"The major criticism by hospital trained clinical nurses is that university graduates are perceived as not being competent practioners as a result of limited time spent in clinical areas. This lack of clinical experience is thought to contribute to new graduates' sense of occupational stress."--leaf xii. / Doctor of Philosophy

The aim of this 13 week prospective study was to investigate whether differences in hip, knee, ankle, subtalar, or first metatarsophalangeal joint (MPJ) range of motion and physical activity levels increase a person's likelihood of developing medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS)." --p.2. / Master of Applied Science

"This research investigated whether engineers, graduating from universities more than a decade after the introduction new occupational health and safety (OHS) legislation in Australia, were being equipped with the knowledge and skills to fulfil their professional, legal and moral responsibilities in relation to occupational health and safety. The study focussed on engineering students as future business leaders and designers of working environments. An instrument was designed to examine the ability of OH&S education to affect decision-making and problem solving competence in engineering students and graduates. The study found that engineering graduates in the 1990's were departing [from] their academic institutions with superficial knowledge of occupational health and safety responsibilities and accountability in the workplace. The evaluative tool identified an absence of safety management skills and knowledge within graduate and student engineer groups and an extensive urge to blame and discipline the victim or blame a government regulatory authority. The research found that although occupational health and safety professionals adopt a strategy of a safe work place rather than place emphasis on individual workers the engineers did not adopt the safe place approach and focussed on the person. It is recommended that the evaluative tool or a derivative of it should be used to evaluate the extent to which our community progresses in developing the vital OHS decision-making skills of the people who will manage and design workplaces." --p.ii. / Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Soil salinity (due to ingress of excess amounts of dissolved salts in soil pores) and soil sodicity (due to excess amounts of sodium ions attached to the clay surface) are significant forms of land degradation in many parts of the world in particular in arid and semi arid regions. In Australia, soil salinity has long been identified as the major form of land degradation and the greatest environmental threat. Saline soils cover almost 6% of Australia’s land mass and impose severe threats on agricultural productivity and built infrastructure with an estimated annual loss of $250 million. In recent years, ‘soil sodicity’ is recognised as a far more significant form of land degradation and a severe environmental problem both in terms of affected land area and impact on the environment than is salinity as a problem in Australia. One third of Australian land mass is occupied by sodic soils costing an estimated $2 billion each year in lost production alone, with further significant impacts on the economy due to extensive damage to infrastructure facilities and the environment. [...] / Doctor of Philosophy

Arid areas are often overgrazed and dysfunctional with poor recruitment of desirable species, diminished control over resources and altered soil properties. Restoration ecology re-establishes these valued processes. State-and-transition models summarise knowledge of vegetation dynamics and tools for restoration, and encourage the incorporation of new information. The model developed here for semi-arid woodlands of north-west Victoria highlighted the unknown cause of observed, natural recruitment and the need for a technique, other than direct seeding and handplanting, for enhancing the recruitment of desirable species. I pursued these knowledge gaps for two dominant, woodland trees: Allocasuarina luehmannii and Casuarina pauper. Natural recruitment of juvenile C. pauper was found to be limited and primarily from root suckers. Extensive recruitment of A. luehmannii was shown to be mostly seedlings established following substantial reductions in grazing pressure since 1996. Seedlings were associated with areas devoid of ground flora near a female tree. The importance of competition between seedlings and ground flora, spatial variation in soil moisture and individual variation in the quantity of seed produced deserves further investigation to enhance future restoration success. Root suckers of both C. pauper and A. luehmannii can be artificially initiated, albeit in low numbers and this was found to be a feasible, new tool for restoration. Suckers are preceded by the growth of callus tissue on exposed or damaged, living, shallow roots. Both male and female trees can produce suckers and spring treatments may be more successful. Genetic fingerprinting of mature A. luehmannii and C. pauper trees in six populations did not identify any clonal individuals indicating that recruitment in the past has been from seedlings. Despite this, the high level of gene flow suggests that the impact of introducing small numbers of root suckers into existing populations is unlikely to impact negatively on the population genetics of these species. / Doctor of Philosophy

Doctor of Psychology (Clinical)

Swim turns are a component of competitive swimming where considerable advantage can be gained or lost. This thesis investigates underwater dolphin and flutter kicking techniques and their application to exits following the turn in freestyle swimming. Five separate investigations were conducted to examine the kinetics and kinematics of each underwater kicking technique and are presented in expanded journal manuscript form. Studies one, two and three involved the comparison of freestyle turns when using flutter and dolphin kicking wall exit techniques. The results obtained indicated that freestyle turns using flutter kicking were faster than dolphin kicking in age-group swimmers. For this group, significant and equal improvements were made to flutter and dolphin kick turn performances following six weeks of dolphin kick and dolphin kick turn training. However, no difference in turn times were observed between kicking conditions by older and more highly skilled swimmers. Study four involved a kinematical comparison of maximal underwater free-swimming dolphin and flutter kicking. Results showed dolphin kick to be a superior underwater free-swimming technique. Greater foot width, increased ankle range of movement and greater vertical displacement of the ankle and foot during kicking were shown to be highly predictive of faster underwater dolphin kicking. Investigation five compared the drag forces and kinematics between the dolphin and flutter kicking techniques while subjects were towed at velocities representing those experienced following wall turn push-off. Results favour the dolphin kick as a superior underwater technique at these higher velocities. Increased underwater dolphin kicking efficiency, as measured by decreased net towing force, was found to be associated with larger kick amplitude – rate ratios, and higher kick amplitude – streamline length ratios. / Doctor of Philosophy

"Exotic willows (Salix spp.) are widespread riparian tree species of streams in temperate Australian and New Zealand. In Australian willow speicies are declared weeds of national significance, yet little is known about the novel habitats they create not the impact on aquatic biota of vegetation change following willow management programs ..." [leaf i] / Doctor of Philosophy

The aim of this 13 week prospective study was to investigate whether differences in hip, knee, ankle, subtalar, or first metatarsophalangeal joint (MPJ) range of motion and physical activity levels increase a person's likelihood of developing medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS)." --p.2. / Master of Applied Science

The Enhanced Primary Care Package aimed to improve health and quality of life through enhancing primary health care for those over 75 years, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders over 55 years and those with chronic conditions and multidisciplinary needs. A multi-level approach was implemented to promote the package. West Vic Division of General Practice conducted the General Practice Education Support and Community Linkages implementation program for the package in Western Victoria and focused on health assessments for those over 75 years. This research investigated what factors affected change in rural general practitioner practice through surveying general practitioners and collecting Health Insurance Commission data prior to and following the program. Patients were also interviewed to determine acceptance of health assessments and nurse involvement. The program increased awareness, but had little effect on increasing uptake, as only 53% of general practitioners began undertaking health assessments. However the general practitioners indicated an increased frequency of health assessment prescription. Health Insurance Commission data suggested an immediate increase in the use of the assessments, however the rate fluctuated and then declined. Lack of sustained uptake of the program was not associated with remuneration, as 77% of general practitioners did not regard finance as a barrier. Respondents’ major barrier was time (40% pre-education, 73% post-education). This data reflected a rural environment where general practitioners face competing priorities, time constraints, workforce shortage and long consultation lists. A notable change did however occur from practice nurse employment as the involvement of a practice nurse generally resulted in patient satisfaction with the assessment. It was apparent that a complex multifaceted and longer-term view is needed to address factors which limit rural general practitioners’ ability to change. This needs to be addressed at the Commonwealth level and not in isolation in order to produce an integrated framework to enhance and promote, rather than demand change. / Master of Applied Science