Foundation studies in education for therapy practice: curriculum updating.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the foundation studies element of the education for practice as a speech and language therapist in one Irish University, and how this element features in curriculum development and updating. BACKGROUND: This paper addresses the question of how best to introduce students to the ever-increasing depth and range of knowledge regarding communication disorders. This foundation is the basis upon which to build the knowledge, skills and attitudes that lead ultimately to generating prerequisites for clinician scientists to provide services for people with communication and swallowing disabilities. METHODS/RESULTS: Since its institution as a university course, the course curriculum in our department at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, has been subjected to regular revision and updating to be in line with educational, professional and service requirements. In this paper, we select elements of our most recent revision of the curriculum, incorporating the redefinition of the desirable characteristics of our graduates. This paper presents an overview of curriculum development, and focuses on the initial part of the education that sets the foundation for acquiring the knowledge that we consider to be a relevant, solid basis for entering clinical work. CONCLUSIONS: The current foundation stage of the curriculum encompasses elements that reflect increasing knowledge, trends in education practices, and the seeds of life-long learning.

Occupational stressors, burnout and coping strategies between hospital and community psychiatric nurses in a Dublin region.

Burnout negatively impacts the delivery of mental health services. Psychiatric nurses face stressors that are distinct from other nursing specialities. The research was conducted in Ireland and captured a relatively large sample of respondents. The results compared the stressors, coping strategies and burnout levels between hospital and community-based psychiatric nurses. Occupational stress can negatively impact on the well-being of psychiatric nurses, which in turn can lead to poor client care. There is a dearth of published research conducted in Ireland that examines stress within the discipline. A between-groups study, undertaken in February 2011, investigated stressors, burnout and coping strategies between hospital and community-based psychiatric nurses in a Dublin region. Sixty-nine participants (8 males and 61 females), aged between 18 to 60 years voluntarily completed the Mental Health Professional Stress Scale, the Maslach Burnout Inventory and the PsychNurse Methods of Coping Scale. The findings revealed that nurses were operating in a moderately stressful environment. Stressors focused on organizational issues as opposed to client issues. The main stressors identified were lack of resources, workload and organizational structures/processes. Both groups reported average levels of emotional exhaustion, low levels of depersonalization and average levels of personal accomplishment. A Mann-Whitney U-test and Independent Samples t-test found significant differences between hospital and community-based nurses regarding depersonalization and personal accomplishment, respectively. Hospital nurses reported higher depersonalization scores, and community nurses had a greater sense of personal accomplishment. The personal accomplishment scores of hospital nurses were below mental health professional norms. No significant differences emerged regarding coping strategies. Avoidant coping strategies were favoured by both groups. It is recommended that interventions aimed at increasing personal accomplishment be implemented for both groups of nurses. An investigation of perceived job control and the use of social support would also be insightful.

Dissolved organic carbon losses from grazed grasslands under different management regimes.

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) is fundamental to many biogeochemical processes in soils and natural waters. Despite the large number of studies reporting on DOM losses from forest soils and in surface waters there is little published data on exports from managed grasslands. The objective of our study was to determine the extent of short-term exports of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) from managed grazed grasslands and to evaluate the influence of fertilizer management and drainage regime. DOC discharged from grazed grassland plots, with a range of management strategies. was determined over 2 months. Total export varied from 42 to 118 kgCha(-1), and was greater from some plots than literature estimates for annual losses from all catchment types. There was a significant (P = 0.048) positive correlation between DOC export and rates of nitrogen application for treatments with no artificial drainage. Increased dry matter production arising from increased fertilizer-N inputs is suggested as an important factor in this relationship. DOC export was significantly (P = 0.032) reduced by artificial drainage and adsorption of DOC to soil surfaces and the restriction of decomposition due to waterlogging are suggested as two possible explanations.

Rapid incidental phosphorus transfers from grassland.

In Britain, frequent rainfall means that there is a high potential for rapid, direct (incidental) losses of phosphorus (P) to occur after fertilizer or manure application. However, despite the known contribution of P to the eutrophication of water bodies in Britain, such incidental transfers have received little experimental attention. To rectify this, we used lysimeter plots (each 3 x 10 m) to investigate incidental transfers in a composite of overland and lateral subsurface flow (0-27 cm) following the application of different P sources. The treatments used were triple super phosphate (TSP), dairy slurry (Slurry), an equal mix of TSP plus slurry (TSP + Slurry), and no P (Zero P). The treatments were applied to wet soil at a rate of 29 kg ha(-1). In the following 169 h, 48.8 mm rainfall (intensity < or =3 mm h(-1)) resulted in total phosphorus (TP) exports between 1.8 and 2.3 kg ha(-1). A single 4-h period (with overland flow) accounted for 33 to 46% of overall loads from the P-amended treatments. Concentrations in discharge from TSP + Slurry and TSP peaked at 11000 microg TP L(-1) (67-68% as reactive P < 0.45 microm (RP<0.45). Slurry peaked at 7000 microg TP L(-1), 66% as particulate TP (>0.45 microm) and 20% as RP<0.45. Even in subsurface flow, concentrations exceeded 3000 microg TP L(-1) for all P-amended treatments. Incidental TP concentrations in plot discharge were up to 110-fold higher than those considered eutrophic in inland waters. We suggest that targeting short-term management decisions for P applications is the most immediately viable method to mitigate P loss and benefit the environment.