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The purpose of this study was to evaluate the quality of professional practice by the registered nurses midwives as reflected in clinical nursing care records for postlaparotomy patients in public central hospitals in Malawi. The set process standards by Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi (NMCM) were addressed in relation to clinical care of post-laparotomy patients. The hypothesis for this study was that the quality of professional practice by the registered nurse midwives as reflected in clinical nursing care of post-laparotomy patients in public central hospitals in Malawi is inadequate and non-compliant with the process standards set by the NMCM. The researcher used quantitative, evaluative, descriptive, contextual survey and participatory observations to collect data. A three-point rating scale consisting of compliance (C) = 1, partial compliance (PC) = 0.5 and non-compliance (NC) = 0.0 was used to evaluate the state registered nurse midwives’ compliance with process standards. The results showed partial compliance with the set NMCM process standards by the state registered nurse midwives in public central hospitals in Malawi. / Health Studies / M.A. (Health Studies)

Bakgrunn: Røyking blir fortsatt betraktet som den viktigste forebyggbare årsak til død i ge land. Praktiserende leger er nøkkelpersoner innen tobakksforebygging. Enkel rådgiving, som minimal intervensjon, gitt av allmennleger øker andelen røykfrie pasienter signifikant. Kan en oppsøkende intervensjon gjennomført av en likemann være en egnet metode for å få leger til å ta opp tobakksbruk oftere og på en bedre måte, og kan denne undersøkelsen påvise dette? Hensikt: Hensikten med denne studien er: 1) Vurdere om primærlegene i Agder har endret praksis i perioden 2001-2004 med hensyn til hvor ofte og hvordan de tar opp tobakksbruk med sine pasienter og eventuelle hindringer for dette. 2) Undersøke om oppsøkende intervensjon er en egnet metode for å få leger til å endre praksis ved at de bidrar mer og bedre med individuell røykeintervensjon. Metode: Randomisert kontrollert studie for å undersøke om oppsøkende intervensjon er en egnet metode for å få leger til å endre praksis. Denne studien er sett i lys av en sammenliknende analyse av legenes røykeintervensjon og hindringer for dette i perioden 2001-2004. Resultat: Allmennlegene i Agder har endret praksis i perioden 2001 til 2004. Legene tar oftere opp tobakksbruk uten av pasientene har røykerelaterte symptomer, og det er færre hindringer både for å spørre om røykevaner og for å tilby hjelp til røykeslutt. Studien kan ikke bekrefte at oppsøkende intervensjonen er en egnet metode for å få leger til endre praksis ved at de bidrar mer og bedre med individuell røykeintervensjon. Konklusjon: I perioden 2001-2004 har det vært en signifikant endring i legenes røykeintervensjon og hindringer for dette. Studien kan ikke påvise at legene som fikk opplæringen ”Røykeslutt i praksis” bidrar mer med individuell røykeintervensjon enn kontrollgruppen, og det er heller ikke signifikante forkjeller på hindringer for en slik intervensjon / Background: Cigarette smoking is still considered the leading preventable cause of death in the western world. Physicians constitutes a key personnel in tobacco prevention. Brief advising, such as minimal intervention, performed by general practitioners, GPs, increases the number of smoke free patients significantly. The potential effect of outreach visits performed by a peer educator is a question to be studied. Objective: The objective of this study is: 1) Assesswhether the primary physicians in Agder, during the period 2001 to 2004, have changed their professional practice as tohow often and in which way they discuss smoking habits with their patients and possible barriers to stop them. 2) The study also seeks to determine whether outreach visits constitute an effective method to make GPs change their professional practice by contributing more and better to individual smoking cessation. Method: Randomised controlled study to determine whether outreach visits constitute an effective method to make GPs change their practice. This study is also viewed in the light of a comparative analysis of doctors’ attitude to tobacco prevention over the period 2001-2004. Result: During the period 2001-2004 the GPs in Agder have changed their professional practice. They discuss more frequently tobacco use with patients without smoke-related symptoms, and there are fewer barriers that keep them from asking about smoking habits and from offering assistance with smoking cessation. The effect of outreach visits in improving professional practice cannot be ascertained through this study. Conclusion: During the period 2001-2004 there has been a significant change in the GPs intervention work and fewer barriers to stop them. The GPs who received training through the program “Røykeslutt i praksis” do not contribute to individual smoke intervention any more than the control group. We were unable to detect any significant differences regarding barriers to such intervention / <p>ISBN 91-7997-153-9</p>

Tyrimo objektas – mentoriaus vertinimas. Tikslas - ištirti mentoriaus kaip praktikos vadovo vertinimą turizmo organizacijoje. Uždaviniai: 1. Atskleisti profesinės praktikos teorinius aspektus. 2. Išanalizuoti mentoriaus kaip profesinės praktikos vadovo teorines sampratas. 3. Atlikti „Turizmo ir sporto vadybos“ programos turizmo vadybos profesinės praktikos mentoriaus vertinimą. Darbo metodai: mokslinės literatūros analizė, apklausa anketiniu būdu, aprašomoji statistika. Profesinė praktika yra neatsiejama studijų proceso dalis. Jos metu pagrindinį vaidmenį atlieka praktikos vadovas (mentorius) ir studentas. Mentorius kaip profesinės praktikos vadovas, moko studentą, jį konsultuoja bei padeda spręsti problemas. Jis reikalingas kaip modelis, iš kurio studentas gali semtis praktinės patirties ir tapti puikus tos srities specialistas. Tyrimas parodė, kad studijų programos „Turizmo ir sporto vadyba“ turizmo srities mentoriaus vertinimas yra teigiamas. Tai yra toks žmogus, kuris turi ne mažesnę nei 3 metų darbo patirtį, bendrauja su studentu, juo pasitikėdamas, turi tokias asmenines savybes kaip komunikabilumas, nuoširdumas, humoro ir atsakingumo jausmas ir kt. Tyrime buvo atskleista, kad turizmo srities mentoriai labiausiai vaidina konsultanto vaidmenį, t.y. padeda spręsti iškilusias problemas. Svarbiausias mentoriams aspektas – sutarimas. Kitaip tariant, bendravimo su studentais palaikymas ir formvimas, kuris paremtas abipusia pagarba ir pasitikėjimu. / Object of the research: the evaluation of mentor The purpose: to analyse the mentor‘s role as a practice manager of tourism organization. The aims: 1. To reveal theoretical aspects of the professional practice. 2. To analyze mentor‘s theoretical concepts as a supervisor of professional practice. 3. To carry out the study program „Tourism and sport management“ in the field of tourism, the evaluation of profesional practice mentor. The methods: analysis of the scientific literature, survey used questionnaires, descriptive statistics. Professional practice is an integral part of the process of study. During this time the supervisor (mentor) and the student perform the main role. The mentor as a professional practice supervisor teaches the student, gives an advice and helps to solve problems. He is needed as a model from which the student can get a practical experience and become a great specialist in a specific field. The research showed that the study program „tourism and sport management“ in the field of turism evaluation of the mentor is positive. This is a person, who has not less than 3 years work experience, interacts with students by trusting them. Also, he has personally qualities as sociability, sincerity, a sense of responsibility and humor and etc. The research revealed that mentors in the field of tourism play the role of consultant, they help to solve problems. The most important aspect for mentors - agreement. In other words, the support and formation of... [to full text]

Probleminis klausimas:Kokie veiksniai daro įtaką studentų adaptacijos procesui? Darbo objektas:studentų adaptacijos profesinės praktikos vietoje procesas Darbo tikslas:Išanalizuoti studentų adaptacijos procesą profesinės praktikos vietoje Darbo uždaviniai: 1. Atskleisti adaptacijos sampratą ir charakteristikas. 2. Pristatyti adaptacijos veiksnius bei problemas profesinės praktikos vietoje 3. Ištirti studentų adaptacijos procesą profesinės praktikos vietoje ir išskirti jam įtaką darančius veiksnius. Svarbiausios išvados ir rezultatai: 1. Išanalizavus adaptacijos sampratą galima teigti, kad adaptacija suprantama kaip naujų darbuotojų prisitaikymas prie organizacijos, prie jos reikalavimų, sąlygų, aplinkos. Studentų adaptacija profesinėje praktikos vietoje – procesas, apimantis valdymo ryšių doktrinas, mokymosi ir žinių pritaikymo procesus, kai studentas prisitaiko prie naujos aplinkos, darbo vietos, kolektyvo, vadovo, darbo sąlygų, reikalavimų.Adaptacijos procesą charakterizuoja šie rodikliai: adaptacijos būdai, formos, etapai ir rūšys. 2. Atlikus adaptacijos veiksnių apžvalgą išryškėjo trys pagrindiniai veiksniai, tai organizaciniai; socializacijos; individualūs veiksniai. Dažniausiai pasitaikančios problemos praktikos atlikimo vietoje: darbo funkcijų bei darbo sąlygų pristatymo trūkumas; įsiliejimo į koletyvą problemos. 3. Atlikus tyrimą paaiškėjo, jog studentai profesine praktika liko patenkinti, organizacijose juos gerai priėmė, supažindino su kolektyvu, stengėsi atsakyti į... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / Problematical question:What factors makes influence to students adaptation process? The object:Process of students adaptation at professional practice place The aim:To analyze process of students adaptation in professional practice place Tasks: 1. To reveal conception and characteristics of adaptation 2. To present factors and problemsof adaptation at professional practice place 3. Toexamine students adaptation process at professional practice place and exclude proceses that makes influence to it. The most important conclusions and results: 1. After analysis of adaptation conception it is possible to state that adaptation is a process then new employee adapts to organization, to its requirements, terms, environment. Students adaptation at professional practice place is a process that covers doctrines of management conections, learning and keeping knowledge up to date processes., then student adapts to new environament, work place, other employees, director, work conditions and requirements. Process of adaptation is characterized by these indicators: adaptation ways, forms, stages and types. 2. After performing overview of adaptation factors three main factors were found: organizing, socialization and individual factors. The most common problems that occur at professional practice place: lack of presentation of work functions and work conditions; problems of joining new collective. 3. After performing survey it became clear that students were happy with their professional... [to full text]

Hearing disclosures of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) is a clinical reality for many therapists. Psychologists within mental health services are working increasingly with clients who have traumatic histories, including the presence of CSA. Recently there has been a drive towards improving services for adult survivors of CSA, with an emphasis on asking health and social care service-users about abuse. Recent research has demonstrated that the experience of talking about CSA in psychological therapy can be a complex experience for client and clinician with varied consequences for both parties. The research into psychologists‟ experiences of CSA disclosure has been limited to surveys of psychologists‟ practice and knowledge and has lacked a scientific approach. This study aimed to expand on the scientific research into CSA disclosure with a Constructivist Grounded Theory approach (CGT). CGT was used to explore psychologists‟ experiences of CSA disclosure from clients in Adult Mental Health. Eight psychologists took part in the current study and were recruited from a large Clinical Psychology service in Scotland. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews. Core categories constructed in this study contributed to a model of psychologists‟ experiences of disclosure in AMH clinical practice. Core categories referred to “Negotiating the Dance of Disclosure” and “Nurturing the Pre-conditions to Disclosure”, which occur in parallel to the therapeutic relationship; whereas “Growing Personally and Professionally” and “Carrying the Weight of the Work” refer to the impact of hearing disclosures and talking about CSA with clients. Research findings are discussed and the implications of this model in relation to theory and areas of development for research and clinical practice are considered.

The aim of this thesis is to study whether the Swedish state’s efforts to govern the professional practice of social workers (SWs) by knowledge to achieve an evidence-based practice, address the difficulties that SWs encounter in their practice. The Swedish state’s ambition is to govern the practice of social work by ideas and methods originating from medicine. The thesis therefore compares, through four different studies, the professional practice of SWs with general practitioners (GPs) as the most comparable sub-profession in medicine. The research questions that the thesis seeks to answer are: What situations are perceived as problematic and non-problematic by SWs and GPs? How does the professionals’ relationship with clients affect the performative aspects of these occupations’ enactment of their practice? How do SW and GPs experience the state’s efforts to govern their professional practice by knowledge? What problems can arise when the Swedish state builds its knowledge governance of social work practice on a comparison with medicine, even though these professional fields exhibit a number of important differences? The empirical material in the first and second studies consists of 52 narratives, written by SWs and GPs on problematic and non-problematic situations. The third study is based on vignette-based focus group interviews with 25 SWs and GPs. And the fourth study is based on a literature review, consisting of 54 articles about SWs’ and GPs’ practice. A first finding is that professionals rarely describe lack of knowledge or difficulties with knowledge use as problematic. A second finding is that non-problematic situations are connected to professionals’ control of the intervention process. SWs gained control of the relationship with the client either by use of coercive means or by the client’s active co-operation. GPs gained control of the intervention process by the use of professional knowledge. A third finding is that an understanding of professional practice as a linear process consisting of diagnosis, inference and treatment reflects GPs’ practice but not all aspects of SWs’ practice. A fourth finding is that both professions hold ambivalent positions towards evidence-based risk reductions technologies. The responses towards organisational risk reductions technologies differ in that GPs are sceptical, whilst SWs take a more pragmatic view. A main conclusion is that the Swedish state’s efforts to govern the performative aspects of SWs’ practice by knowledge, runs the risk of becoming a insufficient strategy since they tend to exhibit two main blind spots. The first is that these efforts tend to ignore that the relationship with the client has a crucial affect on and conditions SWs’ and in problematic situations also GPs’ knowledge use. The second is that the efforts also tend to ignore that control of the intervention process is not always maintained through control of knowledge use. For SWs control of the relationship with clients represents another mode of professional control of the intervention process. / Hur använder socialarbetare och allmänläkare kunskap i praktiken?, FAS/FORTE dnr 2009-0251

Context of this research: The construction industry has a history of client dissatisfaction in the UK. In response, framework agreements have been developed to create relationships between suppliers and clients in order to improve project performance. This research aims to assess whether use of framework agreements can result in significant improvement for performance outcomes without a significant increase in costs when compared with traditional discrete methods, and if so, develop a procurement performance model for realisation and continuous improvement in performance. Research methodology: A literal review of UK Government reports with economic and performance management theories precede a case study set within Hampshire County Council, a major public sector authority, allowing analysis of data from 164 highway maintenance projects by independent samples t-tests. Projects are divided into discrete and framework groups using critical success factors to measure performance differences. In addition to project outcomes, a review of economic performance was undertaken to advance a current ‘gap in professional knowledge’ concerning cost effectiveness of framework agreements. A performance management model is proposed representing impact of operational measures and sociological behaviour factors on suppliers’ performance, tested by qualitative views of experienced practitioners collected through a questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews. Key findings: Independent-samples t-tests proved that there were significant improvements in performance with use of framework agreements, but that no significant additional costs were incurred. Factor analysis and central tendency statistics from questionnaires and node values from interview transcripts confirmed long-term relationships, financial and non–financial incentives and stronger communication were sociological behaviour factors driving performance for framework agreements. Conclusions from the evidence and findings: As framework agreements can achieve significant performance improvements without a significant increase in costs, this study supports use of framework agreements for Hampshire County Council and professional practice. Value of this research is recognised by both central government and case study organisation alike. In respect of the latter context, case study findings have been included within a regional framework for use by South East authorities until 2016. It is recommended further studies should be conducted on civil and building projects in wider public and private sectors so that construction clients can make informed decisions based upon generalised findings.

Master of Landscape Architecture / Department of Landscape Architecture/Regional and Community Planning / Jessica Canfield / Landscape architecture is embarking on a new design frontier, one where its practitioners are increasingly being asked by clients to design using credible evidence and to ensure design performance. As design disciplines follow in the footsteps of other evidence-based practices, like medicine and engineering, landscape architecture is poised to become a more scholarly profession – a profession of evidence-based landscape architecture. Evidence-based landscape architecture was first coined and defined in 2011 by Brown and Corry as “the deliberate and explicit use of scholarly evidence in making decisions about the use and shaping of land” (Brown and Corry 2011, 328). Current literature explains the benefits of practicing evidence-based design (EBD). These include ensuring design performance, justifying client investment, quantifying the value of design, systematically managing complex projects, marketing the firm to clients, attracting the most innovative designers to the firm, and adding to the knowledge base of the landscape architecture field. However, little is known about how landscape architecture firms are engaging evidence-based design in daily practice. This thesis examines how four leading landscape architecture firms (Design Workshop, Mithun, Sasaki Associates, and OLIN) have developed unique EBD approaches to integrate, apply, and propagate evidence-based design in professional practice. In order to study and analyze the four firms’ EBD approaches, individual comprehensive case studies were conducted. Qualitative data was collected through: focused interviews with directors and leaders of evidence-based design at each firm; casual observations made during office visits; and, a review of firm literature. A case study framework for EBD approaches in professional practice was developed based on discussion topics that consistently emerged from the interviews. The framework was used to organize, analyze, and present the findings into four major themes. A cross-case analysis was conducted to compare the development, implementation, and effects of EBD approaches at each firm. Findings reveal that each firm has developed an EBD approach to meet the need for engaging complex problems and meeting increasing client expectations for performance. While each firm’s EBD approach is unique, similarities and characteristics emerged between the case studies. The most consistent factors identified across cases include: having academic founders of the firm; the implementation of EBD- or research-specific roles and responsibilities; the creation of tools to organize and understand data; cultivating design cultures to support the EBD approach vision; the communication and transparency of relationships with clients and consultants; and, the reporting of findings for the advancement of the profession. Although any landscape architecture firm is likely to employ at least one of these concepts, the developed integration, application, and propagation of a majority of these concepts is what makes these firms unique and successful in applying EBD in professional practice. It was also found that the design processes themselves vary dramatically across the firms. EBD in practice is therefore not prescriptive and does not always look the same. The findings and case study framework developed in the study are useful primarily for landscape architecture firms looking to develop, integrate, apply, and propagate their own EBD approach.

RESUME THE SIX-MONTH TRAINEESHIP IN THE PHARMACY FROM THE STUDENTS' POINT OF VIEW Author: Jana Najmanová Tutor: RNDr. Jana Kotlářová, Ph. D. Department of Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy in Hradec Králové, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic Introduction: The six-month traineeship at a pharmacy is an obligatory course for the final year students who have been studying Pharmacy at FAF UK in Hradec Kralove. The purpose of this course is to fix the theory and let the students transform their knowledge into practical skills while preparing them to work at a pharmacy. Aim of the thesis: The evaluation of the questionnaire survey from two academical years. The summary and comparison of the opinion of final year students at FAF UK on their six-month traineeship, the pharmacy where they had been completing their practice and assessing the feasibility of the students' change proposals. The theoretical part is focused on the issue of the six- month traineeship at a pharmacy mainly in the term of legislation and current requirements. Methodology: A questionnaire survey which was created at the Department of Social and Clinical Pharmacy, Faculty of Pharmacy at the Charles University in 2007 took place to collect the data. All the respondents were the final year students of Pharmacy. The...