Although genetic (counseling) assistants (GAs) have been implemented in many institutions, their roles vary widely. Therefore, this study aimed to refine our knowledge of GA tasks across work ...settings and specialties. Tasks performed by GAs were extracted from peer‐reviewed articles, publicly available theses, and job postings, then analyzed using directed content analysis. Briefly, task statements were coded using broad categories from previous studies, with new categories added as emergent. Coded tasks were combined and condensed to produce a final task list, which was reviewed by subject matter experts. Sixty‐one task statements were extracted from previous studies and 335 task statements were extracted from job descriptions. Directed content analysis produced a list of 40 unique tasks under 10 categories (8 from original research and 2 from the data). This study design resulted in a refined list of GA tasks that may be applicable across work settings and specialties, which is an essential step towards defining the scope of GA work. Beyond the human resource applications of the refined task list, this work may also benefit genetics services by reducing role overlap, improving efficiencies, improving employee satisfaction, and informing the development/improvement of training and other educational materials.
Objective
This scoping review explores the role of a healthcare assistant on a stroke unit, potential barriers to role fulfilment and whether stroke-specific training could enhance rehabilitative ...practice.
Data sources
Searches were conducted on CINAHL, MEDLINE and APA PsycInfo in May 2021 and repeated in September 2022.
Methods
This scoping review was guided by Arksey and O’Malley's framework. Article selection and data extraction were conducted by one researcher using a structured proforma. A narrative approach to data synthesis was undertaken following the research questions.
Results
From a combined total of 533 articles, sixty-six full-text articles were assessed for eligibility. Sixteen full articles were included in this review. A healthcare assistants’ role was viewed as caring directly for patients – some individuals felt they contributed to rehabilitation during these tasks, and that they could be undervalued by multidisciplinary team members, patients and their families. The barriers identified to healthcare assistants’ role fulfilment were lack of time, training and staffing shortages. Training was perceived to improve healthcare assistants’ communication, confidence and knowledge but training needed to be flexible, ward based and accommodate staffing shortages. However, it is unclear whether training has any clinical benefit for patients.
Conclusion
Healthcare assistants are well placed to enhance rehabilitative practice with patients; however, there are clear perceived barriers to this occurring. Future research should aim to define the role of healthcare assistants and explore whether further stroke-specific training could cause clinical benefits for patients.
Background
In this study, we examined the predictive values of a moral deliberate and paternalistic attitude on the propensity of yielding to pressure. In these hypothesised positive and negative ...relationships, we further sought to ascertain whether moral disengagement plays a pivotal role when individuals deviate from ethical standards, rules and regulations when yielding to pressure.
Aim(s)
This study's primary aim was to assess the predictive value of a moral deliberative and paternalistic attitude for yielding to pressure when physician assistants (PAs) and nurse practitioners (NPs) face moral conflicts.
Method
This validation study was cross‐sectional and based on a convenience sample of Dutch PAs and NPs. The MSQ‐DELIB and MSQ‐PATER scales indicate a moral deliberate or paternalistic attitude. These scales were assumed to have a predictive value towards the degree of yielding to pressure by PAs and NPs. Yielding to pressure was measured by two vignettes in which respondents faced a moral conflict (vignette 1: prescribing unindicated antibiotics and vignette 2: discharging a difficult patient from the hospital).
Results
Only moral deliberation was a significant predictor of yielding to pressure. That is, we found a positive effect in vignette 1 (in which the pressure came from the patient). In contrast, we found a negative relationship in vignette 2 (in which pressure went from the working environment). Paternalism did not affect yielding to pressure in either vignette.
Conclusion
This study suggests that PAs and NPs having a moral deliberative attitude makes them receptive to pressure exerted by patients to break moral standards. On the other hand, they are more resilient against doing so when this pressure comes from different sources than the patient. Further research is needed to find more conclusive evidence for this differential effect.
The Minnesota Dental Assistants Association is saddened to announce the loss of fellow state officer and longtime friend, Linette A. Schmitt, LDA, CDA, MADAA, of Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, of ...pancreatic cancer on Jan. 15, 2022 after almost a year after her diagnosis. In early 2009, Linette provided testimony at the state capitol in support of dental assistant licensure, a dream that eventually came to fruition when the governor signed the bill into law. ADAA members and fellow Board of Trustees members who had the wonderful opportunity to serve alongside Linette remember her for her steadfastness and hard work, occasional goofiness, bubbly personality and never-ending smile.
Smart personal assistants (SPAs), such as Alexa for example, promise individualized user interactions owing to their varying interaction possibilities, knowledgeability, and human-like behaviors. To ...support the widespread adoption and use of SPAs, organizations such as Google or Amazon provide low code environments that support the development of SPAs (e.g., for Google Home or Amazon's Alexa). These so-called low code platforms enable domain experts (e.g., business users without programming skills or experience) to develop SPAs for their purposes. However, using these platforms alone does not guarantee a useful and good conversation with novel SPAs due to non-intuitive design choices. Following a design science research approach, we propose the Smart Personal Assistant for Domain Experts (SPADE) method to address the missing link. This method supports domain experts in the development and contextualization of sophisticated SPAs for various application scenarios and focuses especially on conversational and anthropomorphic design steps. Our proof of concept and proof of value results show that SPADE is useful for supporting domain experts to create effective SPAs in different domains beyond private set-ups.
Little is known about practice pattern differences between nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs). We compared the rates of low-value back images ordered by NPs and PAs. For this ...comparison, we used 2012-2013 Medicare Part B claims for all beneficiaries in 18 hospital referral regions and a measure of low-value back imaging from the Choosing Wisely recommendations. Models included a random clinician effect and fixed effects for beneficiary age, disability, Elixhauser comorbidities, clinician type, the emergency department setting, and region. NPs (N = 234) order low-value back images significantly less than PAs (N = 204) (NPs 25.5% vs. PAs 39.2%, p < .0001). Controlling for relevant factors, NPs are 10.0 percentage points (p < .0001) less likely to order a low-value back image than PAs. NPs and PAs have distinct patterns of low-value back imaging, which is likely a reflection of their different practice settings.
The drive to broaden equitable access to undergraduate research experiences has catalyzed the development and implementation of course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). Biology ...education has prioritized embedding CUREs in introductory labs, which are frequently taught by graduate teaching assistants (GTAs). Thus, a CURE GTA is expected not only to teach but also to support novice student researchers. We know little about how GTAs perform as research mentors in a CURE, or how the quality of their mentorship and support impacts undergraduate students. To address this gap in knowledge, we conducted a phenomenological study of an introductory biology CURE, interviewing 25 undergraduate students taught by nine different GTAs at a single institution. We used self-determination theory to guide our exploration of how students' autonomous motivation to engage in a CURE is impacted by perceptions of GTA support. We found that highly motivated students were more likely to experience factors hypothesized to optimize motivation in the CURE, and to perceive that their GTA was highly supportive of these elements. Students with lower motivation were less likely to report engaging in fundamental elements of research offered in a CURE. Our findings suggest that GTAs directly impact students' motivation, which can, in turn, influence whether students perceive receiving the full research experience as intended in a CURE. We contend that practitioners who coordinate CUREs led by GTAs should therefore offer curated training that emphasizes supporting students' autonomous motivation in the course and engagement in the research. Our work suggests that GTAs may differ in their capacity to provide students with the support they need to receive and benefit from certain pedagogical practices. Future work assessing innovative approaches in undergraduate biology laboratory courses should continue to investigate potenital differential outcomes for students taught by GTAs.
Angela Wilson focuses on enhancing the speaking and listening skills of the pupils whom you support, analyzing how you can develop their skills, offering advise and guidance on a variety of learning ...styles and a breakdown of main principles of speaking and listening.
Widespread, and growing, use of artificial intelligence (AI)–enabled voice assistants (VAs) creates a pressing need to understand what drives VA evaluations. This article proposes a new framework ...wherein perceptions of VA artificiality and VA intelligence are positioned as key drivers of VA evaluations. Building from work on signaling theory, AI, technology adoption, and voice technology, the authors conceptualize VA features as signals related to either artificiality or intelligence, which in turn affect VA evaluations. This study represents the first application of signaling theory when examining VA evaluations; also, it is the first work to position VA artificiality and intelligence (cf. other factors) as key drivers of VA evaluations. Further, the paper examines the role of several theory-driven and/ or practice-relevant moderators, relating to the effects of artificiality and intelligence on VA evaluations. The results of these investigations can help firms suitably design their VAs and suitably design segmentation strategies.
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