Thirteen interpreted feedback as negative in 1 or more domains (i.e. not confirming their practice and indicating need for change). Seven reported making changes. The most common changes were in patient and team communication; the least common were in clinical competence. Positive influences upon change included receiving specific feedback consistent with other sources of feedback from credible reviewers who were able to observe the subjects. These reviewers were most frequently patients. Discussion, Findings suggest circumstances that may contribute to low consequential validity of MSF for doctors. Implications for practice include enhancing procedural credibility by ensuring reviewers' ability to observe respective behaviours, enhancing feedback usefulness by increasing its specificity, and considering the use of more objective measures of clinical competence. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||