Facilitator reflections on online delivery of simulation-based mental health education during COVID-19

Purpose: During COVID-19, Maudsley Simulation successfully pivoted to fully online delivery of simulation-based education (SBE) in mental health. In migrating digitally, the simulation faculty experienced a range of new phenomena and challenges. The authors' experiences may be transferable to other specialities and for other educator groups. By sharing the authors' experiences, this study aims to support others adapt to online SBE. Design/methodology/approach: This piece represents the authors' collective reflections on the challenges of adapting their facilitation skills to the online environment. It also offers various suggestions on how to improve the learner experience in view of these challenges. Findings: Beyond merely platform orientation and operating procedure familiarisation, the team gained insights into ensuring optimal learning, engagement and participant experience during online deliveries. Delivery of online SBE brings several potential barriers to psychological safety and these warrant careful consideration by experienced simulationists. Practical implications: Optimising participant engagement and psychological safety remain key considerations despite this novel medium. Facilitators must be willing to adapt accordingly to begin delivering high-quality online SBE. Originality/value: From their experience, facilitators must reframe their debriefing expectations and adjust how they engage participants and manage group dynamics given the inherently different nature of this new learning environment.

Supporting staff at a low secure mental health setting during the COVID-19 pandemic

Why you should read this article: • To learn about some adaptations to practice adopted by a low secure mental health unit during the COVID-19 pandemic • To be aware of interventions used to enable staff to continue to support patients during the COVID-19 pandemic • To appreciate that staff's experience of the adaptations to practice and the well-being support offered to them during the pandemic can be used to inform post-pandemic practice The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly disrupted the work of healthcare professionals in forensic mental health settings, but also prompted them to adopt new ways of working that have benefits and challenges. A low secure mental health unit in the UK adapted its ways of working during the pandemic by providing staff who could work remotely with the necessary equipment. The unit also implemented a stepped psychological response, as recommended by The British Psychological Society, to assist its staff to continue to support patients. This article describes the unit's response to the pandemic and discusses the findings of two evaluations – staff experiences of remote working and of a group relaxation session. The findings could help inform post-pandemic practice in forensic mental health settings.

Social service providers under COVID-19 duress: adaptation, burnout, and resilience

Summary : This article examines the response of social services organizations and their workers to the COVID-19 pandemic in a northeastern U.S. state. Using an exploratory, cross-sectional survey design with a convenience sample (N = 1472), we ask: (1) how did agencies and social service workers manage service disruptions associated with COVID-19;(2) how did social service workers perceive shifts in clients' needs;(3) how did social service workers experience the transition to remote interactions with clients;and (4) how did social service workers cope with COVID-related transitions and demands. Findings : Our findings tell a story of unprecedented crises alongside powerful attempts at adaptation, innovation, and resilience. Faced with extraordinary need among their clients, fears for their own health, and a breakdown of organizational and community functioning and guidance, social workers were able to learn and implement new technologies, adapt to increasing demands, manage new work-life boundaries, and find ways to address gaps in service while experiencing symptoms of burnout. Application : The impact of supervisory and administrative fragmentation and communication breakdowns in the face of crisis put social workers in an untenable position despite surprising abilities to adapt, innovate, and manage their professional lives while under duress. Assuring better supervisory/administrative infrastructure to support workers as they deliver services during crises will help in future crises.

Social Workers Response to Domestic Violence and Abuse during the COVID-19 Pandemic

The rapid global spread of COVID-19 has put increased pressure on health and social service providers, including social workers who continued front line practice throughout the pandemic, engaging with some of the most vulnerable in society often experiencing multiple adversities alongside domestic violence and abuse (DVA). Movement restrictions and stay-at-home orders introduced to slow the spread of the virus, paradoxically leave these families at even greater risk from those within the home. Utilising a survey methodology combining both open- and closed-ended questions, this study captured a picture of social work practice in Ireland with families experiencing DVA during the early waves of the COVID-19 pandemic. Findings highlight both the changes and challenges in work practices and procedures that limit social work assessment and quality contact with families, changes to the help-seeking behaviours from victims/survivors, as well as emerging innovative practice responses with enhanced use of technology. Implications for practice include an increased awareness of the risk and prevalence of DVA accelerated by the pandemic. Conclusions assert that social work assessment and intervention with families experiencing DVA must remain adaptive to the changing COVID-19 context and continue to develop innovative practice approaches.

A Fresh Approach to Social Work Placements

Social Work Teaching Partnerships were initiated by the UK government in 2015. The purpose was to improve the quality of social work education and training. In the East Midlands, four Local Authorities (Derbyshire, Derby City, Nottinghamshire and Nottingham City) joined with other local organisations to form the "D2N2" Social Work Teaching Partnership (the D2N2 acronym representing the two Derbyshire and two Nottinghamshire local authorities). The Partnership was formally recognised as a Teaching Partnership in 2016. As part of our commitment to improving social work education and training, we identified a need to develop our practice education (field education) further, by developing a revised and improved placement quality assurance system that replaced the Quality Assurance in Practice Learning (QAPL) system, which was not felt to be fit for purpose. This work formed part of a wider Placement Learning System (PLS) and Practice Development Programme (PDP), which were developed in conjunction with the Universities and employer organisations. The PLS enhanced the voice of the student whilst at the same time allowing us to gather a significant amount of data about the quality of placements;and the PDP allowed us to develop our practice educator cohort. This article explores these developments.

Discover the best hiring strategy

In this article, author discusses about the impacts of the dental staffing crisis, poor management and bad leadership on the dentistry, increased amid the Covid-19 pandemic in Australia.

P090 Adapting to Audience Needs With Responsive and Flexible Virtual Education

The objective of Wellness Wednesday with FCHS was to develop, deliver, and evaluate extension programming in a virtual format for effective audience outreach and impact during the COVID-19 Pandemic. The impact of the webinar series was evaluated with overall outcomes supporting participants in moving through the stages of behavior change based on knowledge gained from participation. The target audience for this webinar series was adults interested in virtual health education in New Jersey. Participation has grown to include viewers from 41 states, 2 territories and Norway. Wellness Wednesday focuses on a variety of topics related to food, nutrition, wellness, and healthy lifestyles. This series provides viewers with easy steps to add positive health behaviors to daily living, featuring a new topic each week. Qualtrics surveys and Zoom polling tools were used to collect data on attendees' demographics, knowledge gained, and intended behavior changes. Questions on behavior change intentions are meant to assess participant movement from pre-contemplation to contemplation on the transtheoretical model. Total State-wide FCHS programming for in-person education was 9,709 in 2019. Wellness Wednesday with FCHS webinar series alone reached 5,008 unique users or 51% of total department outreach from 2019. This significant increase in outreach from just Wellness Wednesday demonstrates the tremendous impact of virtual education. An average of 137 people attended each webinar, peaking at 231 attending live webinars in 2021. The vast majority (88%) of attendees who responded to webinar polls indicated knowledge gained and intention for positive behavior change. The program's popularity has provided a platform for meeting the diverse needs of participants and expanding nutrition, physical activity, and wellness education. Program evaluation demonstrates effective delivery of virtual learning, audience outreach, and impact through increased knowledge and behavior change intention. Outcomes and lessons learned can support program replication at other Universities and educational settings. NIFA

Another Moment in Time: A Follow-Up Survey on Speech-Language Pathologists' Experiences With the COVID-19 Pandemic During the Fall of 2020

Purpose: Although the COVID-19 pandemic had been impacting K--12 education since spring 2020, educational professionals working in schools faced unique challenges at the beginning of the 2020-2021 school year. This study focused on gaining a deeper understanding of the experiences of school-based speech-language pathologists (SLPs) during the first half of the 2020-2021 school year and comparing these experiences to the previous spring. Method: This study involved a survey of 333 school-based SLPs working across the United States. The results of the survey were analyzed both qualitatively and quantitatively to identify key themes and trends related to communication, service delivery models, changes in job requirements, confidence levels, and personal challenges.

COVID-19's missing heroes: Nurses' contribution and visibility in Aotearoa New Zealand

The author reflects on the contributions and visibility of nurses in Aotearoa New Zealand during the Covid-19 pandemic. Also cited are the factors leading to the country's effective response to the pandemic like the decisive and empathetic leadership of Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, effective public communication, and the use of genomic sequencing for tracing and testing possible infections, and the reasons behind the lack of visibility of nurses during the fight against the pandemic.