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Professional Associations (professional + association)
Selected AbstractsA Single Interior Design Professional Association: The Time Is NowJOURNAL OF INTERIOR DESIGN, Issue 3 2009Jane Kucko Ph.D. [source] Legal and ethical considerations for genetic clinical researchQUALITY ASSURANCE JOURNAL, Issue 1 2003Judith E. Beach Abstract From the trend in modern medicine toward the study of genes and their contribution to the development of disease has evolved an increased awareness of ,the diversity of genetic fingerprints among individuals' [1]. The incorporation of this knowledge into the technologies of the pharmaceutical industry has led to the emerging field of ,pharmacogenomics'; that is, the process of identifying the differences in genetic sequences between individuals and developing therapies [2] as ,personal medicines' [3]. For example, a drug used as a muscle relaxant during surgery, suxamethonium, was found to be lethal to patients who possessed a rare version of a gene involved in nerve transmission so that now those who receive this drug are tested for this specific gene [4]. Although pharmacogenomics promises great possibilities for the future of medicine, it does involve ethical and legal considerations that must be considered. Indeed, potential misuses of genetic information, such as discrimination in obtaining health insurance and in the workplace, need to be addressed. Genetic testing practices remain more advanced than the national and international laws governing the appropriate use of genetics. Although there is no national law in the United States that specifically addresses DNA and genetic privacy, several federal regulations would apply indirectly to the protection of this information and state legislators have successfully passed numerous state laws. Professional associations and private organizations have issued several guidelines for genetic testing practices. The purpose of this report is to provide a picture of the legal and ethical ramifications of genetic testing in clinical research. The genetic testing issue is presented herein in the categories of national, international, and state laws, policies, regulations and guidelines. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Abstracts presented at the Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian Rheumatology Association and the Rheumatology Health Professionals Association, 2004INTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL, Issue 11 2004Article first published online: 10 NOV 200 First page of article [source] Proceedings of the 2001 Annual Scientific Meeting of the Australian Rheumatology Association with the Rheumatology Health Professionals AssociationINTERNAL MEDICINE JOURNAL, Issue 1-2 2002Article first published online: 9 OCT 200 First page of article [source] Contesting the Curriculum: An Examination of Professionalism as Defined and Enacted by Australian History TeachersCURRICULUM INQUIRY, Issue 3 2007FIONA HILFERTY ABSTRACT In this article, I present an analysis of professionalism as defined and enacted by the History Teachers' Association of New South Wales (HTANSW). This analysis was part of a larger doctoral project (2000,2005) in which I employed critical qualitative inquiry to compare and contrast the contribution that two subject teaching associations (science and history) make to the project of teacher professionalism in Australia. My aim for this project was to explore what professionalism means in practice for a unique group of teachers: those who have made an active and fundamental commitment to their subject community by voluntarily serving on the executive committee of their subject-based professional association. In this article, I present findings from the case account of the HTANSW,an organization that operates locally as a professional teacher community and a representative organization for school-based history teachers. This case account details the manoeuvrings of an association that powerfully asserts an expansive role for history teachers as both contributors to, and critical commentators on, curriculum policy. In this article, I conceptualise the actions of this association as an enacted form of teacher professionalism. Drawing on study findings, I explicate my conception of professionalism as an enacted discourse of power and I show how this discourse is enacted in subject-specific ways. [source] Rereading the Dominant Narrative of MentoringCURRICULUM INQUIRY, Issue 4 2000Alexandra Semeniuk Mentoring is currently being promoted as an effective means of easing new teachers' transition from preservice programs to the profession.. At the same time it is seen as a way of providing teacher development for those teachers with more experience. Furthermore researchers promote mentoring as a force for change to diminish isolation and promote teacher collaboration. In this article I present an overview,the dominant narrative,of some recent research on formalized mentoring programs in education. Bringing this material together reveals that researchers are virtually unanimous in their enthusiasm for these initiatives. A dialogue which took place between me and a colleague/friend about what we construed as our mentoring relationshippotentially serves as a counternarrative to this prevalent story. Through an analysis of the educational research and the personal narrative, I suggest that the widely accepted view of mentoring may need to be reread, particularly in relation to language: mentoring's meaning is now imprecise because it is used as an umbrella term for many kinds of affiliations in teaching. Inrereading our narrative I argue that my colleague/friend and I did not act as each other's mentor. Rather, our professional association became entwined with the friendship we developed over time. I maintain that by doing a similar rereading of the research on mentoring in education we might find richer and more precise language to describe how we as teachers can assist one another in becoming sophisticated professionals. [source] In search of legitimacy: personnel management associations worldwideHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 3 2005Elaine Farndale In considering the development of the HR ,profession', there has been little exploration of the role of the professional association. This is particularly true looking across national boundaries, raising questions about the impact and extent of homogeneity of personnel management association activities. It is argued that professional associations have a legitimising role to play in establishing a specialist body of knowledge, regulating practice and providing a source of internal and external identity for practitioners. A recent worldwide survey of personnel management associations found that, although associations are active in these areas, there is a lack of mandatory control and regulation across the profession, diluting the legitimacy accorded by such activities. Association activities were also found to be largely generic across countries, resulting from inter-association collaboration, although different contexts result in different outcomes. [source] The Politics of Retrenchment: The Quandaries of Social Protection Under Military Rule in Chile, 1973,1990LATIN AMERICAN POLITICS AND SOCIETY, Issue 4 2001Rossana Castiglioni ABSTRACT Chile's military government replaced the country's universalistic social policy system with a set of market-oriented social policies. Taking evidence from three areas (pensions, education, and health care), this study seeks to explain why the military advanced a policy of deep retrenchment and why reform of health care was less thorough than it was in pensions and education. The radical transformation of policy relates to the breadth of power concentration enjoyed by General Pinochet and his economic team, the policymakers' ideological positions, and the role of veto players. The more limited reform of health care is linked to the actions of a powerful veto player, the professional association of physicians. [source] Exotic Dance Adult Entertainment: ethnography challenges false mythologyCITY & SOCIETY, Issue 2 2003Judith Lynne Hanna It is a myth that crime and property depreciation are tbe inevitable consequences of the presence in a community of exotic dance adult entertainment (also referred to as erotic, nude or topless dancing, striptease, gentlemen's clubs, juice bars and adult cabarets). Nevertheless, this myth has been perpetuated by media sensationalism, vocal minorities of the Religious Right and the feminist movement, the misinformed, "studies" commissioned by various localities, the justice system and even a professional association. As grounds for regulation of this entertainment, localities have used "studies" showing adverse effects that are scientifically flawed and now chaUengeable. My ethnographic work since 1995, when i was asked to be an expert court witness in First Amendment cases related to exotic dance, has been part of that challenge. This article examines a recent American Planning Association publication that perpetuates the same misconceptions under the cloak of academic professionalism. The critique serves as a springboard to discuss the role of planners in local governance, whose recommendations can affect the vitality of communities and the livelihoods of individuals, provoke costly litigation at taxpayer expense and infringe people's civil liberties. [Exotic dance, cultural conflict, urban planning, myth] [source] Disaster mental health training programmes in New York City following September 11, 2001DISASTERS, Issue 3 2010Kimberly B. Gill The need for mental health resources to provide care to the community following large-scale disasters is well documented. In the aftermath of the World Trade Center (WTC) disaster on September 11, 2001, many local agencies and organizations responded by providing informal mental health services, including disaster mental health training for practitioners. The quality of these programmes has not been assessed, however. The National Center for Disaster Preparedness at Columbia University's School of Public Health reviewed disaster mental health training programmes administered by community-based organizations, professional associations, hospitals, and government agencies after September 11. Results indicate that the quality and the effectiveness of programmes are difficult to assess. A wide range of curricula and a widespread lack of recordkeeping and credentialing of trainers were noted. Most of the training programmes provided are no longer available. Recommendations for improving the quality of disaster mental health training programmes are provided. [source] Additional Resources for Medical Student Educators: An Annotated ReviewACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 4 2005Tamara Howard MD There are numerous resources available to help educators of medical students improve their methods of instruction. For example, several Internet sites exist that describe specific ways to teach and reinforce concepts basic to emergency medicine. Some of these sites also allow users to share their own experiences and teaching techniques. There are professional associations and organizations that specifically cater to the needs of those involved in the education and training of medical students and resident physicians. Educators may wish to take advantage of distance learning programs that offer instruction in areas such as adult learning, curriculum and teaching methods, and medical education evaluation and research. Finally, educators may wish to participate in professional development opportunities such as fellowships and online modules that have been designed to offer instruction on teaching skills, provide an arena for exchange of effective techniques, and acclimate faculty to academic medicine. [source] Competition and the Incentive to Produce High QualityECONOMICA, Issue 279 2003Rachel E. Kranton Previous literature indicates that, when quality is a choice variable, firms have an incentive to produce high quality to maintain their reputations with consumers. The strategic interaction among firms and competition for market share is not considered. This paper finds that, when firms compete for market share, perfect equilibria in which firms produce high-quality goods need not exist. Competition for customers can eliminate the price premium needed to induce firms to maintain a reputation for high-quality production. In this case, economists and policy analysts should pay greater attention to the interaction among firms and the institutions, such as professional associations, that structure interfirm relations when considering whether firms have an incentive to produce high-quality goods. [source] In search of legitimacy: personnel management associations worldwideHUMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT JOURNAL, Issue 3 2005Elaine Farndale In considering the development of the HR ,profession', there has been little exploration of the role of the professional association. This is particularly true looking across national boundaries, raising questions about the impact and extent of homogeneity of personnel management association activities. It is argued that professional associations have a legitimising role to play in establishing a specialist body of knowledge, regulating practice and providing a source of internal and external identity for practitioners. A recent worldwide survey of personnel management associations found that, although associations are active in these areas, there is a lack of mandatory control and regulation across the profession, diluting the legitimacy accorded by such activities. Association activities were also found to be largely generic across countries, resulting from inter-association collaboration, although different contexts result in different outcomes. [source] Dental hygiene regulation: a global perspectiveINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DENTAL HYGIENE, Issue 3 2008PM Johnson Abstract:, Occupational regulation of health personnel is important to professional associations and their members, the public that relies on their services and the regulatory agencies responsible for their conduct. There is increasing interest in ensuring that dental hygiene regulation fosters the continuing evolution of the profession and its contribution to oral health. The keynote address for the 2007 Regulatory Forum on Dental Hygiene, this paper discusses the rationale for and issues pertaining to occupational regulation, outlines the evolvement of dental hygiene and identifies regulatory options for the profession. Professional regulation exists to ensure public safety, health and welfare. However, negative political-economic side effects coupled with environmental pressures have resulted in increased scrutiny for health professionals. One such profession is dental hygiene. Its evolution has been dramatic, in particular over the past few decades, as illustrated by its rapidly increasing numbers and broader distribution globally, gradual shift to the baccalaureate as the entry-level educational requirement and increase in postgraduate programs and expanding scope of practice and increased professional autonomy. Regulatory changes have been more gradual. Regulation is mandatory for the vast majority of dental hygienists. Of the options available, the practice act , the most rigorous type, is predominant. Globally, regulation tends to be administered directly by the government (n = 9 countries) more so than indirectly through a dental board (n = 4) or self-regulation (n = 3). Whether regulated directly or indirectly, dental hygienists increasingly are seeking a greater role in shaping their professional future. Self-regulation, its responsibilities, misperceptions and challenges, is examined as an option. [source] Sources and Models for Moving Research Evidence Into Clinical PracticeJOURNAL OF OBSTETRIC, GYNECOLOGIC & NEONATAL NURSING, Issue 5 2002Barbara L. Davies RN High quality research evidence for nursing practice is available from the Cochrane Library and in clinical practice guidelines produced by professional associations. The transfer of research evidence into practice is a complex process, and changing provider behavior is a challenge, even when the relative advantages are strong. An active approach with multifaceted interventions based on the assessment of barriers has been found most effective. An array of interventions for implementing research findings in practice is included, and promising organizational and theoretical perspectives on increasing the use of research evidence for nursing practice are described. [source] Negotiating Globalization: Global Scripts and Intermediation in the Construction of Asian Insolvency RegimesLAW & SOCIAL INQUIRY, Issue 3 2006Bruce G. Carruthers This article draws from a larger research project on the globalization of bankruptcy law that includes (1) a time-series analysis of all bankruptcy reforms worldwide from 1973 to 1998; (2) participation observation, several hundred interviews and documentary analysis of international financial institutions (IMF, World Bank, Asian Development Bank, European Bank for Reconstruction and Development), international professional associations (International Bar Association, International Federation of Insolvency Practitioners), and world governance organizations (OECD, U.N. Commission on International Trade Law); and (3) case studies of Indonesia, Korea, and China. The globalization of law is a negotiated process. Our research on international organizations and case studies of China, Indonesia, and South Korea indicates that negotiation of the global/local relationship varies by the vulnerability of a country to global forces. Nation-states vary (1) in their balance of power vis-ŕ-vis global actors; and (2) in their social and cultural distance from the global. Yet even where the global/local gap is wide and the asymmetry of power is pronounced, local responses to global pressures are negotiated as much as imposed. Negotiating globalization relies on direct and mediated interactions by several types of intermediaries who translate global scripts into four kinds of outcomes. The impact of intermediaries in this process varies by the phase of the reform in which they participate. Finally, globalizing law proceeds through recursive cycles of lawmaking and law implementation. [source] Out of touch and out of time: lawyers, their leaders and collective mobility within the legal professionLEGAL STUDIES, Issue 3 2004Andrew M Francis The legal profession has experienced enormous upheaval over the last 30 years and this paper suggests that legal professional associations have failed to come to grips with this ,brave new world'. This paper argues that the Law Society's current difficulties in performing its traditional roles are not simply examples of passing contemporary problems. Rather they represent the declining ability of the Law Society to serve as the fulcrum of the profession's collective advancement. Professional control may exist but on an individual and contingent basis alongside a reduced role for the Law Society. [source] Work-attributed symptom clusters (darkroom disease) among radiographers versus physiotherapists: Associations between self-reported exposures and psychosocial stressorsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF INDUSTRIAL MEDICINE, Issue 6 2004FRCPC, Susan M. Tarlo MB Abstract Background "Darkroom disease" (DRD) has been used to describe unexplained multiple symptoms attributed by radiographers to their work environment. This study determines the prevalence of symptom clusters similar to other unexplained syndromes among (medical radiation technologists (MRTs) as compared with physiotherapists (PTs), and identifies associated work-related (WR) factors. Methods A mail survey was undertaken of members of the professional associations of MRTs and PTs in Ontario, Canada. Questions were included to determine the prevalence and frequency of symptom clusters including abnormal tiredness as well as WR headaches, and symptoms suggestive of eye, nasal, and throat irritation. For the purpose of this study, these are considered to be DRD symptom clusters. Individuals with doctor-diagnosed asthma were excluded from our analyses. Results Overall, 63.9% of MRTs and 63.1% of PTs participated. Criteria for DRD were met by 7.8% of 1,483 MRTs and 1.8% of 1,545 PTs [odds ratio, OR 4.8 (confidence interval, CI 3.1,7.5); (P,<,0.0001)]. Both occupations showed significant associations between responses reflecting psychosocial stressors and DRD. Those with this symptom cluster were more likely to report additional symptoms than those without, and MRTs with DRD symptoms reported significantly more workplace chemical exposures. Conclusions Findings suggest excess symptoms consistent with DRD among MRTs versus PTs, and there were associations among those meeting our definition of DRD with self-reported irritant exposures and psychosocial stressors. Am. J. Ind. Med. 45:513,521, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] The role and impact of personal faith and religion among genetic service providers,AMERICAN JOURNAL OF MEDICAL GENETICS, Issue 1 2009Gail Geller Abstract This paper describes the impact of genetic service providers' personal faith and religious values on their experiences interacting with colleagues and patients. We surveyed 480 clinical geneticists (MDs), genetic counselors (GCs), and genetic nurses randomly selected from their professional associations, and then interviewed a sample of survey respondents. Outcomes included religiosity, coping with distress through spiritual beliefs, and personal value conflicts (PVCs). Two hundred fourteen providers completed the survey out of an estimated 348 eligible (61% response rate). Importance attributed to regular attendance at religious services ranged from 39% (not at all important) to 27% (very important). Reliance on religion and spiritual beliefs as a source of comfort ranged from 48% (never) to 33% (sometimes or often). Religiosity varied by discipline with 58% of nurses thinking regular attendance at religious services was moderately or very important as compared to 47% of GCs and 30% of MDs (P,=,0.006). Ten percent of respondents had difficulty reconciling their own faith with being a genetics professional, 14% felt the need to hide their own faith from their colleagues or patients, 7% thought their professional stance was not consistent with their personal values, and 4% felt ostracized by the genetics community because of their personal beliefs. The experience of such PVCs was positively correlated with religiosity (r,=,0.35; P,<,0.0001). GCs were more likely to experience PVCs than MDs or nurses (P,=,0.013). Data from the interviews (N,=,54) support these findings. A significant minority of genetic service providers are religiously observant and rely on their religious values to cope with distress. These individuals often experience difficulty reconciling their religious beliefs with the expectations of their profession, and sharing their beliefs with their colleagues and patients. Efforts should be made to prevent or reduce the secrecy surrounding personal faith and religion among genetics professionals. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Interlocal Service Cooperation in U.S. Cities: A Social Network ExplanationPUBLIC ADMINISTRATION REVIEW, Issue 2 2010Kelly LeRoux Local governments increasingly confront policy problems that span the boundaries of individual political jurisdictions. Institutional theories of local governance and intergovernmental relations emphasize the importance of networks for fostering service cooperation among local governments. Yet empirical research fails to examine systematically the effects of social networks on interlocal service cooperation. Do the individual networks of local government actors increase their jurisdiction's level of interlocal service delivery? Drawing data from the National Administrative Studies Project IV (NASP-IV), multivariate analysis is applied to examine this question among 919 municipal managers and department heads across the United States. The findings indicate that interlocal service cooperation increases when jurisdictional actors network frequently through a regional association or council of government and when they are united by a common set of professional norms and disciplinary values. Manager participation in professional associations, however, does not increase interjurisdictional cooperation. The key conclusion for local government practitioners searching for ways to increase collaboration: networks that afford opportunities for more face-to-face interaction yield better results for effective service partnerships. [source] Anthropology and the Iraq war: An uncomfortable engagementANTHROPOLOGY TODAY, Issue 1 2009Antonius C.G.M. Robben The Iraq war has preoccupied anthropologists. However, this has not materialized in panels dedicated to independent study of Iraq at annual conferences at our major professional associations. In the US, we have been predominantly preoccupied with the implications of intelligence gathering for our profession. The author considers some of the differences between our dealing with the Iraq war presently, and the successful campaigns against the Vietnam war of the 60s. He concludes that there is scope for anthropologists to learn from the past and to make a renewed concerted effort to, independent from government demands on their skills, inform and change public opinion and ultimately government policy. [source] Front and Back Covers, Volume 23, Number 3.ANTHROPOLOGY TODAY, Issue 3 2007June 200 Front & back cover caption, volume 23 issue 3 PARTISAN ,ANTHROPOLOGY' The cover of this issue reproduces a Republican Party campaign poster from 1900, which claims that between 1896 and 1900 the American flag was being planted on foreign soil not ,to acquire more territory' but ,for humanity's sake'. The poster contrasts an image of economic decline at home and poverty in the Spanish colony of Cuba, alleged to be the Democratic legacy in 1896, with one of prosperity in the US and progress in its new dominion after four years of Republican rule. The next US presidential elections will take place in November 2008, and campaigning for nomination is already under way. Partisan proclamations that territories are occupied for ,humanity's sake' suggest good intentions, but anthropology researches and seeks to connect with humanity as a whole, not to serve one party or one nation over another. Bush's ,war on terror' has divided the world, generating a renewed interest in partisan use of the social and behavioural sciences, including anthropology, in the hope that these might help succeed where force has failed. The 2007 annual meeting of the Association of Social Anthropologists resolved that a research proposal by our principal research funding agency endangered lives and was in violation of our professional ethics. History will not judge us kindly if funding agencies proceed unilaterally, or if our professional associations fail to give clear guidance on the circumstances under which it is appropriate for professional anthropologists to be involved in such activities, if at all. Everyone supports non-partisan use of academic research for ,humanity's sake'. However, since anthropologists cannot research without first gaining and then retaining the trust of the peoples they engage with in the course of fieldwork throughout the world, in open and willing long-lasting relationships, partisan deployment of our research in war constitutes a potentially life-threatening development for the peoples we befriend, for ourselves, our students, our profession and for our family and colleagues. As part of an ongoing engagement with how our research, and that of other social and behavioural sciences, is being appropriated in war, this issue of ANTHROPOLOGY TODAY features discussions on their use in two areas of warfare, with contributions on counterinsurgency, by Roberto González, David Kilcullen and Montgomery McFate, and unwitting input into interrogation techniques, by David Price. [source] Factors influencing rural health care professionals' access to continuing professional educationAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 2 2006Vernon R. Curran Abstract Objectives:,The purposes of this study were to explore the perceived barriers and challenges to continuing professional education (CPE) access for Canadian health care professionals and to identify best practices for improving access to CPE. Design:,Key informant interviews and Web-based online surveys were conducted. Participants:,Key informant interviews were conducted with national CPE accreditation bodies and health professional associations. An online survey was distributed to health professional education programs, as well as provincial professional associations, licensing and professional regulatory bodies. Main outcome measures:,The perceived barriers and challenges to CPE access for Canadian health care professionals and best practices for improving access to CPE. Results and conclusions:,Geographic isolation and poor technological and telecommunications infrastructure were identified as key barriers to CPE delivery and access. Financial factors, such as funding to support travel or cost of attendance, were also identified as major challenges. Tele-education programming was identified as a best practice approach to improve CPE access, as were regional CPE activities and self-directed learning programs. Employer-sponsored initiatives, including staff coverage or locum support, remuneration for time off and paid travel expenses for CPE participation were also identified as best practice approaches. [source] Continuing professional development for veterinariansAUSTRALIAN VETERINARY JOURNAL, Issue 4 2005IW CAPLE Continuing professional development for veterinarians is expected to commence in the year after graduation and continue until retirement. The World Organisation for Animal Health standard for veterinary services is based on principles of an ethical, organisational and technical nature, and a mix of regulation, self-regulation and quality assurance approaches are used. Few jurisdictions have made a minimum requirement of continuing professional development, measured in hours or units, mandatory in 2004, however, there is an increasing expectation of veterinarians to keep a personal record of their continuing professional development activities. Such records might assist in defending complaints about professional misconduct, and provide a basis for planning and monitoring personal professional growth. Continuing professional development can be obtained by a variety of means through structured and unstructured learning activities. The rapid advances in communication technologies and ready access to available electronic databases at the beginning of the 21st century is rapidly changing the way students learn in veterinary schools and how they will acquire continuing professional development during their careers. Universities, governments, professional associations and special interest groups all have roles to play in the delivery of continuing professional development to the veterinary profession and to ensure a structure is in place to monitor improvements in the delivery of quality veterinary services. [source] Parenting plan evaluation standards and guidelines for psychologists: Setting the frameBEHAVIORAL SCIENCES & THE LAW, Issue 4 2010Mary Connell Ed.D. This article explores how various sources of authority interact to govern psychologists' parenting plan evaluations (child custody evaluations), and remedies that are available when an evaluation is poorly conducted. The law in some jurisdictions may establish specific elements to be included in such evaluations; the professional associations to which psychologists belong may set forth enforceable standards, aspirational guidelines, and white papers; and learned treatises may describe ideal practices. Psychologists may rely on these sources of authority to shape their evaluations, and, finally, may consult with colleagues for guidance. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Towards integrated paediatric services in the Netherlands: a survey of views and policies on collaboration in the care for children with cerebral palsyCHILD: CARE, HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2007B. J. G. Nijhuis Abstract Aim, Worldwide, family-centred and co-ordinated care are seen as the two most desirable and effective methods of paediatric care delivery. This study outlines current views on how team collaboration comprising professionals in paediatric rehabilitation and special education and the parents of children with disabilities should be organized, and analyses the policies of five paediatric rehabilitation settings associated with the care of 44 children with cerebral palsy (CP) in the Netherlands. Methods, For an overview of current ideas on collaboration, written statements of professional associations in Dutch paediatric rehabilitation were examined. The policy statements of the five participating settings were derived from their institutional files. Documents detailing the collaborative arrangements involving the various professionals and parents were evaluated at the institutional level and at the child level. Involvement of the stakeholders was analysed based on team conferences. Results, Also in the Netherlands collaboration between rehabilitation and education professionals and parents is endorsed as the key principle in paediatric rehabilitation, with at its core the team conference in which the various priorities and goals are formulated and integrated into a personalized treatment plan. As to their collaborative approaches between rehabilitation centre and school, the five paediatric settings rarely differed, but at the child level approaches varied. Teams were large (averaging 10.5 members), and all three stakeholder groups were represented, but involvement differed per setting, as did the roles and contributions of the individual team members. Conclusion, Collaboration between rehabilitation and education professionals and parents is supported and encouraged nationwide. Views on collaboration have been formulated, and general guidelines on family-centred and co-ordinated care are available. Yet, collaborative practices in Dutch paediatric care are still developing. Protocols that carefully delineate the commitments to collaborate and that translate the policies into practical, detailed guidelines are needed, as they are a prerequisite for successful teamwork. [source] The 75th anniversary of the World Council of Optometry: Seventy-five years of advancing eye care by optometrists worldwideCLINICAL AND EXPERIMENTAL OPTOMETRY, Issue 4 2002Damien P Smith PhD AM SUMMARY Over 75 years, the World Council of Optometry has developed as an organisation with the mission and appropriate strategies to improve the quality of eye and vision care around the world, especially by advancing the delivery of that care by educated, regulated, primary care optometrists. However, WCO is unknown to most optometrists and ,international optometry' is not part of the optometric curriculum in our schools, just as it is rarely on the agenda of our professional associations. As a consequence, many optometrists do not understand the difficulties faced by their colleagues in other countries, in both clinical and political challenges. Australian optometrists are regulated by law, educated at state universities, eligible for service coverage by universal health insurance, able to detect disease in the eye using diagnostic agents and, in increasing numbers, able to treat disease in the eye with therapeutic drugs. However, this community standing and professional privilege, taken for granted by most Australian optometrists, cannot be exported. In fact, an Australian optometrist would be jailed in many countries around the world just for doing the ordinary clinical procedures that he or she does on every patient, by routine, day in and day out. All optometrists should feel ownership of WCO and all should have a commitment to its mission to facilitate the enhancement and development of eye and vision care by optometrists worldwide. Australian optometrists are already linked to WCO through their membership of Optometrists Association Australia, which is itself a longstanding and valued member of WCO. To prosper for a further 75 years, WCO needs continued global volunteerism and from those unable to directly participate, financial support through donations and sponsorship. [source] Genetics professionals' experiences with grief and loss: implications for support and trainingCLINICAL GENETICS, Issue 5 2010G Geller Geller G, Rushton CH, Francomano C, Kolodner K, Bernhardt BA. Genetics professionals' experiences with grief and loss: implications for support and training. This study was designed to determine the degree to which clinical genetics professionals are comfortable with grief and loss, whether discomfort with grief and loss is associated with clinician distress, and what factors predict comfort with grief and loss for the purpose of developing recommendations for support and training. We surveyed 300 clinical geneticists (MDs), genetic counselors (GCs) and genetic nurses randomly selected from their professional associations. Out of 225 eligible clinicians, 172 completed surveys (76% response rate). The vast majority of respondents have clinical interactions with patients and families who are experiencing grief, loss and/or death. However, nearly 20% of respondents reported that they did not feel ,comfortable in the presence of grief and loss'. Twenty-nine percent of respondents disagree or strongly disagree that they ,have been adequately trained to address issues of death, dying, grief/bereavement, and end of life care'. Reported discomfort with grief and loss was strongly correlated with clinician distress. Predictors of comfort with grief and loss included perceived adequacy of training, tolerance for uncertainty, significant personal experiences of loss and deriving meaning from patient care. In conclusion, as follows. A significant minority of clinical genetics professionals experience discomfort in the presence of grief and loss, and feel inadequately prepared for such experiences. Greater attention should be paid to training clinicians in how to deal with grief and loss, and supporting them through such difficult experiences in an effort to reduce their distress. [source] Creating a Culture of Self-CareCLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY: SCIENCE AND PRACTICE, Issue 1 2009Jeffrey E. Barnett Psychologists are vulnerable to the effects of distress, which if left unchecked may lead to burnout, vicarious traumatization, and impaired professional competence. Smith and Moss (2009) provide a convincing call to action for the profession of psychology to give adequate attention to these important issues. This commentary adds to their excellent review and provides specific recommendations for individual psychologists for those who train graduate students, and for professional associations. A rationale is provided for the recommendations made and further guidance is provided for creating a culture of self-care in the profession of psychology. The importance of this approach as an ethical imperative is presented and strategies and recommendations are provided. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||