Cultivating social well-being: (Re)discovering the impact of positive relationships

[...]the social dimension of well-being, which includes our experiences of positive relationships and positive interactions, is the strongest predictor of our overall perception of wellbeing (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2018). Virtual collaborations have also added new opportunities for creativity and information sharing in that Zoom allows us to work with colleagues to add ideas to a shared whiteboard or to synchronously annotate a text, for example, during interactive workshops and breakout group sessions at online/hybrid conferences. Another example is one of the author's participation in a new collaborative project with a European research group on the representation of hunting in German literature and art. Other instructional practices we have implemented to foreground social connectedness and students' sense of belonging include frequent check-ins (Stanton et al., 2016;Simon Fraser University, 2023) with students, for example, by using memes such as "Welche Katze bist du heute?," explicit conversations about resources and sense of belonging (a module with local resources added to our Learning Management System [Canvas]), and more intentional focus on integrating students' lived experiences and self-reflections into assignments.

122nd Annual Meeting Medical Library Association, Inc. New Orleans, LA May 3–6, 2022

The Medical Library Association (MLA) held its 122nd annual meeting May 3-6, 2022, in New Orleans LA. The meeting was entitled "MLA '22: Reconnect. Renew. Reflect" and utilized a hybrid model with some events in person, and some virtually. The virtual meeting was again broken into segments, all available using a variety of online platforms. Total attendance for the meeting was 1,250 with 575 attending in-person, and 675 virtually. Additional meeting content--including the meeting program and various electronic presentations from the business meetings, plenary sessions, poster sessions, and program sessions can be accessed by all meeting registrants via the MLA '22 website.

Collaboration in Context: Instructional Coaching to Support Inclusive Classrooms, an American Perspective

Changes in American public education can be linked to wider social movements. New policies and practices have historically emanated from a variety of social problems such as racism and the marginalization and exclusion of populations of children who differ by ability, economic class, and ethnic heritage. In the era of a global pandemic (COVID-19), the authors embrace the context of civil unrest in the United States as it directly relates to the factors necessary to build effective collaborative relationships in public institutions shaped by history and culture. In this chapter, we position school inclusion in the United States as an issue of social justice. In sharing our positionality and professional experiences as educators, we discuss instructional coaching as a collaborative lever to support inclusion in American classrooms. Our experiences, combined with the literature, serve as evidence that the formation of deeply meaningful professional relationships rooted in authentic empathy may serve as a powerful collaborative action to transform unjust structures. These relationships as actions in and of themselves, thus, form a psychological foundation (community consciousness) needed to effect positive change. The chapter is organized into three sections that examine instructional coaching for inclusion on marcopolicy, mezzo-academic, and microsituational levels. The chapter ends with a call to action applicable to PK-12 educators and leaders, as well as instructors and professors in teacher preparation programs.

The Importance of Monitoring the Work-Life Quality during the COVID-19 Restrictions for Sustainable Management in Nursing

The aim of this study was to investigate the work-life quality and related workplace factors of nursing employees working in hospitals during the COVID-19 restrictions. Employees in nursing carry out nursing care at various levels of healthcare. Work-life quality refers to an individual's feelings concerning work and outcomes and depends on different working characteristics and conditions. Quantitative research based on a cross-sectional study was used. This cross-sectional study included 486 employees in nursing from four Slovenian acute care hospitals. The results showed that most employees in nursing assessed the work-life quality on a moderate level: 76% were satisfied with their work, and 89% assessed their well-being at the workplace as positive. Considering the leaders' support, the number of patients, adequate information, teamwork, working position, use of days off, and equipment for safe work, we can explain the 53.5% of the total variability of work-life quality. We also found that work-life quality had an essential effect on well-being at the workplace (β = 0.330, p < 0.001) and work satisfaction (β = 0.490, p < 0.001) of employees in nursing. Work-life quality refers to an employees' feelings about their workplace, and its monitoring is important for higher employees' well-being and health. For management and policymakers in nursing, it is important to design strategies to ensure an adequate number of competent employees and establish a supportive leadership system. Work-life quality is an important factor in the recruitment and retention of the nursing workforce. Flexible working conditions and policy changes can improve work-life quality and balance. Nursing management must understand the influencing factors of work-life quality to improve nursing employee retention strategies.

New Horizons or Business as Usual? New Zealand's Medico-Legal Response to Digital Harm

A socio-legal commentary, this article examines the emerging issue of digital harm in New Zealand's health settings. There are recent cases, and an increasing number of them, demonstrating the medico-legal response to various forms of digital harm. Of these, several representative cases are considered in order to identify features of digital harm within the health context. The article questions whether this is a new type of harm, enabled by the creation of new technologies, or simply a different manifestation of conventional unprofessional or unethical behaviour. The article considers whether the existing medico-legal framework can appropriately respond to this harm and whether new legal or policy tools are required. The cases suggest that the rights and disciplinary systems in place can adequately deal with digital harm within their existing scopes, particularly when individuals have been harmed. However, gaps in the legal framework are identified, with particular reference to the actions of unregistered providers and harm to professions. Further, a future challenge for the system may be the response to COVID-19 vaccine denial and misinformation. As the legal response to digital harm in the health context is a relatively unexamined area of research, this work may guide future research.

Predicting Parent Trust Based on Professionals' Communication Skills

Trust is critical to the establishment and maintenance of working relationships between the parents of children with disabilities and their child's professional. Knowledge of the specific communication skills needed to secure trust is unclear. The current study investigated the relationship between parent evaluation of professionals' communication skills and parent trust of professionals. A total of 165 parents responded to an online survey during the COVID-19 pandemic. The results indicated that professionals' communication skills had a significant and moderately positive relationship with the parent trust of professionals. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses indicated that parents' ratings of professionals' communication competence, and professionals' use of in-person communication were the only predictors of parent trust of special education professionals, even when other factors were considered. This study's findings draw attention to the importance communication skills may have in establishing and maintaining trusting relationships with parents.

How COVID-19 Pandemic Drives Digital Transformation of the Workplace: A Case Study of an Industrial SME

The digital transformation of SMEs is unstoppable and one of its consequences will be the change of the workplace, which implies advantages but also disadvantages for companies and employees. The COVID-19 pandemic and the related lockdown made remote work, facilitated by digital technologies, a necessity. Based on a case study in an industrial SME, through semi-structured interviews, we obtained relevant information on the response given to this new situation. As a result, we propose three issues to be addressed to advance in the digital transformation of the workplace: firstly, SMEs must address needs at the operational level;secondly, professional relationships and, finally, new requirements derived from the very nature of digital work. © 2023, The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

Benefits and Risks of Teleworking from Home: The Teleworkers' Point of View

Using a qualitative research-based approach, this study aimed to understand (i) the way home-based teleworkers in France perceive and organize their professional activities and workspaces, (ii) their teleworking conditions, (iii) the way they characterize the modalities and the nature of their interactions with their professional circle, and more broadly (iv) their quality of life ‘at work'. We performed a lexical and morphosyntactic analysis of interviews conducted with 28 teleworkers (working part-time or full-time from home) before the COVID-19 crisis and the associated establishment of emergency telework. Our results confirm and complement findings in the literature. Participant discourses underlined the beneficial effects of teleworking in terms of professional autonomy, flexibility, concentration, efficiency, performance, productivity, and being able to balance their professional and private lives. Nevertheless, they also highlighted the deleterious effects of teleworking on temporal workload, setting boundaries for work, work-based relationships and socio-professional integration. Despite the study limitations, our findings highlight the need for specific research-based and practical strategies to support the implementation of a sustainable telework organization in the post-COVID-19 pandemic era. © 2022 by the authors.

Feeling supported and engaged during COVID-19: the role of family and colleagues in promoting teachers' well-being

The present study aimed at analysing the impact of teachers' perceived family and colleague support and work engagement on their well-being and life satisfaction during the first European wave of the COVID-19 pandemic. While implementing distance learning and complying with school closures, 1036 Italian teachers took part in an online survey. A structural equation path model showed that perceiving to be supported by family members directly influenced teachers' well-being and life satisfaction. The perceived support of colleagues promoted life satisfaction directly and indirectly via increased teachers' work engagement, whereas teachers' well-being only indirectly. Our findings offer insights into how to better support teachers during times of crisis by creating a good and healthy work environment, which promotes teachers' well-being.

Study of a Software Development Team's Adaptations to Remote Work During the COVID-19 Pandemic

The social distancing practices adopted to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic led many companies to migrate to remote work in a compulsory and unplanned way. This sudden transition to working from home has caused profound changes in personal and professional relationships. In this paper, we present the results of a qualitative observational study about the adaptations made in the software process activities of a software development coordinator of a Brazilian university. These adaptations aimed to support the transition to remote work during the pandemic, without letting the organization lose its essence in adopting agile practices. These adaptations were analyzed based on the technical aspects (hard skills) and behavioral aspects (soft skills) of the employees of the researched organization. © 2023, Springer Nature Switzerland AG.

When Work Invades Home: Perceptions about Teleworking

The global COVID-19 pandemic has brought on many changes in Brazil, one of them being many organizations offering employees the option to set up teleworking, which up until that time had not been a common occurrence in the country. This article discusses the compulsory work from home scenario and analyzes the perceptions and experiences of workers who have been forced to work from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, identifying favorable and unfavorable factors for Quality of Work Life (QWL). We carried out a qualitative research based on Activity-Centered Ergonomics Applied to Quality of Life at Work (AEA_QLW) for twelve workers with varying positions in different public and private sector organizations. We analyzed their perceptions and experiences about working from home based on six categories examined by (AEA_QLW). The results revealed a balance: three of the categories largely concerning well-being (socio-professional relationships, recognition and professional growth, and use of computers) and three other categories largely concerning malaise (working conditions, work organization, and opinions of work), indicating possible focal points for interventions and care in maintaining this type of work. Important issues were discussed such as the lack of distinction between public and private spaces, the characteristics of current performance/fatigue, and the possible repercussions this can have on workers, their health, and on organizations.Alternate : El escenario de la pandemia de la COVID-19 en el mundo trajo incontables cambios, entre ellos, en Brasil, la opción de la mayoría de las organizaciones por el teletrabajo, hasta entonces, poco recurrente en el país. Este artículo aborda la situación cuando, obligatoriamente, el trabajo invade el hogar y relata el análisis de las percepciones y experiencias de los trabajadores en domicilio obligatorio, durante el período de la pandemia del COVID-19, identificando factores favorables y desfavorables para la Calidad de Vida. Trabajo (QWL). Con base en la Ergonomía de la Actividad Aplicada a la Calidad de Vida en el Trabajo - EAA_QVT, se realizó una investigación cualitativa con doce trabajadores de diferentes organizaciones y cargos, del sector público y privado, elevando sus percepciones y experiencias sobre el teletrabajo, según teorías de seis categorías investigadas por EAA_QVT. Los resultados revelaron equilibrio: tres categorías con predominio del bienestar (Relaciones socioprofesionales, Reconocimiento y crecimiento profesional y Uso de la computadora) y otras tres categorías con predominio del malestar (Condiciones de trabajo, organización del trabajo y Sentimientos en trabajo), indicando focos de posibles intervenciones y cuidados en el caso de mantener este tipo de trabajo. Se discutieron temas importantes, como la falta de distinción entre espacios públicos y privados, las características de la actual sociedad del rendimiento/fatiga y sus posibles repercusiones para los trabajadores, su salud y las organizaciones.Alternate : O cenário da pandemia de COVID-19 no mundo trouxe inúmeras mudanças, entre elas, no Brasil, a opção de grande parte das organizações pelo teletrabalho, até então, não muito recorrente no país. Este artigo aborda a situação de quando, compulsoriamente, o trabalho invade a casa e relata a análise das percepções e das vivências de trabalhadores em teletrabalho compulsório, durante o período da pandemia de COVID-19, identificando fatores favoráveis e desfavoráveis à Qualidade de Vida no Trabalho (QVT). Fundamentada na Ergonomia da Atividade Aplicada à Qualidade de Vida no Trabalho – EAA_QVT, foi realizada uma pesquisa qualitativa com doze trabalhadores de diferentes organizações e cargos, dos setores público e privado, levantando suas percepções e vivências acerca do teletrabalho, de acordo com seis categorias teóricas investigadas pela EAA_QVT. Os resultados revelaram um equilíbrio: três categorias com predominância de bem-estar (Relações socioprofissionais, Reconhecime to e crescimento profissional e Uso da informática) e outras três categorias com predominância de mal-estar (Condições de trabalho, organização do trabalho e Sentimentos no trabalho), indicando focos para possíveis intervenções e cuidados no caso da manutenção desta modalidade de trabalho. Foram discutidas questões importantes como a indistinção entre os espaços públicos e privados, as características da atual sociedade do desempenho/cansaço e suas possíveis repercussões para os trabalhadores, sua saúde e as organizações.

Fast 5 at RSNA '22: Looking into Radiology's Crystal Ball

In brief TED talk-style presentations on topics ranging from climate change, artificial intelligence (AI) and telemedicine, to the COVID-19 pandemic and emergence of corporate medicine, the radiologists shared their predictions of how these developments could change medical imaging technology and practice during the next five years. Given the expansion of telemedicine, the growth of radiologic consultation, and the emergence of new and improved diagnostic modalities-such as hybrid PET-MRI, photon-counting CT, new nuclear medicine radiotracers, and theranostics-as well as minimally invasive imaging-guided procedures and implementation of AI, Dr Morrison predicted the role of radiologists eventually will go beyond simply supplying and interpreting the images. The Carol D and Henry P Pendergrass Professor, chair of the radiology and radiological science department, and a professor of biomedical engineering at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and School of Medicine in Nashville, Tennessee, addressed the imminent dangers of climate change and radiology's role in both contributing to and helping alleviate those dangers. [...]what was once meant to protect physicians will become a major threat to radiologists over the next several years, says Mark E Schweitzer, MD, vice president of health affairs at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan.

Investigating clients' experiences of walk and talk counselling

BackgroundThe use of "walk and talk” counselling has recently increased due to the COVID‐19 pandemic, concurrent with an increased awareness of the benefits of the outdoors, nature and exercise on mental health. Walk and talk counselling is relatively new and seemingly easy to incorporate for everyday counsellors. However, there is limited previous research on this form of counselling.AimThis study aimed to investigate how the client experiences walk and talk counselling in a natural outdoor environment.MethodTo evaluate the client's lived experience of walk and talk counselling, online semi‐structured interviews with five adult participants in the United Kingdom (UK) were analysed using the interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) method.FindingsThe general outlook on walk and talk was positive. There was a feeling of informality, and a relational equalising element, but these aspects did not appear to detract from the professional relationship. There was an appreciation of nature, although there was an element of not noticing it. Timing was more fluid, and there were positive and negative aspects of the outdoor walking.LimitationsA small sample size limits the wider application of these findings.ImplicationsFurther research is required to support further guidelines and training for practitioners. Implications for practice include the consideration of client preferences and a more fluid approach to contracting, a need for increased awareness of physical and psychological safety and a consideration of the relational dynamic when walking outdoors.ConclusionWalk and talk is a viable alternative to indoor counselling. It proved useful in a pandemic and for clients who would not consider indoor counselling.

Professional Volunteerism among Social Work Students as a Response to the Pandemic Crisis

The COVID-19 crisis halted traditional field training in social work education. However, as educators of a profession with roots in philanthropy and volunteerism, the social work schools in Kerala encouraged students to take up professional volunteerism (PV) in response to the crisis as an alternative to the pre-structured field practicum activities. This study explored the various voluntary activities the social work students are involved in as budding professionals. They voluntarily dedicated their professional skills, ethics and competencies through a continuum of five domains of services such as concrete and practical services, psycho-education and psychological support, restoration and rehabilitation services, welfare administration and self-reliance and sustainability programmes. This studys results highlight the significance of PV in social work education to socialise students with diverse needs in society and capacitate them to ethically help the individuals and community achieve well-being.

How do we create culturally safe palliative and end of life care in the UK?

BackgroundCOVID-19 has resulted in greater attention on health inequities associated with culture and ethnicity in palliative and end of life care. Patients from minority ethnic groups are less likely to access palliative care services or rate the quality of their care as excellent. Understanding why this is the case remains limited. In trying to address health inequities, concepts like cultural competence, cultural humility and cultural congruence have been used to frame approaches. Within the UK context, these terms have been used to develop particular outcomes, for example, staff training courses on unconscious bias, as opposed to an ongoing reflective process. Cultural safety on the other hand is where healthcare providers, at both systemic and individual levels, use reflective practice to identify differences in experience between themselves and their patients, their families and caregivers and recognise how these differences may influence power in the patient-professional relationship (Curtis et al;2019. Int J Equity Health.18: 1). Cultural safety is used more extensively in countries such as New Zealand and Australia. We aim to explore the current conceptualisation of cultural safety, within palliative and end of life care in the UK, as well as barriers and facilitators to its implementation;to understand what cultural safety means and how culturally safe practice can be applied across palliative care settings in the UK.MethodsA systematic review has been designed using the PRISMA-P framework. The data will be extracted, analysed by five reviewers, and assessed for the strength of evidence given.ResultsThese will be presented using an appropriate framework.DiscussionGiven the significant discrepancies between the provision of palliative care for different ethnic minority backgrounds, we need to understand what good palliative care looks like. Patient – professional relationships, as well as ‘competence’ are key considerations which is why cultural safety is an important starting point. This systematic review will critically examine this in the UK context specifically.

Original Article Highlights From This Issue

Administration of biologics is not necessary to be postponed due to SARS-CoV-2 infection.Constant-Load Exercise Versus High-Intensity Interval Training on Aerobic Fitness in Moderate-to-Severe Asthma: A Randomized Controlled Trial Aparecido da Silva et al 2596 What is already known about this topic? Bronchiectasis is expected to worsen the clinical and functional outcomes in patients with asthma, but limited data are available regarding the long-term effects of bronchiectasis on the clinical course of asthma. Data from this large, prospective study translate the OCS-sparing effect of mepolizumab in patients with severe asthma reported across randomized, placebo-controlled trials into real-world clinical effectiveness when used alongside standard of care. [...]these risk factors are not of sufficient magnitude to warrant special measures regarding their vaccination.Assessment of Immediate Allergic Reactions After Immunization With the Pfizer BNT162b2 Vaccine Using Intradermal Skin Testing With the COVID-19 Vaccines Shavit et al 2677 What is already known about this topic?

A Transformative Project between Two-State Colleges and a-4-year Institution for Student Success in STEM

The session will report on the success and lessons learned from the five-year implementation of a collaborative DOE project between two Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) State Colleges and an HSI university with a combined 140,000+ undergraduate students. The session will also report on revising a Systemic, Evidenced-Based, and Student-Centered (SE-SC) framework due to the COVID-19 situation over the last two years. The original aim of the SE-SC framework was to maximize the number of academically-talented, Hispanic students who complete their AA degrees at State Colleges and transfer to a 4-year institution to complete their BS degree and are career-ready to enter engineering and computer science (ECS). The revised SE-SC framework addresses the online education challenge of the project due to the COVID-19 situation. The session will report on how the professional relationships among three large post-secondary institutions have evolved and how the partners have become more intentional about project outcomes. In addition, the design and implementation of articulation agreements have increased programmatic alignment, a more seamless and easy-to-navigate transfer process for students. Furthermore, the collaboration to reach out to industry partners has increased the authenticity of experiences provided to the students across all three institutions. The session will also report on the faculty's adaptation of their instructional practices to include using newer digital technologies for hybrid and remote learning while maximizing student interests and motivating degree completion during the COVID-19 pandemic. Project success has been assessed by applying quantitative and qualitative measures, informal assessments, and anecdotal records. The institutional infrastructure in supporting diverse student interests and success in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science degree programs and their career pathways are presented. Other institutions interested in promoting STEM programs may replicate the implemented model due to its effectiveness, as reported in the session. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2022.

Perceived Competence in NCTRC Job Domains among Therapeutic Recreation Interns during COVID-19

The COVID-19 pandemic caused many internships during the January 2020 semester to be shifted to a virtual/ remote format. Due to the unprecedented nature of this forced shift, there was minimal consistency in how virtual/remote internships were conducted. Using a cross-sectional design, this study aimed to summarize the experiences of RT/TR interns during the COVID-19 outbreak and assess their perceived competency in the NCTRC Job Task domains. A quantitative survey was developed for interns to self-assess their perceived competence in the ten domains. Interns reported being concerned about finishing their internship and graduating yet were satisfied with the amount of support received from their site and faculty supervisors. Interns perceived their highest competency in the areas of professional relationships and awareness and advocacy. Concerns are discussed regarding the inconsistent nature of remote internships during COVID-19, as well as implications for the profession and suggestions for future research in this area.

Intra-professional cross-specialty integrated training – connecting paediatric and radiology trainees in shared learning experiences

AimsBackgroundThere is a recognised national shortage of Paediatric Radiologists, which the Royal College of Radiologists (RCR) has identified as a potential barrier to training Radiology Trainees in this sub-speciality area. Local experience is that Paediatric Trainees would appreciate and benefit from more radiology teaching, but this demand can be difficult to meet. Nonetheless, there is a mandate clinically and professionally to foster strong working relationships between specialities to enable the provision of optimal patient care and use resources efficiently. Integrating radiology and paediatric training in a combined event (entitled RadPaed) has the potential to encourage ‘cross-specialty’ working and address common learning outcomes reflected in both training pathways’ curricula.ObjectiveWe aimed to evaluate trainees’ perception of the usefulness of an integrated training event (RadPaed) and whether this improved confidence in cross-speciality working and intra-professional relationships.MethodsA 4 hour teaching event based around the theme of ‘abdominal presentations in children and young people’ was delivered to both Radiology (ST2-3) and Paediatric trainees (ST2-ST4) in 2019. Course material was developed and delivered by a joint faculty of Radiologists and Paediatricians. A range of teaching methods aiming to promote interaction and shared learning included: computer simulation, case-based group work and quizzes. Learners completed pre and post event anonymous questionnaires evaluating the perceived usefulness of the course and confidence was self-assessed using Likert scales. Qualitative comments including their key learning points were collected and analysed.Results32 trainees attended, with 31 (96.9%) undertaking the pre and 29 (90.6%) undertaking the post course questionnaires. Some questionnaires were not completed fully but data was still extracted and analysed. 27 trainees responded to the question about whether they found the RadPaed event useful with 18 strongly agreeing and 9 agreeing. 29 trainees felt more confident working with the opposite specialty after the event, which was attributed to a greater awareness of working relationships and understanding of specialty expectations.Trainee experience of integrated training prior to the event was varied, but afterwards all trainees who answered (26 responses) felt that integrated training should be introduced with other specialties. This represents a change in attitude amongst Radiology Trainees where pre event only 56.2% had responded ‘Yes’ to this question, although 6 trainees did not originally answer this question. All trainees found RadPaed useful and enjoyable (total 27 responses).ConclusionIntegrated training has many potential benefits especially when considering overlapping learning outcomes and efficiency in training delivery. All respondents believed that RadPaed cross-specialty integrated training was useful, enjoyable and improved confidence. Trainees would like more integrated training across specialities, although it is difficult to know how generalizable this model will be. The RadPaeds event continues to be delivered to trainees including virtually in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and there are aims to expand this to cover other sub-specialities (for example, Neonates).

Evaluating online I-O graduate programs: An information-seeking guide for prospective students

Comparing the application requirements of an online program with those of other programs, including in-person programs, may provide information about the program’s accessibility and rigor. [...]this information may serve as a proxy for how potential employers will perceive the quality of graduates from this program. [...]good online programs will also provide structure to aid students in gaining networking opportunities in their specific markets (e.g., local associations of applied psychologists, Society for Human Resources Management chapters). How does the program facilitate social connections among students across the virtual divide? Because peers represent potential collaborators, coworkers, and friends, it is valuable to know whether or not and how the graduate school experience will foster such connections. How are typical aspects of mentorship, such as unscheduled informal meetings, handled in a remote format? Because online education was foisted on many faculty during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is no reason to assume that any one individual will be comfortable navigating technologies such as videoconferencing software or accustomed to regular meetings via such means.