MSc (Nursing), Faculty of health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand / This quasi-experimental study assesses the value of simulation based learning for a medical flight crew within an air ambulance service based in Johannesburg, South Africa. The purpose of this study was to assess the value of simulation based learning for air medical crew in performing synchronized cardioversion efficiently, effectively and safely within the air medical environment. The objectives were to determine if there is a difference between the experimental group that had been exposed to a simulation-based learning experience versus a control group that had not, in respect of performing synchronized cardioversion and scene management pertaining to this skill. This was a qausi-experimental study in which stratified random sampling was done to divide the participants into the control and experimental groups using medical qualification as homogenous subsets. The outcome of the study showed that the control group was quicker to first shock than the participants in the experimental group. However, the participants in the experimental group performed the skill more effectively, with regard to doing / following the correct steps in performing the skill of synchronized cardioversion and were safer practitioners. None of the variants within the sample groups had a significant effect on performance of the skill. The conclusion is that within this specific air ambulance service, simulation- based learning improved the performance of synchronized cardioversion in comparison to the normal orientation / training provided in the service.

Thesis (M. Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes special report study entitled: Design on slope. Includes bibliographical references.

The demand for emergency ambulance services in Hong Kong is on the rise. Issues such as climate change, ageing population, constrained space, and limited resource capacity mean that the present way of meeting service demand by injecting more resources will reach its limit in the near future and unlikely to be sustainable. There is an urgent need to develop a more realistic forecast model to account for the anticipated demand for emergency ambulance services to enable better strategic planning of resources and more effective logistic arrangement. In this connection, the research objectives of this thesis include the following: 1. To examine relationships between weather and ambulance demand, with specific reference to temperature effects on demographic and admission characteristics of patients. 2. To establish a quantitative model for short-term (1-7 days ahead) forecast of ambulance demand in Hong Kong. 3. To estimate the longer-term demand for ambulance services by sub areas in Hong Kong, taking into account projected weather and population changes in 2019 and 2036. The research concurs with the findings of other researchers that temperature was the most important weather factor affecting the daily ambulance demand in 2006-2009, accounting for 49% of the demand variance. An even higher demand variance of 74% could be explained among people aged 65 and above. The incorporation of 1-7 day forecast data of the average temperature improved the forecast accuracy of daily ambulance demand on average by 33% in terms of R2 and 11% in terms of root mean square error (RMSE). Moreover, the forecast accuracy could be further improved by as much as 4% for both R2 and RMSE through spatial sub models. For demand projection of a longer-term, significant underestimation was observed if changes in the population demographics were not considered. The underestimation of annual ambulance demand for 2019 and 2036 was 16% and 38% respectively. The research has practical and methodological implications. First, the quantitative model for short-term forecast can inform demand in the next few days to enable logistic deployment of ambulance services beforehand, which, in turn, ensures that potential victims can be served in a swift and efficient manner. Second, the longer-term projection on the demand for ambulance services enables better preparation and planning for the expected rise in demand in time and space. Unbudgeted or unnecessary purchases of ambulances can be prevented without compromising preparedness and service quality. Third, the methodology is adaptable and the model can be reconstituted when more accurate projections on weather and population changes become available. / published_or_final_version / Geography / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Hot och våld förekommer inom ambulanssjukvården. Ambulanspersonalen befinner sig ofta först på plats vid olyckor eller brottsplatser för att ta hand om sjuka och skadade människor. Vanligtvis är ambulanspersonalen ensamma och vid en del situationer förekommer missbruk eller andra sjukdomstillstånd, vilket kan göra patienterna aggressiva. Syftet med studien var att undersöka förekomsten av hot och våld mot ambulanspersonal i Sverige och hur samspelet mellan vårdare och patient påverkas, samt hur ambulanspersonalen påverkas av hot och våld på sikt. Med hjälp av enkäter samlades data in. Enkäterna analyserades med hjälp av statistikprogrammet SPSS och Microsoft Excel. Resultatet visade att både verbalt hot och fysiskt våld mot ambulanspersonal är vanligt förekommande. I majoriteten av fallen har alkohol, droger, demenssjukdom eller psykiatriska besvär varit bakomliggande orsaker. Flertalet av de utsatta för hot eller våld har inte fått några besvär och ungefär en femtedel har drabbats av sömnbesvär. Samspelet mellan vårdare och patient påverkas med sämre kontroll av vitalparametrar och medicinsk behandling vid hotfulla och våldsamma situationer. Mer forskning inom ämnet behövs för att problemet med hot och våld inom ambulanssjukvården ska uppmärksammas och minskas. Vidare forskning kan fokusera på hur samspelet mellan vårdare och patient påverkas vid hot och våld. / Ambulance personnel often arrives first to accidents and therefore is exposed to violence and threaths. The ambulance personnel find themself in situations where drugs or mental illness can cause the patient to use violence. The purpose of this study is to investigate in what extent Swedish ambulance personnel is exposed to violence and threats and how the interaction between nursing staff and the patient is affected. Moreover we are going to scrutunize how threats and violence influences ambulance personell over a longer amount of time. We collected data by handing out questionnaires to four different ambulance stations in Svealand, Sweden. The questionnaires were analysed with the help of two statistical programs, Microsoft Excel and SPSS. The result stated that threats made verbally and actual violence against ambulance personnel occurs on a daily basis. The majority of cases we studied showed influences of alcohol, drugs, dementia or other psychological disorders. 1/5 of the respondents is suffering from sleeping problems. Another consequence is the fact that the patient receives impoverished care in shapes of less control of vital parameters and medical treatment. To reduce violence and threats against ambulance personnel more research within this subject is necessary. We believe that this research should put emphasis on how the interaction between ambulance personnel and patient is affected by threats and violence.

No description available.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Western Australia, 2007.

Thesis (M.Arch.)--University of Hong Kong, 1998. / Includes special report study entitled : Design on slope. Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Texas at El Paso, 2008. / Title from title screen. Vita. CD-ROM. Includes bibliographical references. Also available online.

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration

published_or_final_version / Public Administration / Master / Master of Public Administration