Careers in Health

Carreras en Salud (Careers in Health) provides bilingual/bicultural individuals with a fully-supported customized career path for nursing and other allied health occupations bridging individuals from unemployment/underemployment to high-demand healthcare positions. Healthcare providers, elected officials, and community leaders have partnered with the collaboration and supported the initiative in its various stages.     

Sexualities Equality in Schools: Why Every Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender (LGBT) Child Matters

In an increasingly complex global society, schools frequently have to re-examine their understanding of the social and cultural dimensions that constitute 'community'. One such dimension is the sexual orientation of individuals who make up this group. Historically, this has been a difficult task, given the tension that exists between sexuality and education and the heteronormative practices within schools. Consequently, individuals who identify as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual or Transgender (LGBT), are thought to be LGBT or who are connected with the LGBT community, have frequently found themselves in a marginalized and vulnerable position. In the case of young people, the consequences of this include lowered self-esteem, absenteeism, underachievement and, in some cases, suicide. Given the mantra that Every Child Matters , schools now have a strategic opportunity to formulate new responses in supporting this group. A key question in this article relates to the ways in which the dimensions of strategy can be integrated into 'joined-up', effective action.     

Provider sexual health assessment of the aging adult

Research has shown that healthcare providers are not proactive in assessing and educating the aging adult population about sexual health. Barriers to discussing sexual issues by healthcare providers commonly cited in the literature include lack of time, lack of perceived knowledge, and personal embarrassment. Using an online survey collector, the survey was distributed to advanced practice registered nurses, doctors of osteopathy, medical doctors, and physician assistants in general practice in a mid-western state who care for patients 50 years and older. The results of this survey showed that only 28% of the respondents routinely assess the sexual health of aging adults. Nearly half of the providers that responded felt that they find it difficult to proactively assess the sexual health of an aging adult. Common barriers of patient discomfort, lack of time, and low medical importance reveal a need for interventions.     

Beyond Sensitivity. LGBT Healthcare Training in U.S. Medical Schools: A Review of the Literature

Purpose: Training future physicians to address the health needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) population can potentially decrease health disparities faced by such individuals. In this literature review, we examine the characteristics and impact of current LGBT healthcare training at U.S. medical schools.

Methods: We performed a comprehensive literature search to identify studies on LGBT healthcare training in U.S. medical schools. Studies published between January 2000 and September 2016 that described the program and reported on at least one quantitative evaluative measure were included in our review.

Results: We found 13 studies meeting our inclusion criteria. The programs had high levels of variability in curricular content, educational strategies used, duration, and evaluation methods. Many programs utilized an interactive experience involving a standardized patient. The majority of participants in such programs felt this approach was an effective learning strategy. All programs reported that participants felt the training improved their ability to provide more effective healthcare to LGBT patients.

Conclusion: Despite wide variability in their training approaches, the 13 programs we reviewed provided data suggesting a positive impact of LGBT healthcare training.     

What Professionalism Skills Should Be Taught In Community College Health Fields?

The United States Department of Labor predicts the demand in healthcare sector careers to soar as patient demographics continue to change with the aging population of adults (Henderson, 2012). To meet this demand, community colleges will continue to play a vital role in the education of healthcare occupations, as nearly 60% of all healthcare workers are educated in these institutions. Furthermore, student demographics within community colleges are becoming more ethnically diverse. The dramatic changes in population and labor force composition suggest a more robust approach be taken when teaching professionalism skills. In order to promote student completion rates and recognize the evolving changes within the healthcare system, a health and public safety division within a large community college surveyed its faculty members and their clinical affiliates to determine what professional skills should be taught within an entry-level healthcare course. This brief paper describes the survey findings and implications for the development of a future healthcare professionalism course.     

The Role of Healthcare Providers and Caregivers in Educating Older Adults about Foodborne Illness Prevention

Adults aged 60 or older are more likely than younger adults to experience severe complications or even death as a result of foodborne infections. This study investigated which specific groups of healthcare providers or other caregivers are most receptive to providing food safety information to older adults. Telephone-based focus groups were conducted with health care providers and caregivers to determine their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors regarding foodborne illness prevention for older adults. Focus groups identified a gap between older adults’ trust in healthcare providers as a credible source of food safety information and healthcare providers’ lack of training, knowledge, and willingness to provide food safety information to older adults.     

AGING AND DEVELOPMENTAL DISABILITIES: SERVICE PROVIDER HEALTH‐CARE TRAINING NEEDS

The numbers of aging and older persons with developmental disabilities are rapidly growing. Knowledge based on new and ongoing research is fast beginning to accumulate. Efforts to provide training, both preservice and in‐service, are beginning to be implemented. This article (a) reports on existing health‐care training materials, (b) discusses service providers’ training needs in the area of developmental disabilities and aging, and (c) provides recommendations for future training and curriculum development. The investigation included a search of library and archival records for existing information on health, aging, and developmental disabilities; semistructured interviews with 20 “expert” providers of health care to developmentally disabled elderly individuals; and a survey of 245 service providers for their perceptions of providers’ training needs in the area of health care for older adults with developmental disabilities.     

Fifteen years on: the legacy of section 28 for LGBT+ teachers in English schools

ABSTRACT

This article examines the legacy of Section 28 of the Local Government Act in England for LGBT+ school teachers between 1988 and the repeal of the Section in 2003. Section 28 stated that ‘A local authority shall not – (a) intentionally promote homosexuality… (b) promote the teaching in any maintained school of the acceptability of homosexuality as a pretended family relationship’. A questionnaire examined the ways in which LGBT+ teachers in England experienced their work environments in 2017–18. The current perceptions of LGBT+ teachers who experienced Section 28 were compared with the perceptions of those LGBT+ teachers entering the profession after the repeal of Section 28 in 2003. Responses suggest that Section 28 continues to adversely affect the LGBT+ teachers who experienced it. These teachers are, in 2017–18, less open about their sexuality, unlikely to engage in the school community with their partner and more likely to see their teacher and sexual identities as incompatible. Whilst a climate of oppression, discrimination and harassment consistent at the time of Section 28 also played contributed to LGBT+ teachers’ experiences, despite advances in equalities legislation those teaching during the Section 28 era are still deeply affected by their experiences.     

WHEN PATIENTS TEACH THEIR DOCTORS: A CURRICULUM FOR GERIATRIC EDUCATION

In response to aging patient demographics and a call for increased formal geriatric training in medical schools, a community volunteer geriatric mentor program, Bridging Generations, was developed to shape attitudes of medical students caring for the elderly. The geriatric mentor experience provided students with unique insight into the challenges and joys that accompany aging and encouraged the medical students to become empathetic and knowledgeable providers of care for geriatric patients.     

Matters of HEARTS: health,experience of abuse,resilience, technology use,and safety of older adults

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this study was to assess the HEARTS (Health, Experience of Abuse, Resilience, Technology use, and Safety) of older adults (OAs). More particularly, we aimed to assess three components of the HEARTS (health, experience of abuse, and resilience) of OAs and explore the relationships among health, resilience, the experience of abuse, and other demographic variables. Forty-two male and female OAs in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA participated in the study. A correlational design was used in this study. The variables correlated were health, the experience of abuse, and the resilience of OAs. We used a community-engaged research approach in that participants were more than research volunteers but stakeholders in the research project. Findings showed that the means for more positive health features (physical function, and social roles) increased with increases in education, while more negative health features (anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep disturbance, pain interference, and pain intensity) decreased with higher levels of education. Regression models indicated that above and beyond demographic features, resilience had a significant prediction of anxiety and depression. None of the other health outcomes were significantly predicted by either resilience or older adults’ abuse suspicion.

Adding health to years in older adults is a collaborative effort with healthcare providers, healthcare systems, families, and communities. This study has identified three components of HEARTS (Health, Experience of Abuse, and Resilience) that blend with successful aging and provide data and possible prevention and intervention strategies, and family and community education programs that could add health to years in older adults.     

A Capabilities Approach Analysis of Evangelii Gaudium and Its Significance for Catholic Learning Environments on LGBT + Issues

Abstract

This article examines the 2013 apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium by Pope Francis in terms of its significance for addressing LGBT?+?issues in Catholic learning environments. Using the 10 capabilities necessary for human flourishing as outlined by Martha Nussbaum in her capability approach to civil society and questions of social justice, I argue that the implications of Evangelii Gaudium for Catholic learning environments are significant and provide necessary guidance for addressing LGBT?+?social justice issues where these issues have often been ignored or insufficiently addressed. In Evangelii Gaudium Pope Francis is challenging the global community of Catholics to consider what kind of society the Church is producing, and I argue that a capabilities approach provides a fruitful way in which to consider and respond to this challenge. Although written with Catholicism in mind, the challenges presented by Pope Francis are pertinent for consideration by other faith communities and educators more generally.     

Preface: ‘Anything You Can Do’: Proposals for Lesbian and Gay Art Education

This preface introduces the themes of this special edition: the contribution that lesbian and gay individuals make to the development of the discipline. These include a non‐heteronormative perspective, and an emphasis on irony within parody. Second, this preface considers the experience of LGBT students and teachers dealing with sexuality within the school curriculum. Third, the current approach to civil rights within the school is considered especially in the context of homophobia, bullying and physical danger. Finally, areas of specifc curriculum advance are noted particularly within art history, media education and teacher education. Irving Berlin's witty little song ‘Anything you can do’ [ 1 ] epitomises the taken‐for‐granted assumption that relationships between people are always adversarial and that personal achievement always involves outperforming the opponent. The song title in full runs ‘Anything you can do I can do better, I can do anything better than you.’ The second stanza underlines the theme ‘I'm superior, you're inferior, I'm the big attraction you're the small.’ The rest of the song develops the theme but it constantly expands a tongue‐in‐cheek ironic infection. The lyrics serve to subtly undermine the master narrative by showing the ridiculousness of empty boastfulness. I suggest that there is a strong analogy between this adversarial parody and that between ‘heteronormative’ culture [ 2 ] and its disdain for gay perspectives and experience [ 3 ]. One of the major propositions in this collection is that lesbian, gay, bisexual and trangender (‘LGBT’ throughout this volume) people bring great benefits to all in our efforts to explore and develop an increasingly inclusive art and design agenda [ 4 ]. My argument in this introduction has four interrelated themes. First, I outline what I think are the legitimate claims that LGBT people can make for their contribution to the development of the discipline. It is important to start here because, as will be come clear, there are several significant issues that LGBT teachers and students have to face in education. These issues should not distract us from the positive impact we have made throughout the art and design curriculum. The second theme is one that I take from Andrew Sullivan's title Virtually Normal [ 5 ]. The ambiguity built into his oxymoronic title is worth exploration. The LGBT experience of growing up has particular paradoxical features that are singular and significant. I consider some of these features for their salience to the general argument. The third theme that is particularly pertinent internationally is what is termed a civil rights agenda. Many educators are using this concept as a basic building block in the construction of an equality programme into which LGBT fits as a significant beneficiary. It is in this context that the issue of bullying is considered. Undeniably, bullying is a major issue confronting probably every young LGBT person on a regular basis. But I, and other authors in the collection, argue that relying solely on this equal rights approach has some major drawbacks in the promotion of an LGBT agenda. The fourth theme, which is developed by the authors of the papers throughout this volume, is that a specifc LGBT art and design curriculum can be developed away from a civil rights approach. This curriculum can provide what we all lack currently, material that reflects and expands the learning of LGBT students, provides opportunities for Continuing Professional Development for LGBT and LGBT‐friendly staff, and thus enriches the whole art and design curriculum by embracing new ideas from within and outside the discipline. At the moment there is a gaping empty space in the art and design curriculum that badly needs flling. I conclude this introduction by considering such innovation in relation to Swift and Steers' Manifesto for Art in Schools which still seems to me an excellent benchmark against which to measure change and progress [ 6 ].     

PERCEPTIONS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACULTY ABOUT THE NEED FOR GERONTOLOGY TRAINING

America is aging, and quickly. Among the educational institutions that could address this critical issue, none are better suited than community colleges. Community colleges not only educate students but also respond to the emerging needs of the communities they serve. Previous studies have shown that few community colleges have developed an agenda for addressing the impact of aging on our society and that faculty and administrators may not be aware of the potential for expanding aging‐related programs. This study reports the responses of 703 community college faculty representing a broad variety of disciplines and educational backgrounds. As expected, the majority of faculty had little previous training in aging, included no aging content in existing courses, and were uncertain as to whether to include aging content in other courses that they taught. This uncertainty, however, must be tempered by the fact that 61% of the responding faculty were interested in attending a basic training program in aging. Such community college faculty interest and participation could enhance the introduction of aging materials into existing curricula and expand their other educational activities that would ultimately benefit older persons in the community.     

“Why Give Up Something That Works So Well?”: Retirement Expectations Among Academic Physicians

For individuals with strong work identities, the decision to retire can be particularly challenging. For academic physicians, retirement is an important personal decision that also has far-reaching implications for the healthcare system. This is because academic physicians are responsible for producing the research from which key medical decisions are made, for training future healthcare providers, and for providing specialized care for patients. For this study, we conducted focus groups with academic physicians from a large research university in Canada and then performed inductive thematic analyses to examine perceptions and concerns about later life career transitions. This study highlights tensions between professional experiences for the next generation of physicians and individual struggles with personal identity. Findings suggest improvements to institutional programs that support flexible, agentive, and respectful retirement transitions will not only be beneficial but necessary as medical and university systems continue to grapple with issues of balanced recruitment and succession.     

BUILDING THE INFRASTRUCTURE FOR EDUCATIONAL CHANGE

Strengthening educational programs requires a coordinated set of supporting activities. This article describes the infrastructure of the Educational Centre for Aging and Health of McMaster University (ECAH). This center seeks through professional education to enhance the quality of life and self‐determination of older persons, by increasing the number of skilled health professionals to care for aging individuals and by developing educational models concerning aging and health. We describe the clinical settings, technical and developmental support, and a system of data collection that provides feedback about health needs and the establishment of educational priorities. This center is attempting to meet the challenge of changing community needs for education for aging and health. Because of ECAH, aging and health has become more salient within this university. This article illustrates an infrastructure that other institutions can adapt to their own purposes in order to enhance gerontology and health education.     

Students Connecting with the Elderly: Validation as a Tool

In this article we respond to the call to action that is the crisis among seniors called The Silver Tsunami! We describe the education of students through the use of Feil's Validation Therapy. There are growing concerns among social service providers regarding the rapid increase of the elderly population and the lack of adequate staff to provide care for our seniors. If we as educators, agency administrators, or committed family members ignore this call to action, the cycle of the employee “revolving door” will continue with inadequately trained and emotionally disconnected personnel working with aging persons. Frontline workers are the backbone of any agency. They are the ones who interact with seniors and their loved ones and collaborate with other medical and community professionals. We, as their teachers, must enhance their knowledge and skills so they many continue to provide service to the second most vulnerable population.     

“The Changers and the Changed”: Preparing Early Childhood Teachers to Work With Lesbian,Gay, Bisexual,and Transgender Families

The Census Bureau estimates that up to 14 million children under the age of 18 are being raised by lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) families. Just as heterosexual families require child care to enable work and want high-quality early childhood education to enhance their children's development, LGBT families experience the same needs and desires for their children. However, similar to other educational institutions, the early childhood field has either held negative beliefs regarding diverse family structures or ignored the unique needs of LGBT families. As part of an effort to address teachers' understandings of equity, faculty at a southeastern university sponsored a course designed to prepare early childhood teacher education students to offer welcoming, inclusive learning environments for LGBT families and their young children. The purpose of this article is to examine the learning process and transformation of students in this course. Findings from quantitative and qualitative data are presented, as is a discussion on how courses on family equity can and should be incorporated into teacher education programs.     

Inclusion,exclusion and the queering of spaces in two Icelandic upper secondary schools

The concept of space is gaining increased attention in studies of sexuality and gender, not least those focusing on heterosexism and heteronormativity. Such studies have demonstrated that space is sexualised, gendered and actively produced. In this article, we present the findings from an ethnographic study of two Icelandic upper secondary schools. One is a traditional academic school in Reykjavík (the capital city) and the other is a mixture of a vocational and an academic school, located in a small urban community in the northern part of the country. In addition to the ethnographic component of the research, five former and current lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students from the two schools were interviewed. We describe how different spaces are constructed through the discourse of heterosexuality and hegemonic gender performances. In doing so, we focus on the processes of inclusion, exclusion and queering of different spaces, and the interplay of these processes in constructing sexuality and gender. The findings indicate that the spaces observed, which are depicted in this article as three stories, included and excluded both LGBT students and other students who did not conform to the dominant norms. These same spaces were also a platform for various queering activities, where alternative discourses could be established and even disturb the dominant discourse of heterosexuality and normativity, whether in terms of gender performances or bodily appearances.     

SERVICE PROVIDERS’ KNOWLEDGE AND MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT OLD AGE: COMPARISON OF THREE SERVICE NETWORKS

We report on knowledge about old age among social service providers from three service networks. Data are based on a survey of 245 respondents from Washington State's developmental disabilities, aging, and generic service networks. Palmore's Facts on Aging Quiz (FAQ; 1977, 1988) was used to measure the level of knowledge about old age. Key findings are as follows: (a) Overall, the respondents averaged 64% correct on the FAQ. (b) Developmental disabilities service providers scored lower than either aging service providers or generic service providers. (c) The content areas in which items were most often missed were the psychological aspects aging, the demographic trends of the aging population, and the socioeconomic status of the elderly. Implications of the results for training service providers are discussed.     

Aging & community health: a university–community partnership project

The purpose of this paper is to discuss how university–community partnerships can be utilized to provide affordable and accessible health care for the elderly at community health clinics. A review of community health clinics, usage data from 2013 to 2014 by a sample of aging individuals will be described along with faculty perspectives about the usefulness of the university partnership and suggestions for improving future partnerships. Recommendations for future university–community partnerships are discussed.