Schools are facing an increasing pressure to deal effectively with students' problem behaviors in the school environment. Research suggests that Behavior Monitoring Programs (BMPs) are effective and efficient secondary interventions to use in remedying problem behavior in the classroom and are acceptable to teachers, parents, and students. Most of the research on BMPs has been conducted at the elementary school level. The current study investigated the effectiveness of a BMP within a school-wide system of Positive Behavior Support (PBS) with three suburban high school students. Problem behaviors for each student were targeted based upon previous office discipline referral data (ODR) and teacher comments, and three behavioral goals were made for students based upon these findings, along with teacher input. Effectiveness of the intervention was measured by the increase in teacher's behavioral ratings on the Daily Behavior Report Card (DBRC). Furthermore, teachers, parents and students rated the intervention's effectiveness via a five-item intervention acceptability questionnaire. Results of the study suggest that the BMP intervention is both effective and acceptable for use with secondary students. All students experienced an increase in behavioral ratings on the DBRC during intervention. Across all students and all behaviors, the intervention resulted in an overall mean improvement of 63% in problem behaviors in the classroom. Average effect sizes were large while probability levels were low. Furthermore, all teachers, parents, and students rated the intervention as being acceptable. The average rating that all parents gave for all five items (on a 6 point scale with higher numbers indicating greater acceptability) was 5.2, while the average for students was 4.3. The student's teachers together rated all five items as 4.8.

Bakgrund: Ungefär 130 000–150 000 personer i Sverige lider idag av demenssjukdomar och varje år insjuknar ytterligare ca 20 000–25 000 personer i sjukdomen. Demenssjukdomar innebär en progressiv försämring av kognitiva funktioner, vilket medför symtom som minnesstörningar, rumsliga oförmågor, nedsatta språkförståelser, förlust av inlärda funktioner, nedsatta praktiska förmågor samt beteendeförändringar. Inom omvårdnad av personer med demenssjukdom ska sjuksköterskor utgå ifrån personcentrerad vård som innebär att omvårdnad ska anpassas till personers behov. Enligt nationella riktlinjer är djurassisterade insatser en alternativ omvårdnadsåtgärd som kan användas som verktyg i den personcentrerade vården. Syfte: Syftet var att kartlägga hur personer med demenssjukdom påverkas av djurassisterade insatser. Metod: En allmän litteraturöversikt som inkluderade artiklar av både kvalitativ och kvantitativ metod. Resultat: Djurassisterade insatser hade påverkan på personer med demenssjukdom avseende fysiska funktioner, psykisk hälsa och inom kommunikation. Djuren motiverade till rörelse och aktiviteter, lockade fram positiva känslor, lindrade oro och ångest samt främjade verbal och icke-verbal kommunikation. Genom att använda djurassisterade insatser som oberoende omvårdnadsåtgärd främjades möjligheten för personer med demenssjukdom att erhålla en personcentrerad vård. Slutsats: Djurassisterade insatser påvisade positiv påverkan på personer med demenssjukdom och kan således utgöra ett alternativ av oberoende omvårdnadsåtgärd som kan tillämpas inom personcentrerad vård och omvårdnad. / Background: Approximately 130 000–150 000 people in Sweden are suffering from dementia, and an additional 20 000–25 000 people are diagnosed with the disease yearly. Dementia causes a progressive deterioration of cognitive abilities causing symptoms such as memory disorders, spatial incapacities, language impairment, loss of learned functions, impaired practical skills, and behavioral changes. In nursing people with dementia, nursing should be based on person-centered care, meaning nursing should be based on the individual's needs. According to national guidelines, animal-assisted intervention is an independent nursing intervention, which can be used as a tool within person-centered care. Aim: The aim was to identify how people with dementia are affected by animal-assisted interventions. Method: A general literature review, which included articles of both qualitive and quantitative approaches. Results: People with dementia were affected by animal-assisted interventions in areas such as physical functions, psychological health, and communication. The animals motivated movement and activities, evoked positive emotions, relieved anxiety and promoted verbal and non-verbal communication. Animal-assisted interventions enhanced the possibilities for person-centered care. Conclusion: People with dementia were positively affected by animal-assisted interventions. Animal-assisted intervention is an independent nursing intervention, which can be applied within person-centered care and within nursing.

South African Tertiary Education Institutions (TEIs) are now faced with issues of globalisation, broadening access to higher education, changes in language policies, changes in government funding, an increased emphasis on technology, transformation, mergers, changing student profiles, high levels of student enrolment and increased competition (Wiese, van Heerden, & Jordaan, 2010; Higher Education South Africa, 2011). The increased workload necessitated by the increase of students within South African TEIs, in conjunction with the current financial situation of universities, is compounded by factors such as low staff morale, uncertainty among staff members and large-scale resignations (Maree, 2010). These challenges can be seen as increasing the demands and decreasing the resources of university staff, and as explained by the Job Demands-Resource Model of organisational wellbeing (JD-R) (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, & Schaufeli, 2001), could impact negatively on the wellbeing of the employees. These changes and the demands placed on the TEIs will inevitably have an impact on the levels of burnout as well as levels of engagement of employees (Coetzee, 2004). Stressful work situations (characterised by high job demands and lack of job resources), could lead to burnout, poor individual health and wellbeing of employees (Sonnentag, 2001). Burnout can lead to serious consequences, especially for university staff members, who form part of the human services industry (Adekola, 2010). The aim of this study was to establish the effectiveness of a physical activity and psychological intervention on burnout and engagement at a tertiary education institution. A longitudinal design was utilised where self-report as well as physical measures were used to evaluate the effect of the intervention. The convenience sample consisted of staff at a tertiary education institution (n(Time 1)=50, n(Time 2)=26; n(Time 3)=19). Burnout and engagement were measured using The South African Employee Health and Wellness Survey and physical measurement focused on: blood pressure values, fasting blood glucose levels, lipid profile Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), percentage body fat (%BF) and Lean Body Mass (LBM). The sample group was divided into two groups. In the first phase, the first group underwent a four-week physical activity intervention focusing on resistance training as well as cardiovascular fitness. The second group underwent a 4 week personal development plan focusing on increasing personal resources as well as social support. The groups were reassessed after the first four weeks and then switched interventions. After completion of both interventions, participants were once again assessed. MANOVAs were used to determine whether group differences occurred for more than one dependable variable (Salkind, 2009). ANOVAs (a one-way analysis of variance) were used to determine which intervention groups had been affected most with regard to the various constructs measured. Crichton (2009) explains that the Wilks’ Lambda test is used in MANOVA’ to test whether there are differences between the means of identified groups of subjects on a combination of dependent variables. Although there were no statistically significant movements observed for burnout and engagement scores, there are still indications of the effect the interventions showed. The psychological intervention increased engagement, and the scheduling of first a psychological intervention, and then a physical activity intervention, is suggested as more beneficial. None of the interventions were effective at alleviating burnout. Recommendations were made for future research. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

South African Tertiary Education Institutions (TEIs) are now faced with issues of globalisation, broadening access to higher education, changes in language policies, changes in government funding, an increased emphasis on technology, transformation, mergers, changing student profiles, high levels of student enrolment and increased competition (Wiese, van Heerden, & Jordaan, 2010; Higher Education South Africa, 2011). The increased workload necessitated by the increase of students within South African TEIs, in conjunction with the current financial situation of universities, is compounded by factors such as low staff morale, uncertainty among staff members and large-scale resignations (Maree, 2010). These challenges can be seen as increasing the demands and decreasing the resources of university staff, and as explained by the Job Demands-Resource Model of organisational wellbeing (JD-R) (Demerouti, Bakker, Nachreiner, & Schaufeli, 2001), could impact negatively on the wellbeing of the employees. These changes and the demands placed on the TEIs will inevitably have an impact on the levels of burnout as well as levels of engagement of employees (Coetzee, 2004). Stressful work situations (characterised by high job demands and lack of job resources), could lead to burnout, poor individual health and wellbeing of employees (Sonnentag, 2001). Burnout can lead to serious consequences, especially for university staff members, who form part of the human services industry (Adekola, 2010). The aim of this study was to establish the effectiveness of a physical activity and psychological intervention on burnout and engagement at a tertiary education institution. A longitudinal design was utilised where self-report as well as physical measures were used to evaluate the effect of the intervention. The convenience sample consisted of staff at a tertiary education institution (n(Time 1)=50, n(Time 2)=26; n(Time 3)=19). Burnout and engagement were measured using The South African Employee Health and Wellness Survey and physical measurement focused on: blood pressure values, fasting blood glucose levels, lipid profile Body Mass Index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), percentage body fat (%BF) and Lean Body Mass (LBM). The sample group was divided into two groups. In the first phase, the first group underwent a four-week physical activity intervention focusing on resistance training as well as cardiovascular fitness. The second group underwent a 4 week personal development plan focusing on increasing personal resources as well as social support. The groups were reassessed after the first four weeks and then switched interventions. After completion of both interventions, participants were once again assessed. MANOVAs were used to determine whether group differences occurred for more than one dependable variable (Salkind, 2009). ANOVAs (a one-way analysis of variance) were used to determine which intervention groups had been affected most with regard to the various constructs measured. Crichton (2009) explains that the Wilks’ Lambda test is used in MANOVA’ to test whether there are differences between the means of identified groups of subjects on a combination of dependent variables. Although there were no statistically significant movements observed for burnout and engagement scores, there are still indications of the effect the interventions showed. The psychological intervention increased engagement, and the scheduling of first a psychological intervention, and then a physical activity intervention, is suggested as more beneficial. None of the interventions were effective at alleviating burnout. Recommendations were made for future research. / MCom (Industrial Psychology), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

But : Décrire les modalités d’enseignement adoptées et les interventions pédagogiques appliquées par les chargés d’enseignement clinique pour développer et soutenir le raisonnement clinique de leurs stagiaires. Problématique : La pratique contemporaine commande aux inhalothérapeutes un raisonnement clinique éprouvé, mais le devis ministériel ne laisse voir aucune obligation d’enseigner ou de supporter le raisonnement clinique. Par ailleurs, les stages représentent un moment propice à son développement. On ne connait pas comment interviennent les chargés d’enseignement clinique concernant l’enseignement du raisonnement clinique. Cadre de référence : S’appuie sur les connaissances s’adressant 1) au raisonnement clinique; 2) aux modalités d’enseignement adoptées et 3) aux interventions pédagogiques appliquées pour développer le raisonnement clinique. Méthodologie et méthode : Approche qualitative interprétative avec étude de cas multiples. Témoignages de quatre inhalothérapeutes et de huit stagiaires. Entrevues semi-dirigées et analyse de contenu. Résultats : Le modèle de rôle et la supervision sont adoptés. Une modalité non recensée, la modalité mixte et la subdivision de la modalité de supervision en une modalité de supervision rapprochée et éloignée ont émergé. Aussi, une intervention pédagogique non relevée au cours de la recension des écrits est apparue: le problème provoqué. Interprétation : Le choix d’une modalité d’enseignement pourrait reposer sur quatre conditions : 1) le contexte de travail ou la culture du milieu; 2) le souci de sécurité ; 3) l’évaluation du niveau de compétence des stagiaires et 4) la compréhension de la situation problème par les chargés d’enseignement. Le choix des interventions pédagogiques pourrait s’expliquer par: 1) le contexte de pratique; 2) le couplage d’interventions aux modalités d’enseignement; 3) les préoccupations et les croyances personnelles et 4) la connaissance de l’erreur usuelle.

This thesis was conducted in order to explore the views and perception of social workers from Gävleborg on animal-assisted interventions. This study examines the attitudes of social workers towards the phenomenon of animal-assisted interventions and the importance of the animal-human bond. During the investigation process semi-structured e-mail interviews and one face-to-face interview were used as a method to collect empirical data. The results showed that social workers have a positive attitude towards animal-assisted interventions, as well as whether social workers have any knowledge regarding animal-assisted interventions. The final conclusion of this thesis presents the social workers’ desire to gain more knowledge and training on animal-assisted interventions within the social work practice in Gävleborg.

The importance of health and quality health care in people’s daily lives is widely recognised. Physicians play a key role in delivering quality health care and improved patient outcomes. However, the evidence regarding physicians’ decision making and their perception of quality of health care delivery and its influencers is inconclusive. The overall aim of this thesis is to increase the understanding of quality in health care delivery and the factors that influence it from a physician’s perspective. This aim is fulfilled by conducting three interlinked research projects. The first research project comprises a systematic review of the literature that identifies the factors, contexts and theoretical underpinnings influencing physician decision making. The synthesis of 160 studies reveals two main categories of influencing factors. The first is ‘Contexts’, which refers to the set of circumstances or facts surrounding a particular event or situation. The second category is ‘Interventions’, which are the techniques, processes or actions introduced to create changes in how physicians make decisions while performing their clinical duties. Although extant literature provides ample evidence on factors influencing physician decision making the link to quality in health care is under researched. In the second research project, the author explores how physicians construct quality of health care delivery by means of investigating 162 clinical cases with 27 repertory gird interviews that yield eleven key constructs representing a classification of physicians’ conception of quality. The third research project examines physicians’ perceptions of enablers and barriers to quality in health care delivery, employing semi-structured interviews. Findings indicate that physician’s effort in delivering quality health care is largely influenced by factors affecting behavioural control (freedom to act). This research makes five contributions to knowledge. First, a novel classification of factors influencing physician decision making when prescribing is developed, providing new understanding of the link between these factors and quality of health care. Second, the systematic review shows an innovative application of factor analysis to structure the findings of a complex phenomenon. Third, the study presents a new conceptualisation of physicians’ construction of quality in health care. Fourth, the research provides a categorization of physicians’ perceived enablers and barriers to quality health care and the mechanisms by which they operate. Finally, this research develops a theoretically-grounded and empirically-informed conceptual model that incorporates three hitherto separate domains: agency, planned behaviour, and decision theories. This model provides a new integrated lens to better understand the complexities influencing quality in health care delivery. This study also makes two significant contributions to practice. First, the findings have helped initiate a transformation in the pharmaceutical industry’s business model, evolving from business-to-person to business-to-business. Second, the findings serve as a catalyst to drive organizational changes at Norway’s largest emergency hospital. As a result, a national debate was initiated, involving the Prime Minister and Minister of Health, on how hospital emergency care can best be provided at a national level.

The purpose of this study was to explore whether Indian counsellors and psychotherapists in the UK practice in an indigenous way with their Indian clients. The aim was to find out more information about the different types of Indian indigenous interventions that may currently be used by these professionals. The study also bridges the gap in the literature about the lack of research on the practical uses and applications of Indian indigenous counselling skills in the UK.The study reports data from six face-to-face open-ended semi-structured interviews with Indian counsellors who have been trained in Western psychotherapeutic approaches and have knowledge of Indian psychotherapeutic approaches. The research was analysed using Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA). Firstly, the analysis concluded the use of several Indian indigenous interventions used by the participants, such as Prekshadhyan which can be used for psychosomatic pain relief, Jain virtue of forgiveness which can be useful for working with sexual abuse, use of spirituality and cultural beliefs for bereavement, and so on. Secondly, the analysis identified some of the most common barriers to therapy (e.g. stigmas and taboos) experienced by Indian clients in the UK, and it provided suggestions on how to overcome these. Finally, the analysis suggested factors that therapists should pay attention to (e.g. client context and use of Indian languages) in order to maximise Indian clients’ engagement in therapy and to minimise their exclusion from it.

Previous research has shown that humankind is not becoming happier, and that in fact symptoms of depression continue to rise, despite the belief of many that happiness is the ultimate purpose of human life. The purpose of this study was to investigate whether happiness can be taught through an intervention programme aimed at increasing levels of subjective wellbeing as measured by scales of self-reported happiness and depression. Participants attending a course based on research into Positive Psychology that included the practice of multiple validated interventions made up the experimental group (N=33), and participants in other community education courses made up the control group (N=41). A pre-intervention, post-intervention and follow-up design was used, with participants completing sets of questionnaires designed to test levels of happiness and depression, and additional questionnaires capturing demographic information and signature character strengths. The results of this study suggested that the intervention had a positive effect on increasing happiness and reducing symptoms of depression. The non-randomised groups resulted in a more depressed experimental than control group prior to the intervention. Generally speaking, it was not true that any subgroup benefited more from the intervention than others, nor were happier or more depressed than others. This study appears to support earlier research that found that subjective wellbeing could be increased through education and volitional behaviour. Implications for the findings are discussed in relation to group education and therapeutic intervention both for increasing happiness as well as reducing symptoms of depression.

Over one million high school students drop out of school each year in this country. Dropping out of school is a serious problem for the student, community, and the nation. Often dropouts are unable to compete in an increasingly technological society and face numerous consequences from their decision to leave school early including higher levels of poverty, unemployment, public assistance, incarceration, and poor health. Dropping out is a gradual process of school disengagement and related to individual, family, and school factors. In the past, it has been difficult to track individual student's progress through school and to determine accurate dropout and graduation rates. In 2005, the National Governors Association made a commitment to implement a uniform method to calculate and report graduates and dropouts as well as better data collections systems.This study intended to replicate aspects of other major studies around the county to determine the best early predictors of dropping out of school in this large school district in southern Arizona and use this information to build an early warning system. Student data were obtained from the district's Research and Accountability office for a cohort of students (n=6751) who began the ninth grade in fall 2006 and graduated or should have graduated in 2010. Data collected included general demographic information, academic data, number of schools attended, and school withdrawal codes.The intent of this research was to determine if there were statistically significant differences between dropouts and graduates in the variables collected and which variables yielded the highest effect sizes and should be included in the district's early warning system.Two analyses were used to determine significance differences between dropouts and graduates. Then four analyses were performed to determine the highest-yield variables for this district. Consistent with recent research in the field, the variables of ninth grade attendance, ninth grade English and Math grades, and GPA were the strongest predictors of student dropouts.Local educators can use this early warning information to help identify potential high school dropouts as early as possible and intervene more efficiently and effectively with these students.