Turnover Intention Model: Self- Determination Theory Approach: Acces la Success

The purpose of this study is to examine and analyze the influence of mental workload and person-organization fit on turnover intention, using basic psychological needs frustration (BPNF) as the intervening variable in the hospital in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta. The sample of this study is vocational nurse in the hospital in Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta. The sample is carried out through survey from 153 respondents, which is processed using Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) method. This study finds that mental workload does not have direct influence on turnover intention, but it is mediated (full mediation) by need for competence frustration and need for relatedness frustration. Person-organization fit has a positive influence on need for autonomy frustration. However, person-organization fit does not have an influence on turnover intention, and basic psychological needs does not mediate the relationship of these variables. This study also found that the category of mental workload is quite low, person-organization fit is low, basic psychological needs frustration is quite low, and turnover intention is low. Nurse has the extrinsic motivation of identified regulation, thus hospital leaders should bring their motivation from identified regulation to intrinsic motivation, through internalization by establishing supportive work environment, namely Islamic spiritual workplace (ISW), with basic psychological needs supporting in each of its dimension. This study is expected to be a reference for practitioners in human resource management, especially regarding human resource retention function through the implementation of ISW. ISW contributes to lower mental workload, the increase of person-organization fit, establishment of basic psychological need satisfaction, as well as the decrease of basic psychological needs frustration and turnover intention.

Overcoming COVID-19 pandemic: emerging challenges of human factors and the role of cognitive ergonomics

The present study, an expert review, aimed to discuss the emerging challenges of overcoming COVID-19 from the perspective of human factors and the importance of cognitive ergonomics in helping to cope with the epidemic. Identifying these challenges and the use of cognitive ergonomics to optimize human well-being and system performance can be effective in managing COVID-19. Generally, two main preventive approaches such as social distancing and patient care or treatment approaches are being utilized in response to COVID-19. In this paper, human factors challenges that could emerge from covid-19 preventive approaches were discussed. Social distancing forces presence and increases automated systems that lead to increases in cognitive needs, mental workload, stress, etc. Challenges of treatment and health care include the increased workload of healthcare personnel, stress, changing work systems and task allocation that led to fatigue and stress, threats to patient safety, and disruption of interpersonal interactions from a cognitive ergonomic perspective. It is concluded that the challenges of coping with COVID-19 were numerous and important from the perspective of human factors and the role of cognitive ergonomics is important in controlling the disease;hence, it should be taken into consideration.

Empowering cultural change at North Manchester general hospital

ContextNorth Manchester General Hospital is a large District General Hospital in Greater Manchester, serving a relatively disadvantaged population. The overall culture change project involved practically all facets of a functioning medical organisation, including the Senior Medical Leadership Team (SMLT), Transformation team, Human Resources, Finance, and many more. However, one of the key aims of the change was to improve the experience of Junior Doctors working at NMGH. Therefore, postgraduate doctors in training have been key to all of the development, including the Medical Director's Leadership Fellow (MDLF), Junior Doctors' Leadership Group (JDLG), and every staff member that they represent.Issue/ChallengeHistorically, North Manchester General Hospital (NMGH) has had a reputation as a poor place to work;staff aimed to avoid the site. The hospital was unable to retain highly-skilled employees, and trainee experience was extremely low, impacting on patient safety metrics. The site was stuck in a continuous cycle of having this reputation, leading to an inability to attract permanent staff, causing a deficit in teaching and training opportunities, further diminishing the reputation.Rotational junior doctors are the most transient group of NHS healthcare workers (HCWs). Their experience is reflective of organisational culture and that of other, less vocal groups of HCWs. Prior to 2020, many junior doctors considered NMGH to be a ‘rite of passage' ‘ one to be avoided if possible, but if unavoidable, just get through it. On-call teams were chronically short-staffed, 3 services were in enhanced General Medical Council (GMC) monitoring, and GMC survey results were unsatisfactory. Teams were forced to be tenacious, lateral thinking, and resilient to cope with the stresses of work.2019 saw NMGH receive significant criticism from GMC and Health Education North West (HENW) monitoring visits. The General Surgery (GS) Department remained in ‘enhanced monitoring', and patient safety concerns were raised. These included inadequate ‘prescribing of admission medication', poor use of incident reporting systems, and challenges escalating sick patients. Trainees described ‘fire-fighting, not learning'. Improvement recommendations included addressing departmental culture, reinforcing the importance of incident reporting, and ensuring trainees had easy access to appropriate senior support at all times. Early in 2020, trainee experience further deteriorated in GS, due to a negative culture and deficiencies in support, education and training. This resulted in Foundation Year 1 doctors being removed from GS.The Senior Medical Leadership Team (SMLT) decided that enough was enough;the hospital culture needed a fundamental overhaul. There was a clear and urgent need to address staff experience.Assessment of issue and analysis of its causesThe Senior Medical Leadership Team (SMLT) set themselves an audacious goal: to support NMGH to transform into the best training and working experience for junior doctors in Greater Manchester. This goal was split into primary drivers, with each driver linked to specific future projects, and projects assigned to each leadership team member. These projects, identified through co-production with junior doctors, were aimed to improve employee experience, including facilitating access to breaks, improving supervision and support, and enhancing development opportunities â€' aiming to raise staff wellbeing and patient safety standards. Changes were made to General Surgery, resulting in huge investments in expanding the permanent junior doctor and consultant workforces.Several initiatives were implemented to help assess the scope of work required, including setting up a Junior Doctors' Leadership Group (JDLG), or ‘Shadow Board'. All hospital specialties are represented;some representatives sit on the SMLT, on Educational Board meetings, and the Clinical Leaders Forum. The SMLT join every JDLG meeting. Whilst acting as a conduit for rapid two-way communication between clinician and leadership teams (e.g. reliably informing doctors about last-minute changes to visiting policy during Covid surges, or effectively communicating crucial information to crash-call teams when building work closed part of the hospital), the group debates issues raised by junior doctor colleagues they represent, and feeds that back to the SMLT. Recent examples include raising patient safety concerns related to misinterpretation of the Emergency Department Referrals policy, and working collaboratively with junior doctors to address urgent staffing and patient safety risks related to the last wave of the pandemic.In addition to this, a Medical Director's Leadership Fellow (MDLF) role was established. This was fundamental in progressing projects related to the SMLT goal and ensuring appropriate input from junior doctors, Human Resources, the Communications and Transformation teams, and more. As a key member of the JDLG, the MDLF is a role designed in part to enhance junior doctor experience, foster better relationships between staff groups, and encourage feedback provision. The role has been vital in bridging the gap between doctors and hospital leaders, managers and executives – often a source of discontent amongst clinicians. Bridging this gap is important in developing the hospital's culture. Even though many projects are still ongoing, improvements are already being experienced.Impact2021 GMC Survey results showed improvement in 15/18 metrics compared to 2019. These included improvements in ‘Reporting Systems', ‘Workload', and ‘Clinical Supervision Out Of Hours'. 2020 Care Quality Commission inspection reports showed improvement in 11 individual aspects, including improvement to ‘outstanding' in 3 elements.HENW/GMC monitoring visits in 2021 reported ‘they have more robust teams to support the ward and on call workload', resulting from investment in clinicians. It also notes, ‘prescribing audits have shown improvements in prescribing of time critical medication', and demonstrable improvements in ‘use of incident reporting systems and sharing of lessons learnt'. Further comments note that there have been ‘significant improvements in culture in the [General Surgery] department over the past year';one doctor described the department as ‘the most supportive place he had worked'. The report summary noted, ‘through strong clinical leadership and oversight, and a concerted effort to improve departmental culture there have been significant improvements in General Surgical trainee experience with good support, supervision and education reported'. The department was subsequently removed from enhanced GMC monitoring.Although this rapid and impressive turnaround occurred within one department, benefits were seen elsewhere in the organisation.The efforts of the SMLT and JDLG have resulted in positive cultural changes. Surveys reflected: ‘friendly colleagues, less work-related stress, helpful management', and ‘thank you for your work to improve NMGH. I was worried about working at NMGH having heard ‘horror stories' about working there. However, these have not been reflected in reality at all, and NMGH has offered excellent training opportunities.InterventionThe JDLG helps ensure that important information is shared with the wider junior doctor group. Colleagues now feel that their voices are heard. The positives from the previous culture are still evident – leadership teams across the Trust have repeatedly recognised the ‘can-do attitudes' of NMGH staff, with the negative culture firmly in the past. Staff testimonials include: ‘there has definitely been an improvement over the years I have worked here;‘my supervisor was supportive and encouraged reflection through discussions about experiences;and ‘the senior staff are INCREDIBLE. They offer support, they teach, and they encourage us to learn new skills. I cannot be more thankful'. This is in contrast to historical Freedom To Speak Up (FTSU) submissions, which pointed to a culture of disregarding the opinions of NMGH staff.The ‘can-do' approach has been evident during the waves of Covid-19;members of the JDLG fed into management and governance structures to highlight problems in real time, increasing the organisation's responsiveness to challenges faced, working as a two-way conduit of information.During the 2021 HENW/GMC visit, the team reported that junior doctors knew the Medical Director and Director of Medical Education by first name, and felt able to raise concerns directly to them, evidencing a more flattened hierarchy. The visiting team reported being impressed by this positive change and were not aware of other organisations where this had been achieved to this extent.Having Postgraduate Doctors in Training play such a significant role within the Senior Leadership Team setup is relatively unique. As explained, empowering staff to feel they can raise any issues directly to the Medical Director or SMLT, or via the JDLG, has played a huge role in facilitating palpable cultural change through leadership structure additions. As a point of contact, the MDLF has acted as an extension of the JDLG, but works directly alongside the Medical Director and Associate Director of Medical Education, essentially enabling the SMLT to keep their ear to the ground, their fingers on the pulse of staff atmosphere and wellbeing.Examples of achievements of the MDLF include projects to introduce personalised theatre caps (benefits include enhanced communication, especially in emergencies, improving patient outcomes), formation of a Wellbeing group (representatives from all cohorts of staff across the site discuss wellbeing initiatives and colleagues' wellbeing concerns), and an impressive and rapid response to staffing crises and patient safety risks during the most recent Covid-19 wave. As a result of these outcomes, other Trusts haveapproached the SMLT, requesting further information regarding the JDLG and MDLF model;another MDLF has since been appointed at a different trust site.Involvement of stakeholders, such as patients, carers or family members:The SMLT itself is made up of clinicians from a variety of backgrounds, across medicine and surgery. SMLT members sit in morning medical handovers to actively gather clinician experience feedback. They also work closely alongside colleagues from Nursing, Finance, HR, Transformation teams, and more, which enables the SMLT to work collaboratively with the multidisciplinary team to improve culture at NMGH.The MDLF is in the perfect position to take advantage of this MDT approach. As a result, the MDLF sits on Group-level Patient Safety Panels (acting to highlight patient safety incidents, initiatives, and achievements across the entire Trust). This panel consists of representatives from hospital, community, and medical education staffing groups. The lessons learnt are then communicated to individual hospitals, no matter where the incident or initiative originated. A big part of the meeting is the FTSU aspect, and local FTSU Guardians are active within the panel.Given that the MDLF role is so closely linked to improving communication and feedback, a Freedom To Speak Up Champion role fitted well within the responsibilities of the post. Therefore, over the past year, the MDLF has worked alongside the FTSU team and has completed training as a FTSU Champion. As a consequence of working closely with shop-floor colleagues, the MDLF has received communications from a wide variety of staff roles and levels of seniority throughout the year, asking questions, or raising awareness about issues. The MDLF can then seek appropriate advice, signpost the colleague, and keep them updated on a potential resolution, further propagating the positive feedback loop and support of the wider MDT. As previously mentioned, the JDLG consists of representatives from all medical specialties, and each member is encouraged to raise concerns, suggest improvements, and lead on projects;these include an overhaul of the medical handover process, enabling a safer and more efficient handover, and escalating concerns of a coll ague speaking up about potential patient safety concerns within a department. Furthermore, speakers at JDLG meetings have included the Head of Nursing: Quality & Patient Experience, local FTSU Guardians, the Director of Human Resources, and the local Guardian of Safe Working Hours, enabling group members to share information from a wide range of disciplines with shop-floor colleagues. As a result of the efforts and MDT approach of the above groups, a placement feedback survey performed early in 2022 demonstrated that 93% of respondents felt their working environment supports a multidisciplinary approach.Key MessagesOne of the hallmarks of good medical leadership is putting all staff members, regardless of their role, seniority, or experience, in the best position for them to succeed. Giving Postgraduate doctors early opportunities to play a significant part in, and learn about, an organisation's leadership structure, is not only beneficial to the doctor, but helps the organisation capitalise on a previously relatively untapped market of ideas and solutions. Crucially, this is not limited to postgraduate doctors in training, but also locally-employed doctors, which make up a significant proportion of the workforce in any hospital yet typically remain underrepresented and under-utilised.NMGH has realised the potential that can be unlocked in Junior Doctors, through leadership placements and roles, and the positive benefit this can have on the individual, team and organisation.Lessons learntNorth Manchester General Hospital was fortunate in that the entire SMLT bought into everything: the overall project for culture change, the introduction of the MDLF into the SMLT, and empowering members of the JDLG to contribute to change at the highest level. Having spoken to other organisations looking to replicate our success, they have found that this buy-in is absolutely crucial. Recruiting effectively, to both the MDLF position and JDLG representative roles, is vital, as a huge amount of motivation to fight for change and the betterment of the system is required when overcoming barriers and challenges. Many of the barriers we faced are well-documented in literature, and to a point we expected them;these included resistance from non-medical stakeholders, which was somewhat abetted by further conversations, explanation of goals and objectives, and outlining the overall vision of the SMLT. Of course, resistance to change is important in any project, as it can highlight potential issues not yet visualised.Measurement of improvementFrom the start, we set out our intention to use openly-available, independent metrics of improvement, such as the GMC Nation Training Survey. To compliment this, the MDLF utilised a variety of temperature-check methods, including surveys (dissemination supported by the increasingly-established network of the Postgraduate doctors in training of the JDLG) and departmental visits. Importantly, having a fellow junior doctor asking for feedback, rather than a traditional member of the SMLT, enabled us to garner potentially more honest opinions, criticisms and ideas. As explained elsewhere, GMC survey results have shown improvement, and local surveys have displayed some very positive results. That said, it is recognised that the vision is a long-term project, and continuous improvement will be sought, rather than settling on the progress made thus far.Strategy for improvementThe SMLT sat down and brainstormed an overall vision alongside the individual large-scale projects that would contribute to achieving change. Within this, individual members of the SMLT were assigned roles leading one or more projects, and the MDLF role was created in part to support with the running of these projects where required. This enabled utilisation of the minds of the JDLG and other Postgraduate doctors in training. The MDLF role was instrumental in not only involving this cohort, but also reaching out to other organisations to share learned experiences when they had gone through implementation of similar projects. The team was kep accountable not by having a set timeline for implementation but by having regular away days, reporting back to their colleagues and the transformation team regarding progress.The JLDG, established in 2020, and reappointed every year, have been key to the success of the culture change, through engagement, sense-checking and feedback regarding strategy and relevant projects. Over time the organisation has increasingly engaged this Shadow Board in the development and role out of projects as well as problem solving of significant challenges. Through this team the SMLT has fedback key messages and challenges to the Junior Doctor workforce, which has resulted in increased engagement across the organisation.

Hybrid and virtual work settings, the interaction between technostress, perceived organisational support, work-family conflict and the impact on work engagement

PurposeThe study assessed the impact of technostress creators, work–family conflict and perceived organisational support (POS) on work engagement for employees operating within the virtual and hybrid work settings. The idea is to redefine the antecedents of work engagement in work settings that are characterised by excessive technology and work–family conflict.Design/methodology/approachData gathered from 302 academics and support staff employees at a selected university in South Africa were utilised to assess the abovementioned relationships via variance-based structural equation modelling.FindingsThe combined effect of technostress, work–family conflict and POS on work engagement indicates that work–family conflict is a critical component in the relationship between technostress and work engagement. Although POS is seen as a job resource that lessens stress, the study found that the influence of work–family conflict is stronger than that of POS;hence, a negative influence is reported on work engagement. Despite the presence of support, overwhelming technostress creators and work–family conflict issues increase demands and influence work engagement negatively.Research limitations/implicationsThe results noted that, in hybrid and virtual work settings, managers can drive employee engagement by focussing on designing more favourable work–life balance (WLB) policies, providing adequate information communication technology (ICT) support, fostering aspects of positive technology and defining the boundaries between work life and family time.Practical implicationsThe managers need to realise the detrimental effects of both technostress and work–family conflict on work engagement in virtual and hybrid work settings. Expanding the personal and job resources of individuals in hybrid and virtual settings is critical to enable them to meet the additional work demands and to manage the strain imposed by technostress. Instituting relevant organisation support has proved to be inadequate to address the challenges relating to technostress and work–family conflict. Therefore, introducing WLB policies that assist employees to set clear boundaries between work and family time to avoid burn out and spillover is critical. This is especially important when dealing with technostress creators in the remote work setting. Additionally, providing adequate ICT support as well as training related to use of different devices and software should be part of the organisational culture.Social implicationsA manageable and reasonable workload should be maintained bearing in mind the complexity and ambiguity associated with the hybrid work setting. Managers should make allowances for employees to adjust managers' schedules to accommodate personal obligations, as well as adjust employees' workloads to accommodate family responsibilities. As for the coping strategy of technostress and work–family conflict, considering the positive effects of the supportive work environment is important.Originality/valueThis study provides a model on the interaction of the redefined antecedents (technostress and work–family conflict) of work engagement in high-tech environments such as virtual and hybrid work settings.

CONTEMPLATING THE FULL MEASURE OF PANDEMIC RESPONSE

The top contributing factors include: * The proactive and accommodating way that regulatory agencies and ethical review committees have supported development planning and activity. * The rapid mobilization of internal and external scientific and operating teams with a singular and common focus. * The fast deployment of remote and virtual technology solutions supported by more open data, information sharing, and advanced analytics. * The execution of parallel clinical trials and the compressed time between clinical trial phases. * The de-risking of development activity through the availability of global funding and resources. * The unusual frequency and extent of global media coverage contributing to unusually high public visibility. Many of the approaches and solutions deployed-such as remote monitoring, e-consent, home nursing visits, and integrated data management platforms-faced significant difficulty replacing legacy approaches before the pandemic. Clinical research data volume has been rising dramatically for decades as protocol design objectives and scope have increased.

Generational knowledge transfer and retention strategies

PurposeThis study reviews strategies organizational leaders and human resource practitioners can deploy to develop knowledge transfer and retention succession planning strategies for older employees to mitigate generational organizational knowledge loss prior to retirement.Design/methodology/approachThis study used a questionnaire with 28 baby boomer employees and leaders of baby boomers at a large federal agency. Purposive and snowball sampling techniques were used. Questions asked participants about knowledge transfer, retention strategies and how challenges to counter baby boomer knowledge loss are addressed in the workplace.FindingsDevelop succession plans using standard operating procedures and job aids to reduce knowledge loss and enhance retention. Deploy hands-on training to share historical knowledge, enhance relationship building, mentoring programs, cross-training opportunities, retention incentives and document process improvement. The strategies are supported by organizational learning and knowledge management theories.Originality/valueThis study contributes to organizational leaders' and human resource practitioners' knowledge transfer and retention succession planning strategies to counter generational knowledge loss.

The impact of pandemics on healthcare providers' workloads: A scoping review.

AIMS: To review and synthesize available evidence exploring the impact of pandemics on direct healthcare providers' workloads in the acute care setting. DESIGN: Scoping review. DATA SOURCES: A review of English research articles published up to August 2022 that examined the impact of pandemics on healthcare providers' workloads was undertaken. Studies were identified by searching four electronic databases: Medline (EBSCO), CINAHL (EBSCO), Web of Science and PsychInfo (EBSCO). Fifty-five studies met the inclusion criteria. REVIEW METHODS: The review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses Scoping Review checklist. RESULTS: Healthcare workers experience an increase in workload pressures during a pandemic. This included patients requiring more care, undertaking non-normal work activities, increase in work content including changes to documentation, increase in demand and skills required, an increase in overtime and hours of work per week and higher patient-to-nurse ratios. The review also highlighted changes to the work environment and worsened work environments, including staffing shortages. CONCLUSION: Focused efforts from health organizations to prioritize supportive conditions, policies focused on improved work environments, staffing adequacy and fair and reasonable workloads will enhance retention of the current workforce and future planning for pandemics. IMPACT: Understanding workload challenges faced by frontline health professionals during the pandemic can improve planning, including policies and procedures, and resource allocation for future pandemic or emergency situations. In addition, extended periods of high workloads can impact staff retention. As many countries return to life after COVID-19, it is important that healthcare organizations examine staff pressures and identify ways to support staff moving forward. This will be vital for the future sustainability of the workforce. PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION: No patient or public contribution.

Operations (management) warp speed: Rapid deployment of hospital‐focused predictive/prescriptive analytics for the COVID‐19 pandemic

At the onset of the COVID‐19 pandemic, hospitals were in dire need of data‐driven analytics to provide support for critical, expensive, and complex decisions. Yet, the majority of analytics being developed were targeted at state‐ and national‐level policy decisions, with little availability of actionable information to support tactical and operational decision‐making and execution at the hospital level. To fill this gap, we developed a multi‐method framework leveraging a parsimonious design philosophy that allows for rapid deployment of high‐impact predictive and prescriptive analytics in a time‐sensitive, dynamic, data‐limited environment, such as a novel pandemic. The product of this research is a workload prediction and decision support tool to provide mission‐critical, actionable information for individual hospitals. Our framework forecasts time‐varying patient workload and demand for critical resources by integrating disease progression models, tailored to data availability during different stages of the pandemic, with a stochastic network model of patient movements among units within individual hospitals. Both components employ adaptive tuning to account for hospital‐dependent, time‐varying parameters that provide consistently accurate predictions by dynamically learning the impact of latent changes in system dynamics. Our decision support system is designed to be portable and easily implementable across hospital data systems for expeditious expansion and deployment. This work was contextually grounded in close collaboration with IU Health, the largest health system in Indiana, which has 18 hospitals serving over one million residents. Our initial prototype was implemented in April 2020 and has supported managerial decisions, from the operational to the strategic, across multiple functionalities at IU Health.

How Excessive Workloads and Long Hours of Work Contribute to Occupational Stress and Burnout Among Clinical Officers at Public Hospitals in Malawi

In Malawi, there is a cadre of mid-level health workers called clinical officers (COs) who undertake duties conventionally performed by medical doctors in the wake of an acute shortage of the latter. This paper argues that excessive workload and long hours of work are psychosocial hazards at public hospitals in Malawi that contribute to occupational stress (OS) and burnout among COs. The study from which this paper is derived adopted a qualitative research design with a case study as a research strategy. The study was conducted at four district hospitals and one central hospital, which are state-owned in Malawi. This paper argues, firstly, that before the COVID-19 pandemic, COs experienced OS and burnout due to excessive workloads and long hours of work at public hospitals. Secondly, the COVID-19 pandemic aggravated the problem of excessive workloads and long hours of work at public hospitals. Thirdly, OS and burnout among COs are associated with various impacts that can be categorised as psychological consequences and physical consequences. The psychological and physical consequences of OS and burnout are manifestations of poor quality of life among COs, which ultimately negatively affects public health. Finally, this paper recommends formulating and implementing comprehensive occupational safety and health (OSH) policies at public hospitals. Among others, these OSH policies should provide frameworks for regularly assessing the impact of OSH hazards on the mental health of hospital staff and then informing the development of appropriate measures for mitigation. © 2023 South African Sociological Association.

Automated COVID-19 Detection from WBC-DIFF Scattergram Images with Hybrid CNN Model Using Feature Selection

In the medical diagnosis such as WBC (white blood cell), the scattergram images show the relationships between neutrophils, eosinophils, basophils, lymphocytes, and monocytes cells in the blood. For COVID-19 detection, the distributions of these cells differ in healthy and COVID-19 patients. This study proposes a hybrid CNN model for COVID-19 detection using scatter images obtained from WBC sub (differential-DIFF) parameters instead of CT or X-Ray scans. As a data set, the scattergram images of 335 COVID-19 suspects without chronic disease, collected from the biochemistry department of Elazig Fethi Sekin City Hospital, are examined. At first, the data augmentation is performed by applying HSV(Hue, Saturation, Value) and CIE-1931(Commission Internationale de l'éclairage) conversions. Thus, three different image large sets are obtained as a result of raw, CIE-1931, and HSV conversions. Secondly, feature extraction is applied by giving these images as separate inputs to the CNN model. Finally, the ReliefF feature extraction algorithm is applied to determine the most dominant features in feature vectors and to determine the features that maximize classification accuracy. The obtaining feature vector is classified with high-performance SVM in binary classification. The overall accuracy is 95.2%, and the F1-Score is 94.1%. The results show that the method can successfully detect COVID -19 disease using scattergram images and is an alternative to CT and X-Ray scans.

The Relationship between Nurses' Perceptions of Spirituality and Spiritual Care and Perceived Professional Benefits: A Correlation Study

Purpose. This study aimed to investigate nurses' perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care and perceived professional benefits in China and reveal the relationship between them. Design and Methods. In this study, 372 nurses (response rate: 93.47%) from a number of hospitals across China were surveyed using convenience sampling. The data were collected through online questionnaires, including a sociodemographic characteristics form, the Chinese version of the Spiritual Care-Giving Scale (C-SCGS), and the Nurses' Perceived Professional Benefits Questionnaire (NPPBQ). Findings. The total score of the NPPBQ was 136.88 ± 20.13. A statistically significant relationship was found between the total score and subscale score of the C-SCGS and the total score and subscale score of the NPPBQ (R = 0.217–0.475, P < 0.01). Practice Implications. Nursing managers and educators should pay attention to improving nurses' perceptions of spirituality and spiritual care in order to help nurses gain more perceived professional benefits.

Understanding the Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic on Research Administration in Canada

Like many services globally, the sudden work-from-home mandate due to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 disrupted research at Canadian post-secondary and affiliated organizations. Research administration professionals, who are an integralpart of the research enterprise at these organizations, and who support and manage research activities were no exception and struggled to keep up with this challenging and unexpected situation. Not only adjusting in-house policies and procedures but research administrators were also swamped with distilling information received from externalfunders who were likewise adjusting their guidelines and policies for current and future funding programs. Moreover, the priority was to keep up with the COVID-19 special calls for funding that usually provided shorter response times. At the same time, research administrators were grappling with adapting to new online communication technology and finding the best ways to maintain work-life synergy. In this chaotic period of uncertainty, emotions were high, and communication was key. This study explores how research administration professionals in Canada adapted to this new reality and what lessons were learned. Through a national survey, the research administration community reflected on the following themes: i) Challenges experienced in setting up the new working environment;ii) Technostress;iii) Workload, productivity, and work-life balance;iv) Relationships among colleagues and with faculty, and v) Adaptability to the reality and future work culture desire. Results of the survey indicate that although Canadian research administration professionals experienced challenges due to abrupt shifts in their workplace, they were creative, resilient, and flexible enough to steer through this testing period. The inherent/acquired technological capabilities, efficient communications among coworkers and with faculty, and strategies they used during this time to stay productive and efficient helped most of them to adapt well to this situation. Some of them struggled to keep a work-life balance, especially those with young children, however, flexibility, control over their time, and proven productivity during this time inspired them to desire a remote and/or hybrid work culture even after the pandemic is over.

A NEW MODEL FOR SCHOOL NURSING?: THE JOURNAL OF THE HEALTH VISITORS' ASSOCIATION

During the pandemic, many school nurses brilliantly flexed their service to ensure they continued to support students. Here, Scott discusses the practices that have continued.

The impact of corruption on victim teachers during promotion processes in South Africa's basic education system

South African teachers are faced with corruption during teacher promotion processes, and this remains unabated. This qualitative paper used three purposively selected case studies of victim teachers to investigate the impact of this corruption on victim teachers. The paper used the Crisis Intervention Theory to underpin the theoretical framework for the analysis. Key informant interviews (Kils) were administered on a senior union member to solicit crucial data while the primary participants (n=3) were interviewed on face-to-face approach to collect data. Relevant literature was also used to provide supportive and corroborative scientific propositions. The paper discovered that corruption during teacher promotion processes in the South African Basic Education sector was reality. However, in some instances, such claims could not be backed by sustainable evidence. Victim teachers have suffered traumatic experiences resulting in stress, health challenges, relational challenges with colleagues and resignations. The department did not assist victim teachers needing emergency counselling and psychological rehabilitation to cope with the emanating pressure. It is recommended that authorities punish perpetrators of corruption. Victim teachers need to be assisted through professional resolving of their grievances and therapeutical intervention.

Mitigating the Negative Impacts of Job-Related Stress: Certified Public Accountant

Work-related stress has intensified for those in public accounting in recent years due to a multitude of factors, including increased reporting and compliance requirements, public concern over financial accounting scandals, a shortage of entry-level accountants, and of course the disruption caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic. Individuals experiencing overload feel that they have too many responsibilities or activities expected of them to complete given available time, abilities, and other constraints (J.R. Rizzo, R.J. House, and S.I. Lirtzman, "Role Conflict and Ambiguity in Complex Organizations," Administrative Science Quarterly, pp. 150-163, 1970). A known presence of ambiguity should lead firm management to improve poor channels of communication, and to provide clearer guidance in the form of performance criteria, methods, and job descriptions. In its Core Competency Framework for Entry into the Accounting Profession, the AICPA emphasizes the importance of leadership skills, including the ability to motivate others, facilitate the development of consensus, and chair teams (https://bit.ly/4143V25, 2018).

Infection prevention and control between legal requirements and German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology expert assessments: a cross-sectional study in September-November 2022.

BACKGROUND: In contrast to the beginning of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), pandemic, more and more hospital issues are now regulated by policy. AIM: To identify differences between expert recommendations and legal requirements regarding infection prevention and control (IPC) strategies. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted between 29th September 2022 and 3rd November 2022 addressing 1319 members of the German Society for Hygiene and Microbiology. The response rate was 12%. This paper reports the expert recommendations on different IPC strategies. FINDINGS: The majority (66%) of experts recommended universal mask usage, with 34% recommending it seasonally, even after the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Medical microbiology (MM) experts were more likely to recommend continuing to wear the masks indefinitely compared with IPC experts. Concerning the mask type, medical masks were recommended more frequently by IPC experts (47.3%), while FFP2 masks were preferred by MM experts (31.8%). The majority (54.7%) of experts recommended universal screening of employees, mainly in settings with extremely vulnerable patients and if regional incidence rates were high, at a frequency of twice per week. The dominant advice (recommended by at least 50% of experts) for employees exposed to SARS-CoV-2 was daily testing and wearing a mask, regardless of the length of exposure. CONCLUSIONS: Expert recommendations deviate from the legal requirements and appear to be more differentiated and proportional. The influence of specific experience and expertise on mask recommendations should be investigated in more detail. For relevant policy decisions, a quick, focused and broad-based consultation of expertise could be of added value.

USE OF INNOVATIVE TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE ONCOLOGY PATIENT EDUCATION

Patient Education and Safety Pre-chemotherapy education sessions for breast cancer patients is a core element of care provided by clinic nurses to patients starting chemotherapy. This is a time intensive session, which outlines symptom management and home care needs. The goal of these sessions is to improve patient outcomes by empowering them to be an active participant in their care. Though a meaningful intervention, clinic nurses spend about 30 hours per month educating first time chemotherapy patients, which has hindered their ability to complete other pressing tasks. Given current staffing challenges and restrictions to visitation due to the COVID-19 pandemic, nurses and advanced practice providers (APPs) sought a novel approach to meet this need to ensure adequate patient education while improving nursing efficiency through the usage of a virtual platform. The purpose was to implement a virtual group chemotherapy teaching session for new breast cancer patients to improve the efficiency and workload for ambulatory nurses while providing a community network for patients. Clinic nurses conduct virtual chemotherapy education sessions weekly for all new patients. This allows patients the opportunity to learn and connect with other patients going through the same or similar treatment. The educational sessions are to be held Zoom and patients access through a link sent to the patient portal. Patients are provided an education packet prior to the virtual session. These sessions can also be utilized by other patients to refresh their knowledge or gain additional nursing support. In-person teaching will still be continued for those who prefer it. Following each session, patients will be given a survey to complete. Evaluation of effectiveness in teaching will be performed utilizing the teach-back method at their first session. Both staff and patient feedback is being evaluated to assess for satisfaction with the new process. With this process, we will save 22 hours per month of nursing time. This will also allow for increased family involvement while following COVID guidelines. Preliminary results suggest an improvement in both patient and nursing satisfaction. Utilizing a virtual format makes for improvement in both efficiency and workload for clinic nurses. In addition, this format of teaching is convenient for both patients and their families. Once this process is fully operational, we are looking at expanding this program within our care centers to hopefully produce the same results.

When Home Becomes the Workplace: Work–Life Balance Experiences During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the relevance of the intersections between work and personal life. Measures introduced to slow the spread of COVID-19 have included an increase of working from home and the temporary closure of schools and child-care facilities, leading to a lighter workload for some and a heavier workload for others. These consequences are likely to affect employees' work–life balance (WLB), although the impact may differ across groups of employees depending on the nature of their work, family and personal demands and resources. This mixed-method study examined how Dutch government employees perceive their WLB during the pandemic and how differences in what employees are experiencing can be explained. In May/June 2020, an online survey (N = 827) and an interview study (N = 17) were conducted at a government organization whose employees were obliged to work from home partly or exclusively. Results indicate that demands changed when working entirely from home and resources became more important to maintain WLB satisfaction. Being able to manage boundaries across life domains and find a new routine also appeared to be crucial for WLB satisfaction.

Prevalence of Online Fatigue during COVID-19: A Cross-Sectional Study on Academicians of Rawalpindi

ABSTRACT Objective: To determine prevalence of online fatigue among academicians and to analyse factors associated with online fatigue. Study Design: Analytical, cross-sectional study. Place and During of Study: The study was conducted online from Nov 2021 to Apr 2022 on academicians belonging to educational institutions and teaching hospitals of Rawalpindi Pakistan. Methodology: One hundred fifty academicians, aged 20-75 years, belonging to Rawalpindi were enrolled through snowball sampling. Data was collected online by using google forms. A validated questionnaire having an online fatigue scale was used. Partial responses were excluded. Qualitative variables were expressed as frequency and percentage while quantitative variables were expressed as mean and S.D. Chi-square test was applied. Results: Out of 150 academics, 72(48%) were males and 78(52%) were females. Mean age of participants was 32±9.4 years. Amongst the study participants 27(18%), 67(44.7%), 50(33.3%) and 6(4%) suffered from mild, moderate, severe and extreme online fatigue respectively. The degree of online fatigue was found to be significantly associated with female gender (p=0.000), older age (p=0.005) and higher level of education (p=0.002). Association of online fatigue with factors such as workplace (p=0.054), residence (p=0.129) and amount of technology usage (p=0.995) was found to be statistically insignificant. Conclusions: Our study showed that online fatigue was prevalent among the academic community of Rawalpindi, especially females. Online fatigue can be reduced by training the academicians about work-life balance and updating their knowledge on practical technology.

The mobile technological era: insights into the consequences of constant connectivity of personal devices by knowledge workers

PurposeAs employees' adoption of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) has increased, so has research interest into the impact of BYOD on human resources outcomes. The present study aims at understanding the relationship between BYOD and human resources outcomes.Design/methodology/approachThe study employs the inductive data-driven content analysis approach to analyze the data collected through qualitative semi-structured interviews with a sample of 28 knowledge workers from different occupational sectors in Mauritius.FindingsThe results show the double-edged sword brought about by BYOD implementation. This trend is associated with perceived job performance, job satisfaction, organizational commitment and work motivation while also having an effect on work-life conflict and stress.Practical implicationsThis study has implications for organizations that are concerned about formulating guidelines and policies in relation to workers' adoption of BYOD in the workplace. This trend permits employees to continue to communicate and work irrespective of new working conditions and social distancing since the Covid-19 pandemic has changed the way organizations operate around the globe.Originality/valueDriven by the JD-R theory, themes and sub-themes were linked by the emerging relationships to present a conceptual framework to understanding employees' well-being since this is a pertinent research area for scholars and practitioners, as well as a topic of growing prominence for modern organizations.