Background: In Namibia there are a lot of different native languages even if the official language is English. Since communication is an important tool for nurses and studies about communication across language barriers mostly is done in western countries, there is need for more knowledge regarding the nurse's experience with language barriers in multilingual and multicultural context, like Namibia. Aim: To describe the experiences of Namibian nurses caring for patients who speak another native language. Method: Qualitative interviews were held with four nurses and one student nurse at Katutura State hospital in Windhoek, Namibia. Results: Two themes with subthemes were identified in the results. The first theme, Establishing the patient-nurse relationship, describes the importance of trust for communication and what the interviewees found important when creating a bond with the patient. The other theme, Establishing the communication, describes the importance of interpretation and how they tackled the language barrier. Conclusion: When meeting a patient with another native language it is of great importance to establish trust with the patient and that interpreters are used. The use of sublingual nurses, who found interpreting to be a natural part of their work, was beneficial.

Smärta är ett vanligt förekommande tillstånd hos patienter som söker vård. Sjuksköterskors behandling av patienters smärta har visat sig vara otillräcklig och syftet med litteraturstudien var att undersöka vilka barriärer som finns för sjuksköterskors behandling av patienters smärta. Litteraturstudien baserades på 11 vetenskapliga artiklar och resulterade i fyra teman: Barriärer relaterade till smärtbedömning, barriärer relaterade till patienter, barriärer relaterade till organisationen samt barriärer relaterade till sjuksköterskor och sjuksköterskors samarbete med andra yrkeskategorier. Vanliga barriärer för smärtbehandling innefattade bristande smärtbedömning, att patienter motsätter sig smärtbehandling, tidsbrist i sjuksköterskors arbete samt brister i kommunikationen mellan sjuksköterskor och läkare. Vårdorganisatoriska förändringar samt utbildning av sjuksköterskor gällande smärtbehandling är av stor vikt för att minska barriärer för sjuksköterskors smärtbehandling. Fortsatt forskning inom området är betydelsefullt då sjuksköterskors behandling av patienters smärta fortfarande är otillräcklig. / Pain is a common recurring condition among patients who seek care. Nurses' management of patients' pain has shown to be insufficient and thus, the intention of the literature study was to examine barriers to nurses' pain management. The literature study was based on 11 scientific articles and resulted in four themes: Barriers related to pain assessment, barriers related to patients, barriers related to the organization and barriers related to nurses and their collaboration with other professions. Frequent barriers for pain management entailed deficient assessment of patients' pain, patients who oppose pain management, nurses' lack of time as well as lack of communication between doctors and nurses. A shift in healthcare organizations as well as the education of nurses regarding pain management plays a vital part in minimizing the barriers to nurses' pain management. Continued research within the area is valuable as nurses' management of patients' pain remains inadequate.

The main source of energy in the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) remains fossil fuels (oil and gas). The massive and accelerated used of such sources of energy not only depletes the traditional energy sources in those states and thus undermines exports and long-term prosperity; it also causes devastating damages to the environment and to human health. The nature of the Arabian Peninsula is very suitable for renewable energy sources (RES), thus many GCC states have started to consider those resources for their future energy plans. Like any technology, renewable energy technologies (RET) face many challenges such as economic, technical, social and environmental. This research analyses renewable energy (RE) possibilities and barriers in the GCC states in depth, using Kuwait as a case study. Questionnaires were distributed to three different groups to measure their attitudes and knowledge with regard to RE. Moreover, this research investigates the economic and environmental implications of RES adoption for Kuwait. A cost analysis between the traditional energy generated by the Ministry of Electricity and Water (MEW) using oil and gas, and RE energy generated by Al- Shagaya project has been carried out. It was found that most participants were environmentally aware of fuel issues and supported RE; they were prepared to forego subsidies on traditional energy to promote RE, but they doubted the government’s ability to implement RE successfully. Although Al-Shagaya Project was targeted to contribute up to 15% of Kuwait’s total power production by 2030, the cost analysis presented in this thesis revealed that the energy generated from the Al-Shagaya Project accounts for only 2% the energy needs projected at 2030, therefore current plans would only reduce CO2 emissions by 2% by 2030, but a program was proposed whereby larger investment would cause a 92% reduction in costs and reduce CO2 emissions to zero within the same timeframe.

Master of Arts / Department of Geography / John Harrington Jr / Agriculture is vital to the character of Kansas. It is threaded through the social, economic, and environmental systems that operate in Kansas and bring each system into interaction with one another. Loss of agriculture would mean drastic changes to traditional Kansas way of life due to the three pronged nature of agriculture in Kansas. Continuation of agricultural activity then is of great importance. Globalization, climate change, and environmental change pose threats to agricultural futures. This study is a meta-analysis of current literature in an attempt to assess the current state of sustainable agriculture in the state of Kansas. An emphasis was placed on climate as a driver of change and ways in which agricultural producers in Kansas may begin implementing sustainable adaptations. Barriers to implementing sustainable agricultural adaptations were also identified in the literature. Broadly speaking analysis focused on barriers created through policy and barriers created through gaps in knowledge and weak or missing connections, or cognitive barriers. Information gathered in the course of the literature analysis was used to generate two potential future agricultural scenarios for Kansas. Scenarios can be used to aid policy makers in assessing potential impacts of environmental change and interactions between different systems and scales. Two separate scenarios, Business-As-Usual and Sustainable-Adaptive, were developed with distinct characteristics. The Business-As-Usual scenario represents a future that is framed similar to the current situation. Changes built into the scenario stem from the projected changes to climate. The remainder of the narrative describes a future that has pursued developmental pathways driven by current policy and market forces. In contrast, the Sustainable-Adaptive scenario represents a Policy Reform scenario in which there is strong guidance through policy towards a developmental pathway that focuses on sustainable agricultural methods. This scenario describes a future in which environmental degradation is slowed or even reversed. Continued future work may focus on the role of water availability, community level impacts of sustainable adaptations, and the integration of stakeholder values as another layer of complexity in future scenarios.

Master of Science - Agricultural Education and Communication / Department of Communications and Agricultural Education / Shannon Washburn / Agriculture is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. Universities have the opportunity to meet the growing demand for more agricultural graduates. To better understand how to facilitate students in degree completion at Kansas State University, this study looked at the aspirations of freshmen and the expectations of seniors within the College of Agriculture at Kansas State University. The sample included 517 freshmen and 196 seniors, for a total of 713 students who completed the questionnaire. Both freshmen and seniors indicated positivity toward future career goals. Additionally, both groups indicated having participated or the desire to participate in a student organization within the College of Agriculture, and to complete an internship relevant to their major. Intrinsic values, such as relevance to their interests and personal values, were influential in choice of degree for both freshmen and seniors. Both groups responded very positively about future job opportunities and preparedness for the career force. Freshmen and Seniors were relatively consistent in their predication of salary one year and five years after graduation, however freshmen had higher expectations 10 years post-graduation. Forty-two percent (n = 210) of freshmen indicated that they had thought about changing majors, while 29.2% (n = 56) of seniors had responded that they had changed majors during their academic career. Both groups indicated that they had a positive college experience at Kansas State University. According to this research, Kansas State University students need more information about job opportunities and salary expectations. Additionally, more information regarding majors will help students choose a major most connected to their personal interests.

The purpose of this study was to determine the existence of a glass ceiling effect within community colleges by examining faculty, staff and administrator's perceptions of a glass ceiling as it relates to the advancement of women at their institutions. This was done by using a cross-sectional survey administered electronically to faculty, staff and administrators in community colleges in the United States who were members of the American Association of Community Colleges. Four hundred fifty seven participants provided responses for the study. Results of ANOVA of perceptions of facilitators and barriers to advancement revealed there was a significant difference in perception between genders related to barriers to advancement, with females finding internal structural/job opportunities and organizational culture presenting more obstacles to advancement than males. Males significantly agreed more than females that a positive attitude toward women existed in their institutions. Females significantly agreed more than males that barriers hindered the advancement of women and that a glass ceiling existed in their institutions. Multiple regression analysis indicated gender was a significant predictor of perceptions of internal structural and organizational culture barriers to advancement. Work profile characteristics were not found to be significant predictors of the perception of facilitators or barriers. Logistic regression analysis indicated neither individual characteristics nor work profile characteristics were able to predict denial of promotion. These findings may be used to encourage those in authority who are able to make hiring and policy decisions to more closely examine the organizational structure, culture and climate in their institutions to foster an atmosphere conducive to productive work environments for all employees.

Іnеquаlіtіеs іn thе rерrеsеntаtіоn оf wоmеn іn hіghеr аdmіnіstrаtіvе рublіс sсhооl роsіtіоns аrе а рrоduсt оf hіstоrісаl аnd sосіеtаl раttеrns (Byrd-Blаkе, 2000). Thеsе раttеrns hаvе dеtеrmіnеd thе соnstrаіnts wоmеn hаvе fасеd аnd соntіnuе tо fасе whеn thеy аttеmрt tо оbtаіn аdmіnіstrаtіvе роsіtіоns іn рublіс educational sсhооl systеms. Shаkеshаft's (1999) study revealed thаt wоmеn rерrеsеnt thе mаjоrіty оf thе tеасhіng рrоfеssіоn in public education (83.5%), but thеy rерrеsеnt approximately 14% of thе mіnоrіty оf tор lеvеl аdmіnіstrаtіvе роsіtіоns іn рublіс еduсаtіоn. Ассоrdіng tо Dаvіеs-Nеtzlеy (1998), wоmеn соntіnuе tо bе аt thе bоttоm оf thе соrроrаtе оrgаnіzаtіоnаl сhаrts, hаvе fеwеr сhаnсеs fоr аdvаnсеmеnts, аnd еаrn lеss іnсоmе thаn mеn іn sіmіlаr роsіtіоns. Out of the nations 13, 728 k-12 public school superintendents, 1, 984 are women (AASA, 2000). Thіs lасk оf gеndеr bаlаnсе аnd rеlаtеd іnеquіtіеs rаіsеs thе quеstіоn оf whеthеr wоmеn аrе trеаtеd іnеquіtаbly wіth rеgаrd tо nаtіоnаl stаtіstісs оn аdmіnіstrаtіvе hіrіng. Ассоrdіng tо thе Lоuіsіаnа Stаtе Dіrесtоry (2007), 20 оf thе stаtе 64 suреrіntеndеnts аrе wоmеn. Yеt, the number of k-12 public school wоmеn superintendents rеmаіn disproportionate to the number of women serving as classroom teachers. This study examined thе саrееr раths оf five wоmеn suреrіntеndеnts, thеіr suссеssеs, strugglеs, аnd bаrrіеrs tо k-12 рublіс sсhооl suреrіntеndеnts іn thе stаtе оf Lоuіsіаnа. Іn аddіtіоn, thе undеr-rерrеsеntаtіоn оf wоmеn suреrіntеndеnts іn thіs stаtе wаs іnvеstіgаtеd thrоugh іntеrvіеws, оbsеrvаtіоns, аnd dосumеnt аnаlysis.

Bakgrund: På svenska sjukhus dör cirka sjuttio procent av de som drabbas av hjärtstopp. Eftersom hjärtstopp kan inträffa överallt på ett sjukhus och det inte alltid finns tillgång till defibrillator eller sjukvårdspersonal kan ett hjärtstoppsteams ankomst till platsen för hjärtstopp vara avgörande. Detta då tiden till första defibrillering har ett starkt samband med överlevnad. Syfte: Belysa intensivvårdssjuksköterskors erfarenheter av hjärtstoppsteamets transport inom sjukhuset vid larm om hjärtstopp. Metod: En kvalitativ studie där tolv stycken semistrukturerade intervjuer utfördes på Intensivvårdsavdelningen på ett sjukhus i norra Sverige. Innehållsanalys användes för skapandet av subkategorier och kategorier. Resultat: Ur analysen uppstod tre kategorier och tolv subkategorier. De tre kategorierna var ”Interna och externa resurser”, ”Variabler för olika transportsträckor” och ”Samförstånd mellan olika aktörer”. Slutsats: Många barriärer som kunde påverka hjärtstoppsteamets transport till platsen för hjärtstopp identifierades och utgjordes av bland annat långa avstånd, svårpasserade dörrar, folk och saker i vägen samt ombyggnationer. De hjälpmedel som hjärtstoppsteamet hade till förfogande kunde likaså utgöra hinder, då exempelvis transportmedlet i form av en hjärtstoppscykel identifierades stor och tung. Att identifiera och åtgärda barriärer som fördröjer hjärtstoppsteams ankomst till platsen för hjärtstopp är av vikt då detta påverkar patientsäkerhet och överlevnad för den drabbade. / Background: Among those who suffer from cardiac arrest in Swedish hospitals, there is a 70% mortality rate. Since cardiac arrests can occur in any area of the hospital that might lack defibrillators or hospital personell the arrival of the cardiac arrest team is crucial. Time to initial defibrillation is strongly correlated to survival after cardiac arrest. Aim: To illustrate intensive care nurses’ experiences of the cardiac arrest team’s transportation within the hospital to the location of a cardiac arrest when being dispatched. Method: A qualitative study where twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted at the Intensive care unit in a hospital in the northern part of Sweden. Content analysis was used to create sub-categories and categories. Results: From the analysis three categories and twelve sub-catagories emerged. The three categories were ”Internal and external resources”, ”Variables for different transport distances” and ”Shared understanding between different actors”. Conclusion: Many barriers that could affect the cardiac arrest team’s transportation to the location of a cardiac arrest were identified, includig long distances, doors that were difficult to pass, restricted passage by people and objects, and reconstructions. The assisting devices used by the cardiac arrest team could also compose obstacles. The cardiac arrest bike used during transportation was for example identified as big and heavy. It is of importance to identify and eliminate barriers that delay the arrival of the cardiac arrest team at the location of a cardiac arrest, since patient safety and survival can be affected.

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) play a major role in the development of the nation's economy by providing employment and creating the economic growth. The management of the companies that are going international considers different motives before taking the step into the international market. The internationalization process involves risks and uncertainty significantly effected by challenges and barriers to SMEs from developing countries.

Master of Public Health - MPH / Background: The identification of undiagnosed HIV positive individuals through HIV testing services is one of the key measures in ensuring that the UNAIDS/ WHO 90 90 90 targets are achieved by the year 2020. The identification and subsequent initiation of HIV positive individuals on ART helps to minimise or prevent HIV transmission following viral suppression. Around 25% of people living with HIV globally are unaware of their positive status. In many countries, critical gaps exist in HIV services including prevention, testing and treatment. In Africa, the East and Southern region has a high burden of HIV/ AIDS where 50% of people are living with HIV, with 800,000 new infections in 2017. Despite concerted efforts in rolling out HIV testing services in Zimbabwe, a significant number of the population, especially men and young people, remain with an unknown HIV status, which is hindering progress towards the control and prevention of the HIV pandemic. A recent study confirmed that HIV testing in men is lower as compared to women. Consequently, progress is slower in trying to achieve the year 2020 milestone. The identification of suitable options for reaching out to these groups and the general population is important to achieve a reduction HIV prevalence. HIV self-testing oral fluid sample is thought to have the capacity to increase uptake of HIV testing. However, it still requires evidence on its acceptability and feasibility for those with undiagnosed HIV. Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the perceptions and experiences of the accessibility and feasibility HIV self-testing kits for individuals who received and used this method in Neta ward in Mberengwa District, Zimbabwe. The study identified some key factors that led to individuals accepting the kits and using them. The findings of this study will hopefully be able to inform policy makers’ decision-making about the importance of rolling out HST in the country.