Showing papers by "Australian Catholic University published in 1991"

Early Parental Responses to Sudden Infant Death, Stillbirth or Neonatal Death

Abstract: OBJECTIVE To examine the mental health of parents after stillbirth (SB), neonatal death (NND) or sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). DESIGN The sampling frame from southeast Queensland was observed over 2.5 years. Control families were matched for birth date, sex of child, hospital and health insurance status. SETTING Home interviews, by specially trained social workers, took place two months after the death of the infant. PARTICIPANTS Results were based on 918 responses from 260 bereaved families (99 SB, 109 NND, 52 SIDS) and 252 control families, with a 63.6% overall participation rate. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Questionnaires included standardised measures of anxiety, depression, biographic and demographic data. It was hypothesised that subject families would show more symptoms of anxiety and depression than control families, with mothers and parents affected by SIDS having the highest levels. RESULTS Affected parents report significantly more psychological symptoms than controls, mothers more than fathers (P less than 0.001). Parents affected by SIDS showed more symptoms than other affected parents. High levels of anxiety were 14 times more likely in mothers affected by SIDS than controls (95% confidence interval, 5.4-36.6), with depression 12 times more likely (95% confidence interval, 3.8-43.5). Anxiety for groups affected by SB and NND were respectively 3.9 (2.1-10.5) and 6.5 (2.6-16.3) times more likely than for controls, and depression 6.9 (2.1-22.5) and 8.5 (2.7-26.7) times more likely. Differences were less marked for fathers, except for fathers affected by SIDS. CONCLUSIONS Parents affected by stillbirth, neonatal death or sudden infant death syndrome manifest high levels of anxiety and depression two months after the death. Mothers have more symptoms than fathers, and parents affected by SIDS have the most symptoms of anxiety and depression.

Language Comprehension Errors--A Further Investigation.

Abstract: Comprehension errors made when attempting mathematical word problems have been noted as one of the high frequency categories in error analysis. This error category has been assumed to be language based. The study reported here provides some support for the linkage of comprehension errors to measures of language competency. Further, there is evidence that the frequency of such errors is related to competency in both the mother tongue and the language of instruction for bilingual students.

National Examinations in Teacher Education in Papua New Guinea: political and pedagogical dimensions

Abstract: This investigation explored the perceptions of 53 teacher college lecturers concerning the influence of a series of national examinations in teachers’ colleges in Papua New Guinea. Results indicated that these examinations were neither valid nor reliable and that they disrupted college life. Though the evidence revealed that the examinations promoted rote learning and ‘spoon‐feeding’ teaching, the Ministry of Education failed to respond. Political considerations seem to be the basis for the examinations.

Registered nurses' constructed meaning of concepts of solution and their use in clinical practice

Abstract: Since the introduction of nursing into tertiary institutions in Australia in 1975, there has been increasing interest in the teaching of physical science to nurses. Various courses in physical science for nurse students have been developed. They vary in length and content but there is agreement that concepts taught should be closely related to nursing applications. The choice of relevant concepts tends to be made by individual curriculum developers. This paper reports an examination of the use of physical science concepts and their relevance from the perspective of registered nurses practising in general ward areas. Inherent in this study is the premise that for registered nurses to have ideas of the physical science underlying their practice they must have constructed meaning first for these concepts. Specific chemical concepts related to solutions are discussed in these terms.

RET with Children and Adolescents

Abstract: RET has a long history of application, with children and adolescents, to the treatment of a variety of childhood problems including conduct disorders (e. g., DiGiuseppe, 1988), low frustration tolerance (e. g., Knaus, 1983), impulsivity (e. g., Kendall & Fischler, 1983), academic underachievement (e. g., Bard & Fisher, 1983), anxieties, fears and phobias (e. g., Grieger & Boyd, 1983), social isolation (e. g., Halford, 1983), obesity (e. g., Foreyt & Kondo, 1983), depression (e. g., DiGiuseppe, 1986), and childhood sexuality (e. g., Walen & Vanderhorst, 1983). This chapter provides an up-to-date conceptualization of how RET can be used effectively with young clients. The foundation of the present material can be found in Bernard and Joyce, Rational-Emotive Therapy with Children and Adolescents: Theory, Treatment Strategies, Preventative Methods (1984). We have endeavored to refine the ideas presented in this earlier work, incorporating what we have learned over the years since its publication.

Teaching the teachers of teaching : tertiary teacher education in Papua New Guinea

Abstract: This thesis is centred upon the development, implementation and evaluation of the Bachelor of Education (Tertiary) BEd T. program at the University of Papua New Guinea, which aims to promote quality teacher educators. The program has its in rationale cognitive development theory, research on approaches to learning and the literature concerning adult and teacher development in the Melanesian context. The theoretical position adopted is that teacher development is a form of adult development and the promotion of quality teacher educators, a function of higher stages of development. Consequently, the intervention curriculum had two major expectations: to improve the level of cognitive development; to improve the quality of potential teacher educators. The following evolved as research questions. • What factors influence the learning of Papua New Guinea teachers undertaking higher education? • Does the experience of the special curriculum promote greater cognitive development than increased general education at the University? • What is the perceived impact of the BEd T. students in the teachers' colleges? • What are the contextual factors that influence college lecturers' teaching and students' learning? No one research methodology was considered appropriate to address these research questions because the theoretical position required a combination of qualitative and quantitative data. The methodology adopted was multi - disciplinary in scope and used structures from the following perspectives: ethnographic; illuminative evaluation; case study; quasi experimental. The research concluded that: The biggest single factor that influenced teachers' learning at university is their own misconceived expectations of learning compared with university expectations. This is exaccrbated by learning through English as a second language, where the main problem is the lack of conceptual equivalence between western and Melanesian epistcmologies. It was also found that the intervention curriculum did promote significantly greater cognitive development in the BEd T. students, as measured by the Student Process Questionnaire who in turn were perceived to be making a strong positive impact in the teachers' colleges. However the fullness of impact appears to be potentially muted by the mechanistic curriculum operating in the colleges, as well as by the conservative bureaucratic administrative practices of Government agencies.

Regionaleation of trauma services in western sydney: predicted effect on ambulance and hospital utilization rates

Abstract: A previous study has demonstrated the effectiveness of ambulance staff in identifying the majority of trauma victims who warrant admission to a Level 3 Hospital.1 This paper applies the results of that study in order to estimate the likely effect of a system of bypass whereby these identified patients are transported to a Level 3 hospital rather than the nearest Level 1 DT 2 Hospital. Under the proposed plan whereby both Westmead and Liverpool Hospitals would be granted Level 3 status, the effect on Westmead would be negligible. However, Liverpool's caseload would increase (25% for total admissions, 136% for serious admissions) and, consequently, its level of resources would need to be upgraded before this plan can be put into action. Meanwhile, Level 1 and 2 hospitals would see little change to total patient admissions, although there would be a substantial drop in serious admissions (-63%). Under the proposed system, the effects on the Ambulance Service would also be negligible in terms of both the number of transports and total transport hours. However, the nature of these transports would change. More time would be required in bypass cases, although this would be compensated for by a corresponding fall off in interhospital transfers (28% decline in time spent on transfers). Ultimately, this means that patients would be getting to the hospital of definitive care much sooner. These results have implications for the development of trauma services in other sectors.

A factor theorem for locally convex differentiability spaces

Abstract: The main result of this paper is that a continuous convex function with domain in a locally convex space factors through a normed space. In a recent paper by Sharp, topological linear spaces are categorised according to the differentiability properties of their continuous convex functions; we show that under suitable conditions the classification is preserved by linear maps. A technique for deducing results for locally convex spaces from Banach space theory is an immediate consequence. Examples are given and Asplund C(S) spaces are characterised.