Abstract
Picturing FASD: Stories of Adults Living With Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder
Meridith Burles
Thompson Rivers University
Lorraine Holtslander
University of Saskatchewan
Beverley Brenna
University of Saskatchewan
At the present, existing literature on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder (FASD) focuses on the developmental and cognitive impairments caused by prenatal exposure to alcohol, or aims for prevention. As such, little attention has been given to the experiences of those living with Fetal Alcohol effects or disorder, despite the significant ramifications of a FASD diagnosis. In particular, there is a paucity of research on adults lived experiences of FASD and the meanings that this population attributes to their condition. Accordingly, we describe an exploratory, qualitative study focused on learning more about what it is like to live with FASD as an adult. Recruitment is underway of adults who have received a FASD diagnosis and are willing to share their stories through face-to-face interviews and a photovoice project. The research is innovative because of the incorporation of verbal and visual data collection methods that offer participants multiple forms of expression, which might help to overcome potential cognitive and linguistic barriers. In this poster, we outline the research design and identify ethical and methodological considerations related to the study. In addition, we describe the data collection to date and preliminary findings. Finally, we highlight the important implications of this research for educational initiatives and supportive practices.
Exploring women's responses to on-line media coverage of weight loss surgery
Claudine Champion
University of Alberta
Nicole Glenn
University of Alberta
Tanya Berry
University of Alberta
John Spence
University of Alberta
Background: Media has the capacity to affect public understanding and set political agendas regarding issues of health, gender and wellbeing. Few studies have examined new, interactive media (e.g., blogs, online news, twitter) coverage of weight loss surgery (WLS) and none has questioned the affects of such messages on potential readers. The proposed study builds on previous work from this research group where we explored Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) online coverage of WLS and corresponding reader comments. We found that women were a dominant focus of the media attention and related comments. Research Questions: 1) What are the responses of women to on-line news articles and related comments in general? 2) What are womens responses to on-line articles and comments regarding WLS and obesity? Data generation: Data was generated via focus groups and interviews. To date, three groups (n=12) and one interview have been conducted. Analysis: Qualitative/quantitative content analysis to address the research questions. Analysis involved line-by-line coding to generate descriptive codes and then grouping these into higher order themes. Results: Preliminary findings reveal on-line news is the primary source of information and that most women engage with online news through a third party source (e.g., Facebook and Twitter). Conversely, online comments are scanned for their entertainment value. The women found the CBC articles were supportive of WLS while the on-line comments provided extreme persepectives and were not seen as useful.
The experiences of adults with intellectual disability in post secondary and higher education in the Republic of Ireland: hermeneutic phenomenology preliminary data analysis
Deirdre Corby
Dublin University
Dr. Laurence Taggart
Dr. Wendy Cousins
People with intellectual disabilities can find it difficult to access their place in post-secondary and higher education institutions. This is despite a focus on equality in much of the legislation and policies being in place in many countries regarding students with disability. There is a significant body of information and research available in the area of students with disability generally however much of the research has not addressed specific groups of students with disability. Students with intellectual disability who are availing of post-secondary and third level education need to be asked about their experiences and how they can be supported to undertake the role of a student at this level. Having an opportunity to undertake this valued social role will make it more likely for people with intellectual disability to experience a better quality of life.
In this poster the research aim and questions are detailed. A section is dedicated to the methodology and the rationale behind this choice. Reference is made to the particular methodological issues associated with exploring the experiences of people with intellectual disability. An explanation of the chosen methodology is given with a focus on a framework adapted from the interpretation and analysis method recommended by Crist and Tanner. For interpretation of each interview guidance was taken from the Listening Guide: A voice centred relational method described by Gilligan et al. Aspects related to ethical issues and data collection are included and initial findings of the study presented.
Reflexivity: A Qualitative Approach to Quantitative Research Methods
Myntha Cuffy
University of Denver
The purpose of this paper is to make the case for reflexivity and explicit positionality in quantitative research methods. Emerging research is reframing the qualitative / quantitative dichotomy, but generally these arguments relate to methodology. The importance of positionality and reflexivity on the part of the researcher are generally given great credence in qualitative research, whereas major assumptions of quantitative research are that it is purely objective, and that there is an approximation to truth that can be discovered through rigorous application of the scientific method. In qualitative research, it is expected that reflexivity and transparent positionality will aid the researcher as well as the consumer of research to make thoughtful decisions about the way research was conducted and how results are interpreted. This paper considers the potential impact of epistemologies in feminist, queer, and critical race theories that offer emerging criterion for quantitative research in the social sciences.
Visual Representation of Teaching Discourse: Tool Enabling Reflection-on-Action
Magda Czerski
University of Alberta
Genevive Gauthier
University of Alberta
In clinical settings where instructors follow an apprenticeship model to convey knowledge and experience through verbal discourse around the presentation of patient cases, we capture their oral discourse to analyse interpretations and underlying reasoning processes. Using a conversation analysis method we construct visual representations summarizing the discourse and the sequence of decision making events leading to the resolution of each case. The richness and completeness of their verbal protocols is summarized using interactive summary where tangents or details lay underneath the overall summary of the narrative. The visual representation is subsequently used with participants to validate the analysis and ask them to reflect back on their clinical reasoning and related explanations for each case.
This method combines the strength of both concurrent and retrospective think-aloud protocols and it builds on the strong verbal abilities of clinical instructors. Unlike other types of experts, clinical instructors have the ability to articulate their reasoning into comprehensible sub-units, and provide appropriate explanations for their decisions. Using the visual representation enables participants to anchor their reflection about their performance on specific event and answer questions without relying on their memory or opinion about their performance. This tool has been useful for the study of instructors' assessment judgment in context. It has provided enabled us to capture instructors expectations and understanding of good reasoning performances for specific cases.
Perception of nurses about quality of life and adherence to treatment of the patients on chronic hemodialysis
Veronica Guerra
University Catolica Del Maule
End stage renal disease has a high prevalence and incidence in the population. The treatment with hemodialysis has a low adherence leading to a high mortality, morbidity and a substantive decline in the quality of life. This study focused in exploring the perceptions of nurses about the adherence to treatment and quality of life of patients undergoing chronic hemodialysis. An exploratory, descriptive study was conducted using phenomenological approach. Data were collected through in depth interviews with five nurses who were working with patients in hemodialysis and who voluntarily accepted participate in this study. Open coding and constant comparison was used in the data analysis generating nine themes to adherence to treatment and six to quality of life. Perception of nurses was negative about the adherence and quality of life. They described challenges related to the disease and the complications that occur in the physiological, psychological, and social life of patients. The participants identified aspects such as type of patients, activities to improve adherence to treatment, quality of life and factors that influences these. In order to achieve a comprehensive and collaborative approach to face this challenge, the findings indicated that it should be appropriate to identify similar aspects from the perspective of health care professionals and patients.
Immigrant Women's Experiences of Maternity Services in Canada: A Meta-Ethnography
Gina Higginbottom
University of Alberta
Zubia Mumtaz
University of Alberta
Sophie Yohani
University of Alberta
Yvonne Chiu
Multicultural Health Broker's Co-operative
Philomina Okeke-Ihejirika
University of Alberta
Patricia Paton
Alberta Health Services
Emina Hadziabdic
University of Alberta
Canada's female population is becoming more diverse with women immigrating from many countries worldwide. Existing evidence suggests that many barriers exist with respect to access to and reception of effective maternity healthcare services by immigrant women. Our research question was: how do immigrant women experience maternity services in Canada? A meta-ethnography of qualitative research was undertaken in 2012 using Noblit and Hare's (1988) approach as modified by Campbell et al. (2011) to develop an inductive and interpretive form of synthesis. The seven-phase process involved a comparative textual analysis of relevant qualitative studies after repeated reading and noting down key concepts (metaphors), and the translation of key concepts from one study to another using second and third-order interpretations that encompass more than offered by any individual study. Two reviewers collaborated on all study selection and synthesis activities with team consultation. ATLAS.ti software was used to store, manage and classify the studies. Of 388 articles identified during our systematic search, 22 papers were retained for review. Seven key concepts and three second-order and two third-order interpretations were identified. Quality of maternity healthcare for immigrant women depends on both interpersonal relationships with professionals and informal social supports, together with contextual factors such as language, socioeconomic status and organizational environments. Immigrant women's cultural beliefs and religious and traditional customs and practices are in conflict with biomedical views within many maternity healthcare services. This synthesis offers new insights related to conceptual and theoretical knowledge relevant to experiences of immigrant women within the maternity healthcare arena.
Immigrant Women's Experiences of Maternity Care Services in Canada: A Narrative Synthesis
Gina Higginbottom
University of Alberta
Myfanwy Morgan
King's College
Jayantha Dassanayake
Monash University
Yvonne Chiu
Multicultural Health Broker's Co-operative
Mirande Alexandre
Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Debbie Kocay
Difficulties can exist for immigrant women when accessing and navigating health and maternity care services. Partnering with key stakeholders, we conducted a narrative synthesis (Popay et al, 2006) of qualitative and quantitative studies to answer the research question: What are the experiences of immigrant women in accessing and navigating maternity services in Canada? Focus was placed on accessibility and its influence on birth and postnatal outcomes. Guidelines for systematic and grey literature review were followed to identify and select literature. The synthesis relied primarily on text to summarize and explain findings, using four elements: a) developing a theory of why and for whom, b) developing a preliminary synthesis, c) exploring relationships in the data, and d) assessing the robustness of the synthesis. ATLAS.ti software was used for synthesizing findings. Twenty-four primary research papers reporting quantitative (13), qualitative (10) and mixed-method (1) research were reviewed. The synthesis was organized around seven interrelated themes: (1) adequacy of perinatal care, (2) barriers identified in the pre and postnatal periods, (3) utilization of prenatal care, (4) isolation and limited social support, (5) access to appropriate information, (6) postpartum health related to care access and use, and (7) breastfeeding and other child care problems. Although generally given the opportunity to obtain necessary services, immigrant women in Canada face many barriers related to utilization of services and access to satisfactory health outcomes, including availability and awareness of appropriate information and supports as well as discordant expectations on the parts of the women and service providers.
Assessing Caregivers of Cognitively Impaired Older Adults: A Mixed Methods Research Study
Eradah Omar Hamad
Western University
Remarkable improvements in life expectancy have led to an increased incidence rate of age-related neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease. As a result, caring for an elderly relative has become a frequent occurrence. Family caregivers play a key role in the management of disease symptoms and patients' daily activities; however, the impact of caregiving may be culturally-specific. Unfortunately, most of the literature on the assessment of caregivers has focused on the universality of caregiving, and has paid little attention to individual, social, and cultural factors that may affect the life of a caregiver.
The purpose of this two-phase, sequential mixed methods study is to explore the construction of individual and group realities of caregiving in two cultural groups of adult children caregivers (Saudis vs. Canadians). The first phase consists of a hermeneutic constructivist exploration of participants' narratives and personal construct systems of caregiving. Cultural systems will be constructed through the generation of similar personal constructs across groups. The qualitative data from phase one will be used to develop either a monolingual or multicultural survey (based on the results of phase one). Once this survey is developed, it will be administered to an independent group of participants (in either country or both countries), and its psychometric properties will be statistically tested and compared with existing assessment tools. Findings from this study will be used to help healthcare professionals understand the personal, social, and cultural factors that may affect the experience of caregivers, and to promote the development of appropriate caregiver intervention plans.
The experience of living with HIV disease: a study of Black/African american women affiliated with a public hospital
Judith James-Borga
The Graduate Center City University of New York
This qualitative phenomenological study was designed to understand the experience of living with HIV disease within the context of a group of older Black African American women, affiliated large urban hospital. A purposive sample of ten Black/African American women age fifty and older, with a confirmed diagnosis of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) were recruited from a large urban public health care facility. Using unstructured interviews, data was collected and analyzed, guided by van Manen##x00E2;€™s methodical processes. Through inter-subjective interactions and thematic analysis, the essences of the participants##x00E2;€™ experiences evolved. The women demonstrated the interpersonal, intrapersonal and transpersonal ways they expanded their self boundaries and reached out and beyond thereby giving meaning and purpose to their life. Living with HIV disease, for the participants, was the dynamic interrelated patterning processes of: self-transcending adversities and becoming, tending to their inner emotional life, using knowledge as empowerment, concealing while revealing, striving to maintain relationality and caring for others while they themselves are being cared for. The findings supported Pamela Reed##x00E2;€™s Theory of Self Transcendence. The findings have implications for nursing education, practice and research and for caring for persons with adversities. The findings add to the data base of nursing knowledge. Replication of the study is recommended in order to develop a larger database on the topic.
But It was More Colorful 70 Years Ago: Using Imagery in Collecting Experiences from the Personal Distant Past
Jenna LaChenaye
Louisiana State University
Over 70 years ago, the Louisiana government passed laws prohibiting the use of French in public schools, a policy that would eventually speed the processes of Americanization and assimilation in South Louisiana Francophone cultures. Research into the collective experience as well as personal histories is limited and currently difficult to complete due to the small remainder of individuals who experienced the policy, cultural contentions with the process of academic research, the extent of time that has passed since the events of interest have occurred, and the difficulty of asking questions regarding an era where little a priori information is available.
In order to create an interview process that focuses on the era and topic of interest in a largely unstructured manner, visual documents were chosen as the backbone of the interview process. Images of local people, places, and events were collected from libraries and personal collections and assembled based on relationship to the topic being studied. The collection was then presented to the participant in their home and explored through two questions posed to the participant. Participants moved through the images in their own time and were given full control of the flow of information.
This presentation will discuss the adjustments made to the interview process in consideration of the topic and participants as well as the implications for adjusting to cultural and historical sensitivities, including ways in which the process was adjusted to create trust with the participants and shifting the roles of authority in the research process.
Reframing the Division of American Nursing Labor: Contemporary Events May Dissolve Historical Barriers to Resolution of the Entry-level RN Debate
April Matthias
University of North Carolina Wilmington
For greater than a century, a resurfacing debate exists in American nursing related to multiple educational pathways for entry into RN practice. The purpose of this research is to understand the historical context surrounding the decisions to develop the three educational pathways, the historical debate concerning the practice role, educational pathway, and professional identity of the entry-level RN, and the relationship between the developments and debate. Historical case study research focused on three decision points for the educational pathway developments: Diploma-Bellevue Training School for Nurses, 1873; BSN-University of Cincinnati School for Nursing and Health, 1916; and ADN-Orange County Community College nursing program, 1952. Biddle's role theory, an adaptation of King's Interacting Systems Framework, and the framework of feminist theory guided the study. Significance, authenticity, and genuineness of the data were determined through careful collection and inspection of both primary and secondary source data. Bias was controlled with journaling, disclosure, and frequent review of the research questions and purpose. Each case study revealed the following barriers for permanent resolution of the entry-level RN debate: division of gender, paternalistic control over nursing, undefined division of class within nursing practice, and an undefined division of nursing labor. Interestingly, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Future of Nursing report and the nursing profession's response to the recommendations address, to some degree, the historical barriers identified in this study. Nursing can meet the IOM report recommendations, dissolve the historical barriers, and resolve the entry-level RN debate with intentional planning.
Disseminating Knowledge with Dance
Katie McCaw
University of Saskatchewan
Jennifer J Nicol
University of Saskatchewan
Using the creative arts in the research process is an innovative topic in qualitative inquiry. Artistic forms such as dance and poetry are increasingly being used to generate data, and disseminate findings (Woo, 2008). The very qualities of aesthetic media that make them therapeutically effective (e.g., ability to release emotions), also make them effective in knowledge production (e.g., knowledge dissemination) (Thom, 2010). We are interested in knowledge dissemination; defined as identifying the appropriate audience and accommodating the message and medium to the audience (CIHR, 2009). The use of theater and photography in knowledge dissemination has garnered most attention in the current literature (Rossitera, Kontosa & Colantonioc, 2008; Lapum, Ruttonsha, Church, Yau & David, 2011). There are fewer references to dance (Cancienne & Snowber, 2003). Nonetheless, researchers have recognized dance to suit the purposes of knowledge dissemination. Toncy (2008) described dance is effective for conveying emotions, and Cancienne and Snowber (2003) argued that dance and movement communicates knowledge. The proposed study's purpose is to investigate the use of dance and movement in knowledge dissemination. Further objectives include (a) what characteristics of dance and movement make them an effective tool for disseminating knowledge? (b) how dance differs from other artistic forms? Data will be generated using a Delphi study which enables a consensus of opinions to be reached from diverse experts (Armstrong, 2001; Coutorie, 1995). In this case, the experts will be researchers and dancers. We welcome discussion on this proposed method to advance understanding on the use of dance in knowledge dissemination.
Building online support for parents of youth and adults with Autism Spectrum Disorder using qualitative methods
David Nicholas
University of Calgary
Margaret Clarke
University of Calgary
Laura Ghali
University of Calgary
Chris Macintosh
University of Calgary
This study examines knowledge surrounding social support resources for parents of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Specifically, an online parent peer support network is being developed, implemented and analyzed over a four month period, in substantial part through the interface of an innovative application of qualitative design methods. Beginning with pre-interventional focus groups, the study elicits caregiver preferences for online social support delivery, thereby offering important support for the design of a subsequent intervention and evaluation design for the online network. Through both post-intervention interviews, inviting open expression of participants thoughts and perceptions, and user-driven transcript analyses, this largely uncharted resource domain in ASD caregiver research can begin to be accessed with greater clarity by a variety of stakeholders. Ideally, the online network will serve as a forum through which parents can offer mutual support to one another via shared experience and knowledge. Based on focus group findings, a variety of informative resources will also be provided on the network to enrich the environment of support and to stimulate further information and peer support, and ultimately lead to further qualitative exploration in examining interventional outcomes and processes. Since the existing literature on the impact of online information and support interventions for parents of young persons with ASD is limited, open exploration of participant experiences and perceptions of the intervention, are warranted. Cumulatively, these outcomes will monumentally add to the evidence base for family-oriented, online social support processes and evaluation methods, thereby advancing understanding of social support utilization potential for ASD programming and policy planning.
Welcome, this is our Place - social inclusion through art in community health
Helen Nikolas
MonashLink Community Health Service Ltd
Participatory creative arts projects of high quality promote social inclusion and good mental health and wellbeing. MonashLink community health service with a grant from the City of Monash facilitated an art work in the reception of a site that provides Primary Health, Children's and Dental services within a culturally diverse community. The working group and professional artist consulted with users and stakeholders on feedback, style and theme. The result was 3D butterflies arranged in a spiral on the walls. In 6 workshops, 75 staff and consumers painted 101 butterflies which now fly on 3 walls in reception.
Evaluation was conducted in parallel with the work, including successful engagement of the diverse community, numbers of participants and butterflies, anecdotal evidence and quality of the finished art work. Participants experience was obtained through brief written stories and photographs were taken throughout, with consent. The stories, photographs and other evidence were analysed to determine if project objectives had been met. Retrospective evaluation several months after installation included observations by employees of the community reactions, their own feelings and feedback from the artist.
The themes that emerged from the analysis showed that objectives were met. Outcomes were achieved at individual, group and organisational level. A variety of evaluation methods allowed for triangulation of results and provided an additional creative element to the outcomes. The report and evaluation were prepared in photo journal and slide show format. This whole process will be repeated on a second site in 2013 allowing for comparison and further study.
The Lived Experiences of Families Who Have Attended a Cardiogenetics Clinic
Esma Paljevic
Pace University
This study explored the lived experiences of the family members who have participated in a Cardiogenetics Clinic at The Children's Hospital at Montefiore, which utilizes an interprofessional approach to care. A qualitative phenomenological approach was used to explore the lived experience of the families. Families that are referred to the clinic have suffered the loss of a family member to sudden cardiac death (SCD). This interprofessional model of care offers information regarding SCD, a genetic profile to determine risk for SCD, an integrative collaborative approach to care as well as nursing, medical interventions, psychological support, and counseling. The theory of health as expanding consciousness and science of unitary human beings theory were used to gain insight into how the interprofessional care provided by the Cardiogenetics Clinics influenced SCD families understanding of their lived experiences. Insights gained may allow the interprofessional team to improve the quality of care being provided to SCD family members as well as establish a new model of care for genetic testing and disease management.
Intermittent Explosive Disorder amongst women in conflict affected Timor-Leste: associations with human rights trauma, ongoing violence, poverty and injustice.
Susan Rees
University of New South Wales
Ms Teresa Verdial
Alola Foundation, Timor Leste
Professor Derrick Silove
University of New South Wales, Australia
Professor Rosamund Thorpe
James Cook University, Australia
Profesor Anthony Zwi
University of New South Wales, Australia
Women are at substantial risk of mental disorder in conflict-affected countries. We hypothesized that in addition to posttraumatic stress disorder and depression, women may be at risk of explosive forms of anger arising from injustices they have experienced in these settings. The objective therefore was to investigate the prevalence of Intermittent Explosive Disorder amongst women, its association with human rights trauma, ongoing community tensions, poverty and injustice. We also examined the personal, family and social consequences of Intermittent Explosive Disorder amongst women in Timor-Leste.
Our mixed method approach included an epidemiological survey and a qualitative component, the latter facilitating a safe exploration of gender-sensitive issues in a setting where cultural and religious factors might constrain disclosure. The study included adult women (n=1513, 92.6% response) involving a total household survey and qualitative interviews (n=77).
Women with Intermittent Explosive Disorder (n=184, 12.2%) were more disabled (for > 5 days out of role, 40.8% versus 31.5%). Multivariate associations with Intermittent Explosive Disorder included the sense of being sick (OR 1.73; 95% CI 1.08-2.77); victimization as a result of helping the resistance during the war (OR 2.33, 95% CI 1.48-3.68); war-related trauma specific to being a woman (OR 1.95, 95%, CI 1.09-3.50); ongoing family violence and community conflict (OR 1.88, 95% CI 1.27-2.77), extreme poverty (OR 1.23, 95%, CI 1.08-1.39), and distressing preoccupations with injustice (relating to 2/3 historical periods, OR 2.10, 95% CI 1.35-3.28). Qualitative data provided an account of the possible determinants of anger and its impact on women's health, family and community functioning, child-rearing, and the capacity of women to engage in development. Women reflected on strategies to prevent anger.
This presentation will describe the rationale for the study and the choice of methods. We will explore the findings in the light of the advantage provided by the application of both qualitative and quantitative methods.
The Use of Images and Poetry in Mixed Method Research for Triangulation
Izabel Soliman
University of New England (Australia)
Heath DeLany
Nadine McCrea
A mixed method approach was implemented in a year-long qualitative study of the experiences of student leaders in an urban high school in Australia. A variety of data gathering methods were employed and triangulated in order to strengthen the interpretation of the findings. The methods included synergetic focus groups of student leaders discussing their roles and experiences at various times in the academic year; their production of written anecdotes, images and poems on their experiences; and interviews with the school principal and other teachers involved with the student leaders. The poster provides interpretation of a sample of the students' images and poetry, examples of their triangulation with the interpretation of their discussions in the focus groups, and assessment of their value in relation to enhancing confidence in the trustworthiness of the findings of the study.
Mixed Methods Research in Speech-Language Pathology
Salima Suleman
University of Alberta
Tammy Hopper
University of Alberta
The use of mixed methods (MM) research designs is increasing. However, the extent to which MM research is used across disciplines is largely unknown. To explore the use of MM research designs in the discipline of speech-language pathology, we conducted a two-phase study in which we first reviewed the published speech-language pathology literature and then classified the articles regarding the use of MM research designs. The research question of interest was as follows: What is the prevalence of MM research designs within the published speech-language pathology literature? In the first phase of the study, research librarians developed search terms and strategies that investigators used to search papers published (2007-2012) in four prominent North American speech-language pathology journals. In this phase, investigators selected any articles that were broadly identified as having hallmarks of MM research designs. In the second phase of the study, researchers reviewed every article selected in phase one to determine the degree to which each the research paper could be classified as using MM designs. To classify papers as including MM designs, four fundamental characteristics had to be present: (1) collection and analysis of qualitative (QUAL) and quantitative (QUAN) data; (2) demonstration of the mixing of QUAL and QUAN results; (3) evidence of explicit MM design grounded in MM literature; and (4) self-identification as a MM study. Preliminary findings suggest that the estimated prevalence rate of MM designs in these four journals is much lower than expected (i.e., less than 2%), given the estimated prevalence in other applied disciplines (i.e., 15%). Explanations and implications of the findings will be discussed. The study protocol will also be shared for use and/or adaptation by other researchers who wish to conduct similar studies.
The implementation of the user embracement during the triage protocol at an emergency room service of a Brazilian hospital
Vanessa Vila
Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Goiás
Solange Seixas Martins
Federal University of Goias
Vanessa da Silva Carvalho Vila
Pontifical Catholic University of Goias
Milca Severino Pereira
Pontifical Catholic University of Goias
Adenicia Custodia Silva e Souza
Pontifical Catholic University of Goias.
An increasing demand associated with an ineffective structure of the emergency care network has contributed with creating an overload in Brazilian emergency rooms. The objective of this qualitative case study was to describe the implementation of the user embracement protocol with risk assessment and classification with the purpose of solving this issue. The data were collected by observation and semi-structured interviews performed with nineteen nurses of a hospital emergency service. It was identified that before the implementation of this protocol, the emergency service was overcrowded, had long waiting lines and a disorganized service flow. These aspects caused a feeling of frustration towards the delay, poor solvability and work overload. The changes achieved from implementing the protocol were the organization of the service, a better efficiency of the team, and better care to patients. The limitations and challenges for implementing the protocol involved promoting an effective embracement, which requires time, and greater readiness to see, listen and inform patients. The nurses highlighted the need for a permanent education process to improve human and technical competences and skills regarding care. They affirmed that the lack of solvability of emergency, primary and secondary care services has been the main barrier towards assuring the solvability and comprehensiveness of the health care delivered to Brazilians. Results suggest that despite the challenges to achieve effective humanization of care, the risk classification protocol has promoted improvements in the organization besides defining the access to hospital emergency service.
This research was subsidized by Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Goias, (FAPEG), Brazil.
Network Presence Construction for Chinese Rural K-12 Teachers Professional Development: Multi-Case Study in an Online Learning Community Using Network Analysis
Wentao Zhao
Beijing Normal University
Zhijun Wang
Faculty of Education Beijing Normal University; Center for Distance Education, Athabasca University
Researchers suggest that knowledge network and social networking plays an important role in teachers professional development, but not all teachers have skills, interesting and motivation to building effective online network presence, especially for those from rural areas. In order to determine the rule of network presence in teacher professional development, this study will focus on two questions: (1) How network presence was constructed in professional online community? (2) What is the relationship between network presence and professional development?
Based on the Integration Literacy Training for Rural K12 Teachers Project, the study will design 5 collaborative knowledge-building activates for all English, Chinese and Mathematics teachers to help them enhance network presence and professional development in a professional online learning Community named Learning Cell.
Three typical cases will be chosen to conduct a multi-case study according to three visualized graph. There are a graph of knowledge producing, a graph of social interaction and a graph of knowledge and social connecting together. Next, the study will analysis the network presence and professional development process of different disciplines separately, and then compare them together to find their similarities and differences.
Compared to traditional qualitative research method, the innovative improvement of this study are: (1) Network analyses visualization are used to analyze the network form and process and to choose the most typical and valuable cases and data of the study; (2) Multi-case analysis and comparative method are used to improve the research trustworthy and authenticity; (3) The study is conducted in an e-research environment, which records the process permanently.