Small group learning: Graduate health students' views of challenges and benefits.

UNLABELLED: Abstract Background: For health-care professionals, particularly nurses, the need to work productively and efficiently in small groups is a crucial skill required to meet the challenges of the contemporary health-care environment. Small group work is an educational technique that is used extensively in nurse education. The advantage of group work includes facilitation of deep, active and collaborative learning. However, small group work can be problematic and present challenges for students. Many of the challenges occur because group work necessitates the coming together of collections of individuals, each with their own personalities and sets of experiences. AIM: This study aimed to identify challenges and benefits associated with small group work and to explore options for retaining the positive aspects of group work while reducing or eliminating the aspects the students experienced as negative. METHOD: Online survey; thematic analysis. RESULTS: Over all, students experienced a range of challenges that necessitated the development of problem-solving strategies. However, they were able to elucidate some enjoyable and positive aspects of group work. Implications for teaching and learning are drawn from this study. CONCLUSION: The ability to work effectively in small groups and teams is essential for all health-care workers in the contemporary health environment. Findings of this study highlight the need for educators to explore novel and effective ways in which to engage nurses in group work.

Whistleblowing: An integrative literature review of data-based studies involving nurses.

UNLABELLED: Abstract Aim: To summarise and critique the research literature about whistleblowing and nurses. BACKGROUND: Whistleblowing is identified as a crucial issue in maintenance of healthcare standards and nurses are frequently involved in whistleblowing events. Despite the importance of this issue, to our knowledge an evaluation of this body of the data-based literature has not been undertaken. METHOD: An integrative literature review approach was used to summarise and critique the research literature. A comprehensive search of five databases including Medline, CINAHL, PubMed and Health Science: Nursing/Academic Edition, and Google, were searched using terms including: 'Whistleblow*,' 'nurs*.' In addition, relevant journals were examined, as well as reference lists of retrieved papers. Papers published during the years 2007-2013 were selected for inclusion. FINDINGS: Fifteen papers were identified, capturing data from nurses in seven countries. The findings in this review demonstrate a growing body of research for the nursing profession at large to engage and respond appropriately to issues involving suboptimal patient care or organisational wrongdoing. CONCLUSIONS: Nursing plays a key role in maintaining practice standards and in reporting care that is unacceptable although the repercussions to nurses who raise concerns are insupportable. Overall, whistleblowing and how it influences the individual, their family, work colleagues, nursing practice and policy overall, requires further national and international research attention.

Emotional intelligence in young emerging adults: A focus on Wong and Law's scale in the digital work sphere.

Despite the growing research on the usefulness and validity of the four-factor Wong and Law Emotional Intelligence Scale (WLEIS), empirical evidence for its relevance to Black African young emerging adults seems non-existent. The study's objective was to assess the relevance of the original WLEIS factor structure for a sample (N = 365) of South African Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) final year students (mean age = 24.3 years; SD = 2.38). Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses, and convergent and discriminant validity tests revealed a three-factor first-order structure with uniquely descriptive items characteristic of the sample's emotional intelligence. The findings contribute to the WLEIS measurement of emotional intelligence in young emerging adults who are preparing to enter the digital-age work world.

Self-regulatory employability attributes and competency: the strengthening role of grit.

Introduction: This study examines grit as psychological mindsets that explain the link between self-regulatory employability attributes and perceived employability competency expectations in a sample of South African adults (N = 308). Methods: A quantitative, cross-sectional research design approach was used to collect primary data. Results: Results of a mediation analysis through structural equation modelling revealed grit as an important mechanism to strengthen the association between employability attributes (career agility, cultural ingenuity, proactive career resilience) and employability competency expectations (autonomy/leadership skills and personal employability qualities). Discussion: This study makes an important contribution to the role of learning and training through understanding the role of grit in enhancing prospects of employability. This study further adds to the grit literature, highlighting the role that grit plays in the contemporary employment context. Practical implications include supportive practices that strengthen individual workers' grit when confronted with the turbulent changes of today's work world.

Psychological fortitude model for digitally mindset working adults.

Introduction: The inception of Industry 4.0 (which includes smart digital technologies and intelligence), as well as the rapidly enforced adoption of the technological revolution due to the lockdown regulations during the COVID-19 pandemic, brought new situational demands, challenges and opportunities for both employees and organizations across the globe. Individuals are required to develop personal enablers (both intrapersonal and intradigital attributes) to optimize their psychological fortitude. Research on the intrapersonal resources needed by employees to have the fortitude to adapt to remote working conditions as a result of the digital era, is currently lacking. The igital era brought about the question of how individuals' career adaptability and career wellbeing (as a set of agile adaptable attributes) relate to their perceptions of the value-oriented psychological contract, and whether these intrapersonal resources can contribute to a psychological fortitude model for remote working employees. Method: This study utilized a survey method to investigate the correlations between agile adaptable attributes and the valueoriented psychological contract of global digital-mindset human resource and financial service organizations. Based on further canonical correlations, structural equation modeling was conducted to develop and recommend a psychological fortitude model for remote working adults in the digital age. Results: Close theoretical and empirical associations were found between career adaptability and career wellbeing (as agile adaptable variables) and the perceived value-orientated psychological contract. Discussion: This study proposed a psychological fortitude model (consisting of intrapersonal resources) that organizations and career practitioners can use as a basis to enhance employees' psychological fortitude in the digital age, as well as for further career research.

Small group learning: graduate health students' views of challenges and benefits.

Abstract Background: For health care professionals, particularly nurses, the need to work productively and efficiently in small groups is a crucial skill required to meet the challenges of the contemporary health-care environment. Small group work is an educational technique that is used extensively in nurse education. The advantage of group work includes facilitation of deep, active and collaborative learning. However, small group work can be problematic and present challenges for students. Many of the challenges occur because group work necessitates the coming together of collections of individuals, each with their own personalities and sets of experiences. Aim: This study aimed to identify challenges and benefits associated with small group work and to explore options for retaining the positive aspects of group work while reducing or eliminating the aspects the students experienced as negative. Method: Online survey; thematic analysis. Results: Over all, students experienced a range of challenges that necessitated the development of problem-solving strategies. However, they were able to elucidate some enjoyable and positive aspects of group work. Implications for teaching and learning are drawn from this study. Conclusion: The ability to work effectively in small groups and teams is essential for all health care workers in the contemporary health environment. Findings of this study highlight the need for educators to explore novel and effective ways in which to engage nurses in group work.

Whistleblowing: An integrative literature review of data-based studies involving nurses.

Abstract Aim To summarise and critique the research literature about whistleblowing and nurses. Background Whistleblowing is identified as a crucial issue in maintenance of healthcare standards and nurses are frequently involved in whistleblowing events. Despite the importance of this issue, to our knowledge an evaluation of this body of the data-based literature has not been undertaken. Method An integrative literature review approach was used to summarise and critique the research literature. A comprehensive search of five databases including Medline, CINAHL, PubMed and Health Science: Nursing/Academic Edition, and Google, were searched using terms including: 'whistleblow*', 'nurs*'. In addition, relevant journals were examined, as well as reference lists of retrieved papers. Papers published during the years 2007-2013 were selected for inclusion. Findings Fifteen papers were identified, capturing data from nurses in seven countries. The findings in this review demonstrate a growing body of research for the nursing profession at large to engage and respond appropriately to issues involving suboptimal patient care or organisational wrongdoing. Conclusions Nursing plays a key role in maintaining practice standards and in reporting care that is unacceptable although the repercussions to nurses who raise concerns are insupportable. Overall, whistleblowing and how it influences the individual, their family, work colleagues, nursing practice and policy overall, requires further national and international research attention.

Supporting parents and parenting: An overview of data-based papers recently published in Contemporary Nurse.

Abstract Nurses have a crucial role in play in supporting parents and in delivering and referring parents to family-support services. In this editorial, we reflect on papers recently published in Contemporary Nurse. We sought to consider data-based papers on parenting published between 2008 and 2012 and elucidate the role/s and potential roles of nurses in enhancing and supporting parenting. Parenting is recognised as a crucial variable for achieving positive outcomes for children (Dawson et al 2012). Poor, inconsistent or abusive parenting is linked to poor outcomes (Griffin et al. 2000, Holt et al.2008, Patterson et al.1989), while consistent and effective parenting is associated with enhanced child outcomes (Lamb 2012, Landry et al.2001). In addition to being important to outcomes for children, perceived parenting quality is also important to parents themselves. Disrupted relationships between parents and their children have been identified as distressing and potentially damaging to both parties (Jackson 2000; East 2006, 2007; Power 2012).