Reflections on setting up a nursing preceptorship programme

It is now common practice for preceptorship programmes to be offered to newly qualified nurses within the NHS. The Nursing and Midwifery Council expects newly qualified nurses to be given protected time for learning in their first year of qualified practice and to access support from a preceptor. This article discusses a preceptorship programme that has been implemented in a large integrated NHS Trust in north-west London and shares reflections and learning to date, which can benefit others wanting to roll out a similar programme in the UK.

Cerebral palsy with dislocated hip and scoliosis: what to deal with first?

Purpose Hip dislocation and scoliosis are common in children with cerebral palsy (CP). Hip dislocation develops in 15% and 20% of children with CP, mainly between three and six years of age and especially in the spastic and dyskinetic subtypes. The risk of scoliosis increases with age and increasing disability as expressed by the Gross Motor Function Score. Methods A hip surveillance programme and early surgical treatment have been shown to reduce the hip dislocation, but it remains unclear if a similar programme could reduce the need for neuromuscular scoliosis. When hip dislocation and neuromuscular scoliosis are co-existent, there appears to be no clear guidelines as to which of these deformities should be addressed first: hip or spine. Results Hip dislocation or windswept deformity may cause pelvic obliquity and initiate scoliosis, while neuromuscular scoliosis itself leads to pelvic obliquity and may increase the risk of hip dislocation especially on the high side. It remains unclear if treating imminent hip dislocation can prevent development of scoliosis and vice versa, but they may present at the same time for surgery. Current expert opinion suggests that when hip dislocation and scoliosis present at the same time, scoliosis associated pelvic obliquity should be corrected before hip reconstruction. If the patient is not presenting with pelvic obliquity the more symptomatic condition should be addressed first. Conclusion Early identification of hip displacement and neuromuscular scoliosis appears to be important for better surgical outcomes.

Zapomniana karta. O inicjatywach wprowadzenia filmu do szkół

The article The forgotten page. On the introduction of film education to Polish schools raises a subject of film education in Polish schools. At the beginning of the article the author focuses on the groundbreaking school curriculum introduced to Polish schools in 2009. The teachers of Polish have had to include the elements of film education within their course since then. At the same time Polish Film Institute provided fourteen thousand schools with the packages of film materials. It was supposed to support film education in schools. The initiative was warmly approved by the press and various media. Nonetheless, it was not the first initiative of this kind in Poland as similar programme was introduced to schools in the 1930s by Film Institute of Polish Telegraphic Agency. The article is devoted to the description of this forgotten period of Polish education, which was terminated by the outbreak of World War II.

E-Learning Satisfaction: A Perspective on UiTM E-PJJ Students

E-PJJ is a form of e-learning system that offers working adults to engagein UiTM’s distance learning programme. The system provides the studentsaccess to the course materials and lecture notes as well as to the interactionamong students, and between students and the lecturers. The purpose of thisstudy was to identify student’s satisfaction toward e-learning programmeoffered by Institute of Neo Education (iNED). A survey questionnairewas administered among the respondents who are undergraduates inthe e-PJJ degree programmes, iNED at UiTM Shah Alam. This researchexamined the relationship of delivery method, content, communicationfacilities and system operations towards the level of student’s satisfaction.The findings showed a positive relationship between delivery methods,content, communication facilities, also system operations and student’ssatisfaction. In addition, delivery method scored a moderate positiverelationship towards student’s satisfaction. This study might be veryuseful for the institution that offer similar programme, namely distancelearning that requires ICT to distribute knowledge, to teach and learn.All the shortcomings in the distance learning would be resolved for bettereducation and service quality for future students. Keywords: e-learning, distance learning, E-PJJ, student’s satisfaction,higher education.

An Assessment of Grid-Charged Inverter-Battery Systems for Domestic Applications in Ghana

Ghana, like many African countries, is currently facing power supply shortage, which has led to load shedding. To minimize the impact of the power crisis, options such as diesel and petrol generators, grid-charged battery-inverter systems (GBIS), and solar PV with battery storage (SPVS) have been used in residential and nonresidential contexts. In this paper, we develop analytical models to conduct a technical and economic comparison of GBIS and SPVS systems. Using average electricity tariff of $0.186 for residential sector (excluding lifeline customers) we show that although initial cost of SPVS is higher, it costs 30% less than GBIS. We also show that losses associated with the GBIS are as high as 42% when viewed from a systems perspective and that some of its costs are externalized. We conclude by commending the Ghana Government’s initiative of rolling out 200,000 residential rooftop solar systems and recommend an increase in system capacities as well as a similar programme for nonresidential facilities.

Political Will and Strategic Planning in the Implementation of Universal Basic Education in Nigeria: The Obafemi Awolowo Example

In Nigeria, the introduction of Universal Basic Education is meant to reduce the problem of illiteracy, ignorance and poverty to the barest level; a goal it shares with the goals of the World Conference on Education For All. It is meant to aid rapid national economic and political development. Its implementation has become a major challenge; hence its success has been marginal across the country. Among the factors identified as hindering its success are lack of political will on the part of government, absence of strategic planning, inaccurate data, politicisation of the programme and improper funding. Back in 1955, the then Prime Minister in Western Nigeria1 Obafemi Awolowo introduced a similar programme, Universal Primary Education with strong commitment and determination. The same commitment, determination and political will that helped Awolowo meet the objectives of his programme are what the government can apply to sustain and advance the current Universal Basic Education programme.

A University-Based Model for Evaluating Inventions

There is a need for programmes that provide independent inventors with balanced, data-based evaluations of their early-stage ideas. These inventors do not have access to the evaluation processes used in many companies to assess whether or not an idea warrants further investment of time and resources. In addition, invention promotion services that focus on independent inventors are often costly; and some of these have been accused of fraud. The business school at the University of the Pacific (UOP) launched a pilot invention evaluation service (IES) in autumn 1999. The process used in the IES is based on new product development models used in companies, and addresses basic market, technical and financial potential. The programme benefits not only the community of inventors: because IES staff members are graduate research assistants, it also provides a unique experiential learning opportunity for students. This article details the design of the service and the manner in which it has been implemented at UOP. Data from surveys of the inventors who have been served over the past three years is presented, which indicates that they have found the IES to be very effective in improving their decision making. Other universities may benefit from establishing a similar programme.

Early Active Mobilisation Following Flexor Tendon Repair in Zone 2

In a prospective study, 114 patients with 138 zone 2 flexor tendon injuries were treated over a three-year period. Early active mobilisation of the injured fingers was commenced within 48 hours of surgery. 98 patients (86%) were reviewed at least six months after operation. Using the grading system recommended by the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, the active range of motion recovered was graded excellent or good in 77% of digits, fair in 14% and poor in 9%. Dehisence of the repair occurred in 11 digits (9.4%) and in these an immediate re-repair followed by a similar programme of early active mobilisation resulted in an excellent or good outcome in seven digits.

The University of Hawaii lunar ranging experiment geodetic-geophysics support programme

Secular changes in the geocentric positions of lunar laser ranging stations will include components due to local and regional crustal deformations and tectonic plane movements. Terrestrial geodetic and geophysical methods appear to be the most timely and economical approach to determining local and regional effects. The University of Hawaii expects to implement a comprehensive geodetic-geophysical programme in support of its lunar ranging programme in mid-1976. Measurements will include ( a ) repeated geodetic surveys between the observatory and selected points on the island of Maui and neighbouring islands, ( b ) repeated level surveys on the island tied to ocean tide gauges, ( c ) tilt meter monitoring of changes in the local vertical, ( d ) gravimetric Earth tidal measurements, and ( e ) seismic monitoring of crustal activity. A similar programme is also being undertaken by the University of Texas in support of their MacDonald Observatory lunar ranging programme.

The response of normal men and women to changes in their environmental temparatures and ways of life

Sudanese men and women were flown to Cambridge in the winter of 1966/67 and at once began to take part in an experiment there lasting for 8 days with a corresponding number of British subjects. The Sudanese conformed to the British way of life. Time was provided for relaxation and exercise and the intakes and expenditures of water, salt and energy were measured. The British party were flown to Khartoum in the spring of 1968—not, for political reasons, as was originally planned in June 1967. They matched up again with the Sudanese subjects and adopted the daily routine of the latter while a similar programme of relaxation exercise and measurements was being carried out. The dry-bulb temperatures out of doors in England ranged from —5.6 to 12.5 °C but the rooms were warmed. The dry-bulb temperatures ranged from 14.8 to 38.7 °C in Khartoum and none of the rooms were cooled. The food in Khartoum provided more protein and less salt than in Cambridge. The subjects ate more and expended more energy in Cambridge than in Khartoum and they also tended to gain weight, particularly the Sudanese. The British food intakes were considerably lower in Khartoum and, in spite of expending less energy, the subjects lost weight. To live the lives they did the British males had an obligatory water expenditure of around 2223 ml/ day in Cambridge and 2920 ml. in Khartoum ; the figures for the Sudanese were 2278 and 3381. All the subjects would have required about 7 to 8 g of sodium chloride/day in Khartoum to make their food palatable and to provide for the obligatory losses. The women ate less, expended less energy and had considerably lower obligatory losses of water and salt than the men. Neither the British nor the Sudanese showed impaired ability to perform arithmetic or prolonged vigilence tests in their unaccustomed environment. The Sudanese were less cautious than the British in that they made more false reports of signals in the vigilance task.