The role of assertiveness,personal control,and participation in the prediction of nurse Burnout

The research reported here considered a critical problem facing today's hospital: burnout and commitment of nurses. A review of the literature revealed that nurse communication, particularly participation or collaboration in patient care decisions, had rarely been considered in models of nurse commitment. A model was proposed in which nurse participation and assertiveness were key predictors of emotional exhaustion, commitment and intent to remain, and the theoretical construct of personal control was used as a moderating variable in predicting these outcomes. The model was tested on a sample of nurses from a large hospital Results were generally supportive of the proposed model. Implications of the model for theory were discussed in terms of the role of personal control and the importance of nurse assertiveness, and applications for nurse and physician training were considered.     

When Off-Campus Means Virtual Campus: The Academic Library in Second Life

ABSTRACT

This article discusses how a library's consistent policy of accessibility and foresight positioned itself to serve its students, faculty and staff in the virtual world of Second Life. Always ahead of the technological curve, this library has been the front-runner in providing services to distance learners via text messaging, “chat,” e-mail, and telephone services and via its laptop librarian project across the campus. It now is poised and ready to provide service in Second Life. Collaboration between the library and teaching faculty culminated in the creation, development, and furnishing of a library in Second Life, an environment that gives new meaning to “off-campus” learning. Without marketing, but as a visible presence, the Second Life library was able to attract both off-campus guests and affiliated students and faculty and even participated in campus-wide projects. This experiment has enjoyed the support of both the university and library administration.     

The Lived Experience and Training Needs of Librarians Serving at the Clinical Point-of-Care

This study examines the emotional experiences and perceptions of librarians embedded into clinical care teams and how those perceptions affect their training and preparation needs. Qualitative research methodologies were applied to textual data drawn from focus groups (n = 21), interviews (n = 2), and an online survey (n = 167), supplemented by quantitative survey data. Phenomenological results show librarians experience strongly affective responses to clinical rounding. Important factors include personal confidence; relationships with team members, patients, and families; and the stressful environment. Analysis of librarians’ perceived educational needs indicates that training must address specialized subjects including medical knowledge, clinical culture, and institutional politics.     

The impact of multimedia cases on preservice teachers' learning about literacy teaching: A follow‐up study

Abstract

Using surveys and interviews as a data set, this study explored the influence of multimedia cases in preservice literacy methods courses by following a set of preservice teachers into their first years of teaching. Analysis of the survey and interview data yielded three salient themes. First, respondents reported that their methods courses had positively influenced their teaching. Second, respondents reported several factors (e.g., active involvement during class time, the enthusiasm of the instructor) as influential in their recall of course content. Third, respondents reported that the use of the multimedia cases influenced their learning, both during their teacher education program and in their current teaching. This follow‐up study offers insight into the connections teachers make between their teacher education programs and their later teaching and serves as an impetus for future research into the potential benefits of using multimedia cases as a way to situate preservice teacher learning in real problems.     

Equity and Advocacy Expectations of Culturally Diverse Families’ Participation in Special Education

The authors contend that the equity and advocacy expectations imbedded in the legal mandate for parent participation in the special education decision-making process directly contradict the hierarchy of professional status and knowledge on which the positivist paradigm of professionalism is based, and are also in conflict with the values held by many families from culturally diverse backgrounds, contributing to low levels of participation and advocacy. They argue the need for professional education to incorporate opportunities for professionals to identify the cultural assumptions imbedded in the field of special education towards more balanced and effective collaboration.     

Profiles in Change: An Alternative Look at the Marshall Hypotheses∗

U.S. Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall once argued that informed opinion would oppose the death penalty for all but those who support it for retributive reasons. We examine the validity of these claims with data from a series of one‐group pre‐test–post‐test designs which stem from a formalized learning outcomes assessment for several courses on the death penalty. Results show solid, but imperfect, support for these claims. The analysis then proceeds by profiling those who changed their opinions consistent with these claims, those who did not change their opinions, and those whose opinions changed in a manner opposite to these claims.     

“No Excuses” in New Orleans: The Silent Passivity of Neoliberal Schooling

Abstract

Drawing on ethnographic data, this article critically analyzes pedagogy in “no excuses” charter schools in New Orleans. Employing Ladson-Billings's framework for culturally relevant pedagogy, the author describes the level of academic rigor, cultural competence, and critical consciousness development across classrooms. This study provides empirical evidence that within a market-based system, the purpose of schooling shifts toward the production of assessment data at the expense of culturally relevant practices.