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In this report, a nationally representative sample of kindergarten through 12th grade (K-12) public school principals were asked about their experiences with covering classrooms and hiring staff. In the spring of the 2021-2022 school year, which coincided with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) omicron variant surge, most principals struggled to keep classrooms consistently staffed and many reported that hiring had become more challenging since the previous school year. Principals indicated that a lack of substitute teachers -- not an increase in open teaching positions -- was the main reason for classroom coverage shortages. In addition to day-to-day coverage issues, most principals reported that teacher vacancies were on the rise. Most of these principals believed that vacancies had grown more difficult to fill than in the prior school year, largely because of declining applicant counts. Principals' preferences when hiring teachers lend further insight into potential drivers of hiring challenges. A large majority of principals expressed strong preferences for like-minded teachers whose mindsets aligned with the vision and culture of the schools. Few principals prioritized the diversity of the educator workforce at their schools.
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BackgroundCOVID-19 infection has revealed a considerable number of extra-pulmonary manifestations, especially rheumatological. The detection of these manifestations, which herald the infection, is of great value in the early diagnosis of the disease, especially in health care workers (HCWs) who are at considerable risk of infection. Although myalgia is a common clinical feature of COVID-19, other musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) have been rarely described.ObjectivesTo describe MSDs during SARS-COV2 infection in HCWs.MethodsProspective descriptive study conducted at the department of occupational pathology and fitness for work of Charles Nicolle Hospital in Tunis, having included the HCWs affected by COVID-19 during the period from 01 September 2020 to 28 February 2021. Data collection was carried out by regular telephone follow-up during the containment period using a pre-established form.ResultsDuring the study period, 656 HCWs were infected with SARS COV 2, of whom 134 (20.4%) had at least one musculoskeletal event. The mean age was 42±9 years with a sex ratio (M/F) of 0.2. The most represented occupational category was nurses (33.6%) followed by health technicians (23.1%). The median professional length of service was 12 [7;20] years. The presence of comorbidity was noted in 58.2% of HCWs. A pre-existing osteoarticular disease was found in 8.2% of cases. Obesity was noted in 25.4% of the population. Active smoking was reported by 14.3% of respondents. A known vitamin D deficiency was noted in 16.5% of patients. Spinal pain was the most reported MSD, present in 87.3% of cases. Low back pain was the most frequent spinal pain (56.7%) followed by back pain (37.4%) and neck pain (5.9%). MSDs of the lower limbs were found in 12.7% of patients. They were represented by gonalgia in 11.9% of cases, ankle pain in 5.2% of cases and hip pain in 4.3% of cases. MSDs of the upper limbs were described by 7.5% of the patients, 92.5% of whom presented with shoulder pain. The median duration of MSDs during COVID-19 was 5 [3;8] days. These manifestations were persistent on return to work in 21.1% of cases.ConclusionKnowledge of the frequency and consequences of musculoskeletal manifestations related to COVID-19 infection is of great importance, particularly in HCWs, in order to optimise management and ensure a rapid return to work.REFERENCES:NIL.Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of InterestsNone Declared.
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Aims: Globally, mental illness and substance use disorders are the leading cause of disability and disease burden for young people. Orygen is an Australian youth mental health organization with a mission to reduce the impact of mental ill-health on young people, families and society, and one of only a few known research and clinical centres with a dedicated Knowledge Translation division. This paper provides a case study of the workforce development team within Orygen Knowledge Translation, outlining how implementation science informs their work and how the division has adapted its model of service support in the face of COVID-19. Method(s): Process data on training and resources developed and delivered by the workforce development team at Orygen over the period 2017-2021 was collated and synthesized with team reflections about the adaptations made by team in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Results and Conclusion(s): Since 2017, the team has delivered training to more than 4000 youth mental health workers across Australia, on the topics of trauma, psychosis, mood and anxiety disorders, brief interventions, cognition and other areas of youth mental health. The COVID-19 pandemic generated abrupt and dramatic changes to the delivery of workforce and service development initiatives in Australia due to significant restrictions to travel and in-person events. It also placed major delivery demands on youth mental health services. The COVID-19 pandemic facilitated profound and rapid changes to service delivery and development in Australian youth mental health. Implementation science offers flexible models to support a changing system.
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Sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors (SGLT2i) are increasingly initiated as treatment for type 2 diabetes due to favourable cardiorenal characteristics. However, studies have identified an increased risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). We carried out a retrospective, case-based study at East and North Herts NHS Trust between February 2018 and December 2020. Fifteen cases of SGLT2i associated DKA were identified in people with presumed type 2 diabetes;33.3% were classed as euglycaemic DKA with a blood glucose of <11mmol/L. All cases were associated with a significant precipitating factor including diarrhoea, vomiting, reduced oral intake and sepsis. One case was related to COVID-19. Two people were subsequently found to have raised islet autoantibodies suggesting type 1 diabetes or latent autoimmune diabetes in adults. It is important that awareness of SGLT2i associated DKA is raised among users and health care practitioners, including the recognition of euglycaemic DKA. Sick day rules should be emphasised and reiterated at clinical encounters. Non-specialists in primary care, oncology and in perioperative settings should be empowered to advocate for temporary withdrawal and there should be readier access to blood ketone monitoring when required. When SGLT2i associated DKA occurs, due consideration should be given to evaluate the diabetes classification and investigate the circumstances of the event. Copyright © 2023 John Wiley & Sons.Copyright © 2023 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated digital transformations across industries, but also introduced new challenges into workplaces, including the difficulties of effectively socializing with colleagues when working remotely. This challenge is exacerbated for new employees who need to develop workplace networks from the outset. In this paper, by analyzing a large-scale telemetry dataset of more than 10,000 Microsoft employees who joined the company in the first three months of 2022, we describe how new employees interact and telecommute with their colleagues during their "onboarding"period. Our results reveal that although new hires are gradually expanding networks over time, there still exists significant gaps between their network statistics and those of tenured employees even after the six-month onboarding phase. We also observe that heterogeneity exists among new employees in how their networks change over time, where employees whose job tasks do not necessarily require extensive and diverse connections could be at a disadvantaged position in this onboarding process. By investigating how web-based people recommendations in organizational knowledge base facilitate new employees naturally expand their networks, we also demonstrate the potential of web-based applications for addressing the aforementioned socialization challenges. Altogether, our findings provide insights on new employee network dynamics in remote and hybrid work environments, which may help guide organizational leaders and web application developers on quantifying and improving the socialization experiences of new employees in digital workplaces. © 2023 ACM.
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The multi-generational workforce presents challenges for organizations, as the needs and expectations of employees vary greatly between different age groups. To address this, organizations need to adapt their development and learning principles to better suit the changing workforce. The DDMT Teaching Model of Tsing Hua STEAM School, which integrates design thinking methodology, aims to address this challenge. DDMT stands for Discover, Define, Model & Modeling, and Transfer. The main aim of this study is to identify the organization development practices (OD) and gaps through interdisciplinary models such as DDMT and design thinking. In collaboration with a healthcare nursing home service provider, a proof of concept using the DDMT-DT model was conducted to understand the challenges in employment and retention of support employees between nursing homes under the healthcare organization. The paper highlights the rapid change in human experiences and mindsets in the work culture and the need for a design curriculum that is more relevant to the current and future workforce. The DDMT-DT approach can help organizations address these challenges by providing a framework for HR personnel to design training curricula that are more effective in addressing the issues of hiring and employee retention. By applying the DDMT-DT model, HR personnel can better understand the needs and motivations of the workforce and design training programs that are more relevant to their needs. The proof-of-concept research pilot project conducted with the healthcare nursing home service provider demonstrated the effectiveness of the DDMT-DT model in addressing the issues of hiring and employee retention. The project provides a valuable case study for other organizations looking to implement the DDMT-DT model in their HR practices. Overall, the paper highlights the importance of adapting HR practices to better suit the changing workforce. The DDMT-DT model provides a useful framework for organizations looking to improve their HR practices and better address the needs of their workforce.
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This chapter illustrates how the change to a virtual setting challenged students' social connectedness and sense of belonging. It demonstrates how students found a way to build social connectedness in a virtual setting that reinforced their sense of community. The chapter discusses how Students of Color experienced the COVID-19 interruption. It offers insights into whether thriving in college is even possible for students when their means of creating community have been disrupted. At the University of Utah, the detachment was experienced by students in their interactions with faculty and their relationships with their friends, peers, and classmates. The closing of campus and the shift to online learning also limited students' social connectedness with friends, classmates, and peers. Students also relied on new communities to gain motivation and achieve academically. University employees were also a part of students' relational communities. Some students created a strong emotional connection with staff members, such as advisors and student affairs professionals. The pandemic and the resulting educational changes added another layer of complexity to the academic experiences of Students of Color. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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OBJECTIVES: On March 11, 2020, the WHO classified COVID-19 as a global pandemic. Measures to quell the pandemic included limiting non-essential activities including clinic visits and procedures. It is unclear if individuals with OI had disruptions in their access to healthcare or medications, and if such disruptions affected patients' symptoms. METHOD(S): A REDCap survey was distributed through the OI Foundation on August 31. Surveys completed through September 11 by individuals with OI or their caregiver are included in this analysis. Participants were asked to compare their symptoms and access to healthcare during the first 4 months of the pandemic to the 4 months before the pandemic. RESULT(S): 85 surveys were completed, and 6 were partially completed. The median age of participants was 40 years;35% were children. 32% of participants self-identified as having severe OI. Although most reported no changes in bone pain or fractures, 46% reported they were less likely to seek emergency medical care to treat a fracture, while 33% reported they were more likely to treat fractures at home (Fig 1A). There were delays in accessing all services, with greatest delays accessing dentistry (74%) and aquatic therapy (84%) (Fig 1B). 36% of participants receiving bisphosphonate infusions had delayed infusions because of the pandemic (Fig 1C). Of note, 50% of planned surgeries were delayed. CONCLUSION(S): Although many individuals with OI and their caregivers reported delays in accessing bone-related services/clinics during this 4-month period, there was not a concomitant increase in reported symptoms. This may have related to shelter-in-place restrictions and decreased activity. Limitations of this study include small sample size and potential selection bias because responses were obtained only from OIF members. To address these limitations, we are distributing the survey through healthcare providers of individuals with OI across major regions of the US from a variety of practice types including endocrine, orthopedics and multidisciplinary clinics. Furthermore, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues, we hope that this survey will provide information to address what aspects of healthcare may be in greatest need, as well as the modality through which services may be met. (Figure Presented).
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In the arena of clinical research, gender equity accelerates research excellence: we need multiple perspectives and all the brain power we can muster to maximize research productivity and quality. [...]women physician investigators enhance enrollment of women as participants in clinical trials, which is crucial to our ability to generalize from the data and to maintain the health of women. Women are underrepresented among academic grand rounds speakers,14 speakers at medical conferences15, and award recipients from medical specialty societies.16 Time pressure is especially intense on young women faculty. Besides spending more time on domestic chores, they spend more time at work on teaching, service, and mentoring. Female primary care physicians spend more time with patients.22 Elderly hospitalized patients treated by female internists experience lower mortality and readmission rates.23 Patients undergoing coronary artery bypass grafting had shorter hospital length of stay when treated by an all-female physician team as compared with an all-male team.24 Female patients treated by male physicians following acute myocardial infarction have higher mortality than those treated by female physicians.25 Sex discordance between patient and surgeon is associated with increased likelihood of adverse postoperative outcomes-and that observation that is driven by worse outcomes for female patients treated by male physicians.26 Clinical trials play a fundamental role in bringing new medications and interventions to our patients, yet women have often been excluded from participation. Among 60 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of lipidlowering therapies reported between 1990 and 2018, there was a modest increase in enrollment of women over time, but women remain underrepresented compared with the relative burden of disease.30 In another study of 317 RCTs of heart failure with reduced ejection fraction published in highimpact journals over the past 20 years, only 25% of participants overall were female, and females were under-enrolled in 72% of these trials.
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Background: The overarching aim of the study was to (1) investigate how working with COVID-19 patients has impacted work environment, and (2) to identify how factors in the work environment impact adverse health outcomes among hospital personnel (HP), throughout the four waves of the pandemic. Material(s) and Method(s): In a web-based survey altogether 2472 HP participated from four large university hospitals in Norway, whereof N = 680 in April-June 2020 (T1), N = 1073 in December-January 2020/2021 (T2), N = 818 in April-May 2021 (T3), and N = 972 in December 2021-February 2022 (T4). At each time point participants reported on pandemic related work tasks, work environment and adverse health outcomes. Somatic symptoms, psychological distress, posttraumatic stress symptoms and burnout served as outcomes of multivariable linear regression models. The percentage of responders involved in ICU treatment of COVID-19 patients varied between 21% and 40% from T1-T4. Result(s): Reported stressors altered in strength during the 4 waves. Preliminary results indicate that exposure to patients with COVID-19 was associated with more frequent experience of work environmental factors. Compared to colleagues not working with patients with COVID-19 HP reported challenges related to professional competency and training, predictability in teams and work environment, manageable workload, adequate help and support for work stress management, user-friendliness of Personal Protection Equipment and infection protection safety. Furthermore, these environmental factors were associated with symptoms of psychological unhealth on at least one timepoint. Conclusion(s): The results may help guide organizational efforts to maintain professional competency and to reduce stress more efficiently among hospital personnel at different stages in response to long-term crises.
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Work-related stress and burnout have become a popular topic for research studies over the course of many years. The COVID-19 pandemic has also highlighted the importance of monitoring stress and well-being for workers in a variety of fields. The purpose of the present study was to examine the relationship between perceived stress, burnout, and job satisfaction among play therapists. We found a strong correlation between perceived stress and burnout among sample participants. We also found a strong negative relationship between these variables and job satisfaction. Based on our findings, we recommend several strategies that supervisors can implement when working with counselors-in-training in order to prevent stress and burnout for this specific therapist population. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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Cultural competency is the ability to respectfully engage, understand, and communicate through conscientious interaction, enabling effective work and meaningful relationships in cross-cultural situations. Cultural competency recognizes the importance for organizations of participants' diverse social and cultural values, beliefs, and behaviors, and has gained attention because it can bridge health perspectives, understanding, and respect between health professionals and patients. There remains a need for cultural competency in healthcare as disparities persist across the U.S. in racial and ethnic minority groups who experience worse health outcomes and lower healthcare quality than the general public. Therefore, a cultural competency training curriculum was created using various resources to improve interactions between Pacific Islander patients and healthcare professionals. This training helps to reduce racial/ethnic disparities in healthcare by encouraging mutual understanding and improving patient satisfaction, adherence to medical instructions, and overall health outcomes by highlighting patient-centered care as a result of utilizing components of cultural competency. To improve patient experiences in Hawai'i, healthcare professionals need the tools to better interact with patients from different cultures, such as Pacific Islanders. This training provides healthcare professionals with culturally-based content for improving cultural competence techniques for interacting with Pacific Island patients. This training was pilot tested with key stakeholders from community organizations and Cancer Center faculty/staff. Local health clinics, providers, and practices will have the opportunity to participate in this training through a Zoombased electronic training format and be provided with three continuing medical education credits. The initial delivery of the training was intended for in-person sessions;however, a virtual format was adapted due to the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent social distancing regulations. Healthcare providers are provided pre-training resources, a pre- and post-test, and a course evaluation to determine the validity of training objectives. To date, two Federally Qualified Health Centers have been provided the training, n=60, as well as one Cancer Health Equity Partnerships' Scientific Workshop, n=40. For attendees, the analysis of correct responses from the pretest to post-test showed a significant improvement on 6 of the 12 questions. Respondents also agreed that the training resources aligned with the course objectives. Improved patient interactions from this training can help support better patient outcomes, adherence to medical advice regarding cancer screenings, and many other aspects of improving health equity for Pacific Islanders.
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IMPACTThis article explores the consequences of emotional labour on UK NHS ambulance staff and their response to the Covid-19 pandemic. It highlights the challenges faced by ambulance crews while dealing with their emotional labour within the context of organizational settings. Research findings also explain the importance of emergency responders' psychosocial wellbeing. The article has clear relevance as to how frontline staff manage their emotional labour in other emergency service settings, such as the police and fire and rescue services.Alternate :Managing emotions are essential aspect of many jobs, and frontline healthcare workers have to manage and control their emotions while caring for critically ill patients and working in an emotionally-charged dynamic environment;this was particularly the case during Covid-19. Ambulance workers are an important group in this respect but they are currently under-researched. Evidence behind this article comes from data collected from an NHS ambulance trust in England. One of the key contributions of this article is to highlight how frontline ambulance professionals manage their emotional labour while working within the stipulations of organizational constraints.
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The lack of literature on online art therapy and research participants' remarks about feeling underprepared to transition to teletherapy underscores that more research must be conducted on the subject. Going forward, graduate-level coursework in the field should address virtual art therapy and training on how to conduct art therapy online should be implemented. Other opportunities to learn about virtual therapy may include consulting with other clinicians and completing online training programs for tele counselling. This chapter offers suggestions and raises ethical considerations for a tele art therapy practice. Online approaches to art therapy are novel and it uses the terms virtual, online, and tele art therapy interchangeably. Tele art therapy, a subset of teletherapy, emerged in the late 1990s. The bulk of art therapy literature written before the COVID-19 pandemic focuses on implementing online computer programs that can be used to facilitate art therapy and adapting analogue art therapy practices to suit online platforms. In contrast, tele art therapy literature published during the pandemic includes surveys and descriptions of art therapy programs and services developed in response to stay-at-home orders. To conclude, the chapter offers suggestions and raise ethical considerations for online art therapy practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved)
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The aim of this study was to measure the effect of equine assisted services (EAS) on mood and anxiety in health-care workers. While the emotional toll of the COVID-19 pandemic has been felt in every aspect of our society, health-care workers have been hit especially hard. A survey conducted by Mental Health America during June - September in 2020, found 93% of health-care workers were experiencing stress and 86% reported experiencing anxiety. There is research to support a wide range of interventions to address stress, low mood, and anxiety, including pharmaceuticals, physical exercise, and animal interaction. While several studies have shown an improvement in anxiety and mood after interaction with horses, few studies have included a physically active control group to consider the effect of exercise on results. In this study conducted in October 2021, participants were recruited from area hospitals and randomly assigned to a control group (30-min guided walk with no horse interaction, n = 17), a low level EAS group (30-min self-guided farm tour, n = 20), or a mid-level EAS group (30 min of grooming a horse, n = 19). Before the intervention, participants completed a demographic survey. Pre and post activity, participants completed the Brief Mood Introspection Scale (BMIS) and State Anxiety Inventory for AdultsTM that measured currentfeelings of mood and anxiety, respectively. Data were analyzed using the repeated measures one-way ANOVA procedure in SPSS. This study was approved by the MSU Human Research and Protection Program and the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee. Fifty-six health-care workers participated in the study, with 32% having worked in health care for less than 5 years and 33.9% having worked in health care for over 20 years. All participants had a significant improvement in State-Anxiety scores after completing their group activity (P < 0.001), with no differences among groups. Similarly, all groups had an improved BMIS score (P < 0.001). However, there was significantly greater improvement in BMIS scores in the mid-level EAS (P < 0.01) when compared with the control group. While all participants in this study improved both their current feelings of anxiety and mood after completing an activity on the farm, there was a greater improvement in mood in those individuals who spent 30 min grooming a horse when compared with the walk group without horse interaction. The results from this study provide further support for the impact of equine assisted services as a means of improving mood.Copyright © 2023
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Objectives: Evidence demonstrates that when hospitals focus on the discharge process patient safety improves and overall costs decline. Hospital discharge requires care coordination of multiple disciplines, often leading to fragmented care, and adverse outcomes after discharge include emergency department visits and hospital readmissions. The Re-Engineered Discharge (RED) process was developed as an evidence-based strategy to improve the hospital discharge. We evaluated perspectives and priorities of physicians, health care workers, and patients involved in the vascular discharge process using RED as a framework. Method(s): A single-center qualitative analysis using a semi-structured focus groups and an interview guide based on the RED process. Focus groups were Zoom platform recorded, transcribed into text files, independently coded, and analyzed with Dedoose qualitative software using a directed content analysis approach. Thematic concepts were created, and comparisons between groups were analyzed by coding frequency. Researchers independently thematically coded each transcript;prior to analysis, all redundancy of codes was resolved;and all team members agreed on text categorization and coding frequency. Result(s): Eight focus groups with 38 participants were performed. Participants included: physicians (n = 13), nursing and ancillary staff (n = 19), and patients/caregivers (n = 6). Transcript analyses revealed facilitators and barriers to discharge. Overarching themes identified from the qualitative analysis frequencies are displayed by stakeholder role (Fig 1). Themes identified with the greatest coding frequencies included helpfulness of discharge instructions, patient health literacy, patient medical complexity, poor interdisciplinary team communication, time constraints during discharge, technology literacy of patients, barriers to obtaining medications for patients, barriers to organizing outpatient services for health care workers, barriers for patients to obtain help after discharge, and the impact of COVID-19. Conclusion(s): These findings identify the need to strengthen efforts to overcome stakeholder barriers to improve patient safety at the interface of the hospital to create a well-organized discharge. Physicians were most concerned with low patient health literacy, patient understanding of discharge instructions, organizing outpatient services, and overall patient medical complexity hindering a smooth discharge. Health care staff identified time constraints, obtaining medications and, and inter-team communication as their greatest obstacles to an organized discharge. Patients found the complexity and amount of discharge instructions, the impact of COVID-19 on support systems, and technology utilization after discharge most challenging. Modifications to address individual stakeholder barriers within the discharge process are needed to develop a national standardized discharge specific for vascular surgery patients to improve patient safety and satisfaction. [Formula presented]Copyright © 2023
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The COVID-19 pandemic has caused disruption to the economy due to the increasing infection that affects the workforce in different sectors. The Philippine government has imposed lockdowns to control the spread of infection. This urged the different sectors to implement flexible work schedules or work from home setup. A work-from-home (WFH) setup burdens both the employee and employer by installing different equipment set-ups such as WiFi-equipped laptops, computers, tablets, or smartphones. However, the internet stability in some of the areas in the Philippines is not yet reliable. In this study, an application is used collect survey information and provide an estimate of the telework internet cost requirement of a given government employee or a given government employee implementing a work-from-home set up in their respective household. This involves survey results from different respondents who are currently on a work-from-home setup and significant factors from the survey have been analyzed using machine learning (ML) algorithms. Among the machine learning algorithms used, the ensemble bagged trees model outperformed the other ML models. This work can be extended by incorporating a wider scope of datasets from different industry doing work from home set-up. In addition, in terms of education, it is also recommended to determine the WFH set up not just with the government employee and employer but to also extend this into the education side. © 2022 IEEE.
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By the beginning of 2020, the illness had been named as COVID-19, which had spread due to its extreme severity affecting multiple industries and sectors throughout the world. To protect the public's health and safety, the Philippine government has established a number of quarantine regulations and travel restrictions in reaction to the current COVID-19 outbreak. Nonetheless, the ILO predicted that the pandemic would initially disrupt the economy and labor markets, affecting 11 million employees, or around 25% of the workforce in the Philippines. Therefore, the government continues to urge employers of local companies and enterprises to use alternative work plans, such as a WFH - work-from-home operation in accordance with the established policies. In line with the concept of telework, several studies have already been carried out, though some were declared inconclusive and require additional study. Hence, in this research, a mobile application was created to evaluate the employee's telework capability assessment using a Fuzzy-based model which utilizes Google AppSheet, Apps Script, and Sheets. The developed mobile application is able to provide capacity evaluation utilizing the four key input variables, which are also reasonably characterized for potential telecommuting cost evaluation. © 2022 IEEE.